Let The Blessings Flow!!!

For those who read this column regularly this is going to be old news. But for new readers I have to make the point. When it comes to using tools and fixing things, I am dangerous. There is no tool that I cannot use for destruction. But sometimes, even I surprise myself.

The story starts with my shower. My shower was not really a shower. It was a slow dribble. Ever since we moved into the house, it was this way. It was one of those things on the punch list that did not get punched.

The other thing is that I hate to take things to get fixed. I am a procrastinator about getting things fixed. I am just not a maintenance person at all. I usually wait until it breaks. It is not one of my favorite things about myself, but it is what it is.

So the dribble shower has been this way for about, oh three years. The good thing is that no one else wants to use my shower. But finally, I decided to fix it. What harm could I do?

I found a wrench and used all of my wrenching abilities to take the shower head off. And yes, the excess water that is in the pipe did go all over me. I called it a blessing from God. We Methodists, like sprinklings! Then I discovered the problem--a small filter or stopper was in the pipe. I do not know if it is supposed to be there or not, but even I could see how water was not flowing from it at all.

I decided that my shower water could flow without a filter so I just put the head back on without the filter there. Then it happened. My shower is a full force shower again--or for the first time!! Some plumber's dream of a dribbling shower was over. I get the full force now.

It made me think of God's blessings. I think of the ways in which I along with others in life dam up the blessings that God intends for us. How many times do I settle for less when God has intended only the best!! God's blessings are flowing far greater than we are receiving not because of God but because of us!

Where is God offering you more than you can ever imagine? Risk it. The blessings will flow!!

Sometimes You Just Can't Dance

In one of the towns where I served, I had a great friendship with Chris, a Pentecostal preacher. Some folks said we looked alike. Sometimes in the grocery stores, his parishioners would talk to Brother Chris only to discover it was not him.

On occasion, Chris would invite me to his church on Sunday night. Methodist gave up on Sunday evening church years ago. Chris said he loved to hear a good Methodist prayer. I took that as a compliment. A good Methodist prayer is one that is to the point, reverent, relevant, and filled with the hope of God presence--at least in my book. It also is not too long. Methodists do not pray long. My Dad says we are current in our prayer life. Before praying at Dad's house, he would ask you if you were current in your prayer life. He did not want you using his time to catch up!

So one Sunday evening I am in worship at Chris' church. I notice a little lady not too far from me. The lady is dressed up in a little country looking outfit. Minny Pearl or Dale Evans would have been proud to wear this outfit. It had the matching hat and skirt. She was "doodied up" as we would say in North Louisiana.

The lady was a dancer. Now Methodist churches used to not have as many dancers in worship as they do now. Dancing has reappeared in our tradition, at least in some houses of worship. So each song, this little lady would hit the aisle dancing. She was so filled with the Spirit. The joy of God was seen in her dancing.

Until one song was played. Then the dancing stopped. Now the dancing did not stop for the lack of trying. The lady tried time and time again to dance to the song playing. She would take a few steps only to go back to the pew and just stand. Then she would try again only to find herself back at the pew.

You see, there are some songs in life that you just can't dance t0--a broken friendship, hurt feelings that will not be expressed, suffering, loss, loneliness, despair--and the list goes on. Try as we may, the dancing just does not fit the song. The song continues without our dance though

Maybe it is there that we just need a good Methodist prayer. One that is current, reverent, relevant, to the point, and yes, pointing us to the hope of God's presence and power. When you can not dance, you can always pray. You can even use the time to catch up. God is always listening.

Pray for m e as I pray for you.

Jack

Be Ready!

I know that Les Miles, the coach of LSU, has more help than he ever wanted with coaching. But add one more to the list.

Coach, ya might want to have a three play set ready for when the time is running out and you need a score. Pick three plays and run them over enough times that the team knows how to do them in their sleep.

I have thought about this in reference to being ready in the faith. I have come to two conclusions. Let me share them with you.

