Morning Coffee

Someone like You

2009-05-02T12:14:00.006-05:00

I've been thinking of a song written by an old friend Kevin Mattson. The gist of the lyrics are his love for his toddler son, and asking God if God loves him as much as he loves his son. The song goes through all the experiences of Love that a father has for a son, with the repeating question do you love me that much? In the end the answer humbles him to tears, for God answers yes and more, then God asks him the question, "would you let that little boy die for someone like you?"

Often it seems we identify God's blessing on us with the righteousness of our cause. We fight for our cause. We see God's blessing and God's will and even God's revelation in the accomplishment of it. In some cases we even see the realization of God's Love in our successful completion of the tasks to promote the cause. There are rare occasions when we are so passionate that our cause is God's cause that we believe anyone who interferes with us is fighting against God directly.

It seems Jesus came for more than our cause. It seems that he came for us for someone like us for someone like you.

Luke 5:27-32

27After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." 28And he got up, left everything, and followed him.

29Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31Jesus answered, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance."

I think the "over the top" satire pointing to this truth is captured in the Video

Tweener Times

2009-04-11T07:45:00.005-05:00

There's nothing left, the adrenalin and the drama are over. The attempts to control or influence things beyond your control or influence have failed. Your hopes and dreams are gone, dashed to pieces in a moment of time. You are only left with the despair and hopelessness of a life misguided. The world you believed in is gone forever, and the world you sought to love moves on without you. The crowds are gone, the crowds you counted on have turned on you. Even asking the question - where are you? what happened? seems silly because you don't know to whom the question should be addressed. Those you walked with, those who are left, stare at each other and ask "now what?" Is there anything to left believe in, anything left worth living for at all? The enemies who destroyed everything about you - they don't even care. They're not gloating, apathy is a better descriptor - even they have moved on. You would move on also - if you could think of anywhere to go. But where else can you go? HE has the words of eternal life, we know HE is the Holy one of God.

Its the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. On this Saturday of all Saturdays, we don't hope because the world is a hopeful place where good things happen. We don't hope because the righteous among us prevail. We don't hope in our own strength and ability. If anything Friday showed us that all that type of hope is useless. All of history shows us that destruction and calamity, like that of Friday, comes, and we are left with a Saturday season - a life of mere existence. A time when our prayers and beliefs sound hollow - even to us.

But History, Both worldly and our own personal history and story, also shows us that beyond Friday and Saturday, Sunday is coming.

Todays lectionary reading Job 19:21-27a

21Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me! 22Why do you, like God, pursue me, never satisfied with my flesh?

23"O that my words were written down! O that they were inscribed in a book! 24O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock for ever! 25For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; 26and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, 27whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

A Self Correction

2009-03-12T05:33:00.005-05:00

Its been said that reading and understanding the Bible is like carving a Turkey - Cut along the grain, not against the grain to get the best. I've also found that no matter how finely I carve, Its always turkey - never hamburger, no matter how much I may crave a Big Mac. Very simply; it is what it is. The scripture is what it is, God is God. God's will and word are independent of our perception.

Although the analogy may be weak, it points to the two halves of our relationship with God that Paul Tillich spoke about - God's Revelation, and our Reception of that revelation. Its the reception of the Revelation we need to work on. Often I see people rely strictly on their feelings as the movement of the Holy Spirit and God's revelation of Love, or strictly on the Scripture as a legal document as the source of God's revelation of Love, or The Constitution of the USA as God's revelation of Love.

Why the focus on Love? Because as best as I can tell, my own reception of Revelation always comes back to Love. No matter where I start, no matter the situation, Love becomes the sole source of motivation, of ethic enacted, and is always consistent with all I understand of God.

Have I missed something?

Below, from today's lectionary, Paul speaks to those of Faith concerning their reception of God's revelation

Rom 2:17-24
[17] But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God [18] and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, [19] and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, [20] a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, [21] you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? [22]You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? [23] You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? [24] For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

"Heart" is just The Cross ( "t" ) away from "Hear"

2009-02-14T09:54:00.010-05:00

2 Timothy 4:1-8

1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 3For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

Both; " . . . I solemnly urge you . . " and ". . . As for you . . ." are scary phrases. More often than not, they speak to a life adjustment. A call to stop something and start something else. A call to "put off" and at the same time "put on". We hear these calls in our individual lives, in our church lives, in our denominational lives, in our universal-body-of-Christ lives, and even through the pages of history as Paul above instructs, and as God proclaims through the entirety of Scripture. In a real time, real life situation, Bruce Reyes-Chow, current moderator for the PCUSA, made the comment today; " . . . even more convinced after seeing ministries in the Philippines and Taiwan that the PC(USA) must determine how best to direct our energy and resources."

More times than not, the very things listed that can interfere with moving from "Hear" to Hear"t" are the very things that our lives as good church folk - revolve around; favorable or unfavorable times. Both are excellent and emotional reasons to collapse into ourselves, at the expense of others and to put some life circumstance ahead of God. In the discussions above, Paul calls us to strive with and to others, for God. Clearly our circumstances and positions in life are not to be obstacles. Moving from "Hear" to Hear"t" is merely hearing the Word and the world through the cross. Hearing the Cross in all its depth, and in all its Word (JN1:1) , rather than through mere neurological connections between the ear, the eye, and the brain.

God Please let me hear"t" your Word and not merely hear it.

Seeing it Unfold

2009-01-29T06:24:00.004-05:00

Its in the eyes. The transition occurred this week, moving from quiet confidence and strength to anger and frustration to fear. The move from we'll always have jobs, to I can get a job, to "Oh my God there are no jobs - what will I do"? People printing newspaper articles and passing them around - 5000 laid off here, 4000 there, 70,000+ laid off on Monday, customers shutting down so business opportunities and hence jobs vanish into thin air. The life savings that was counted on to get through tough times like these also seemingly vanishes - The Kafka-like reality of the largest Automotive companies groveling for $30B to keep factories open while the man who stole $50B, nearly double that amount, seemingly walking freely through the streets of NY, and $350B to keep banks afloat just vanishes. The proportionality of the numbers is hard to comprehend. My neighbor sold his house twice in six months, both times the financing fell through - its still for sale. The report from the UN claiming that the only source of liquid capital keeping many European banks solvent is drug money. A banker friend of mine's screaming silence on the issue, not disputing the claim, sends chills down my spine.

Paradigm shift or merely bump in the road? Just hang on - we'll be back to normal shortly or give it up - the world you lived in just died never to be resurrected? Important questions because how you answer will define you and what you do for years to come. Will you devote yourself to the fight to maintain, to fight with every ounce of your being, or will you begin to explore new ways of living, new ways of being, a new identity in the broken world whose idealism has been shattered by the corruption of the human spirit? We're not the first to be confronted like this, nor will we be the last. Like it or not, as trite as it might seem, the scripture speaks to these realities in real history. To often we seem to view scripture like a Hallmark greeting card, rather than the hard edge it is in actuality, a divider, and separator, calling us to God, providing the answers and the consequences in historical context to the questions we face today. Its been said that those who don't know history (his-story) are doomed to repeat it.

The concerns of tomorrow are for tomorrow - today's concerns are how you answer the question on how will you launch your tommorrows, the question on who do you trust, - the corruption of the human spirit or God. The Israel of history answered incorrectly, in spite of voices calling them to the right decision. The Prophet Isaiah spoke startling words to Israel at a similar time of desperation;

Isaiah 49:13-18 and 24-26

13Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.

14But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me." 15Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. 16See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. 17Your builders outdo your destroyers, and those who laid you waste go away from you. 18Lift up your eyes all around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, says the LORD, you shall put all of them on like an ornament, and like a bride you shall bind them on.

24Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? 25But thus says the LORD: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued; for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children. 26I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Preaching to the Priests: Disruptions in the plan

2009-01-14T06:26:00.002-05:00

Mark 1:40-45

40A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." 41Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" 42Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

At the risk of exposing a lack of knowledge, a lack of wisdom and a lack of understanding, I've wondered about the "secrecy" of Jesus' ministry in Mark. Why does he continually say things similar to this quote in vs 44 " . . . say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the Priest . . . as a testimony to them"

Did Jesus come to bring Affirmation and eventual Salvation to and through the priesthood?

Did he come to make a mid-course correction to a system that had gone horribly bad?

Did he come to re-direct the faith away from an explosion in teaching from the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" and back to the "Tree of Life" as in the Garden of Eden accounts?

Did he come to Preach and Testify to the Priests first?

If so what is the message to us today? In connecting the past to the present in a leap of logic, I would ask are we teaching from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil, or are we teaching from the tree of Life? In Jesus teaching of the greatest commandment the words knowledge,good and evil are not present, but the word Love is dominant. Is this love that Jesus speaks of the "actuality" of the tree of Life? Do we really believe Paul, that the Law - the knowledge of Good and Evil - is fulfilled by Love?

If all this is so, then what does it mean in our post-resurrection context of the Priesthood of all believers? It seems our choices are clear and ancient, fulfill the law through Love, or fall back to the rules, from whatever perspective we understand them, and divide the world into the Good (ie "us") and the the Evil (ie "them")

Changing the Brand: Is it time to take the USA out of the PC(USA)?

2009-01-11T07:32:00.004-05:00

Today's Lectionary reading:

John 1:1-7

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.

When a PC(USA) church sends a short term mission trip, when the denomination sends a YAV, short term, or long term missionary - what does the receiving culture see and hear? Is it USA first? or is it PC - and is PC understood as its common vernacular "Politically Correct". Do our denominational discussions and disagreements focus on USA politics, or on the global catholic church? Does our church reflect the current divisions in the USA or does it reflect the Logos incarnate? Are we two political conventions arguing under a steeple, or are we part of the light bringing life into the world - and no - this is not a veiled reference to "more light".

Globalization has been a fact of life for decades, except in our churches. We as the "Politically Correct (USA)" church simple can't see beyond ourselves - to grasp the reality of our world. In that statement I encompass both sides of our cultural divide - both sides claim their politics is the blessed one of God - much like the North and the South did all those years ago. Both sides seem to have involved themselves with Rome, while the light shines elsewhere.

So the question: To get the USA out of the PC(USA) - should the PC(USA) seriously begin consideration of merging with non-USA reformed congregations and denominations from around the world, and the resultant sharing of leadership and resources? I don't believe that we will work past our quagmire until a non-USA perspective begins to lead us.

My fear in such an approach is - Who would want us? - what do we bring to the table beyond the 2C's of Cash-n-Conflict?

Ultimate Reality - Can this be it and the rest mere deception?

2008-12-25T09:26:00.002-05:00

1 John 4:7-16

7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God.

16So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

Learning again what I used to know

2008-12-18T06:08:00.002-05:00

A slight change: no moderator comments today, but a A re-post from 2 years ago that may apply to Bruce's Dec8 blog on the pain we cause each other, based on todays lectionary reading

Sunday, August 27, 2006

In my experience its the parents of toddlers who lecture the parents of teenagers on parenthood. Its those who have not seen a battle in person who advise on combat strategy. Its those who have never led, who are experts on leadership 'cause they read a few books. Its those who have never had the responsibility, who know what the responsible thing to do is. Some of the greatest advice I ever received was from an old drunk whom God had rescued. At the risk of dating myself, its - "If you want to learn how to box, hang out with Mohamed Ali, not Leon Spinks." Both were World Heavy Weight champs, but . . .

In The Storm the complications expand beyond comprehension. Each good decision carries dozens of bad consequences to those around you. Those Friends and advisors around you typically aren't interested in the follow-up, they're encompassed fully in their own understanding - no room for anything else. But, once in a while God sends, and your graced, by someone who can lay a gentle hand on your shoulder and whisper in your ear, "keep standing" and you know they've survived this storm, and how they have done it.

And so you stand. Fully in God's mercy. Fully in God's will. Fully in God's grace. Wondering what's happening, watching and waiting in anticipation, as your world is rocked - in what seems to be a bad way. But deep down you know that you know, as in the Ephesians passage 13" . . . and having done everything, to stand firm". And in Job, His friend Eliphaz captures it so succinctly in Shaekspearian elegance, 5" . . . it touches you, and you are dismayed"

Ephesians 6:10-20:
[10] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12] For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. [14] Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. [15] As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. [16] With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Job 4:1-6, 12-21[
1] Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: [2] "If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended? But who can keep from speaking? [3] See, you have instructed many; you have strengthened the weak hands. [4] Your words have supported those who were stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees. [5] But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed. [6] Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope? [12] "Now a word came stealing to me, my ear received the whisper of it. [13] Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on mortals, [14] dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. [15] A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh bristled. [16] It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: [17] 'Can mortals be righteous before God? Can human beings be pure before their Maker? [18] Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; [19] how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like a moth. [20] Between morning and evening they are destroyed; they perish forever without any regarding it. [21] Their tent-cord is plucked up within them, and they die devoid of wisdom.

Why I joined a Presby Church all those years ago.

2008-11-01T07:51:00.003-05:00

Oct. 27 Reading Luke 11:14-26
14Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." 16Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. 17But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. 18If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?—for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. 19Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 21When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. 22But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. 23Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Bruce Said on Oct. 27 . . .

"So . . . I guess that is where I am right now in talking with folks about our corporate future. I do not take our denomination for granted, nor do I find my salvation through any institution, so what I want is to be engaged in community that I believe moves, challenges and supports me in my journey of following Christ. If that is is what you want as well, we must encourage one another put it all out on the table, step out of old polemics and both ask and answer tough questions. Do we want to be together and are we willing to see faithfulness in the other? If yes, what does that mean to the ways we begin talk with one another? And if no, lets at least have the integrity to admit it and then respond accordingly."

We are all familiar with the house divided cannot stand passage and even its use in history. I'm really intrigued though by a verse near the end of the passage - vs 22 particularly ". . . he takes away his armor in which he trusted . . . " Being all reformed n-at our armor seems to be divided into sola scripture and "love" as if these were different categories. In the sola scripture camp we see a knowledge base that needs management, often through the confessions - (ironically some of these confessions are longer than the gospels) or an interpretation of a systematic theology. And we trust in that - it serves us well in fending off attacks. In the Love camp we find an apparent focus on "other" such that we accept and nurture and validate "other" in the love of Christ - we see the good neighbor parable everywhere we look - and we are in fact the good Samaritan everyday everywhere. And we trust in that - it serves us well in fending off attacks.

But one stronger is in our midst these days. This one has taken away our armor. Our "Sola Scripture" has difficulty reconciling biblical faith with our own lives. We tend to not read the scriptures, nor really spend time trying to reconcile or understand the disparate eclectic narratives that are interwoven throughout - as example in the OT how does P relate to the prophetic witness? Do you not see a dichotomy here? Do we take the beatitudes literally for ourselves or are they how we should see others - I'm not hearing or seeing a whole lot the former interpretation goin on anywhere. Our "Love" position, well lets just say its left wanting whenever we move past a discussion of it and into the grit grim and dirt of its actions and actually need to do being a good Samaritan (remember - the Samaritans were the bad guys back then) . There are certainly heroic examples that are held high - but the praise of the publicity is condemnation that it is unusual to begin with.

S o . . . If neither of these armors are sufficient, and one stronger is overpowering us and dividing our plunder ( and how are those court cases coming along these days? ) - what armor is sufficient?

Its been said that if you define your Faith by the boundaries at outside limits of your belief, then you become a gatekeeper - defining who is in and who is out. Is that what we are called to? Is that what our gospel (small g) really breaks down to? But if you define your Faith at its core That is Jesus - then you become a witness and a blessing, and perhaps even a good Samaritan. Our armor is not strong enough because its the wrong kind, we've defined our faith at the limits of our belief, and we've all become gatekeepers.

I became a Presbyterian all those years ago because of one sentence in one letter, out of dozens of letters and hundreds of sentences. After coming to Christ I visited many churches over the following year - most sent me a letter after I visited asking me to join their fellowship, all except the Presby church- who said they would pray for me, hoped I would find a fellowship of believers to spend time with, and i was welcome to come back and visit again, which I did. They welcomed this wild-eyed 20 something, full of beer, weed and over-sexed. This large conservative pillar of its community, bristling with business executives, this place to be to get ahead, loved me and 100s like me just as we were, but to much to leave us that way. They defined their faith at the core of Christ, not at the boundaries of socially acceptable behavior. I don't know if I could find that church today.

