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.

Do Not Miss This Moment!

only son died.
The only son died.
Death is a hard pill to swallow. And yet, we speak in some instances of a welcomed death. A person has lived a long life or the suffering has been too much to handle. The death of a child never seems to be good. It seems to be untimely or out of order. It is a pill that never seems to be swallowed. Instead it consumes us.
This son chose to die.
To choose death is out of order as well. It is within the normal ranges of human life to keep one's life. Choosing death shows passion that is not the norm. Choosing death many times is to choose life for others.
The son died at the hands of others.
On the back of my phone is a piece of paper held there by tape. On the paper is the name of Dylan Hockley, one of the children killed in the senseless tragedy of last year. On good days I look at that name and pray for his family and friends. I wonder about them—how they are doing, etc. On my bad days, I remember that my days are not really that bad. They are simply days of discomfort for me. Others are having bad days. My days are still good. For some reason, the death of this child will not leave me nor do I want it to leave me.
The death of the son gives life!
There is a wonderful story of a man who owned some of the most valuable art pieces of the world. The man's son died in a tragic accident at a young age. The man's grief was overwhelming. The father died and left directions in his will to sell all of his art collection. The world was excited about the auction to be held as there had never been so much valuable art offered on a single day. The day of the auction, the room was filled with people from all over the world. The room was filled with the great masterpieces of all time. The auction began with the presentation of a rather crude self portrait drawing obviously made by the man's son. No one bid as the opening bid was called for. Finally, one person bid $25 so that "the real art works could be presented!" The auctioneer pleaded for more bids but no one else would bid. The crowd was becoming restless with the actions of the auctioneer. The auctioneer reluctantly sold the child drawing with only one bid. No one hardly noticed the cry of "Sold!" Then the startling words were heard, "And that concludes our sale today!" The room went into a panic! Wait! What about the other pieces of art? Then the auctioneer read the words of the man's will, "The one who takes the child gets them all."
This week, the son died. His name is Jesus. He died for you to know the riches of this life and life eternal. Do not miss this moment.
Pray for me as I pray for you.

Tear the Roof Down--WIT

I like to refer it as WIT.    Are you a WIT Friend?  Are you a WIT Christian?

This past week our small group read the passage where four friends  went beyond the call of duty.  They were WIT Christians.

So they heard that Jesus, the healer from Nazareth, was in town.  The four guys had this friend.  The Bible does not give him a name so I will.  I like to call him Harry.

Harry spent his days in the bed.  Every once in a while, he would get someone to carry him outside and put him on the outside chair.  There he would stay until someone else would come and move him again.  He did not know what it was like to just go on his own.  Harry was reliant on someone else all the time.

But Harry had four of the best friends a person could have.  They made sure he had what he needed.  When they could, they would include him in their conversations.  It was not unusual for them to end up at the foot of his bed just shooting the breeze.

Once they heard a healer was in town.  So they took Harry to see him.  How they wished he would have been healed.  But nothing happened.  Harry felt really bad for himself and his friends.  There were days he thought he must be getting punished for something.  He could never figure it out.

Then the four amigos showed up.  "We are going to see Jesus!  He is going to heal you!"  Well Harry could not argue.  So here they go again. 

When they got the place, there were people everywhere.  People with all sorts of diseases were lined up waiting to see this man, Jesus.  There was no way they would get near him.  They tried and tried but failed miserably.  Harry looked at his friends and said, "Thanks guys, but I am ready to go home."

"Nope!  We are not giving up!"  said one of the friends and pointed towards the roof.  The other three amigos smiled.  "Let's do it!"

Harry did not like this ideas at all.  As they lifted him up to the roof, he was sure he was going to die!  He pleaded with them to put him down.  They only went higher.

On the roof, they dug a hole until the roof had an opening  and below they could see Jesus.  The crowd inside of the room could not believe what they saw.  The four friends had tied Harry's bed to a rope and were lowering him down to Jesus.  Harry was embarrassed.  What a scene.

This man, Jesus, looked at Harry with the most gracious smile.  He looked up at the four friends and chuckled.  He was impressed by the friends.  And then he spoke, "Your sins are forgiven!...."  

Harry felt his legs.  He felt his legs as he never had before.  Jesus took his hand and Harry walked!  Harry walked!  He could not believe it.  He looked up at his friends only to see tears in their eyes!  Harry was healed!

The four amigos were WIT friends.  They are the models for WIT Christians.  What is WIT?  WHATEVER IT TAKES!!!

The four amigos were going to do whatever it takes for their friend to meet Jesus.  What about you and your friends?  Are you a WIT gang?

Pray for me as I pray for you.

Prayer Takes Time

If you go out to eat with me, your food will not get cold if I pray.  When asking a guest to pray for our meal, my father made it a habit to ask if they were current in their prayer life before they prayed.  My dad was of the opinion that one should not make up for lost time in their prayer life at the expense of others.  In other words, you should be current.

To stay current some folks will just try to convince the world that they are always praying.   There is a constant flurry of "zap" prayers going heavenward at all hours of the day.  There is little intention or aim.  It is more like impulses or reactor prayers that are supposed to energize the relationship with God as well as solve all of earth's problems as well.  This view pretty much waters down everything about prayer and its vital relationship.

On the other hand there are those who will make a ritual out of everything.  Prayers are to be said at a certain time in a certain posture and in a certain language.  To overhear a prayer from this person would be meaningless for most as it makes no sense most of the time even to the person practicing it.  This practice pretty much weighs down prayer and probably God as well.

Prayer is best understood as a relationship that is vibrant and dynamic.  It's language and posture is as normal as any other relationship in one's life.  There are times when prayer stops us cold in our tracks.  Other times prayer moves us quickly along.  Sometimes one knows exactly what to say.  Then there are days, nights, and weeks where there are no words.  We just listen.

People who practice prayer are much more closer to God than those who just talk about prayer.  People who talk about prayer will use language like, "I will be thinking about you".  The P word is way too frightening to say and to hear!  People who practice prayer will be moved to pray for a stranger or a friend.  People who talk about prayer just talk about how strange other people are.  They are glad they are not that strange.  Or are they?

As I have learned and practiced the life of prayer, I find it easier to pray more.  Most of the time anyway.  Did you know that sometimes preachers do not feel like praying.  It's okay.  Feelings come and go.  Relationships stay.  Maybe that is why when God tells Moses who God is in Exodus, the answer is " I Am Who I Am".  Am is a form of the word, be.  Maybe God was at that point inviting us to constantly BE with God.  Be with God!

Prayer takes time.  You have to BE willing to invest that time.  Without it, you do not have a prayer.

Pray for me as I pray for you.