In The Meantime

Have you heard someone say,  "in the meantime...?"

It is the time between.  Something has happened and something is going to happen.  And yet, you have to continue living in the present while waiting.   It is a time where you can do some really good preparation.  It is a time where you appreciate where you are because you know that change is coming whether you like it or not.

The "meantime" can indeed be mean.  The demons of regret and bitterness love to dwell in the meantime.  It can also be a time where one can become paralyzed.  There can be a helpless sense in the meantime.  I have seen people just shut down during the meantime.  

Or the meantime can be a time of healing.  It can be a time where you intentionally take some actions to remedy some relationships that need some attention.  During the meantime, you can prepare yourself for the days ahead.   For some, the meantime is a time of rest.  There are certain things you can release.  The meantime can be a time of deep sigh.

So I find myself in the meantime.  Within our tradition (United Methodists) the appointments of pastors to churches happens in March or April.  Then the transition begins.  Finally in the latter part of June, new pastors report to their new churches.  So in June, I will be moving to be Lead Pastor at St. Luke Simpson UMC in Lake Charles. La after six years at The Well.   During the meantime, I will be saying "goodbye" in one direction and "hello" in the other.   It is a difficult thing to leave a church that you have birthed!  But I have complete trust in God to continue to work

I am going to use the meantime to continue writing.  I am going to use the meantime to heal, rest, and prepare.  A new pastor, Matt Rawle, will be welcomed to The Well and its surrounding community.  I am using the meantime to pray!  I am praying for all churches and pastors who will be going through transition.  I will pray for all persons who find themselves in the meantime.

One of the mantras of my faith journey is ever before me though.  I repeat it often to myself and to others.  It goes like this:  Whatever happens today, I know that God is at work for good in the days and years ahead of me.  I can count on it!   In the meantime.....

Pray for me as I pray for you.

God Chooses to Be Present

Jesus wept.
So where is God? Why would God allow such senseless violence? Did God do this to punish someone? How could a person conceive of doing such a thing? What would be their motive? Are we supposed to forgive someone who would do this?
This week there have been more questions than answers. Random violence does this to us. We quickly grow tired of seeing the images again and again. Some become angry. Others become indifferent—somehow. Many just shake their heads. Anger is pointed towards God, the government—someone has to be blamed. Prejudices and bitterness motivate us to point fingers. The "if only" game starts. If only this had been done….If only I had ….This roller coaster of a game never ends. Do not get on it!
Jesus wept.
Many point to this passage as the ultimate passage of Jesus' humanity. His friend, Lazarus, died. Mary and Martha were wondering why he had not come immediately. They began to question Jesus. In response to all of this, Jesus did the human thing—he wept.
There are two passages in the Bible where Jesus weeps. The other passage is where he is looking over Jerusalem. He knows what is ahead. He knows the disappointment of what should be and what is. Jesus weeps because he is moved with compassion and pity. Jesus weeps for things to be different.
I like to say that the weeping that Jesus does is just as much of the divinity of Jesus as it is the humanity. I think God weeps. The offering that God gives us in our crazy world where life makes no sense is God's presence. It is not just a presence that is above us. God chooses to be affected by our suffering and our senselessness. God chooses to enter into the vulnerability of innocence. God chooses to know us and to be known.
It is comforting to know that God chooses to be in a dynamic relationship with God's creation. So the good news is this. God weeps in our sorrow and untamed moments. However, God also begins to work for good in the days ahead. May we never lose sight of this!
Pray for me as I pray for you.

The Last Shall Be First

The last shall be first and the first shall be last" Jesus of Nazareth

If you were like me your mama told that you were supposed to take turns. Do not break in line.  Wait your turn!

You can imagine how irritated I became at my visit to Universal Studios. It is all about economics. Now you would think that a theme park which is all imagination oriented might be different. It is not.

So what is the irritation? Fast pass. It is where you pay off the park to skip the lines. For about $40 a day, you can eliminate all line waiting. There is something wrong with this. But it is all about economics. Pay the price and you go to the front of the line.  If there are about 200 people in line, You go to a special line (not the ordinary line) where they scan your "special" pass. And you walk in front of the rest and go immediately to the front of the line.  Airlines have their own version of this.  At the airport, if you are part of the airline's "club," you do not have to wait.   You pay for the privilege of not being in line.