The crowds, The Commotion, The Hype, and the woman

2008-10-14T04:02:00.004-05:00

Today's reading:
Luke 8:40-56
40Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, 42for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying. As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. 43Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. 44She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 45Then Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you." 46But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me." 47When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."

49While he was still speaking, someone came from the leader’s house to say, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer." 50When Jesus heard this, he replied, "Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved." 51When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, "Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping." 53And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54But he took her by the hand and called out, "Child, get up!" 55Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat. 56Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

The woman, suffering for years, flat broke from all her medical bills, desperately reaching out for some hope, anonymously, in a crowd of prestige, expectation, and commotion. Quietly, secretly she sought relief, quietly and secretly she reached out through the crowd, and found God. But, she couldn't stay that way, no matter how desperately she wanted to melt away from public view - he called her out. She confessed to all, privacy disappeared and a great miracle occurred, that has been proclaimed for a couple thousand years. But what of the center of attention, Jarius, the leader of the Synagogue? His daughter was raised from the dead, but was instructed to tell no one. The opposite of the public healing of the private woman.

How many come on any given Sunday, desperate, anonymous, simply trying to slip quietly through the crowd, to meet God, to seek a healing, perhaps even to make sense of the chaos created of lives that are being destroyed? Sadly, to often I'm to caught up in the excitement and the hoopla, to pay much attention to those desperately unaffected by the commotion, but simply seeking to meet God.

As we reflect on the letter by Bruce, Linda and Grayde of October 4th let us see beyond the crowds, and pay attention to those reaching out.

Change Loss and Fear

2008-10-11T06:45:00.008-05:00

Luke 6: 32-36 (Oct 4th)

32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

In each local body I've served there are brilliant people with great ideas but no one is paying attention. So as a body of Christ, how have we managed this dynamic? For decades, I believe through classic leadership methodology, and we start with marginalizing people with specific ideas that involve change. This takes many forms, but the laziest is an ad-hominum labeling approach- we toss labels at caricatures of ideas and then fit a group of people to it - you know the labels - liberal, conservative, boomer, millennial, X-er, etc, etc. These have been around so long and have become meaningless, so that in our presidential election we've developed more scathing dismissive personal labels; MiLF, Terrorist etc. which are finding their way into local Pastor's discussions - imposing the label on some candidates for national office. It seems our church will suffer the same ills of the past, marginalizing groups cause they're "not like us" We will just define "Us" differently, and we'll do it through dismissive marginalization, just like in the old days. Ironically each of these dismissive, marginalizing ad-hominum categories is as demeaning as the categories of by-gone years, categories like queer, fag, pig, nigger, slut, and the ever re-emerging Half-breed etc. But these days we seem to be justified in these attacks - cause we're smarter, and more passionate and sophisticated for whatever cause we favor, than those folks were in the past.

Is there any wonder that a long time Pastor described his job as being "A quivering mass of availability". I read recently the average Pastor only stays in the ministry for 11 years - then finds another career. By my estimation that means they "quit and stayed" after about 5-6 years. Unless the marginalization and categorization stops, I do not believe the PCUSA is sustainable - it will simply break-up into its self-imposed categories, and each piece will think - as the old song says - "Hoooray for our side". Thus providing the anti-thesis of Jesus' words above, and ironically all the while marginalizing and minimizing itself and its "raison-d'etre" - its gospel witness.

As I progress through the PCUSA ordination system part-time anticipating a second career in ministry - I've been begun to deeply question this establishment of a paid pseudo-Levitical Priesthood within the Protestantism, and Catholicism. In the PCUSA there are about 5000 Inquirers, candidates, and ordained Pastor's not in validated ministry. There are about 21,000 ordained ordained Pastors serving about 10,000 churches. So what if these 5000 became a test of a new way of ministry? what if these 5000 were asked or charged to mimic Paul in establishing churches? What if these 5000 adopted tent maker ministry models of self sufficiency rather than imposition on a congregation of salary structures and building's bills? What if the parish and mega-church model is rejected outright - and an alternate church model is adopted? If our culture is truly changing its insanity to think these existing ministry models will be viable. The question becomes are we truly changing or simply shuffling the labels around.

What would we do with all the money that is given joyfully, if it is not diverted to self-sustainability? Perhaps, just perhaps, we could do what Bruce, and Linda and Grayde propose in their Oct 4 2008 church wide letter. Why do we insist on imposing the Old Testament Tithe and the Levitical Priesthood as the only model for ministry? It is not intellectually consistent with the Gospel we propose to the world.

We have two NCD models here in Pittsburgh, one wealthy, one in poverty. Guess which one is in constant financial trouble - soaking up huge amounts of denominational cash- and always asking for more, and which one uses virtually all of their offerings outside their church walls, and into their local community? Good guess - the one that gives is modeled by their Pastor who volunteers, as do all the church workers - no salary structure - and giving, not receiving is the culture. I know the quote the Ox and its wages etc - but recall that it is said by Paul a self sufficient tent maker. See lectionary passage above, is it practical? Not in a Levitacal Priesthood model - but in a NT model - it certainly and demonstratably is. BTW just doing the math assuming an annual salary of $40,000 for the 21,000 Pastors -thats about $840,000,000 - money well spent by the PCUSA? You tell me - or are there better ways to do this thing called church. The church where everyone volunteers gives about that figure of $40,000 to their community.

Its been said that people don't fear change they fear loss. If one one has already died to Christ - what exactly is there left to lose? Why won't we change - because we fear our perceived losses projected into the future. So behind all our talk - how much of it is really a FOX/CNN/MSNBC/CNBC narrative, and how much of it is in reality a Biblical narrative? By definition its the former, because the latter is not a narrative.

The Disease or The question - You decide

2008-10-02T16:58:00.004-05:00

Bruce Said;

One of the things that I have found to run rampant in so many conversations is that we too easily use theological, political and cultural litmus testing to determine the tone and nature of our interactions. Even worse, I think we often approach interactions with preconceived notions of one another so that we only need to find the presence or absence of a word, phrase, thought and boom, we can put the other in a nice neat box. And while generalizing may save time, it is not the way to build up trust and community.

Lectionary: Luke 5:17-26

17One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. 20When he saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." 21Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, "Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 22When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'? 24But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the one who was paralyzed—"I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home." 25Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. 26Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen strange things today."

Several years ago our new boss arrived from our French subsidiary on a two year "ticket punch" assignment to prepare her for heading up our European Technical operations. She was not at all what we expected. In one discussion she proposed a line action that I disagreed with but it catalyzed other thoughts leading to a better line of action. In my excitement I began "taking over" the conversation, dictating and assigning tasks - even to her. She listened for a few minutes then stopped us all dead in our tracks - she asked in a way that showed attempts to understand - but was confused "Tony - why are you speaking to me this way" my immediate answer "Sorry - I'm excited about the work and forgot who I was speaking to" Her response "OK - good - go on". With other bosses I've had it might not have gone so well for me.

So I've been thinking - 'cause I'm one who is quite guilty of the sin of assigning motive and hostility to others - why do I do that? Why am I so quick to anger, being dismissive, and minimizing people I disagree with? Have I become like the Pharisees above - sitting and watching - looking for fault? And why were the Pharisees so wound up? Did they actually believe they were protecting God's honor? What if they did what my boss did and asked "Jesus - why are you speaking this way?" I imagine the event would remain the same - but for the Pharisees, I think it might have gone better for them. Come think of it isn't that the basic question Jesus asked them back?

A wise Pastor advised me once - symptoms are never the disease, you need to go deep to find the disease causing the symptoms your seeing. I am afraid we bear our symptoms very publicly, and our diseases very privately. And more times than not, the symptoms I see in others, the motives I assign, is a projection on to them of the disease I hold deeply and privately.

Never Pray for Justice - Its better to pray for Mercy.

2008-09-24T04:50:00.011-05:00

Today's (Tuesday 9/23) Bible reading; Luke 3:15-22

15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added to them all by shutting up John in prison. 21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Bruce's post (Sept 22) is to important to slice-n-dice into various components, so the best quote is the whole thing He asks and answers the question:

"So . . . can our church survive multiple movements? My answer would be "no" as long as their are particular movements that claim ultimate truth and have no room for divergent discernment of God's will for the church."

Why do I have to pick one movement over another? Can't I be an inclusively driven "Wineskins" fan or could I be a Holiness focused "Morelight" fan. Can a Presby Church hold a pre-modern Amish and post modern emergent viewpoint at the same time? What kind of music would we play at church? If I pick one movement do I automatically have to "anti-pick" the ones it stands against? Where's the right place to be in a world with relative truth? Should I just quit and focus on hedonism - it seems to be a lot more fun, and none of these mopey people are around.

Our problem is we think like Greeks, falling unknowingly into either/or Aristotelian categories, and spend our efforts tearing up someone else's categories. We don't think like the Hebrews with a "Because God . . . Therefore I . . ." starting point. We need to decide at the basic level - are we a community that debates Greek philosophy and the various logical categories and constructs, or are we communities of Faith? In the Greek approach we define our faith at the boundary between the world and ourselves, between good and bad (Garden of Eden kind of approach - where we get to be God) as result we function as gatekeepers. Outside is bad and inside is good, and we get to decide who is in and who is out. The problem becomes that whole sermon on the mount thing. If we think like Hebrews we start at God, who came into the world - no boundaries, and our Faith is defined at the core of Jesus, and frankly not a one of us are him.

John the Baptist led quite a movement, and he thought like a Hebrew. He was the toast of the town, and people came from miles around. Some even thought he was the long expected savior of the world. Funny thing though that we seem to overlook (based on almost 30 years of presby church-going) he didn't preach a baptism of salvation - that was for someone else to do, he preached a baptism of repentance to pave the way for salvation. He also had a clear sense of identity first, he knew who he was and it was based on whose he was. His identity was not his job, his passion, his sense of injustice, or the nuanced flavor of faith he held to. It was not even based on which evil of the world he stood and railed against. He simply asked all of those evils to repent, preparing the way for Jesus. He didn't claim the good you did offsets the evil you do, you needed to repent - everyone.

If your not sure what flavor of evil resides in you that you need to repent of, ask God to show you, it may take a while, but keep asking. Don't think for a moment that your saving Faith, church position, or status in society, prevents you from doing the evil that you do. When you are shown, I'll bet everything I have that its not what you think it is right now, its not those actions performed contrary to a rule or regulation outlined in scripture. I'm betting everything that you will find that it is your very identity, and you don't have the ability to change it, and that the depth of your depravity is barely constrained by socially acceptable behavior or biblical injunction, if its constrained at all. That's where God steps in, Loving you just the way you are, but way to much to leave you that way. When you've plummeted into those depths, and been pulled out - its pretty hard to push others into it, or even hold them accountable for not fully knowing what they are.

There's a musician from "back in the day" who I at best ignored and at worst ridiculed back then. But as I get older his wisdom and ability to communicate it is astounding.

Religion and Faith - Where the rubber meets the road

2008-09-21T06:48:00.004-05:00

Todays Scripture:

James 1:19-27

[19] You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to
listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for your anger does not
produce God’s righteousness. [21] Therefore rid yourselves of all
sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness
the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

[22] But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive
themselves. [23] For if any are hearers of the word and not doers,
they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; [24] for they
look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they
were like. [25] But those who look into the perfect law, the law of
liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who
act--they will be blessed in their doing.

[26] If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues
but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. [27] Religion
that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care
for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself
unstained by the world

Bruce Said:
"Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Because we are called by Christ to respond to the cry of the poor, we invite you to take action with us by joining in an important new denomination-wide initiative, which we pray will make a difference in the lives of those who are suffering in the wake of the global food crisis.

Starting this October, Presbyterians will be encouraged on a monthly basis to adopt the ancient spiritual practice of fasting, beginning on Friday evening, and ending with Communion on a Sunday morning, where the Sacrament is regularly observed. The year-long cycle of prayer and fasting – or the partaking of simple meals – will end October 16, 2009, on World Food Day. Interpretive materials for each month will be available . . ."

Thats all - there are no words to add

Theological Force Majeure ? Back to Basics

2008-09-20T05:35:00.008-05:00

FORCE MAJEURE: French for "Major Force", its the clause in contracts that negates your obligation to fulfill your part of the contract due to some event or circumstance beyond your control - typically a disaster. Many businesses distant from Houston and untouched by the Hurricanes are in the process of proclaiming this Force Majeure - as their Houston suppliers are shut down

As we see a world fully engulfed in Force Majeure, withdrawn and surrendering. The PCUSA leadership Team has stepped out beyond our own internal conflicts, and is pulling us back to reality.

I got glimpse of what others must typically see of our churches, looking from the outside in. On my way home from work, driving through a rougher part of town, I followed a car with the bumper sticker "I "Heart" the Latin Mass". As I followed, I thought long and hard about what would incite someone to have that comment as their signpost to the world. I certainly was repulsed away from any interest in a Latin or non-Latin mass, not from any reformed-theological understanding, but from the apparent irrelevancy to the catastrophes all around us, both on the news and on the other side of the adjacent sidewalk. Were they simply overwhelmed by it all, and this bumper sticker was their own individual declaration of Force Majeure - they are no longer obligated to engage the world?

The ultimate Force Majeure from he world's perspective happened 2000 years ago - releasing us from our contract to world, and adopting us into the Kingdom. It not only compels - but demands that we think and act differently, that we cast aside our own "I "heart" the Latin Mass" retreats from our neighbor's crisis. How ironic it would be to declare our own "Force Majeure" to God and go back to the world's system.

John 12:36b-43
36After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them. 37Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. 38This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 39And so they could not believe, because Isaiah also said, 40"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they might not look with their eyes, and understand with their heart and turn—and I would heal them." 41Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him. 42Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.

Interupted by disaster - the 2 sides of it

2008-09-18T04:54:00.008-05:00

Three good sides - renewal and restoration:

A couple days ago (9/14/08) Bruce said;

"Well today has been quite the day.

First, I had the privilege of preaching at Peace Presbyterian Church in Louisville. Rev. Wayne Steele is leading a group of folks there that should make the PC(USA) proud. This church community felt a great deal like my own home church, small, family styled and deeply connected with the surrounding community. We laughed at ourselves, felt the Spirit move and genuinely worshiped God. Thank you Peace Presbyterian!

And then the fun began . . . Windstorms rocked Ohio and Kentucky caused me to be delayed in Louisville and then spend an unexpected night in downtown Cinci . . .After all, while it was a pain to have to pay for a room and go through the inconvenience of an extra day or two away from our destination, it was nothing compared to the hundreds of thousands of people with out power due to the windstorm. "

One morning a couple decades years ago, overwhelmed, broken and hopeless, I prayed "God if you exist, please give me what you gave John (a co-worker) - I want what he has." Then - immediately - flooded with a peace that passes all understanding, I knew my life would never be the same.

A couple Millennium ago in a prison, there is a story about a prison guard also overwhelmed with hopelessness;

Acts 16:25-40

[25] About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns
to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. [26] Suddenly
there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the
prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and
everyone’s chains were unfastened. [27] When the jailer woke up and
saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to
kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped.
[28] But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we
are all here." [29] The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he
fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. [30] Then he brought them
outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

[31] They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be
saved, you and your household." [32] They spoke the word of the Lord
to him and to all who were in his house. [33] At the same hour of the
night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire
family were baptized without delay. [34] He brought them up into the
house and set food before them; and he and his entire household
rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

A bad side - hoping for destruction;
There is an old Russian Proverb about a peasant that prayed everyday, bemoaning the situation that his neighbor had a goat and he didn't. One day the LORD answered and said "I've heard your prayers - by sunrise you also will have a goat" The peasant responded "Why? I don't want a goat - I just don't want him to have one if I don't have one"

So reader (that would be you) deep in your heart - which side of the disaster are you on - renewal and restoration, do people want what you got, do you see the world beyond you and yours, seeing and seeking God's redemption through it, or are you hoping for more disaster. For me I'm a ashamed to say a bit of both, I sometimes feel a bizzare sense of joy - Lord please forgive.

