God Speaks To All

I have written a short story, While Keeping Watch, that I am using for the season before Christmas we call Advent.  (Free download at www.thewellumc.com)  The premise of the story is that the shepherds watching the flocks is a family—a man, woman, and child. The scriptures do not tell us anything about the shepherds other than they were watching their flocks, heard angels, and then found the child. When they left the child, they praised God. That is it.

Scholars make the assumption that the inclusion of the shepherds fits the Gospel of Luke's emphasis on the poor. The shepherds of the time were mostly poor. Most of them did not own the sheep they watched. They were hirelings. No proud parent of the day would say, "When my daughter grows up, I want her to marry a shepherd!" Amazing how Jesus' teachings contrast with even the beginning of his life. He talks of the shepherd that is not a hireling but will lay down his life. The outcasts are the ones that God speaks to first!  How Jesus loved to show how different the God perspective of life is!

God begins with the ordinary folks that have no religious baggage and speaks.  God sends the heavenly messenger with the heavenly choir to speak to the shepherds in their ordinary place. How that contradicts how many would assume how and where God would speak. Surely God would choose the extraordinary person with many gifts and graces. God would pick an extraordinary place to give the eternal message of all time. No. God speaks to all—not just those who have the extraordinary.

I often wonder if others heard the messenger angel and heavenly chorus that night and shrugged it off. Maybe a traveler to Bethlehem heard them but was late for the reservation for the inn. Did another shepherd hear the voice and songs but went back to sleep? Perhaps the rabbi was awakened by the noise but discounted it because it did not fit the mold of prophecy.  Or did an ordinary person hear it and disqualify the possibility that God speaks to all?  How many times does God speak in our world but we are too busy to hear much less to follow?

The shepherd's life was a difficult one. It was a life that was filled with much discontent and discord. But God spoke. 

God speaks to all—what is God saying to you? 

Pray for me as I pray for you.

Join the Conspiracy of Love and Mercy.

I have just finished reading the books, Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy. They are recent publications regarding the assassination of two Presidents of the United States. I would recommend for your reading. I never knew there were so many conspirators or possible conspirators.

There is a conspiracy at work now. Did you know that?

There are weekly sometimes even daily meetings being held. The conspiracy is to overthrow this world. The conspiracy is radical. It calls people to do radical things, even to follow a radical leader. To join this conspiracy will cost you your life. You are going to have to give your time, money, and everything to join it. There are some who believe in this conspiracy while others deny its existence and its power. The denial does not change the minds of those who are in the conspiracy though.

It is the conspiracy of grace and love as known through Jesus Christ.

I have often wondered what would happen if this conspiracy were more active. What would it be like if a group of people who really cared about a person would conspire to show them the love and grace of Jesus Christ? What would happen if a person became overwhelmed by the expression of love and grace by the world around them? What would happen to this world if Christian conspired to change this world, not with harsh antics or words but with love and grace? Now there are some within the conspiracy who want to take the zealot approach as Peter did. But in that moment when Peter began his zealous reaction, Jesus called Peter Satan! Now there are not many places where Jesus calls people Satan in the Bible so maybe that ought to be a warning.

Join the conspiracy of Jesus Christ. It is a conspiracy to love and extend mercy to the world that is sometimes so lost. It is a conspiracy to find the one who is lost, the coin that is lost, and welcome home the prodigal who comes homes having lost everything he was given. It is a conspiracy that requires us to be only what God could make us instead of what we make ourselves.

And when I die within this conspiracy, I shall live—forever!

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

Human beings are fragile. We do not like to admit it but we are. Our insecurity seeks to find security in knowing that we are like others. We want others to think like we think. We want others to believe the same things we believe. When we discover our differences, we can become frightened or even angry. But there is another alternative.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

The disciples are in the boat and a storm arises. They are afraid. Probably some of them began looking for someone to blame. "Who's idea was it to take this stupid boat? " You know the routine.

Then they look out and see Jesus. Jesus is walking on the water! The waves do not frighten him at all. In fact, he speaks to the waves and they cease. So Rocky (Peter) decides he wants to be like Jesus. He wants to walk on water. Jesus invites him out. Can you imagine Peter stepping out of that boat? I would guess that he was holding on to something or someone just to make sure he was not going down. Sure enough, Rocky walks on water until…..

He begins to sink. Why? Because he takes his eyes off of Jesus! To walk on water, one has to keep focus on Jesus! Nothing can distract you. Nothing can get your attention. To do the great things in faith, keep your eyes on Jesus!