First, you have to know your answer to temptation BEFORE you get there. Your response must have a definite plan. Let me give some examples. Teenagers must decide long before they get in the situation about how far they will go with regards to sexuality. If you wait and decide when you get there, it is too late. Married folks have to have a plan to keep their vows if temptation find its way in their life. There are people whom you just have to avoid to keep your marriage well.

All persons are tempted. If someone says they are not, run from them. Faithful persons have a plan in tact for escaping temptation or avoiding the situations where temptations are the highest. What is at stake is of far greater value than the moment of giving in.

Second, be ready to share what God is doing in your life. My congregation gets sick of hearing this. Each Christian should have a four minute elevator speech that says how God is at work in their life today. This should be well rehearsed and ready to go out on a moment's notice. One of the major problems the church faces today is the inability or refusal of persons to share how blessed they are in a church. All the world usually hears is the griping and complaining of those who have a "grudge" against something in the church! Share the good news so that people will want to come to visit your church! Share your faith so that others will be drawn to the source of your faith.

Waiting to develop a plan or knowing what to share is a sure way to lose. You may "squeak" by a few times but it will catch up with you. Make a plan to face temptation (to win!) and be ready to share what God is doing in your life.

Les, (we are on a first name basis) are you ready?

Prayer has great power!

Be careful what you pray for! Prayer has more power than you can imagine.

A few Sundays ago at The Well, we dedicated book bags for our children as they prepared for school. Along with the prayer for the book bags, we made bag tags for each child. On one side of the tag was our church logo with the child's name. On the other side, there was a prayer for the child and the parent to pray each day as they were leaving the house.

A mom stopped me the other day to tell me how much praying with her child had changed their world. She reported that the child left the house with a great confidence each day. For the mother, it seemed as though she was letting her child go into a safe world as God was surely going with her child. Each year the child had struggled in school in studies and in the social aspect as well. This year all of the struggles have disappeared. Their life is better.

I believe that the discipline of prayer brought about that change.

A young couple is struggling with every aspect of their life. Their dream of happiness seemed to be lost. Then they began to do something different. Each morning at the breakfast table, they paused and prayed for each other. Each would name the struggles that were present. Each one would ask for God's direction in every way. Then at the close of each day, they would spend some time reflecting upon the day--listening to one another. Before going to bed, they prayed again.

The couple is still not out of the woods. But when they talk about life's difficulties they speak with great optimism. "We know God is at work in our life. We know that we will make it". The only thing they have done differently is to give themselves to prayer.

Prayer is the discipline of time and space. Prayer is constant communion with God (Harry Emerson Fosdick) Prayer is the opening of intimacy between God and those for whom we pray.

My wife, Mandy and I, have added a prayer discipline in our life of more intentional prayer for one another. Our life is filled now with anxious moments with both of our fathers having been hospitalized and weary. We have spent more time apart because of the care of our fathers which is a necessary thing at this time of our life.

Our prayers have made us stronger. Prayer does this. Prayer invites us to more intimate relationships with God and those whom we love.

Need some more power in your life? Need to be closer to someone you love? Pray. There is great power in prayer.

Where are you Diving?

Over the past few months, we have learned about deep sea diving. The cameras have shown us what it looks like at the bottom of the Gulf. We continue to hear about what is down there in the deep. I have a strange question for you: Where are you diving?

One description of the church has stayed with me over the years. I do not remember who said it. It is not an original image so I give credit to someone else. This is the statement: The faith equips churches to do deep sea diving but most are content to do all their diving in the bathtub.

Another way one has said this is to say that the Holy Spirit of God equips us to fly like eagles but we much prefer running with the chickens. Chickens fly but not far and not very high.

Where are you diving? It is a way of asking the question of how much of the risky business of the faith are you doing?

Jesus of Nazareth was a risk taker. He did not settle for less nor did he avoid persons who might disagree with him. On the contrary, where do you find Jesus? You find him in the temple. You find him among the sinners and the oppressed. You find him "out of the box" in terms of reaching people. No mountain was too high. No sinner was off limits.

A poll of persons near the end of their life asked this question, "If you could go back and do life over again, what would you do differently?" The number one answer was "I would take more risks". In looking back in their life, the greatest rewards were found when they dared to take the greatest risk. Life was not at its best but it produced much over the long haul.