Decisions and Harsh Realities

2008-09-14T06:52:00.007-05:00

My Old Testament and Hebrew Proff remaked years ago, that our decisions are never between right and wrong or good and bad; but rather between terrible and horrible. So advised; pray-beg forgiveness, make the terrible decision (not the horrible one), beg forgiveness again and move on. Did I mention he knew of what he spoke? This Hebrew and OT scholar also served as an Officer in German army during WWII.

Todays Scripture says:

Matthew 5:21-26
21"You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Bruce Said on 9/13/08
I was able to spend some time with the New Immigrant Ministries Convocation where I was able to hear of some of the joys and struggles of our immigrant bothers and sisters as they faithfully try to find their place in our denomination. Needless to say, in many ways, we as a denomination need to move more fully from our words to our actions when it comes to expanding the realities of who we are as global Presbyterians here in the US. I had some great conversations with folks who have come to the US and have started ministries from Sudan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, India, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Brazil, Cameroon, Liberia and others. What a rich rich time we live in.

I'm an immigrant, arriving in the US at the age of 3, the son of immigrants, refugees from Nazi (and the circle closes) and Communist occupation of Eastern Europe in the 40s and 50s. Yes- that's it - escapees across the infamous Iron Curtain. When people ask me the origin of my last name, or where my people are from, I always answer America. If they push further, I answer I'm the proud progeny of mongrel peasant stock. I was raised on the stories of "The War", but from a different perspective, a different narrative, than those I've known who are native to the US through a couple generations. Most amazing to me, this narrative isn't history but current events - its what I see on the news every night, just change the names, faces, places, and dates. But, it is the same story.

My son, wanted to leave college for a season to work on Biden's primary campaign, pointing out that Biden is the foreign policy wonk/guru, having negotiated the Dayton accords for peace in Kosovo - hope for a peaceful future. My mom understands there will not be peace there for centuries to come, as there has not been for centuries in the past - why? She understands the system, she grew up in it. It is based on Vendetta, not Justice, or holiness, or righteousness, there are no style points for eloquence, its not a movie that people watch - its simply cold, hard, ugly vendetta - you hurt my brother - I kill your brother. Ugly like watching Bar owners getting toddlers drunk and betting on what they'll fall into (welcome to short term mission trips). Ideological motives are a foreign concept.

As I rejoice, and by rejoice I mean even to the point of shedding a tear or two, in our global brothers and sisters coming into the US, starting ministries and finding their place in our country, our Church, and our future - I know what they know, that some others may not know. Evil exists, Vendetta, based relationships are more common than justice based, even here in the USA, even in our local churches and even in the PCUSA at large. You cannot tell evil by the uniform it wears, the church it goes to, how pleasing to the eye it is, how fancifully it tickles the ear, or even the nation it is a citizen of. But there is in fact a variety identifying characteristics. One is either of God or of this world. There is no Hegalian third option. If the Matthew passage is an object of academic study focused to other people - then someone may have more to do with the worldly system that will eventually lead to vendetta mentality, rather than God. If the Matthew passage causes one to miss church and grab a cup of coffee with "Them" to sort it all out, then that one probably closer to the Kingdom than they may think. Our justice issues, as they change with time, often are the same issues in different cloaks and appearances, merely the accumulation across a people of ignoring Jesus instructions above.

Encounters of the Third Kind

2008-09-13T06:07:00.006-05:00

Yes - the Blog title is a play on words between the old movie about alien contact and the Starbucks marketing strategy of creating a third space. For those unfamiliar with third space, at a personal level, think Switzerland rather than Berlin and London in WWII

So Bruce Said ( 2007.10.25 link from the 9/10/08 post on www.mod.reyes-chow.com) ;

pastoring a church in my world
. . . This is just Monday-Thursday @ Noon and covers everything from MBCC Administrative issues to global mission to personal crisis. Tech friend or not, this is pastoring in my world . . .
IM'ing Conversations: 5 / Facebook Events: 2 / Blog posts written: 4 / Blog posts of MBCC'ers read: 7 / Facebook App interactions: 35 / Organizational eMails sent/received: 33 / Pastoral eMails sent/received: 21 / Coffee Talks: 5 / Hours in a Cafe: 12'ish / Link suggestions from members: 4 / Conversation about faith in secular setting: 3 / Traditional Meetings: 2 / Cups of coffee: 3 hot, 6 iced

The New Visitor Plan: Someone meets me via a blog, we have coffee, he blogs about us, visits us, yelps us, friend knows him, contacts us, we IM, he comes to church . . . We would be fools to think that in today's world there is ONLY one legitimate or even ULTIMATE way to experience Christian community and thus only one true way of being a pastor. That is just crazy talk.

Todays lectionary reading is:
Acts 15:22-35

[22] Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, [23] with the following letter: "The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. [24] Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, [25] we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, [26] who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. [27] We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. [28] For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: [29] that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." [30] So they were sent off and went down to Antioch. When they gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. [31] When its members read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. [32] Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. [33] After they had been there for some time, they were sent off in peace by the believers to those who had sent them. [34, 35] But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, and there, with many others, they taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord.

I'm struck by the rejoicing in Antioch, I'm struck by Jerusalem's caring and acceptance of a new group of believers. I'm also struck that they sent a short letter of advice that we pick and choose from today, (ie have you had a rare steak since you came to Christ-the blood thing in the letter, just before the fornication comment) so that " . . . If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." Rather than a Lording over them with a compendium of complexity intended to marginalize, they sent people to praise God and teach the gospel.

The old mission elder taught me in a meeting once - "our problem is that we are a great giving church, 25% of our budget goes to missions and our target is 50%, but we are not a sending church, we are not sending people. We are not only not sending them on these great adventures overseas, but we're not even sending people to their workplace. We're just a bunch of admin guys dividing up a budget - of which 75% is spent on ourselves"

So to Bruce's visitors plan - visitors are redefined, the scope of the church and gospel isn't bounded by a building structure of bricks and mortar, (as we like to proclaim in words - but deeds?). And some very non-traditional people might be willing to meet in a third space, rather than in your space, and even listen to this called the Gospel. That is; move from a giving church and denomination, to a sending one, and by definition sending means going somewhere else, physically and to spiritual "otherness".

Resurrection of the PCUSA to be Vibrant and Meaningful?

2008-09-10T17:00:00.008-05:00

So Bruce said :

 "So this is where the future vitality, health and unity of the church lies. First, we must embrace and make room for those who are pushing us to see the world and church differently. And, second, those who feel a kinship to new ways of being church, we must step up and out into the fray in order to also teach and be taught. If we can find ways to do this, I have no doubt that we can become a denomination that is again as vibrant and meaningful as we have been in the past."

No joke; today's gospel reading is below

John 11:1-16
1Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." 4But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."’ 8The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" 9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." 11After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." 12The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." 13Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

My Homiletics prof was a self described post-post-modern-radical-feminist. The class was fun because we had broad spectrum of theological, political, and generation "variation". On one occasion we discussed those difference, loudly and simultaneously - we were after all Presbyterians. In one class she was expounding on the use of narrative as a homiletic practice and how effective it can be. The example she used was how a psychologist will attempt to change a patent's ( who has suffered horrific abuse) self narrative from victim to survivor. I blurted out before I could stop - Isn't that what God does when we are called to be born again? Born into God's family and no longer belonging to this world, to be resurrected spiritually?

In the scripture, no one knew Lazarus was about to be born again, resurrected, but Thomas - the doubting one, didn't care, Jesus his Savior was going to Bethany, and so was he - expecting the worst.

BTW By the end of the term, we had come together single mindedly to proclaim Jesus to each of our individual cultures, theologies and generations as each of us was specially gifted to do, rather than proclaim to each other who was right. We had all re-defined our personal narratives away from ourselves and towards our Lord Savior Jesus, much as Mary, Martha and the crowd are about to do in our passage. Is this what Bruce is asking us to do? See this isn't a church passage - none of the cultural church is present in this story, except way off on the periphery.

"You People are sinners!!" things that make you go hmmmm

2008-09-07T08:25:00.004-05:00

The week before, I was preaching at the homeless shelter. I had gotten to know most of the men during my internship there, and was beginning to develop quite a healthy respect for their histories. As most preachers know - there's that moment between stepping up and beginning, to speak, and as I looked out at the group - I simply went off script. By the time I realized it - it was to late, I was already asking the question- "how many of you have Baptized?" all raised their hands, intrigued I went on "How many of you had been raised in the church as kids?" a 1/3 of the hands dropped, but 2/3 stayed raised, hmmmm, so I took another step - "How many of you are born-again believers, saved and sanctified by the blood of Christ" - another 1/3 dropped and 1/3 stayed raised. Now, just one more final question "How many of you have been to church in the last month?" so reader - In a town that prides itself on urban ministry, with at least a dozen churches from Pentacostle to Catholic within a 5 block radius of the shelter how many hands do you think were raised ? if your is anything less than 1/3 I would ask - why do you think that?

The next week the evangelist came to preach. He had a great worship team, great music, looked outstanding. Then he opened with - "I don't mean to offend you people, but you need to know that your sinners!" I could only smile and wait in anticipation - 'cause these guys were comfortable interrupting, asking questions, and even correcting the preacher if they got it wrong. Sure enough a hand went up - "Sir (always sir and respect), Sir - I don't object to you calling me a sinner I know what I've done and who I've become, but I'm offended by you calling me "you People" "

And this typical congregation of thirds taught the old evangelist, and the intern. Sermon over.

So the answer to how many had been to church was none - are you surprised or not? And your take home question is do you want to do anything about that - this congregation without a church?

Todays scripture is either the great commission or the greatest commandment - and really - can you do one without the other?

Misfortune and Leaky People

2008-09-01T06:08:00.000-05:00

Steve and Doug lay on the grass outside the homeless shelter. It was a cool, sunny, uneventful afternoon, and dinner for the men was only a few minutes away. A time to relax, share stories and debrief. Beds had been assigned and safety for night was close at hand, with no threat of risking the tough streets later in the night. Steve and Doug were the guys those of us in polite society would avoid, never have eye contact, and even cross the streeet to avoid them. Large, Burly and disshevled Doug was a raging alcoholic, I don't think he had been sober for a decade. Steve, suffering from schitzophrenia, was a giant of a man, whose clenched fist seemed to be as large as my head. However his size was only exceeded by his gentleness.

Then it happened. As Doug began to recount his military service in Panama, he began to flashback, and go downhill very quickly. So severe and so quick was the meltdown, I debated whether to run him to the emergency room two blocks away or run into the shelter to call an ambulance - which was faster? Could I get him to the ER or would he resist? And quickly the other men made room - there was vacant space around the two of them as all stepped back for their own safety. Out of nowhere a voice began to speak in a slow deep raspy southern drawl that could calm a storm. "Doug do you remeber when we kids and played in those golden grassy fields that waved with the wind? Do remember how we would laugh as we played tag and climbed that big old oak tree in the middle, and how the smell of my moma's apple pie cooling on the window sill would pull us back for dinner? Doug, do you remember . . " and on it went for ten minutes. It was Steve, who with words drew us all to a safe and happy place in our minds, we all wanted to be there with the two of them. In short order Doug had come back to reality, and with no more than a smile and a nod went in to get his dinner. I was stunned and asked Steve "how did you do that? How did you know how to bring him back? and Steve grinned when he said

"Awe Tony, we all got our Stuff -Doug's just leaked a little today"

Here's the problem, Steve in his 60's grew up in a city neighborhood here in Pittsburgh, Doug in his 30s grew up in the burbs - they never knew other. I later learned that Steve remembers his dad coming home from the Pacific theater in WWII. I can only imagine he learned as he watched his mom calm down his dad through the ensuing years.

But more importantly I can see Steve using that gift, under the bridges late at night with other homeless men, while those of us in polite society are safely in our beds, congragulating ourselves for jobs well done.

And I dare try to avoid eye contact as I pass him by during the day?

Job 12:1-5

[1] Then Job answered: [2] "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom
will die with you. [3] But I have understanding as well as you; I am
not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these? [4] I am
a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called upon God and he answered
me, a just and blameless man, I am a laughingstock. [5] Those at ease
have contempt for misfortune, but it is ready for those whose feet
are unstable.

Morons everywhere

2008-05-10T10:18:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time there was a young man completely overwhelmed by the the needs of the people of the world. He asked himself "How can I use the gifts God has given me to fix all the brokenness?" He realized he had a moderate knack for math and the sciences, but didn't realize he had a significantly greater, but unjustified - ego - and so decided he would save the world using those gifts. With time he also recognized that people around the world were starving to death. Realizing he might be able to fix this problem by using genetic engineering to develop a plant that can grow anywhere - even the sahara desert - he left his job and enrolled in a Ph.D. genetic engineering program at a large well known University. However, the work was tedious and long, and eventually he became more engrossed in his own problems than those of the world and so he left the dream. After all why don't those starving people just move out of the desert and into the adjacent farm land and solve their own problems? A decade later he was pleasantly surprised to see his work had been published as part of a paper in a prestigous scientific journal - the ego and the dream flashed again for a few moments, until he read the paper. Then hysterical laughter ensued, For the paper had found a new genetic sequence that controls how DNA is made. This sequence would cause more DNA to be added to a gene. As all functional DNA sequences are named with a prefix describing what they do and the the Suffix "-ons" to distinguish it as DNA rather than another biological function - This sequence was given the name "Mor-ons"

So the dream of saving the world had resulted in proving the genetic existence of morons. Another decade passed - when the now old man realized the moral of this story and why he was a moron . . .

"The world doesn't need saved . . . it needs loved"

So don't waste your time fixing the world and the people in it, bringing them to your side of the fence, rather invest your time and gifts in loving - even your enemies.

1 Corinthians 13

1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Standing in th Storm

2006-08-27T06:11:00.000-05:00

In my experience its the parents of toddlers who lecture the parents of teenagers on parenthood. Its those who have not seen a battle in person who advise on combat strategy. Its those who have never led, who are experts on leadership 'cause they read a few books. Its those who have never had the responsibility, who know what the responsible thing to do is. Some of the greatest advice I ever received was from an old drunk whom God had rescued. At the risk of dating myself, its - "If you want to learn how to box, hang out with Mohamed Ali, not Leon Spinks." Both were World Heavy Weight champs, but . . .

In The Storm the complications expand beyond comprehension. Each good decision carries dozens of bad consequences to those around you. Those Friends and advisors around you typically aren't interested in the follow-up, they're encompassed fully in their own understanding - no room for anything else. But, once in a while God sends, and your graced, by someone who can lay a gentle hand on your shoulder and whisper in your ear, "keep standing" and you know they've survived this storm, and how they have done it.

And so you stand. Fully in God's mercy. Fully in God's will. Fully in God's grace. Wondering what's happening, watching and waiting in anticipation, as your world is rocked - in what seems to be a bad way. But deep down you know that you know, as in the Ephesians passage 13" . . . and having done everything, to stand firm". And in Job, His friend Eliphaz captures it so succinctly in Shaekspearian elegance, 5" . . . it touches you, and you are dismayed"

Ephesians 6:10-20:
[10] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12] For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. [14] Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. [15] As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. [16] With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Job 4:1-6, 12-21[
1] Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: [2] "If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended? But who can keep from speaking? [3] See, you have instructed many; you have strengthened the weak hands. [4] Your words have supported those who were stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees. [5] But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed. [6] Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope? [12] "Now a word came stealing to me, my ear received the whisper of it. [13] Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on mortals, [14] dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. [15] A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh bristled. [16] It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: [17] 'Can mortals be righteous before God? Can human beings be pure before their Maker? [18] Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; [19] how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like a moth. [20] Between morning and evening they are destroyed; they perish forever without any regarding it. [21] Their tent-cord is plucked up within them, and they die devoid of wisdom.'

The Rules Please, just the rules.

2006-06-16T04:54:00.000-05:00

Galatians 5:25-6:10

²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

¹My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. ²Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. ⁴All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. ⁵For all must carry their own loads.