Honestly most of us are really not very patient.  Waiting in line is a test of character.  Waiting in a long line is form of purgatory on earth.  Waiting in a long line that is not moving is more than most of us can handle.  Somebody in the marketing department of each business has learned that the capacity of people to wait has a correlation to their pocketbook--a direct correlation.

Now I could afford the pass. But there was something just not right about it.  It creates a conflict with my Jesus life.  Conflicts with my Jesus life do not resolve themselves quickly.  I admit that I have tried to numb that relationship for convenience sake but it simply does not work.   That Jesus voice, as small as I try to make it sometimes, still rings in my ear and touches my heart.

So tell me Jesus, how much do I have to give to be in a right relationship? How much does it cost me? If I just give a certain amount of money, am I then exempt from all the hours of service or worship?  Will I get Sunday's to just play golf?  

Lots of folks are looking for a "fast pass" relationship with God. I am sorry to tell you it does not exist. God wants more of you than just giving you a free ride.  In fact, Jesus' words tell us that those who are of great privilege in this world and seemingly at the front of the line, will find themselves at the back of the line. Your final placement in heaven will be determined by your sacrifice on earth.  If you read the book of Revelation, it is the martyrs that get all the breaks.

Being last teaches us to observe those who are before us.  Maybe we could learn from taking the time to observe.  We would see those who are alone.  We would see those who are struggling.  We would see the world from the back of the line instead of no line at all. 

When we finally arrive, we are ready.  Life has not passed too quickly.  Along the way we have made some friends if we are lucky.  Sometimes the most faithful thing we do is spend time in line.

Pray for me as I pray for you.

God Directs Our Journey

Recently I drove on the autobahn in Europe for the first time. For those who may not know about these roads, there are many places where there is no speed limit. You are free to go as fast as you want. I was amazed at how orderly life could be with speed.
To be honest, it was a bit fearful at first. You would see this car coming up so fast and wonder not if the car would run into you, but if you would survive when the car ran into you. There was this need to get out of the way! Eventually though, you begin to get into the pace of the driving. You learn how to time your passing in order to keep your speed but not impair others.
The other thing that makes the autobahn work is that that trucks must stay in the right hand lane. Trucks passing each other or anyone are an exception. You would pass lines of trucks following each other but all in the right hand lane. Immediately I thought of how repulsive this would be to the trucking industry of our culture. This would never have a chance to fly in our world.
There are places where the speed limits are enforced. The cameras are these to take your picture if you do not slow down. There are also a few policemen around but not many. I am still waiting to see if a ticket will arrive at my doorstep. Although I am told the tickets are not expensive if you get one.
The other thing I learned about driving in Europe is that you need a GPS device. If you ask for a map, they will laugh at you. You enter your destination into the GPS. Then the GPS device will tell you where to turn. It warns you when you are getting close to a turn. If you make a wrong turn, you hear those wonderful words, "recalculating" and it tells you how to correct your route. You have to trust the GPS in its directions.  I am sure that one day there will be a GPS that after "recalculating" too many times will say, "Is there anyone else in this vehicle that can drive?"
As I was traveling, I wondered if the autobahn could teach me about a willingness to orient myself to God's kingdom. After all, the faith is but a journey. Are there places where God invites me to go as fast as my comfort level will allow me? Are there places where God slows me down? And what if I were to listen to God's Placement System (GPS) would my journey be clearer? Do I really trust the directions God gives to me on my journey?
I think that Jesus had a unique ability to listen and look for God's directions in his journey. There were times in his life where he seemed to go in a direct fashion. Then at other times, it seems as if Jesus is on a slow pace. All in all, Jesus knew that his journey was not about him, it was about something bigger—the kingdom of God!
I must admit that on the journey we saw so many wonderful sights. The experience was a great experience. And when I came home, I had to remind myself, there are no autobahns in the USA!
Pray for me as I pray for you.