Jesus Says Bring it to Me!

Someone got a new window air conditioner. The reason I know this is that they felt compelled to drop (and I mean drop) the old one in the parking lot of our church. The pieces were strung out in the parking lot Monday morning.

It is hard to love someone who dumps on you.

Some people who dump on you are just dumpers. They have no concern for anyone. The world is theirs to trash. Their life is filled with anger, self pity, or just indifference. These folks will use you in a minute gladly.

Then there are the casual dumpers. These folks are not regular in their dumps, but do just as much damage. You usually can tell when the dump is coming as there is "victim" mentality present. "Woe is me!" is their battle cry. Whether it is the loss of a job, failure in relationships, or economic distress it is not their fault.

The truth is that we are all dumpers at one time or another. The trash of our life is too great so we look for somewhere to put it. Some of us dump within ourselves. Others of us find places or people we can unload on.

Strangely enough, Jesus of Nazareth invites us to bring our stuff to him. Jesus invited people to bring their brokenness, burdens, sins,--the things in life that do not work anymore. Jesus wants it so that Jesus can free us!

There is a line in an old Gospel hymn that stays in my mind alot---"Jesus swept across the broken strings stir the slumbering chords again!" The last line of that chorus says, "keeps me singing as I go".

Got old stuff, brokenness in your life? Instead of dumping in the parking lot, bring yourself into the presence of Jesus!

Say my Name!

I not only believe in intercessory prayer, I practice it as much as I can!

Sometimes we just need someone to stand for us. I tell this to my congregation each week. I invite people to remember people in certain areas of life that need someone to stand before God and say their name. We call it standing in the gap.

There are gaps in our life--even in our spiritual life. It is the times when God seems to be "over there!" Or maybe it is times when life is overwhelming. Or we have forgotten to whom we belong.

In the biblical tradition, there is great power in names. When God appears to Abram, he becomes Abraham. When Moses is sent, he asks for God's name--"I Am". When Jacob wrestles at the River Jabbok, he is wounded, but is renamed, "Israel". When Joseph is warned in a dream of the birth of Jesus in a most unconventional way, Joseph is given the name that he is to call the baby, "Jesus".

God knows your name not just in a rational way but in a relational way. When God hears your name, God chooses to respond within your own individuality--your own life story. If you are a child who is lost, God hears your name looking for you. If God hears your name and you are hurting, God hears your name with healing grace. Your name makes a difference in God's world.

There is great power and possibility in saying a person's name before the Holy One. I was visiting with child of God who was searching in life. This person asked me if I really really believed that praying for one another mattered. "With all my heart and soul," was my answer. There was a silence. And then this wonderful child of God said, "When you pray today, be sure and say my name!" And I did. And I have. And I will continue to.

Today when you pray, say my name!! I need the prayers and YOU need the practice!

Belonging

The disciples gathered together in the Upper Room.

There is something about gathering that changes us. Most of us experienced scatteredness more than gatheredness. I think this is one of byproducts of our culture. Our ability to move so quickly has scattered us.

Then there are those things that we think we have to belong to and to do. There are some parents today that are so busy taking kids to this and that function that they do not have time to spend on the things that really give life. I think we really do our kids harm when we try let them go everywhere. They go but do not belong.

As a pastor of a new congregation, I am amazed at the resistance to belonging. Many people want to attend without belonging. It is as if belonging is a plague that will destroy your life. It is the search for benefits without cost.

We see this in our society more than we will admit. Living together without marriage. Someone else should pay taxes. Give me a diet that will help me lose weight without sweat and eating all I want. Making the grade without studying. You know the shortcuts that you tend to take or make in your life.

But here's the truth: We all desire to belong. We are made to belong. That is why our soul is always searching for the concept of home.

And then there is the greater truth: When we belong, I mean, really belong, life takes on new meaning. There is the feeling of acceptance and meaning like we have never felt before. We are empowered.

It is no accident that when the disciples gathered in the Upper Room, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon them. They were changed. They changed the world.

Feeling alone? Feeling as though life is a rat race and the rats are winning? Feeling the frustrations of parenthood, marriage, job, or depression? Find a place to belong! Find a church home and plug in. The power is there waiting for you. The grace will give you a new tomorrow. The love will change your life.

A woman recently joined my congregation and said, "I have found where I have belong. My life has changed!"

The Whole World

The World Cup championship game is this weekend. It is Netherlands versus Spain. The past few weeks have led up to this finale. It is the culmination of the last four years of anticipation.

I must admit that I have learned about soccer as a necessity. My son, Noah, decided it was his sport of choice at a young age. I had no knowledge of the sport at all. At first I thought it was kind of "cheesy" that you could not have a fast break in soccer. If you try it, you are offsides. In my book, this foul was just a way of saying, "You are too slow!" or "You got beat!"

In Psalms, there are certain Psalms where the world seems out of order. It seems as though there have not been some fair calls or justice. There has been some sense of this in the World Cup games this year. Referees have actually been sent home. Goal Keepers have been replaced. But the pace of the game continues. The games do not stop. Life continues. In Psalm 82, the Psalmist reminds us at the end of the Psalm, "God has the whole world in God's hands."

The hand of God is always at work--in our play, work, in all of our world. Now don't get me wrong, I do not believe it takes away our responsibility or our destiny. God is always at work offering us good options! God is at work trying to bring our world together.

The World Cup competition is amazing in this respect. It brings the world together under the banner of soccer. The competition held every four years moves from continent to continent. The countries play each other to earn the spot in the championship game. Could you imagine a Super Bowl that only comes once every four years?

So as the games are being played, God is at work God is present. God has all the world in God's hand.

I am thinking that Netherlands will carry the cup home!