There seem to be a lot of rules, expectations, and regulations. Depending on the church, denomination or community you belong to, these are spoken or unspoken, but they are known by all. You learn them quickly when you you join a new one, simply by observing, and listening to the language used. It reminds me a bit of the new beer comercials that debate then approve official "man-laws". In other ways it reminds me of those who try to be important be being associated with important people, name dropping, or even associating with celebrity simply to gain a sense of self worth or notoriety. If you participate in the functions, participate within the organizational structure, contribute time effort and money, if you conform to the expectations you can be assured a sense of belonging, praise and in some cases even a sense of celebrity. But Jesus speaks to much more than merely this, He speaks to the core of your being. He speaks to who you are at the deepest levels of your insecurity. And when you hear him at level, beyond the level of your communities expectations, thats when the peace that passes all understanding arrives, thats when the message above brings a smile a knowing nod of agreement, rather than a rule for chastising others, a rule for someone else to follow.

The risk of a Savings Plan

2006-05-21T06:46:00.000-05:00

Luke 12:13-21

¹³Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." ¹⁴But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" ¹⁵And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for oneÂs life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." ¹⁶Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' ¹⁸Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry."' ²⁰But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' ²¹So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Its really simple, no need for exhaustive and restless searching. Its a matter of a simple decision. What do you feel proud about? Is it the stuff you have? Where or better yet what are your treasures? What decisions have you made about them - what they are and where they are? Look around at it, and see if it measures up. If your not sure, then take the advise below;

James 1:5-8

⁵If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. ⁶But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; ^{7, 8}for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

The Hard parts of Beauty

2006-05-18T16:29:00.000-05:00

Sounds like nonsense, but wouldn't it great? It seems that its more fantasy than reality. Its right up there with the "Why can't we all just get along" Rodney King comment of fame. It seems so simple. In reality its as simple as trusting God. Its idiotic without God - you know survival of the fitest and all that. But with God, there can't possibly or even logically be any other option. So with God, the measure of your faith is simply do you worry? Its not do question, do you grieve, do you have conflict, are the finances tight, but do you worry?

Matthew 6:25ff
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' ³²For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well^{. 34}"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today."

Roadkill

2006-05-15T04:06:00.000-05:00

The company's rising star salesman stared at me in dibelief. Educated at Hard Knocks U. aggressive, with a family involved in Law Enforcement, this was a no-nonsense, take no prisoners, its all about me, larger than life persona. "Why would you be friends with someone who can't help you?" What she meant by help was career advancement, the $Ka'ching$ friend. The type you use of nesessity and drop like a hot potato when their usefullness is done. Roadkill. So Jesus comes out with just the opposite teaching in the sermon on the mount, and its almost a guarantee that you'll become that roadkill friend if you follow it. You won't help their career, their station in life, and you'll become marginalized. So why would you take any of this seriously?

The answer depends n your starting point, your a-priori position. If its all about you, and your position, the respect you get, the life you lead, your job, the neighborhood you live in, your title or degree, then don't bother. If its about plotting out and planning a life trajectory, then its a waste of time. If its anything but seeking to please God, give it up, your wasting your energy, your better off with that sales person's approach. Jesus at one point a few verses after this section says "seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you." Funny thing is, by the time these things are added, you don't care. What you have, what God blesses you with, is far beyond the simplicity of ka'ching.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

²"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁵"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

¹⁶"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Transition Time

2006-05-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

To each of us God has given a life. A gift of circumstances and position. We have been given a place, relationships, and loved ones, all of us. Yours may be a Norman Rockwellian, or something else. Yours may seem easy to some and harsh to others, it may seem blessed to you, or harsh to you. But God has put you there. One of the great gifts God gives us is an expectation of; and instruction in; how to live and how to please him. The greatness is that it’s not dependant on what we normally think. Its not intellectual capacity, nor is it in great prowess in the affairs of the world, nor is it in great relevance or fame. Its open to all. Regardless of place in the world, language spoken, high and mighty or lowly and meek. It’s equally difficult and easy to all. It’s so amazingly simple, yet so confoundingly complex. Its almost impossible to do, it seems like a heavy burden looking at it, but the language used to describe it is freedom, a release, a burden lifted, a peace that passes all understanding, fulfillment, inexpressible joy, and it goes on and. To often it’s just easier to trade the joy for struggle. The struggle we know, the world knows, the rules commonplace, and it’s easy to fit in, but the joy, that is foreign and strange No wonder it took the death of God's Son to get our attention. Did God get your attention yet?

Matthew 5:43ff
⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Not Amused

2006-05-11T16:50:00.000-05:00

Impossible standards. How can I stand up for myself under these rules? How can I continue working with people if their ideas are different (translation: different = wrong) What if I just don't like someone? What about all the fun of satire and mockery? Its just to self-satisfying to do all the stuff he says not to do. What do you think he really meant below?

Matthew 5:21ff ²¹"You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' ²²But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

I can only do this if I am looking for their interest ahead of mine. That can only happen if I actually love them beyond mere verbiage about love. But if I do that I'll have to change everything and everything around me would change. I'd have to make that "V" word (vulnerable) part of my vocabulary, and that is down right painful. Its easier to push them back and justify it. It takes effort and work, besides that - does this mean I need to get it right with people before showing up at church - does this mean I can't get it right with God alone, I need to get it right with "them" first?

I guess it all depends on if you take it literally and practically, or if you can allegorize it, metaphorize it and spiritualize it away. Personally, I think he meant it literally, and that's why I'm not amused. If your honest - neither are you.

The Shining - which one?

2006-05-09T04:51:00.000-05:00

Can you hide the Light of God that is within you? Sure but only with intentioned effort. Can your presence in a group going through a bad situation, a rough temptation, inhibit the evil without your knowing - yes, as long as you haven't intentionally suppressed God's presence and working in your life. Below Jesus doesn't give a list of shoulda, woulda, coulda's. He says "you are . . ". The converse is; to not be - that takes effort, an intentioned rebellion. That takes choices that move you away from God. Sometimes those choices are in favor of Religion over God, acceptance by your group, your community, over simply being, being with God.

Mathew 5:13-16
"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

The other Shinning is an old Horror book, full of evil and deception . So which Shinning do you do?

The Distraction of plausible arguments

2006-05-05T04:28:00.000-05:00

Not all flawless logical arguement is true, its just logical. Sometimes we have difficulty rejecting a tightly constructed logical and plausable arguement, simply because its attractive and self consistant. It strokes us and our egos. But high powered thinking that is self consistant is no substitute for truth, no matter how attractive. If you can't find the flaw, then either the flaw doesn't exist, or you haven't found it. But the measure isn't even the presence or absence of the flaw, that progression of thought is a dead end that presupposes truth is fully encompassed within Logic and rhetoric. The measure is not attractiveness - or "tickeling the ear" as the scripture alludes to so poetically, nor is the measure spirituality focused on an "otherworldly" affairs and entities, nor is it the comfort of tradition that slowly closes in around us.. We don't get to choose the measure, anymore than we get to choose if we want to break the law of gravity. It exists. The measure is God's love for us in spite of the present circumstance. The measure is the testimony of the new life within you.

Colossians 2:8ff
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Family Business

2006-05-03T05:09:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed that families have their own well defined paths of communication? It can be a glance or look by one that means something different if done by another. It can be a word or phrase that prompts memories and stories. If your not in the know, not in the family you can stare bewildered as everyone breaks into laughter at simple comment. Sometimes families are so familiar with each other, they forget that others may be excluded from all the joy and belonging that they share with each other through their common experiences struggles and values that develop.

Below is a brief story that a family, a people, knew for centuries even millenniums. When it happened again later, that family, that people, knew what it meant, just by the turn of a phrase. Often today those outside the family may stare in wonder as those of Christian family respond to that same phrase and comment, not knowing the full story. Sometimes we in our Christian family may have lost sight of the story also. Just after this story, this phrase ". . . the third day . . . " He gives the Ten Commandments. When the third day phrase shows up in Jesus' time, what commandments follow?

Exodus 19:14ff
14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then he said to the people, "Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations." 16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain

Greenday and God's Will

2006-04-30T07:05:00.000-05:00

The band Greenday is a great blessing and Tool. (yuk, yuk, Tool is also a band). If you've never heard the of them, crawl out from under your rock, come in from the forests, and get in the game. They've been around for a decade or so, very popular, and are influencing people around you whether you know it or not. Make no mistake though, their music is not intended to glorify God, but rather to evoke the pathos of the human condition and typically proclaim that all is lost, and there is no meaning. It plays well with teenagers, which is the blessing. Its a great contact point in the confrontation of God's grace, of God's Love, of God's Providence with those ideas and actions that are not God's Love, God's Grace and God's Providence, and identifies those by name, ie its a point of contact. It may even be a contact point for you if you've bought into the presence of existence, but the absence of Life.

So how does Life and God's will confront all that is not? The answer is Yes, it does, it must, He does everyday, and you do or you don't. It happens minute by minute, seizing those fleeting moments of opportunity, not retreating from them. To seize them, you must also know God's love, for if you do - its not hard. But, if your not sure and the pathos of the human condition is more aligned with your soul, perhaps, just perhaps you need to spend a little time on your knees with God, and ask him why, and then grasp His Love, His Life and His forgiveness. And as you begin the confrontation, as Jesus did, you'll find your language changes, and you speak the language of the folks around you, expressing the ideas of Grace, Love , Repentance, Forgiveness in a way that is understood by those you are reaching, rather than the language of those your trying to impress, just as Jesus did.

1 John 2:7-17

⁷Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. ⁸Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. ⁹Whoever says, "I am in the light," while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. ¹⁰Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. ¹¹But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness. ¹²I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. ¹³I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have conquered the evil one. ¹⁴I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

¹⁵Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; ¹⁶for all that is in the worldÂ—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in richesÂ—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.

Mostly in spite of Us, not because of Us

2006-04-29T05:58:00.000-05:00

I love to grumble and moan when things don't go my way. Don't misunderstand, Its not a passive whining from a distance, Its often in the midst of charging into the breach. On more occasions than I'd like to admit, I'm offered some really good cheese to go with my whine. Usually the whining matches the story line below. Great events and life changing decisions, then a bit of reality check, then a realization that unexpected consequences abound, tougher than I thought, whining and moaning, and then . . . well lets just say that on the other side of the events its a touch embarrassing, as once again, I find myself on the wrong side of Moses. How 'bout you?

Exodus 17:1ff
¹From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ²The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" ³But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst? ⁴So Moses cried out to the LORD, What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." ⁵The LORD said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?".

Times of Trouble - The Easy Solution

2006-04-28T04:59:00.000-05:00

We've all felt it, the pressure to conform, perform and compromise. Usually it seems to come from someone whom we think controls our future, someone to whom we've given authority over us in exchange for something. Could be paychecks and a job, could be grades and a degree, could be governmental authority and the legal system, could be social contacts with people we want to like us, it could even be a church, or your family. Invariably the deal beaks for some reason and you find yourself in trouble, pushed and prodded. But no one controls your future no matter how much the presence of the sense and feeling of it. Because God is in charge of Life, of your life if you let Him be. That's why the Lord's prayer starts with " . . . Your kingdom come your will be done . . . " In a hundred or so years no one will know your struggle, your comprise, your deal, except God. Its His deal you need to consider for your Life, any one else's is merely wishful thinking. Graveyards are full of very important people in their day, people who exerted that pressure on others, who ran the deal.

Psalm 49

1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,

2 both low and high,
rich and poor alike:

3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5 Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me-

6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?

7 No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him-

8 the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough-

9 that he should live on forever
and not see decay.

10 For all can see that wise men die;
the foolish and the senseless alike perish
and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had named lands after themselves.

12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
Selah

14 Like sheep they are destined for the grave,
and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning;
their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.

15 But God will redeem my life from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself.
Selah

16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases;

17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his splendor will not descend with him.

18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessedÂ
and men praise you when you prosper-

19 he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life .

20 A man who has riches without understanding
is like the beasts that perish.

Got Milk?

2006-04-27T17:52:00.000-05:00

So God has touched you, or touched someone you know or love. You know its real in spite of all your past that brings it into question. To much science and society will step up and try to convince you its your imagination, but you know its not. When you share it, people will stare in disbelief, sometimes even in a church. But you know its real, its wonderful, there is nothing to compare. But now what? Rest and enjoy His presence and Love, and let go of all the nonsense.

1 Peter 2:1ff
1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The wedding passage.

2006-04-25T04:51:00.000-05:00

Study, Work, Books, Balance Sheets, Strategies, "bringing it home". Greatness, being true to yourself, "Doing it right", "making it right", execution of plans, teamwork, meeting goals and objectives, building community, world class, benchmarking, keeping it together, getting through the day, thriving on accomplishments and busyness. Giving to the less fortunate, knowledge, respect, organizing, leading, cutting edge, better than, self sacrifice, pride, being one of the few that "get it", and "get it right", discerning the secrets of the universe both theological and scientific. No time for them, to busy.

The wedding passage is the measure for life, not the idealized marriage, or something we can get to later. When Jesus said, all of scripture is summarized by, and the greatest comandment is; "Love God with all your heart, your soul and mind, and your neighbor as your self" he didn't mean study it theoretically and avoid it, He simply meant to do it. For us its not knowing who is our neighbor, its knowing what Love is.

1 Corinthians 13:1-7

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Distractions, Avoidance and Peace

2006-04-22T06:09:00.000-05:00

Optimism, Hope, Possibilities, a better day, Joy are all things we treasure and enjoy. Although we know them, they're not always present. On occasion, each seems to be systematically dismantled. As a result, we're often led to a distraction, an avoidance, almost like putting our heads in the sand, or covering our ears and eyes and singing La-La-La- loudly so nothing else, particularly the situational truth can enter. That truth just might kill all that optimism and Hope. That truth may reveal more about our own vulnerability and lack of true control of our world, than we can stand. That truth may be family, work, business, even our understanding of God. Everything we understood, all our planning and brilliant execution, our past successes, things we've pulled together against all odds, all of a sudden we find beyond our control, with a life of its own. A life directed more by others than ourselves. And welcome in now, all the distractions, Vegas, Hollywood, fantasy whether movies, porn, sports, all pulling us away from the pain of realization to a place of artificial hope, optimism and joy. But at times the truth does seep in through the cracks, and when no is looking we may even cry out in despair - why me? why now? why such a high cost? Was everything for nothing?

An old King from Middle East 1000s of years ago, who is considered by many to be the greatest leader of his time, if not in history, found himself in such a plight. In his genius he broke through the well documented tradgadies and failures of his life, he broke through the confusion of loss of control, to the truth. As a result he wrote the following which has been passed down through all these millennium to us today.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Getting "Upbraided"

2006-04-18T16:05:00.000-05:00

"He upbraided them for their lack of Faith and Stubbornness" ouch - can you imagine being on the receiving end that day! Other translations use "reproached", "took them to task", "scolded", "rebuked", I think we get the idea. It doesn't sound real spiritual and "otherworldly' though does it? When I think of easter i picture all sorts of "spiritual' stuff, but "upbraiding them", his disciples? What sort of things might he have said? Do you think he got their attention? How does he get your attention? How much scolding and "upbraiding" does it take? Is it for lack of faith and stubbornness? Once he had their attention he gave them an assignment - and a way of knowing if they were completing their assignment.

Do you think its true? I mean the pragmatic physical stuff.

Mark 16:14ff
¹⁴Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. ¹⁵And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. ¹⁶The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Unbelievable, Incomprehensable

2006-04-16T04:21:00.000-05:00

It's been more than a quarter century for me. I still can't fully comprehend it. I can still hear the story again for the first time and be amazed, overjoyed, and sit in wonder. Often it seems like Foolishness, other times I can't believe my own eyes. Below, not only couldn't Mary believe her own eyes, it wouldn't even register as an option, until He tells her. Even through the lens of His-story and knowing its true, we still can't believe, we still can't comprehend. Sometimes the present circumstance overwhelms us and we loose sight of Him, of Grace, of what Love and compassion and Truth really look like. Most times we act like those who raised us, as models for love and life. Sometimes the story can so overwhelm us, we can even begin to mix-n'-match true love as shown by God with that of our own easily recognized history, rather than seeing His life and work in our past. There are billions of us, each loved by God such that he sent his only Son so that whoever might believe on him would have eternal life.