Maybe God is inviting you to dive a little deeper. Maybe Jesus' words to fish in the deep waters are for you. Maybe it is time to dive where you are capable and fly higher than you ever dreamed.

Now if I can only get out of the bathtub without tripping.......

When All Else Fails--Love

There are times that I simply do not know what to say or what to do. I got nothin'.

The problem is that many times we try to fill the empty spaces of life. The other day at my Kiwanis club meeting, my fortune cookie said, "A closed mouth tastes no feet." I find myself afraid of the moments that I simply have no response.

With the anniversary of 9/11, I find myself with so many feelings. I got nothin.

There is a part of me that still knows the shock and horror of the day. I watched in disbelief with the students at Centenary College in Shreveport where I was chaplain. I began to pray with college kids who had family and friends in NYC. I helped students make contact with family and friends. I found myself wanting to hear the sound of my family's voices to know that they were alright. It was a helpless feeling.

Then I am confronted with the lingering sorrows in life. I still tear up to think of mothers, fathers, children, uncles, aunts, grandparents.--lost by the action of a few misguided religious zealots. How much harm can we do in the name of religion---not just other religions but our own as well. The extreme radicals in all faiths are a threat to the peace that God wishes our world to have.

And this week, the reckless actions of a small church preacher who thinks that his understanding of rights and condemnation supersedes the safety of our nation as well as those who are serving our nation. I am distressed at how the media of our day has focused itself on the "spec" of life that offers hatred instead of the world of compassion and grace. Why would we give such hatred so much attention?

Many in the world have turned to the cycle of violence out of a sense of helplessness and frustration. Humans do that when they are afraid and full of themselves. How much destruction must take place for us to learn that violence births violence. And the supreme example that stands in contrast to the world's yearning for violence is our salvation--the cross. It is the cross that insists the world's violence will not ultimately win.

Paul warns us in the 13th chapter to the church at Corinth. The church at Corinth was at war within itself. They were a fighting church--fighting with each other. Paul instructed them, " If you have all the power to do everything, but have not what? Love. Love is the answer." When all else fails, love wins. Love works. It is the greatest of motivators. It is the greatest of all. Love can change this world.

Next time you find yourself saying, "I got nothin'", Love. When you're life is filled with uncertainty and raw emotion--love.

Is it Well with Your Soul?

There is an old hymn, It is Well With My Soul that speaks of how during the tough times of life there is a sense of peace in our lives. Not many of us would admit to such peace. We let the hard times wear us down. I think it is because we have not mastered the art of exercising our soul.

There is currently among the women of my congregation a fascination with one of the new exercise craze. I am glad that something has motivated them to exercise more. It has helped them physically and well as emotionally. Perhaps you have found yourself joining in the newest game in town when it comes to exercise. From the Wii to the health clubs, to the tread mill--which many have found makes a good clothes rack.

The exercise of the soul involves giving ourselves to the spiritual disciplines of the faith. It is worship, Bible study, prayer, fasting--just to name a few. The exercise of the soul also requires us to be intentional about our witness. We put away lying, gossip, worry, and replace it with the reality of living each day devotionally.

Notice this is in contrast to the popular notion that Spirit of God just zaps you into shape at a particular time or place and you are done. John Wesley, the founder of the Wesleyan movement, liked to say that we are "becoming saved" or that we are "working out our salvation". By no means did he mean a salvation of works. On the contrary he sees this as the response to what God has already done through Jesus of Nazareth.

The rainy weather has caused me to walk more on the treadmill than I want. The treadmill to me is a walk leading to nowhere. However, as I walk my two miles each day, I realize that I am exercising my body. I have learned that the discipline of this exercise has great benefits.

Exercising the soul prepares us for living. It opens our eyes to see what God sees in our everyday world. This exercise exposes the pockets of sin that reside within us that God wishes to remove.

Maybe it is time to exercise--both the body and the soul. Then you can sing "It is Well With My Soul".....