The unity of the church is not made because everyone thinks the same way. In fact, the church is at its best when diverse people and voices are present! The best music is not when everyone sings melody. It is found when the harmonies are present. The unity of the church is known through Jesus. Jesus brings us together. Jesus unites us into the kingdom of God!

For some this is a frightening thought because you have to put up all "those" brothers and sisters who are different. You mean God loves "them" too? Yes! "Those" people are a part of the family.

So during the days of change and angst, keep your eyes on Jesus. When you are walking on water (doing what you never thought possible!) keep your eyes on Jesus. And for goodness sake, when Jesus says get out of the boat---GET OUT!

Pray for me as I pray for you!

Let The Children Come

The wedding was wonderful.  So many things happen during weddings.  Remembering is a part of the gift of the event.

Weddings can bring forth grief.  You remember those who are not there in person but whose spirit is so present.

Growing up, my sisters, brother, and I sang.  I tell people that to get breakfast at my house growing up, you had to sing a gospel song!  I accuse my mom and dad of having four kids because there are four parts in music.  We sang everywhere my parents could get us to sing—nursing homes, church, talent shows, church, community gatherings, church—you get the picture.  We only sang gospel or country.  King of the road was the limits of our wild songs—it mentioned cigarette!   We also had to practice.  Oh, did we practice!  You cannot imagine how many spankings I got because I was not practicing correctly.  We had to stand together and sing even when we practice.  My mom would call my dad in to be the enforcer.  My parents believe that you practice like you play!   As I reflect upon those years now, I realize what a gift it was and still is!   

A part of our family tradition of singing was also at weddings.  The quartet sang “Surely The Presence” at all the family weddings.  Even after my sister Karen died, the trio sang this song.  At my daughter’s wedding, the song was sung as a solo.  As the song began, I was suddenly aware that I was alone.  My sisters were not there.  My brother was away on a mission in Cambodia.  I was hearing this song for the first time without any of them present.  I began to weep.    The grief was like a high tide of the ocean coming over the beaches of my soul.

 

Then the gift came.

My granddaughter, Caroline, is two years old.  She is the only grandkid that adores me.  The others put up with me.  When she arrives at our home, Caroline immediately looks for her “Papa J” first.  She loves to crawl up into my lap.  We read and sing.  We talk to one another.  We take naps together. So Caroline is a flower girl in the wedding.  She thinks she is a princess!  And she is!

She saw Papa crying and did what she knew to do.  She left the wedding party and crawled up into my lap as the song continued.  At one point during the song, she felt I was being too loud so she “sh’d” me to be quiet.  As my soul began to rest, she smiled at me with those eyes of wonder.  Seeing that I was okay, she returned to her place at the front.

It was a gift.  I think Caroline was giving me a gift that is from God.  She was present with me in my sorrow, but pointing me to the precious now—the precious present!  Grief and sorrow wants to capture our present and throw us backward.  It makes us long for days ago.  There is nothing wrong with remembering.  However, the promise of God is to not let this burden us from living today!  Oh how tragic it would have been for me to miss the rest of the wedding celebration!  But I did need to remember but for a short while.

The whole experience has given me a new understanding of Jesus’ words,  “Let the children come to me!”  Caroline came to be with her Papa!  Thank you Caroline!

Pray for me as I pray for you!

I Am Still Running!

So I am doing my morning run. Okay, it is not a run, it is a trot. No, to be completely honest it is a fast walk that turns into a slow walk quickly.
Anyway…..I am out trying to exercise. And then it happens. I am sure this never happens to you. But it startled me completely. A bug flew up my nose. Egad! Ugh!
Why would a bug do such a thing? Is there a dare in the bug book of dares that would challenge the creatures to fly up the nose of some slow moving object? Is there an Evil Knievel bug out there? Does a bug reach a point of despair that says "I will end it all by flying up the nose of a preacher exercising!?" Was the bug just wandering around and I ran into it?
Immediately I begin snorting like a pig trying to evacuate the bug from the nostrils. I am sure that there were people watching me and wondering what in the world is the man doing? I soon realize that snorting like a pig does not remove bug particles from the nose. My next move is to blow as hard as I can out of the nostrils as there is now a subtle taste of bug entering my senses. There are times when the senses need to go awol. However it doesn't seem to work that way. The final response to the presence of bug in my innards is a small fit of anger. I am not sure who my anger should be pointed towards, but it does not stop the emotion. As I am emoting, I suddenly realize that I have now stepped off the roadside into the dirt into a bed of ants. So now I am blowing out and dancing swatting ants from my shoes. Do you think there is a pact between bugs and ants to attack common enemies at any opportunity that presents itself? I notice a kid in a car that is passing who is laughing. I call it adult entertainment.
Life is like this. We find ourselves in places we never dreamed of being. What starts out as an intention for health and purpose soon becomes a drama of reaction and emotion. Sometimes the world just drives by and laughs.
It is hard to share these stories as they happen. However as times passes, our perspective is better. We are better. We understand these moments in life do not define us. We realize that we will live. We are not defeated. We just have to endure sometimes.
A passage that gives me great comfort during the difficult times of life comes from one of the small books of the Old Testament. The prophet, Habakkuh reminds me, "Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat field stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns are empty, I 'm singing joyful praises to God. I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on God's rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I'm king of the mountain!"
Okay, I still run like a slow old deer. But hey, I'm running!
Pray for me as I pray for you.