The Story is about him, about His great Love for us. Its about a Father who did not disown His rebellious children, but one who did all that could be done to bring them home again. It's no accident that Jesus taught us to pray "Our Father . . ." . After the ressurection, Jesus actually sends his disciples to bring the good news of God's Love to those people who traditionally have been specifically despised and rejected by God's people. I for one am not willing to discard those folks whom God loves, whom God died for, simply because their history and understanding don't match mine. Those folks whose lifestyles and antics and proclamations are beyond my tolerance - but not God's Love. Rejecting those folks and the closing the door behind me, simply because they have been traditionally despised and rejected by us, the people of God, but not rejected by God Himself. The ressurection is all that we need to grasp that.

John 20:11ff
¹¹But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; ¹²and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." ¹⁴When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." ¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). ¹⁷Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" ¹⁸Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Trouble and Confusion, or simply Prelude?

2006-04-15T08:54:00.000-05:00

There are times when we just can't pull it together, when all our efforts seem to produce the opposite of our hearts desire, when failure is not only an option, not only the only option but seems to have already passed us by, failure seems to be in the rear view mirror, history already. There are times when those we've come to trust, those in whom we've set our hopes also find themselves incabable, absent, and unavailable. Much as the disciples must have felt on that day between the cross and the ressurection. The times of confusion and trouble, when the foundation on which we all stand, seemingly disintegrates.

Psalm 31: 9ff

9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.

10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.

11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.

13 For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."

15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me.

16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.

17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and lie silent in the grave.

18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city.

22 In my alarm I said,
"I am cut off from your sight!"
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.

24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.

TGIF?

2006-04-14T17:32:00.000-05:00

Sadly yes, there wasn't another way, often we find ourselves in our own Fridays, all hope is lost, destruction of all we are is at hand, we cry out to seemingly empty and vacant space, alone, abandoned and desolate but, he understands . . . On the cross he cried

"Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani?" (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34)) which translates into english as the first line below

Psalm 22:1-31

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.
³Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
⁶But I am a worm, and not human;
scorned by others, and despised by the people.
⁷All who see me mock at me;
they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
⁸"Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver—
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!"
⁹Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother's breast.
¹⁰On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
¹¹Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near, and there is no one to help.
¹²Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
¹⁴I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
¹⁶For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shriveled;
¹⁷I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
¹⁹But you, O LORD, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life from the power of the dog!
²¹Save me from the mouth of the lion!
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
²²I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴For he did not despise or abhor
the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,
but heard when I cried to him.
²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
²⁶The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD.
May your hearts live forever!
²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
²⁸For dominion belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.
²⁹To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.
³⁰Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
³¹and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.

The pseudo climax

2006-04-12T05:30:00.000-05:00

I recall from years ago, the climax of any story is the point where roles are reversed. Its the focal point where all the preceeding events condense to a single act, and the point that defines all future events. The drama is all the lead up to the climax.

Unfortunately we to often spend our lives in the drama, afraid of the climax, of the transition. Below Jesus clearly understood the difference. Up to now he came and went at will, he taught, he healed, he performed miracles with impunity, but now the roles seem to be reversed. Its this seeming reversal in our lives that keep us in the drama, afraid to move through the climax, the transition into a faith that focuses truly on God's will regardless of apparent circumstance. Although like us Jesus was greatly troubled at the prospect, he continued through it. Enemies are easy to fight, but betrayal, and being alone in the midst of loved ones, that is truly a climactic moment.

The good news is this is a pseudo climax, a fake climax if you will. The truth isn't fully revealed until Sunday.

John 13:21-32

²¹After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, "Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me." ²²The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. ²³One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved— was reclining next to him; ²⁴Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?" ²⁶Jesus answered, " It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.

Foolishness is often the path to truth

2006-04-11T03:57:00.000-05:00

One of the beauties of being a working scientist is the opportunity to discuss things that at first blush are pure foolishness. The things that are counter intuitive, but have been used to advantage to make life better and sometimes worse are often stunning in both their simplicity and foolishness. As an example, the well known E=mc² says that energy and matter - solid things are just different forms of the same thing, and when one converts between the two, the energy is simply weight multiplied by the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) multiplied by itself. During the conversion matter disappears from the universe, not simply a rearrangement of atoms into other molecules such as happens with the burning of coal or petroleum. Lots of energy stored in a small weight. Sound silly? Its the basis of all nuclear power and weapons. The material in a nuclear bomb that actually explodes is about the size of a softball. Or how about this famous discussion - if your in an airplane, and toss a tennis ball in the air, how fast is it traveling? Answer depends on where your standing - in the plane- then just slowly up and down, if your on the ground, then the speed of the plane, if outside of earths orbit around the sun, then both the spin the earth and orbit speed, if outside the galaxy and looking in, then all the above plus the rotation of the galaxy. With this concept, there is no point of reference for anything. Einstein took this and developed the theory of relativity, and showed the only constant point of reference was the speed of light. This led to the great line from comedian Steven Wright - If your in a car traveling at the speed of light, and turn the headlights on - will you see anything? and the foolish answer is yes, that light will be traveling at the speed of light, but not 2X the speed. Your not the reference point, the speed of light is. Also how about this foolishness - gravity is not an force that attracts two objects, but distorts space so it looks like things are attracted to each other - pure foolishness? A century of study says no.

Scientists readily accept perceived foolishness that is counter intuitive to common sense, to find physical truths. Common sense after all is simply the sum total of your experiences. Things outside those experiences just don't make common sense.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

¹⁸For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." ²⁰Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. ²²For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, ²³but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

Coaching Soccer

2006-03-31T06:25:00.000-05:00

First day of practice, the middle school kids are a mix of tall, lanky, and uncoordinated, or short and childish, looking like elementary schoolers, just waiting for the growth spurt to hit. The very career busy head coach, trying to be a good father volunteered for a task just to spend some time with his boy. As an accomplished bureau/technocrate - he looked to the kids on the team to have fully developed skill sets. The kids were there for social reasons and 'cause their parents signed them up. As we mill around he leans over and asks - "so what do we do now" answer, pull them in a circle, let them introduce themselves and tell a funny fact like what's their favorite toothpaste - you can hear the ice breaking. "now what he asks" answer; drills, everyone run five laps. Three finish a lap ahead, the main group comes in and three finish a lap behind, next up kicking drills, just kick the ball at brick wall, stand only 10 feet away, and get it when it bounces back. Some kids kick it and the ball returns to them, other kids kick and spend most of their time chasing down the rebounds. Practice over. The head coach says - "we're in trouble - no one can play" The answer - "Are you kidding me? - this may be the best team in the history of this league"

The team is undefeated, goals scored-45; goals against-6. Why the difference in perception at the first practice? Looking at developed skills or looking at gifts - those three runners were our half back core - they ran all day without getting tired, those slow runners, they were our goalies, those who could kick and collect the rebound quickly, they were up front scoring all goals, and the rest had a blast running around. Those slow runners who couldn't kick accurately could never train themselves to efficiently run all day and score goals, they would have been unsuccessful and miserable in other positions, and the team would have suffered. But as defenders they could swoop in and kick the ball away, any direction was just fine - and they did it and were proud of their skill. They were great! And the head coach? He started with one son, and felt like he finished with 16 - his words to the parents and the team.

Are you feeling you don't measure up? Can't run, can't kick and your playing soccer? Don't change games, find your right position.

I Cor. 12:27ff
²⁷Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

Speaking in a Language that is understood

2006-03-29T06:05:00.000-05:00

Why do we do the things we do? Christians and Muslims and all others upholding God's law, focusing on ensuring that the guilty parties fess-up and pay-up. All of it is focusing in the wrong place, all the attention is diverted, all of the energy is wasted debating nuances of the Greek, the Hebrew and Arabic translations and superimposing one culture onto another. No-one can payup for their transgression, the price to high, we don't have sufficient funds in our accounts. So God payed up for us, and asks we stop worrying about it, about his honor - since He can handle that part without our help (yes its true). He asks to do something else, something much harder than being righteous by following the rules, something that requires us to seek Him for help. The rules are just to simplistic.

I Cor. 10:23ff
23"Everything is permissible" but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible" but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."

27If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake 29the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? 30If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Choosing sides

2006-03-27T05:32:00.000-05:00

I've heard it said that we are created for heroism, not entertainment. We are created to honor God to participate with God, to "fellowship" with God, to enjoy his creation with him. We're not created to serve our own pleasures, to serve our own lusts, to serve our own intellect. Fortunately or unfortunately we can't do both, we must choose between the two. The response to the circumstances of our lives reflect that decision everyday. We choose to pursue our pleasure or not. But its a fools choice, because when we say choose the pleasure, invariably we end up in misery. Best short term sound bite example is alcohol; immediate pleasure, misery to come, consistent and daily short term pleasure, results in compounded misery, and destruction of not only ourselves but those around us. Choosing our pleasures instead of God sends us to places that we would never go if we new the final destination from the beginning. In the parable below, as in most parables, there is a definitive and distinct historical context, but also a call to us. Who will we be, the tenants serving our own pleasure, one of those sent in our day, or even one of the others who receive the vineyard after all the action is over?

MARK 12:1 ff
1He then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 2At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6"He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

7"But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9"What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10Haven't you read this scripture:
" 'The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
11the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes?"

12Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Can Atheism be a religion? Can Religion be atheism?

2006-03-17T06:31:00.000-05:00

Yes, Yes. There is point when great faith in God's absence and our presence can be religion. That atheistic faith can be overt by those loudly proclaiming "no God" yet behaving as is if there is. The Religious atheistic faith can be subtle and hidden by those proclaiming "God exists" but acting as if its not true, that their own presence encompases all.

Jesus deals with the second, those who proclaim God but act as if God doesn't exist. Those who have found a way to use God to their advantage. The temple story below is wedged into yet another horticulture story. In the end those religous atheists who use God to their advantage end up like the Fig Tree. The rest no longer need to go through those human atheistic mediators, but can reach God directly. If you want to know where you stand, Jesus gives a simple instruction at the end that cleanly and clearly defines the measure. Its also why there are so many religous atheists. Its simply to hard to do when our own presence usurps God's.

Mark 11: 12ff
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.

15. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16.and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written:
" 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.^]"

18. The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19. When evening came, they went out of the city.

20. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" 22. "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Gardening 201

2006-03-15T06:03:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the most frightening thing is to helplessly watch people make the wrong decision for all the right reasons. Usually the decision is all great logical progression from their starting point. Problem is the starting point is usually down a logical path already, rather than at its beginning.

In my line of work, when the info and results don't make sense, the first thing we do is go back to first principles, back to be sure we are at the beginning of the path, not further down it, back to be sure we haven't missed anything of importance that will completely change how we see and understand it all.

more on revelation of first principles

Mark 4:1-20

¹Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. ²He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ³"Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. ⁶And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. ⁸Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." ⁹And he said, "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!"

¹⁰When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; ¹²in order that 'they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.'"

¹³And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? ¹⁴The sower sows the word. ¹⁵These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. ¹⁶And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. ¹⁸And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. ²⁰And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

Strong Coffee or Altogether Lovely

2006-03-14T06:40:00.000-05:00

God Loves you, God reaches to you, God went so far as to send his Son so you and I and us can be with Him. It wasn't until I became a father that the depth of that sacrifice became an emotional link, not merely intellectual. We flit about in joy and blessings, fully encompassed by safe and secure surroundings, with friends and relationships that are enriching and rewarding. At times we can feel we do no wrong and all will continue to work out well.

I've learned another thing in this analogy of Father-Child that God so elegantly uses to describe Him and Us. The times are not always altogether lovely. There are times in every child's life that a Father needs to "lay down the law" so to speak. God often does that with us. Children have a tendency to not be able to know what they don't know, they can't fall back on the experiences they don't have, they can't project forward to a future they don't know, that is merely history for others, much like us. But God can. It is a great blessing when he says stop, when he says its not altogether lovely. Like strong coffee, it snaps you to alert attention. Below Paul is stunningly strong in addressing a specific problem, but one can quickly apply the lesson to our own places that are not so altogether lovely, and simply stop..

1 Corinthians 5:1-8

¹It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father's wife. ²And you are arrogant! Should you not rather have mourned, so that he who has done this would have been removed from among you?

³For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present I have already pronounced judgment ⁴in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵you are to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

⁶Your boasting is not a good thing. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? ⁷Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. ⁸Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Judgment Day ?

2006-03-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

I used to love being confident and self-righteous. I could spot the hypocrisy in anyone a mile away. I was always right - in a simplistic grand scheme sort of way. If I could simply explain my position, all would just naturally agree, because as always - I'm right. After realizing they were not agreeing it was a very short road to questioning their intelligence, and their integrity, while using sarcasm and satire as the weapons of choice. It had never occurred to me that I could be wrong, in spite of the deep passion. Now that type of confidence is a warning sign for me, a hint to pay much more attention to those around me. Grand schemes caught up in sound bites are just laziness. (how's that for a grand scheme judgment grounded in my own hypocrisy?). Frankly, there's been to much wreckage on the road behind me as a result of the blindness from over-confidence, and the laziness of the grand idea captured in a sound bite.

Those of us who profess faith in Christ can quickly develop that level of confidence, driven by doing the important things of God. Being chosen, being "saved" being loved by God can lead to great jumps of ego and self importance. The focus can easily turn to great things, great ideas and great plans, and away from people and Love, the pure antithesis of all Jesus taught. The final step is to usurp the role of judge from God himself, just as Adam and Eve (BTW Adam translates from the Hebrew as "humanity") were tempted in the Garden to be like God. Its always a good reminder that some of the last words of Christ on the Cross were "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Matthew 7:1ff
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

When enough is not enough

2006-03-10T06:09:00.000-05:00

Old Joke: Even though I'm married with three teens, I found I still had to much time and money on my hands, so I joined a church. Ha Ha very funny. Somehow we all know that enough is not enough. There are yanks and pulls on our consciousness, on our understanding, even our epistemology (is that even a word?). When we begin to try and live a moral life, when we begin to try and follow the 10 commandments, even when we begin to give, there's an initial rush of very short lived satisfaction. And then the reality hits - this is hard, yet it doesn't seem like it should be that hard. The commandments are tame, Don't murder, don't steal, don't lie etc. Living them, and giving shouldn't be so painful, but it is, so what's up?

One of my favorite games (that I'm very bad at) is the trust game. The one where someone you trust stands a few feet behind you, and you fall backwards, trusting them to catch you. The game gets dicey as the catcher allows you to fall past the point where you are able to catch yourself, and you need to trust them to break your fall - do you or don't you? You react and try to break the fall yourself, or you don't and trust them. Not trusting is evident, and can't be talked around afterwards.

Below is Jesus' rendition of the trust game. Do you trust yourself, your great ability to work through the cultural system, or do you trust Him. Even his disciple s were incredulous at what he asked them to trust.

MARK 10:17ff
17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is goodÂexcept God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother."

20"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

21Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fieldsÂand with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

All that Glitters . . .

2006-03-09T06:35:00.000-05:00

After a while, the possessions that once entranced you become the very thing that binds you. As careers develop, as one's prestige begins to grow, as the golden handcuffs begin to slide up your wrists, the only thing you can see is that they are made of gold, and you can only focus on how fortunate and blessed you are. As years go by you begin realize that they are handcuffs no matter what they're made of, and your freedom is gone, and your identity is gone. Some begin to point to a body of work; their life's work, whether it be secular or holy. A new identity emerges, and the "I AM . . . (the body of work)" is spoken without the slightest realization of what is being said.

Then the work, the I AM identity must be turned over to another, and like the golden hand cuffs, the deep realization of Christ re-asserts. It wasn't our identity or work after all. Its much better to get it right in the beginning, to know your identity and work as God's.

1 Corinthians 2:10ff
¹⁰According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, strawÂ¹³the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. ¹⁴If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.

The Unexpected Mercy

2006-03-05T07:20:00.000-05:00

They tell you to be quiet, they tell you don't belong, they tell you to move on, They tell you through their actions that God is simply to busy on other things. The elites, the average and the downtrodden, all claim; your not one us, you're not like us, the Master prefers our side. Each side, as they begin to wall-up their theology and understanding of God, becoming like the biblical Pharisees, knowing God's will, converting parables and stories into well defined logical arguments.

But God is known to all, and deep in your heart you know. You know a God like that, the Father of Jesus is real, you know He loves, He saves, He rescues, you know that in spite of the Grand sweeping ideas and issues of our day, in spite of the dire personal circumstance, the pain and faintness of heart, you know you are loved, and beckoned to come to him. No matter what they say, no matter if you are one of them or not. You know deep down you need to call to Him and then go to Him. And those who earlier scoffed at your calling out are a bit surprised when the evidence of God's response is clear . . . and you can't help but follow Him.

Interesting that Bartimaeus below calls to Jesus in Jericho, the place where centuries before, the Israelites entered into the promised land, completeing God's earlier promise of deliverence to Moses. And immediately following this incident, Jesus enters Jeruselm to crucified for all of us.

Mark 10:46ff

46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

49Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

52"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Learned Behaviors: Gardening 101

2006-03-04T07:26:00.000-05:00

The days of contemplating my navel died long ago. "what does it all mean?"" what is the purpose in life?" "Is it evil when a praying mantis eats a grasshopper while its alive?" All beg assumptions that the values implied are valid. It is the assumed values that matter more than the working out of situations. Your values will define which logical path you follow. The base assumptions, priorities and values are simple; Self, Others, God. We tend to work in that order, but after God tends his garden, and some pruning ensues, we often find we've had it backwards.
God has a very simple way of teaching his values to those who want to learn. The key is to pay attention.

John 15:1 ff (Spoken by Jesus)
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

and

Philippians 4:11 ff ( written by the apostle Paul )
11 . . . for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength. 14Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.

How to be clueless: Use Double Vision

2006-03-03T05:36:00.000-05:00

For some, the need to be great is overwhelming. Seeing a clear path forward, and having ability, somehow translates into full passion for achieving goals that lead to acclaim. If you haven't gone through this yet, pray that you don't. The problem with future greatness is simply you miss the present and obvious all around you, to your own and others detriment. We can become so focused on the goal that others become tools for our use, and our measure of greatness changes to that used outside of God's teachings. In the church we are no more immune to this than in any other group of people. Even the disciples saw an opportunity to use Jesus for their own greatness.

If you've ever been through this need for greatness, and been able to come out the other side, its almost amusing to watch as it develops in others, if it wasn't so sad. If you've been blessed by God bringing you out of it, you can visibly see it coming in others, and know that counsel and advise will be ignored. You know that the "Not Me, my motives are pure" lines come out, just as you yourself once used. You know that it will be God who eventually straightens it out, and you pray for mercy for them. And when God does straighten it out, the lesson lasts a lifetime. The lesson is to focus on today, let God worry about who's great or not, and how its measured. We're not wired for double vision - the ability to focus on the future and the present simultaneously.

As you read below, read the first paragraph(vs 32-34) slowly a couple times, then scroll down for the rest.

MARK 10:32ff

32They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."

35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

36"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

37They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."

38"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

39"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."

41When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The Transformation

2006-03-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

Ash Wednesday follows Fat Tuesday, Sometimes the obvious is hard to see. I never made the connection for years. Eventually I learned what many know, the idea is to get all your sinning out of your system on the days leading up to Ash Wednesday and Lent, culminating in the Tuesday night before ash Wednesday, hence the name Fat Tuesday (gluttony) translated into French as Mardi Gras. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view, several years ago, I found myself in New Orleans for a business conference during Mardi Gras, what a job I have. A Classic joke that translates a word play between French and English (Rue is French for street) "what's the worst street name in the world? Answer "Rue Burbone" (Burbone Street is the main drag in the French Quarter and Mardi Gras in New Orleans)

So what does all that have to do with Faith and God and worship and Religion? The assumption of faith into the market place, and its transformation of the holiness of God and faith to the profane of our own lusts and weaknesses. You see, today on ash Wednesday, the beginning of lent, of the lead-in to the celebration and observance of death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we as a Global Christian community focus ourselves to the depth and breadth of God's great redeeming Love, all you'll hear about in the media is fat Tuesday, the time of sinning, not the time of repentance, the joy and glory of the profane, the economics of a cities recovery revolving around all the events of fat Tuesday, not the blessing and Love of God as we look to the resurrection. And the profane is proclaimed as greatness. Jesus spoke often to the profane, and as he did so, he took no notice of a man's status and stature in the community and in the cultural marketplace.

Luke 18:9-14

⁹He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' ¹³But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."

Losing it all

2006-02-28T06:26:00.000-05:00

I've watched in horror as the lives of people I've known crumble around them. Jobs, Families, careers, lifestyles can disintegrate on a moments notice. I knew a woman who chose a career over marriage and children, was downsized in her mid-forties and left with nothing but a rapidly dwindling bank account, I knew a man who had chosen family over career, ended up divorced and alienated from his children, and no career to occupy his attention. You can make your own list of people who's lives collapsed. There doesn't seem to be a particular pattern and easily discernible categories that say yes - they'll collapse, and no - they won't.

Sometimes the collapse is intentioned. The realization that those things of great value and worth that drove life-decisions in our youth, were in fact bankrupt, and its time to get things right. A Fascinating part of the intentioned collapse is peace at the recognition, while the unintentioned still grasps onto and tries to hold tightly those bankrupt values and motives.

Below is part of a letter written to a church in the town of Phillipi 1000s of years ago, by a man of greatness in his day, describing his collapse. A man who wrote one third of the New Testament, and influenced more people throughout history than anyone except Jesus himself.

Phillipians 3:1 ff
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in ChristÂthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Waves: Making them or riding them?

2006-02-23T05:51:00.000-05:00

The "yeah, but what have you done lately" folks always seem to show up
at the peak of the celebration. You know these folks, they recognize a great
accomplishment completed in the AM, and immediately want more in the PM
Their agenda, although seemingly tied to the team,
always seems to be at odds with it.
Their hearts, bless them, are elsewhere.
They see the picture, but not the art, they hear the sound but not the music,
they see the flesh but not the soul, they see the wounds, but can't feel the pain
they see the celebration, but not its cause.

Below is an account of celebration and worship, and a scolding.
A lesson to us as we become empassioned, then begin to think its our work
that is of importance, rather than God's grace and mercy enacted through us.


JOHN 12

[1] Six days before the Passover Jesus came to betony, the home of
Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. [2] There they gave a dinner
for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table
with him. [3] Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard,
anointed JesusÂ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was
filled with the fragrance of the perfume. [4] But Judas Iscariot,
one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, [5]
"Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the
money given to the poor?" [6] (He said this not because he cared about
the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used
to steal what was put into it.) [7] Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She
bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. [8] You
always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

How to be the Greatest !!

2006-02-12T07:24:00.000-05:00

An advantage of being closer in age to retirement than to college is having seen some "great ones". Here in Pittsburgh there's currently a lot of talk about greatness after our beloved Steelers have won the Superbowl. There's also a buzz about greatness, and being the best in most of our corporations. Everywhere we look there seems to be a desire for greatness and being the best. Its so bad that about 15 years ago, I heard of a French Scientist, who was convinced he had found the cure for AIDS, making him "the greatest". To prove it, he couldn't wait for the clinical trials since someone else might steal it or scoop another cure, so he infected himself then administered the cure. Unfortunately he had not found a cure. In my professional field, competition is high for prestigious awards, or even getting an office and staff- since that means your recognized as having what it takes, your on the way to greatness (usually works best with the 30-somethings) I've heard the phrase "nickels and noses" when it comes to measuring the success of a church - budget and people. I've heard pastors brag about the percentage of budget that goes to missions, making their church "greater", or brag about how fast they are growing, or how many volunteers are involved.

In my experience the great ones really don't know they are great, simply because their measure is God's measure, not their own, They know any good work comes from Him, and they know the depth of their own sin. If they acknowledge any greatness at all, its that God gifted them for some unknown and undeserved reason. Its Him, not them. They are typically surprised when attention is drawn to them, and rebel against it if it persists, because its wrong in concept, regardless of glorious circumstance. Below Jesus explains his future, the disciples focus on how great they are - wrong concept, regardless of their glorious circumstance.

MARK 9
30They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." 32But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 34But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." 36He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

Marching Orders

2006-02-09T05:59:00.000-05:00

Sometimes no explination or exposition are needed, sometimes commentary takes away from the message, sometimes its just foolish to discuss and describe. The marching orders are clear and unambiguous, in spite of circumstance, perhaps especially because of circumstance.

Romans 12:9-21
[9] Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
[10] love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in
showing honor. [11] Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.
[12] Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
[13] Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
[14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
[15]Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
[16] Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with
the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.
[17] Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble
in the sightof all.
[18] If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
[19] Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;
for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."
[20] No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them;
if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads."
[21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Intersection

2006-02-08T06:40:00.000-05:00

So often we struggle to understand our faith. The biblical heroes faced hard and clear choices, then seemed to know God's will, and triumphed in adversity. But our choices don't seem so clear. We face decisions that seem equally good or bad, and try to divine "God's will". What decision is right and what is wrong? We often seem to be at crossroads, two paths; one the kingdom of God and one the Kingdom of the world, but no clear road map on which is which for our specific and individual decisions. Its actually more simple than we think. Choose to serve God. We already know how he has prepared us for his work, the "gifts" he has given us. Simply choose to use them, simply choose not to fall prey to the temptations and values of a self focus that elevates us in our own sight.

Romans 12:1-8
[1] I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of
God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable
to God, which is your spiritual worship. [2] Do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that
you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable
and perfect.

[3] For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to
think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think
with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God
has assigned. [4] For as in one body we have many members, and not
all the members have the same function, [5] so we, who are many, are
one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
[6] We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us:
prophecy, in proportion to faith; [7] ministry, in ministering; the
teacher, in teaching; [8] the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in
generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in
cheerfulness.

Holding out for more: a bad idea

2006-02-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

When we bought our house, it was a great deal - great price, great house, great neighborhood, great schools. But I still tried to nickel and dime it, and the sellers also tried to nickel and dime the deal. Finally the agent said to us both "this is it take it or leave it, what's on the table is what you both want, what else is there?" Negotiating your way to prosperity and all you want. Delivering at work for that raise and promotion, delivering your end of the bargain at home. Whatever and wherever we are, down deep we always expect something in return. Sometimes we don't think we are getting our fair share back, so we nickel and dime it, or we get new jobs, new spouse, new house, new car, or maybe even a new life. We expect to be able to control the deal, and walk when its not good enough, even when deep down, its what we really want. What else do we know, how else have we been taught?

But we don't control the deal. God offers himself by His standards, His rules, its His deal. We bring nothing of value to table beyond our very being and existence. He doesn't tell you the outcome, only that He Loves you, and to trust Him. What more do you want? What else are you holding out for - nickels and dimes?

John 7:30ff
30At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 31Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"

My Unbelief

2006-02-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

The dichotomy of faith, so personal and yet exists primarily in community, so intellectual, yet full of mystery, so full of granduer and spectacle, yet often desolate and desert like, so full of joy and exuberance, yet the continual developing awareness of our own ability to hurt, cause suffering, and "be sinful" can be devastating, so full of confidence in God, yet doubting and acting in self-reliance. Unbelief and faith blended together in each of us, center of the universe, and small cog simply trying to serve God, all in the same body.

Its a good thing God's in charge, I don't think we could do this faith thing without Him, no matter how much we try.

Mark 9:21ff
21Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. 22"It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

23" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Appreciating Promises

2006-01-30T21:00:00.000-05:00

Years ago, I hitch-hiked across the USA. In North Texas, near Amarillo I went through a desolate place called the Staked Plains. Named so, because the Spanish Conquistadors drove stakes into the ground as they went along, leaving a trail, so they could their way back out of that forbiding and dangerous place. (I was so glad I had a ride !)

When things are going well, its easy to become flippant about God's Love and his care for us. Sometimes its to easy to take for granted his grace and assurances, even promises in the Scriptures. Its becomes easy to begin looking for the greater things, of God, of the world, of wisdom, of anything other than simply resting in the grace of the moment. Sometimes those times are the breather, a time for catching your breath, a time for recovery, so you can be fully prepared during the days of trouble.

Other times, in days that seem dark, and trouble is at every turn, overwhelming to body, heart and soul, the assurances and promises that God has made through the scriptures, become the very thing that God uses to hold us together, the rembrances of past graces and events, and the record of God's graces written in History. In a way, they are like those stakes in the ground that helped the Conquistadors find their way home again.

Israel and Jerusalem were given such an assurance in some dark days for them.

Is 60:1ff
Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples
but the Lord rises upon you, and his glory appears over you.

Not a bad promise and assurance to a people in trouble.

Where its located Matters

2006-01-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

I often joke I have the body of Pittsburgh Steeler running back Jerome Bettis - 5' 11" 255 lbs, mine is just arranged a little differently. His weight is on the upper body, mine simply dropped 12 inches. Same weight same height, different result. Where its located matters.

Where our knowledge of Christ is, also matters. As you read the Doxology below -

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above the heavenly Host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

As it was in the beginning,
Is now and ever shall be
World without end
Amen
Amen

Do you sing it from your heart in grace and gratitude?

Bible Study: Is it the best thing to do?

2006-01-22T11:32:00.000-05:00

We know the breadth of what we don't know, that's the beginning. There always seems to be a sense that we haven't learned enough, or know enough about God and faith, so we turn to the source, the scriptures. There we are confronted by an entirely different way of thinking, and a way thinking that seems to fluctuate in its conception and approach to life. Why can't there just be a few simple rules, why must it be so complicated?

Unfortunately for us, it is really simple. Our insistence on making it complicated, our insistence on focusing on peripheral issues related to religion and its exercise rather than on faith and God, is more of an indictment than a testimony. Jesus indicts the religious ones of his day in stunning parallel to many of the events in our time. Those things we do that can only be described as faithfully seeking to understand God. In John 5:39 "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."

There is a time to acquire knowledge, and there is also a time to move on. However Coming to Christ precedes acquiring knowledge, working with Love parallels coming to Christ, acquiring knowledge is later. Unfortunately, in our faiths and religions, acquiring knowledge can stand alone, and, pass for devotion to Christ.

Jesus asked a simple question, only Peter was able to answer, and then he fell terribly, and his failure, Jesus was able to once again proclaim:

Mark 8:27 ff

27Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." 30Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

31He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Chipping away: God's persistance celebrated

2006-01-19T09:45:00.000-05:00

Lots of metaphors abound: Baggage on an airport terminal carousel, coming round and round, over and over again, or backpackers so loaded down with equipment that they can't climb the mountain. Give it some thought and you can make your own metaphor of the same old same old, the focus on all our stuff, the lack of faith in a crisis by those who profess faith the most. This is not a profession of mere words, but those who have left all for Christ and are in reality and practice following Him.

In our passage below, there is yet another feeding, this time of 4000. There is yet another boat crossing of the Lake, but the lack of faith, the doubting and cluelessness of the disciples is drawn back just a bit. Its there, but not as severe. Its been chipped away by a few hard knocks. No mention of their fear in a storm, as in the past two boat crossings. In fact no mention at all of any events in the boat crossing. Sometimes the absence of, is greater than the presence of. This is completely different from past two lake crossings (see earlier blogs "learning from experience" and "The eyes have it").

But they still can't come to grips with this feeding thing. After He feeds 5000, the disciples still aren't sure how Jesus will feed 4000. Perhaps if he feeds thousands another couple times, it will fall into their "comfort zone". Ain't it just like us? Perhaps the lesson is truly; that as we begin trust and believe, we become less and He becomes more, and our only real testimony is the exposure of our doubt, since He is the source of all good.

Mark 8:1ff
1During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."

4His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"

5"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied.

6He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. 7They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, 10he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

Learning from Experience?

2006-01-16T09:56:00.000-05:00

Just as one crisis seems to come to an end, another looms. You would think we can learn from experience, but more often than not we simply repeat the same experience over and over and over again. Hoping beyond hope that at some point, by doing the same things, responding the same way, we will get our blessed and hoped for ending. And yet, we get the same old, same old, and wonder why. We continually wonder where God is. We continually wonder why we're abandoned yet again in our time of need. And God seems to continually give the same answer that we don't want to hear. And in the midst of it he continues to work around us, Loving, healing, feeding. Perhaps in spite of us rather than through us.