Jesus Invites Us to a Different View

Our world creates images of winners and losers. Is this a place where the faith invites us to be different? Is this a place where Jesus offers an alternative view of life?

Losers. At some point in life, we have all held the letter "L" over the forehead with our hands. Some of us have even mumbled (hopefully under our breath) "Loser!" Some define losers as those without a job or can't keep a job or someone who has been married more than once. Others would say that a loser is a person always needing help. Everyone knows losers in sports as the score is always visible. There are no meaner people in the world as the fans of the team who is losing. Losing, in our world, sucks.

Winners! Everyone wants to be near a winner. Winners have more friends than foes. If you win, you get more! Winning places you in a special section of world politics and media. Winners are on the front cover of the paper and magazines. Winners, even if by luck, are defined as success.

Then Jesus says something like this to his followers, "those who want to win their life must lose their life." You can almost hear the gasp of Peter as he says this. Peter, Jesus' spin doctor, rushes to Jesus and tells him this is not what he wants to say to attract people to the movement.

Jesus gives us a definition of life that is counter intuitive. To win you must lose. To gain you must give away. Suffering gives wellness. Sacrifice is gain. To really live is to die. Love your enemies. Bless those who persecute you. Turn the other cheek. Forgive seventy times seventy.

From this view of life, people are seen through a different lens. The winners in this view are those who work for justice and feed the poor. The winners are those who live a humble life of service to the larger world—the kingdom of God. Winning is even defined by the cross—a sacrificial love—that will do whatever it takes to allow all of the world to know God's love.

Be careful what your first response is to the losers as the world defines them, you may lose more than you realize. Define winning or success as Jesus would.

Pray for me as I pray for you

 

Join a Hunt!

Hunting season is here again!

I have to admit that there is definitely an art to hunting. I am amazed at the preparation some will do to get ready for the hunt. Months before the season, the hunting area is scoped out. Some even take pictures of animals that are in the area. It is an art of keen observation and placement. Once the observation is noted, placement is the key. The hunter has to be in the right place at the right time with the right weapon. Any mistake in any of these areas could lead to a miss.

Now let me be clear. I am making a distinction between hunters and animal trainers. Yes, you hear this every year. But there is a breed of animal trainers that are presenting themselves as hunters. Animal trainers have actually trained the animal to come to the place where they will be shot. There is different sort of preparation for animal trainers. Animal trainers have television (with cable), refrigerators, and heaters in their deer stands. If this sounds "snooty", it is. If you are an animal trainer that is offended, try becoming a hunter.

So, back to hunters---now that you have the distinction.

Hunters are about fair practice for both the hunter and the deer. The deer has the edge in terms of instinct and smell. However, the hunter has the advantage of knowledge, weapons, and skill. The hunter is engaged in the world of the deer for a specific purpose. A good hunter has trained their body to not breathe, snort, sneeze, burp, or even pass gas when the shot is near.

I wonder what the faith would look like if Christians would become serious about engagement with the world for a specific purpose.

Many Christians become like animal trainers. These folks are looking for the latest gimmick or catch to bring in those heathens. Usually such tactics produce a negative view of the faith and of the church. It is obvious what is going on. They are looking for "stars in their crowns". For you who do not know what that is, it is kind of like a deer on the wall—like many deer on one wall.

Serious engagement with the world for a specific purpose is quite different. This approach wants to be in relationship with people. This approach invites listening and story telling. This emphasis has the purpose of bringing friends to Christ and to the church, not just people. The journey is a common journey we take together.

Now admittedly I do not want to take the hunting analogy too far. The faith is not about preying. But interestingly enough, it is about praying. Prayer is the manner in which God invites you into a serious engagement with the world for a specific purpose. Listening for such prayers leads us into relationships that are fruitful.

During this hunting season, maybe the invitation that God gives us is to join a hunt! The Gospel of John reminds us that Jesus came into the world, not to condemn but that the world might be saved!