The passage below is the second storm the disciples experience seemingly one on top of the other, the first touched on a few blogs ago "The eyes have it". In between these two storms, Jesus teaches and continues to exposes his nature, his Love and his Power to the disciples. Between these storms, and immediately preceding the second, he feeds the five thousand. At a minimum, he demonstrates a connection with Moses and God's feeding the Israelites with Manna in the desert - take note - the Israelites complained about His provision in the Manna. From the detail of the feeding story, many scholars also see paralles to the 23rd Psalm - "He makes me lie down in green pastures". But in this second storm, after continued revelation and miracles, the disciples following Jesus once again find themselves at risk, in trouble, same old same old. The best they have to offer is "for they had not understood about the loaves, their hearts were hardened". Its deja vu all over again. And again for Jesus, its almost an after thought - their crisis. Don't worry - take courage, I'm in charge of all of it - that's what we really don't want to hear, because we want to be in charge of it, even if it means the crisis won't go away. In spite of the commotion for the disciples, in the end, the people will recognize Him, that's the point.

Mark 6:45ff

⁴⁵Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

⁴⁷When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. ⁴⁸He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, ⁴⁹but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, ⁵⁰because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." ⁵¹Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, ⁵²for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

⁵³When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. ⁵⁴As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. ⁵⁵They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶And wherever he wentÂinto villages, towns or countrysideÂthey placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

Quiet, Private, and Precious

2006-01-11T09:21:00.000-05:00

There are times when God blesses you to your great surprise. Those quiet, private, and precious little miracles, those arrangments of often odd and even bizzare sets of circumstance and coincidence, those redefinitions of relationships in family and friends focused on love and respect rather than conflict and chaos. Those quiet ones, that aren't open for puplic consumption. Those quiet ones that are for you, reminding you of God's great work and redemption in the world. Those quiet ones that cause you to step back in awe and wonder. Sometimes they are just for you. Sometimes they are to proclaim God's presence, power and Love. Most importantly, most times are they are when all hope is lost, everythings been tried and failed, then his mercy and Love are clearly present.

Inevitably it doesn't matter who you are, your station in life or place in society, Highly respected or shunned and put aside. Ultimately he reminds you He is at work, redemming all of us. Those quiet ones are for you, but you are not alone, there are quiet ones for others whom God loves and fills with grace and wonder and worship. Below, two miracles each the same, and each dramatically different, neither standing alone but intertwining seperated lives and sub-cultures with each other through eternity. You see, the woman would not have been allowed in the synagogue with the synagogue ruler. The miracle for the churchman, the synagogue ruler, was delayed a bit for the miracle for the shunned who came in faith.

Mark 5:21ff

²¹When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. ²²Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet ²³and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." ²⁴So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." ²⁹Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. ³⁰At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" ³¹"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

³²But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

³⁵While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" ³⁶Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." ³⁷He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. ³⁸When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. ³⁹He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." ⁴⁰But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. ⁴¹He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). ⁴²Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. ⁴³He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Changing Values: Its a "good" thing

2006-01-08T10:30:00.000-05:00

We all make decisions every day, and each can be boiled down to balancing and judgeing between competing values. We judging between the relative importance of the things we value. We typically choose and decide on those things that create more "good" for us. Often the "good" revolves around those things that make life better for us and those we love. Once that"good" is clarified in our minds, we begin on a path of keeping and maintaining all that is "good" and then adding to it as we can. However, on those occasions when we are paying attention, God steps in and shows us what is really "good" and how far off target we are. Choosing God's "good" is often at odds with what we expect, or have experienced.

In the story below note the "good" Jesus did and showed, and then the reaction of the towns people, and their view "good". Of importance is the reaction to the pigs and the man, they were concerned about the loss of the pigs, - In the Jewish faith pigs are a no-no even to this day, but did not rejoice at the healing of a terribly tormented neighbor. The towns people valued the pigs, that which is detestable to God, more than the "good" they saw God do. Not only was the value base different, they were afraid of the good Jesus had done. And the man who was healed? He also wanted a certain "good" - to follow and be with Jesus - not a bad plan. But God's "good" for him was also different. In each case the perspective was "good for me", yet Jesus's "good" focused outside of the "me" and demanded a focus to someone else and what is "good" for them.

Mark 5:1ff

¹They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. ²When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. ⁴For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" ⁸For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

⁹Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." ¹⁰And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

¹¹A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹²The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." ¹³He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

¹⁴Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." ²⁰So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

The eyes have it?

2006-01-05T09:43:00.000-05:00

The vision of the future, for a visionary, is always great. There is opportunity at every turn, there are great accomplishments at hand, there is always a great principle to be proclaimed, and ultimately there is peace and prosperity at the end, arrival into the land of milk and honey. You can see it, you can feel it, and when the vision is palpable enough, you can even taste it. These aren't dreams of a distant future filled magic and wonder, but planned success with a clear goal, and a path to get there.

Unfortunately, great visions of the future, always seem to get tangled up with, and mired in the present, there's garbage to take out, floors to vacume, car troubles to fix, teachers to meet with, dinners to prep, jobs that need tending to, etc. etc etc. Sometimes the present can so overwhelm, that the vision of the future becomes a distant memory. What the present brings, coupled with what we’ve learned in the past, blinds us to the future.

From the perspective of the disciples in the passage below, they’ve just experienced magnificence. Jesus had performed many miracles, taught in parables, but for them, he pulled them aside "explaining everything" . After this passage they are confronted directly with true and pure evil. But in this passage, the present overwhelms them, but Jesus reminds them of true reality beyond what they can see.

Mark 4:35ff

³⁵That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." ³⁶Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

⁴¹They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

California Dreamin' on such a winters day

2006-01-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

At times it seems that the world is on our shoulders. If you finally get your life together, finally get all the plans working and the wild dreams close to reality, when we finally find that gentle eddy under a shade tree in raging river, it seems that it quickly all comes crashing back in again, something always seems to push us back into the rage. And when it does, we tend to pull back and get self absorbed one more time, again, as we sort through it all. Who can blame us? We're just trying to survive and get back on track. We are just pulling it together again, and the end we are doing it to meet our own dreams and expectations.

The scripture talks a lot about God being Light and being Love. They talk a lot about God's Love for us, about the great, incomprehencable, and almost unbelievable ways God uses to reach out to us. The scripture talks a lot about God being in charge, and about his expectations of us. They talk a lot about us reaching out with his Love into a world filled with pain, oppression, and flat out evil. They talk about the great crowds that followed Jesus, the crowds disapeared and whittled down to just twelve at the end, of which, one betrayed him and one who greatly doubted. It doesn't speak very much about God's obligation to us to help us meet our expectations, and fulfill our dreams.

Mark 4: 21ff
²¹He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? ²²For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. ²³If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

²⁴"Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to youÂand even more. ²⁵Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

²⁶He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸All by itself the soil produces grain, at first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."

Created for the moment

2005-12-28T06:19:00.000-05:00

All of us have those embarrassing parts of our lives we try to keep private. Those things that within our circle of friends, and in our corner of society are frowned upon. They may be fine somewhere else, but here and now, they are not the best we have to offer. I've heard the phrase "if you only knew" a lot. Its applied to others like "if you only knew what they were like in private" or to ourselves in moments of honesty. Sometimes the embarrassing part isn't hidden well. Addictions to alcohol, adrenalin, even glutton. Sometimes our faces and eyes can't fully conceal what our hearts are full of, pain or anger or lust or something else. And often the why question comes up over and over. Sometimes it is so overwhelming that we even scream for help.

But now and again, events pull together that use that part of our lives for God's purpose in surprising ways. In the passage below, recall that in Jesus' time, only people without deformities were allowed to worship in the temple, one needed to be perfect. Yet Jesus calls the man out, exposes and even parades his embarrassment for all to see. He's shocked at their lack of any compassion, heals the man, and then like a lightning rod, takes the wrath of the leaders upon himself. And the man's story lasts through thousands of years as an inspiration and example of God's mercy.

Mark 3:1 ff

1Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."

4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.

5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

The "what were they thinking" Gifts

2005-12-26T11:15:00.000-05:00

All the action is over, and its time to catch a breath. Presents wrapped and opened, dinner cooked and eaten, Laughing and joking with friends and family now just a pleasant memory, even putting a little "fun" back into all our dysfunctions for a day or two. And this morning there it sits, the "what were they thinking" present. There were lots of things i could use and this wasn't it, but it intrigues me. There's something deep down that they picked up on, outside of my normal range of vision, outside of what i think i need.

Somehow, God always seems to ring that bell, to touch and move out of the blue, to gift us with what we actually need, not always what we think is our obvious need.

Mark 2:1 ff
A few days later when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the Word to them. Some men came, bringing with them a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was laying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic: "Your sins are forgiven"

Confusion reigns

2005-12-21T09:50:00.000-05:00

All the right answers are obvious in hindsight. There is a clarity beyond understanding when looking back. I used to think it was just me. During the event however, whatever it may be, there is simply confusion. The decision and path are not obvious. The senses aren't particularly helpful, they register what the mind can't sort out. The understanding of cause and effect gets mixed up, with causes producing confusing and opposite effects than expected. All the rules seem to change.

Faith in God and his Son Jesus Christ often are confusing, probably because all the rules, all that God uses to work in the world is different from what our lives have taught us. As we begin to live our lives in worship of Him, as we try to do those things Jesus taught, it seems that only chaos ensues. Its not what we expect, its not always clean and obvious. But we are asked to continue and trust Him for all of it.

LUKE 1:28ff
The angel went to her and said "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words, and wondered what kind of greeting this might be

BC Times

2005-12-16T09:21:00.000-05:00

Now and again, I want to go back to a lifestyle and values that at the time seemed like fun. I'll joke about he BC (before Christ) days with an intentioned smile, and fondly recollect adventures and exploits. But then the darker side of those adventures come to mind, then the clear hand of God's intervention in rescue is recalled. This is the lifestyle and values that I try to keep my loved ones from pursuing. The lifestyle is simple, just more of everything except responsibility, just focused on keeping myself happy.

Sometimes, especially in this season of celebration, its easy to be caught up in the exuberance of the BC days.

II Peter 2: 20 ff
If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverb is true: 'A dog returns t its vomit' and 'A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud'

Peanut Butter and Jelly

2005-12-14T09:43:00.000-05:00

Just another day, routine and comfortable. You already know the issues of day as you role them over in your mind, preparing and strategizing how you will kiss and kick the proverbial rear ends. Organizing the kids, working with the spouse, planning the workday, and making a lunch, perhaps even peanut butter and jelly. The routine chores, bills, dishes, “reddin–up” as they say here in Pittsburgh, shovel the walk, put bulb in the car headlight, normal stuff. Who do I need to motivate, who needs to be redirected, who needs to be calmed down, who just needs a shoulder or an ear. Who do I need to listen to today, what do I need to hear? Just another day in a long line of days that merge together somehow. Nothing ever changes. Or does it?

Often God speaks not through thunderous proclamation, or drastic drama, but in a small still voice. A voice that can even come from a new born Babe. He speaks with a voice that is often ignored, and not even recognized behind the cacophony of the day. A voice that is so common its passed over without a second thought. This season that voice begins to become a louder call, proclaimed throught our communities, that voice is countered by yet a louder one.

Mark 1:1 "The beginning of the Gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

When you realize its not a Cruiseship

2005-12-13T09:43:00.000-05:00

The excitement of the cheerleading is great. Getting wrapped emotionally in a great cause is quite exhilarating. Focusing attention and resources from the grand global ideologies to more local events. From heading up, or participating in a new initiative in the company, to working to elect a political candidate, or helping in an organization that captures all you believe in. But there is always that moment when the emotion dies, and the reality of the cost is clear. That’s the point where Love is defined. That’s point when we realize the difference between being entertained and loving God.

Luke 22:54ff
Then seizing Him, they led Him away and took him into the house of the High Priest. Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with Him”

But he denied it. “Woman I don’t know Him,” he said.

A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not” Peter replied.

About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

Peter replied, “Man I don’t know what you are talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the words the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Progress

2005-12-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

Productivity and efficiency are words that are central to most our lives. If you possess these you are likely to be highly rewarded in your job. But these also require a central focus on your organization's goals to be effective. On the one hand I know a number of people who work hard and are productive and efficient, but ineffective. They point to a large body of work completed, but it’s often the wrong work, and they are ineffective. On the other hand, it’s not often clear what right work is needed to go beyond efficiency and productivity to effectiveness. Often the common sense and obvious answer, is the wrong answer.

For Christians, it seems odd to be speaking of productivity and effectiveness in light of faith. Often we wrap-up faith into such a "soft-unmeasurable" personalized understanding of God we lose track of our roles and responsibilities, or we are so caught up in our responsibilities and number tracking such as; dollars given, missions assited, committees attended etc, that we lose sight of God’s love for us as individuals. Sometimes it seems we’ve so simplified our faith into; God’s only job is to rescue you, and make you happy, almost as if He is Santa, and your job is to say thanks. But there is a different understanding in the Scriptures that expands and simplifies it all at the same time. We are supposed to be effective and productive, and that is the right work for us beyond saying thanks. Peter gives us a circle of productivity measures, as you get to the end, you start over again, growing in productivity at each step simultaneously.

I Peter 1:3ff

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you might participate in the Divine nature and escape the corruption of the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to added to your faith goodness, and to goodness knowledge, and to knowledge self control, and to self-control perseverance, and to perseverance godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if you posses these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Future - Does it already exist?

2005-12-09T10:23:00.000-05:00

A lot of people have a lot of money riding on what they think the future will bring. From Pension funds, 401Ks, NFL Draft picks, housing purchases, sales forecasts, college savings for the young-uns among us, even Life insurance. Sometimes I think we are so confident in our predictive ability, we spend more time analysing and predicting the future than we do in the present. All of this is fine and easily accepted in our society because its often (hopefully) based on understanding historical trends, understanding the past and simply projecting the same trends and past into the future. But sometimes big changes make the past, and the future projections obsolete. As an example, in the early 1900s the big ancient to future projected problem for NY City was figuring out where to put all the expected Horse Manure - It would be measured in feet of thickness, based on projections of City growth and increases in the Horse population. Henry Ford solved that problem in an unexpected way - get rid of the horses. Big changes eliminate the projected future, but human nature stays the same. Now Ford's invention has created a predicted subsequent catastrophy for the future.

God is on record throughout the scriptures for predicting the future. We can understand the future based on his character, what he has done in the past, how he foretold his actions in history before they happened. It seems his nature doesn't change. His grace and Love for us transcends our circumstance, and he is able to, and has predicted our future for us. In case we missed it, he has outlined our role in the future, how we fit in. Its amazing that God himself told us our role in His future. This is what the future can hold, a future that exists already if we choose it. A future that he has already modeled, shown the example for us in Christ. Why would we want to trust anything else, any of those ancient to future projections of the future that can become obsolete in the blink of an eye?

Luke 23:25-26
Jesus said to them: "The Kings of the gentiles lord it over them: and those who exercise authority call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead the greatest among you shall be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. "

The good old days

2005-12-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

Someone else created the Good Old Days for me. Its true, When I think back on the most joyous seasons of my life, much more often than not they were created by work of someone else. I just showed up. The organizations, family, Schools, Friends, jobs, churches etc. None of which were created by me. The circumstances of the good old days were not always pleasant, but they were always good. I simply ended up in the right place at the right time. I used to think it was my own personal drive, and will, and sense of laze-fare freedom that was the key. But in retrospect they only got in the way of the great joys that were present and around me.

The first stanza of the Psalm below: "When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion" explodes with the glory of God. It screams out the mercy of God, and his love for us as the ultimate creator of the good old days. We don't determine them, He does. And the last verse, God using us even times of our own distress to help create the good old days, His good old days - off into the future for someone else, oddly enough become once again our own good old days: "Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves."

Now that is just to much to be able to fully enjoy

Psalm 126:1-6

¹When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
²Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
³The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.

⁴Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
⁵May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
⁶Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.

Task or People Driven?

2005-12-07T06:33:00.000-05:00

Disengagement is the most pernicious failure. It is so easy to mask disengagement behind activities, completed tasks and poetic words. It is so easy to work through the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law. Defining by the letter of the Law, precludes defining by Love. Defining by task precludes defining by motive. It is so easy to define the standard then just meet it with great fanfare. At work we have saying "Some people quit and leave, some people quit and stay." Some who have quite and stayed are very productive by the letter of the Law. Some people work very hard, and completely engage themselves in disengagement.

In communities of Faith the ability to disengage is equally easy if not more so. In communities of Faith the outside can mask the inside much easier. To disengage means to stop Loving. In a message to a Church in Turkey Christ says:

Rev 2:
²"I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. ³I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. ⁴But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. ⁵Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ⁶Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God."

and then to the religious community in Jerusalem:

Matthew 23:1-12

¹Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ²"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; ³therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. ⁴They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. ⁵They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. ⁶They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. ⁸But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. ⁹And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. ¹⁰Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. ¹¹The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹²All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted."

Seeing through biased eyes

2005-12-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

There is a myth floating around that objectivity is best. That one must be removed from the incidents and analyze the facts independently, taking all factors into account to determine the truth. The best part of myths is they sound good, may have a degree of truth and "personal touch points" within them, but like horoscopes are ultimately fictional. All of us have biases and prejudices that influence the way we see the world. Often we use phrases like "Its just common sense" to set up the basis of our assumptions as untouchable and unquestionable.

History is littered with biases imposed on scripture to find "the will of God" and justify our actions. The frightening part is the invisibility of the biases behind the veil of scripture. Jesus understood biases and how they are imposed on God's word. When confronted about the greatest commandment, he did not say anything new, he quoted the Old Testament (Dt 6:5), added "another like it" and then, most importantly, gave us the bias and prejudice to use when reading the scriptures. This command was not the best of many competing ones, but the only one. All interpretation of scripture has to understood through the bias of this "Greatest Commandment" this bias of loving God, linked to Loving your Neighbor. Anything less is just less.

Matthew 22:34-40

³⁴When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" ³⁷He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' ³⁸This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹and a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

A Presumed Acquaintance

2005-12-05T09:32:00.000-05:00

Many in the religious community of Jesus day presumed to know God and know God's will. Many of these presumed to know God because they knew the scriptures. Many assumptions were made, premises for thought founded on the presumptions of truth and blessing. A casual reading of the scriptures indicates they were only half right. They consistently tried to use scriptures and hypothetical ethical situations to expose Jesus as a fraud. The phrase 'they tried to trap . . ." is often heard. They seemed to know the scriptures that benefited them, but didn't taske seriously those that challenged them. They seemed to be pragmatic with their understanding of God.

Today, many of us presume to know God. Often we can hear the phrase "God's will" bantied about. Unfortunately, many of our conversations focus on God's will for others, and their responsibilities. We often speak about justice, righteousness, and Love, and how others are not doing those properly. When Jesus spoke to people, he confronted them directly as individuals who were, or were not following God's clear and uncompromising Love for his creation, all of it, his commands and his will.

This confrontation continues today.

Matt. 22:
²⁹Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. ³⁰For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ³¹And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, ³²'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is God not of the dead, but of the living." ³³And when the crowd heard it, they were astounded at his teaching.

Freedom - for Rights or Responsibility?

2005-12-02T06:32:00.000-05:00

Freedom is such a loaded word. It is global in its ideological reach, but seems to mean different things to different people. Freedom to do what i want, when i want has a great and magnificent appeal. Freedom to explore, freedom to travel, to feel, to do, to act any way i want. Freedom to choose my spouse, freedom to live where i want and be who i choose to be.

A freedom that is not constrained by any political system is the freedom to choose personal rights or personal responsibility. God's grace has given freedom into the world, with freedom to Love others as the measure. Freedom to indulge our nature, wants and desires is forgiven rather than promoted as the standard. Freedom to Love God rather than self is the gift we are given. Freedom to trust God, as we step into actions of Love that make no sense at all, if its about our rights rather than responsibilities, if its about our comfort rather than our choice.

Janice Joplin may have had the right words for all the wrong reasons, as we begin to trust God with the results of our freedom: "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose" and Joshua proclaiming his freedom: "Choose this day whom you will serve, as for me and my house we will serve the LORD"

JUDE:
³Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. ⁴For certain intruders have stolen in among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Warning Signs - An old lighthouse?

2005-12-01T06:12:00.000-05:00

Long ago I stopped wondering why bad things happen. They just do. Random events, tragic events, unexplainable by any form of reason, innocents suffering greatly to the point of death, wrong place at the wrong time, diseases that ravage, natural events that defy understanding, people trying to impose their needs on others at any cost. It doesn't take long to describe a new cliche for an age old question with no answers. You could hear a reward and punishment type of thinking, if your good God will rewarded you, if bad you'll be punished. On the other hand you could hear talk that anything bad comes from the devil, nothing bad can come from God. In the midst of these seasons of tradgedy there's usually some mish-mash of all the above, and maybe some other ideas thrown in to help comfort us.

Thousands of years ago, centuries before Christ, a country boy went to the major city of his day, the center of their universe and addressed those in charge, those in command, the civil leaders, the religious leaders and the military leaders. He so startled them with a message from God, they even wrote down what he said, so that the generations to come might still hear him.

Amos 4:6ff

I gave you empty stomachs in every city
and lack of bread in every town
yet you have not returned to me declares the LORD

I also withheld rain from you
when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
but withheld it from another.
One field had rain;
another had none and dried up.
People staggered from town to town for water
but did not get enough to drink
yet you have not returned to me declares the LORD

.

.
.

I overthrew some of you
as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah
You were like a burning stick
snatched from the fire,
Yet you did not return to me declares the LORD

Is Seeing Believing?

2005-11-30T06:28:00.000-05:00

More times than not, it seems easier and more comfortable to feel good about speaking to the right thing, committing to the right thing, even observing the right thing in someone else. But more times than not, its easier to fall back to comfortable routines, and even feel good about our good thoughts, in spite of the absence of follow through. More times than not, I'd rather watch and praise someone else's stepping out in faith, than jump in to assist and help. More times than not, there seems to be a line that we just don't want to cross, in spite of watching all that happens on the other side.

Matt21:28ff
What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said. 'Son go and work today in the vineyard'. 'I will not,' he answered, but later changed his mind and went.
Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered 'I will sir, but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?'

"The first" they answered.

Jesus said to them 'I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God ahead of you. For John (the Baptist) came to show you the way to righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this you did not repent and believe him."

A Case of Judgment

2005-11-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

He was guilty, no doubt about it. Decades long behaviors had sealed his fate, and probably caused his death. His life's story was littered with wreckage, disappointment, and inability to "pull it together". If you saw him on the street or in the store, you would look away if you noticed him at all. But at his funeral, his loved ones, one by one, his friends, his family, preachers and deacons, spoke to his witness and his impact on their lives. They recounted his glory days, how his presence had changed their lives. How he had even pointed them to God. This was not a local gathering. They came from all around, from other States and different lives. One by one they stood, with tears in their eyes recounting the moment he touched them, and moved them, and changed them. Generations stood and spoke, generations extending back to a time most of us only read about. Generations stood and spoke, generations that are studying in college, what their elders could teach them sitting at the table. It was a side of his testimony I had never heard. I had only known him by his besetting sin, the one that overwhelmed him. The one that caused all the wreckage, all the disappointment. But God, through his grace and mercy, saw all of him, and he was loved of God. At his funeral they read "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not die, but have everlasting life" and also quoting Jesus: "I Am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

I Thessalonians 5:9ff
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another, and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

What I heard; "The depth of my depravity is barely constrained by socially acceptable behavior"

TODAY

2005-11-24T11:10:00.000-05:00

The mercies of God, compared to what could have been. All of us have our unique and hard-felt struggles, but consider the mercy of God compared to what could have been. Those near misses that touch all our lives, those bullets dodged, accidents avoided, friends found in the most unlikely of places in times of crisis. The rescue of Loved ones from trials we don't learn about until much later. Those mercies of God compared to what could have been. His workings, quiet and unseen unless we look. His workings, even as we speak or read or pray that encompass us, around us, above us, below us, within us. The slaying of those sins which would have destroyed us, and those we love. And he continues to love us, and ask simply that we also love.

Ephesians 1:15ff
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for the Saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom, and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints . . .

Thanks - Giving

2005-11-19T10:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!
Who should you thank?? Both sides of the story, from God's perspective described in his parables-

Luke 17:11ff
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "JESUS, MASTER, HAVE PITY ON US"
When he saw them he said "Go show yourselves to the Priests" And as they went they were cleansed. One of them when he was healed, came back, Praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him - and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him "Rise and go, your faith has made you well"

AND

Luke 18:9ff
To some who were confident of their own righteousness, and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable;

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one, a Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and give a tenth of all I get'
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said 'God have mercy on me, a sinner'
I tell you that this man, rather than the other went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

we'll be back blogging after the holiday weekend, . . . AND . . .
give thanks

Is Patience a virtue?

2005-11-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

Slow to act. Just can't make a decision. Frenzy of activity, tempest in a teapot. Hasty judgment.

It seems the more frenzied i get, the slower "the big picture” things are accomplished. The slower i seem to get, the faster objectives are met. A friend mine at work has a saying above his desk "A week of experiments in the lab will save you a day of research in the library". Another friend had a saying "slow down to hurry up". However, hyper-activity is very satisfying on many levels. There is usually a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Lots to show for your efforts. People touched, decisions made, the daily to-do list finished off and a host of good things happen.

Is there a time and place where we can have slow-hyper-activity? A time and a place where we can hurry up - to slow down - to hurry up? There is just so much to do. I think the answer is yes, when it comes to prayer, particularly prayers for justice.

Luke 18: 2ff
"In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God, nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary'. For some time he refused, but finally said to himself 'even though i don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me I will that see she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming'.
And the Lord said; 'Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night. Will he keep putting them off? . . ."

What I heard: "Some of the busiest people I know are the laziest, they're just busy to avoid the real issues, and won't do the hard work needed"

Where did God Go?

2005-11-17T09:05:00.000-05:00

Luke 17:20ff
Once having been asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied; 'The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say 'Here it is' or 'There it is' because the Kingdom of God is within you.'

Some people grate me the wrong way, I'm sure i grate some folks the wrong way also. Some situations are beyond my comprehension. Sometimes people act in ways that are the opposite of all i think they believe in and what they proclaim, i'm sure i do the same. So where did God go in all of this? How come the longer we 'stay in this game of faith' the worse it all seems to be, the greater the confusion and the greater the hypocrysy? Do you remember the time it all made sense, you could lay it out and it was a unified whole? Then something happens, out of the blue, you couldn't have imagined it even existed, let alone become part of your life. Everything you've ever learned, every experience that has built your character becomes irrelevant, and you ask "Where's God?".

The answer is '. . . within you'

Todays Quote: "God don't waste no pain"

Know - it - alls

2005-11-16T08:50:00.000-05:00

Is the opening scene of the old college movie "Animal House" true? The plaque under the statue proudly proclaims, "Knowledge is Good". Is knowledge acquisition all that there is for our brains to work on? Is getting more knowledge, whether street smarts, book smarts, political know-how, or scientific discovery, and then using it, the best that we can do? Not having some knowledge it is certainly pretty bad, but is having it the best?

There are several places in the Bible that says no. Knowledge is simply a mid-point along the path, and we need to move beyond it. There is a lot more to it than knowing what to do. A friend of mine once said that “ . . . knowledge can take you only so far, you complete the journey with Love"

James3:12ff
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven, . . . But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Todays Quote: "My brain knows the words, but my heart has yet to sing"

Offensive

2005-11-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

One of the pleasures I get at work is the ability to argue ideas that are not personalized, the rough and tumble of creative people who are passionate about our success as a company. These arguments can be heated at times even yelling and pounding the table, but they always revolve around disagreement on the best way forward. They usually end with a consensus that encompasses the best of all the positions, while leaving the weak positions behind. It is difficult to offend anyone unless someone begins to personalize their own or another’s position and ideas. There are a few folks who personalize their positions. Discussion with them simply takes longer and is more painful as we work through the psychology of it to bring the discussion back to the "data". By continually challenging the assumptions in each others expertise, we avoid the dreaded "Group Think" which is simply; all of us happy we are in agreement, while the obvious passes us by in the fast lane.

In the Church; this is not always the case. Church is personal almost by definition. Let me give an example, what is your response to the following joke: "How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb? Answer; just one, they hold it up and wait for God to revolve the world around them" Do you take this personally, or is it elucidation of an idea that calls us to look beyond ourselves. Can you see this as simple imagry to measure your walk with Christ? Can you see this as imagry to help resolve your conflicts with other Christians in the Church, whether you are holding the light bulb, or they are? Can you see God's world is bigger than the room your in? Looking beyond ourselves requires we not personalize the offense, and if we do, be quick to forgive.

Luke 17:1ff
Then Jesus said to his disciples: Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves.
If your brother sins rebuke him, and if he repents forgive him. If he sins against you seven times a day, and seven times comes back to you and says 'I repent' forgive him.
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

Todays Quote: "If you can't worship God while pealing potatos, you can't worship God" BL

This "doing" thing

2005-11-14T05:39:00.000-05:00

It never seems to end. Any casual reading of the Bible, virtually any section, book, chapter or verse talks about what you do. The Heroes of the Bible are all described by what they do. The books on the Law, the prophets, the wisdom Literature, all of them talk about "doing". Jesus' sermon on the mount is a case in point. It’s full of dos and don'ts, of how to "be" and how not to "be" and all the "being" all revolves around what you do, how to worship, and how not to worship. The teachings of Christ have so influenced our western culture that this doing thing is assumed and known by almost everyone. If you claim to be a Christian in public, the first clash you're most likely to have with those outside your sphere of Faith will be about what you do or don't do, not about what you believe, nor much about Christ.

So why do we have such a hard time with this "doing thing"? Even today, if you think about your examples of men and women of Faith, of those who you regard as connected to God, is it their eloquence, or is it what they do that draws your attention? The book of James in the New Testament is one of the more confrontational on this doing versus believing thing. It is so commonly known, that it even became part of the 2004 presidential campaign.

James 2:14ff
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? . . . In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead . . . Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good even the demons believe that - and shudder . . ."

Todays Quote: "Stupid is as Stupid does" Forrest Gump

Celebrate !!

2005-11-13T07:25:00.000-05:00

Its time to Celebrate ! Celebrate and rejoice in His gift!

Friday is over and Sunday is here

Psalm 67:1-7

¹May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
²that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.

³Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
⁴Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.

⁵Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
⁶The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
⁷May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Todays Quote: "Its not about God or the church being relevant to you, its about you being relevant to God" CB

Money Troubles

2005-11-12T10:56:00.000-05:00

Money is the measure. Careers are made or broken by the ability or inability to generate more money. Companies know it, and embrace it; it’s their “reason-d’etre”. Governments know it embrace it, and exploit it. Most leadership prowess is defined by it. Entire neighborhoods (including me and mine) and towns derive their primary identity by their income levels and cost needed to live there.

LUKE 16:13ff
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. The Pharisees who loved money heard all this, and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight”

A recent visit to a group of churches in another country, working in a broad and impoverished area elicited a surprising question from the pastor-friend of mine who oversees the work and ministry of six churches. “TY, do you still live in that big house?” Embarrassed, I answered yes.

Being for or Against

2005-11-11T08:46:00.000-05:00

In every social group i frequent, there are those who rally the crowd against a villain of their own making. I think in the debate sciences this is called a "straw man". The straw man is a great tool, build it up the way you want then destroy it to show its weaknesses, and the righteousness of your cause or position. The funny part is that when i flesh out these villians of straw with names and faces, they are usually heros.

Do you have a villain? Is it another department in your company or organization? Is it management or labor? Is it your boss, or employees? Your regional headquarters or local site? Is it government or a political party? Is it rich folks, who take advantage of their position, or poor folks who scam the system? Is your villain the "the church" or even a denominational hierarchy, a pastor or a congregation? Is there a certain sin that those who succumb to it become villains? Is your villain a "movement" that stands for all you find wrong in the world? Can you define your villain as "them", but don't have a name or face to put with them? Or is your villain a specific person? Some one who is blocking your progress, or even specifically hurting you? If your villain disappeared from the face of the earth, would it be a better place? Would it be more like heaven if "they" weren't here? Have you managed to make your villian God's villain as well?

Have you held a starving child, who smiled at you? Villainy takes a different perspective after that.

Jesus taught us to pray saying: “ . . . forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" Then he lived that prayer on the cross, praying “ . . . forgive them Father, for they know not what they do"

Continueing from yesterday; James 1:22ff
"Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. . . .Religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; . . ."

( look it up - it has two parts - them and you :) )