Stories and Memories

In the middle of the morning a house in our town which had been around a long, long time disappeared in smoke and flames in what seemed like a minute.  It was built long before the cookie cutter architecture so prevalent on the edges of so many urban settings.  It was not a pretentious place, but one with a long front porch, high ceilings, and spacious rooms.  Even though it is gone now and not to be seen again, it will linger as long as those who knew it and the people who lived in it have memory.  And while no one had lived in it for a spell, it was a house full of stories and full of memories.    

Such is always characteristic of the special places in our lives.  As it is true of dwelling places, so is it true of our churches.  So many churches in small towns like the ones which dot the landscape have all but disappeared, not because of fire, but because of sociological and cultural changes.  And, though they may suffer from a lack of folks coming, or even be closed down completely, they will continue to live through the stories written in those places and the memories of the folks who are the characters of the story.  When we read the Word, we are made aware that both the story and the remembrances of the story are important to the future of those who are in a position of being able to look back.  

What makes the stories of  the Scripture so significant is the way they tell the story of how God has revealed Himself to folks like you and me and the way those stories continue to have life changing power.  When we show up on Sunday, or pick up our copy of the Scripture, we are remembering those stories again, giving them life, and discovering a renewed sense of spiritual energy in our lives.  

Looking Both Ways

Looking back is easier for most of us than looking ahead.  Ahead is unknown and full of uncertainty while what is behind us is known and definite.  There is nothing we can do about what is in our past, but there is much we can do about what is ahead of us.  Even if the past is still working on what is before us, we have a say in whether or not it shapes our living in a positive or negative way.  What is always easier to do is to turn into some whining creature, one full of regret about what cannot be changed, and one who allows the past to be immobilizing.       

Jesus always talked about a Kingdom which was life changing and which had its origin in the past and its impetus in the unfolding will of God.  The Kingdom as He talked about it was not here and now, but also out there and yet to be.  To trust in Christ and to live in this Kingdom does not mean sticking our head in the sand and ignoring what is behind us, but acknowledging its presence knowing that it does not have the power to overcome what God is working out for us in what is ahead.    

None of us could have imagined the year which is behind us and neither can we foresee what lies ahead in the road that stretches out ahead of us.  As we look both ways we can see the holy presence Who has chosen to be with us in all our days.  As surely as He made Himself known in the fire and cloud that brought the Hebrews out of slavery, through the wilderness and into the promised land, He is with us.  He is not only working to make good of the bad stuff which has touched us, but He is also working to bring us into a greater awareness of the Kingdom of God in which He desires for each of us to live.  

What the World Needs Now

From somewhere in the old gray matter a song from the '60's surfaced and soon I found myself singing it like it was yesterday.  "What the world needs now is love sweet love, that's the only thing that there's just too little of..."  went the lyrics.  But, since it was Christmas Day the Words of the angel who found the shepherds in the the field watching over their sheep came to mind as well.  As they departed they said, "...peace, good will among men."  (Luke 2:14)  Here is another thing, or two, that there is just too little of....peace and good will.     

Certainly, this speaks of a gift which needs to be given in this day when contentious spirits seem to prevail.  How different our political environment, our local communities, and our homes would be if we regarded one another as someone worthy of the kindness that goes with peace and the love that goes with good will.  How we treat one another and speak of one another says much about what is in our hearts.   

Our heart is the spring from which flows all those attitudes and spirits which are reflected in our outer life.  To listen to so much of the negative verbage which is out there is to realize that there is a shortage of peace and good will in our world and in our hearts.  No one can do anything about that shortage in us except us.  It is indeed what the world around us needs and we are the only ones who can give it in the places where God has put us.  

The Night Before

As this night unfolds in the places where we live, we find ourselves in different settings.  Some are alone and some have found a way to be with extended families.  Some gather in places filled with the glitter of Christmas while others gather in a place which hardly seems to note that such a day is about to break upon us.  If there are children present in the household, it is a place filled with much anticipation.  And for those who find themselves at a different place in life, the house is filled with memories of those who have shared this special day in years past.     

One thing which is common to us all, regardless of our circumstances, is that we stand on the threshold of a great mystery.  If God can be defined as Mystery, then this night which brings us to a day of joyful celebration is one which points to history's greatest mystery.  The Word of God speaks of this mystery as it says in the Prologue of John's gospel, "And the Word became flesh and lived among us..."  (John 1:14)    The story we read from the gospel of Luke has within elements with which we have some familiarity.  It is not a story that points to mystery, but to a human experience common to all of us.  

These few words from the gospel of John tell what happened that night, but with a brevity of words and a reminder that the unexplainable and impossible has happened to bring the Mystery of Creation into the ordinary mundane part of human life.  From outside of what we know, from the Invisible, and from glory the divine came to be knowable, visible, and fully human.  And from this vantage point on earth, He completed a work that touches the life of every single person who has ever lived on the face of this earth.  

Holy Purpose

The Christmas story as told by the gospel writer Luke reminds us that God uses the most unusual folks to accomplish His purposes.   Luke 2 begins with the Words, "In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered...All went to their own towns to be registered.  Joseph also went...to Bethlehem."  (Luke 2:1-4)  Of course, this was not the first time some ungodly character had a place on center stage of some holy production.  Augustus certainly had no interest in doing the bidding of God, but his desires did not matter in the hands of an Almighty God who was orchestrating history.     

It often seems that our view of what is happening is a narrow view.  It is one which is framed by our political bias, the end goal we have in view, and what seems to fit best within the logic which has shaped our life.  The narrow view gives God no room to act and use for His purposes people who do not meet our approval.  The narrow view does not allow for the possibility that we may be missing something because we are, after all, right.    

One of the things which seems lost on our culture in these days of such political divisiveness is the possibility that God has been at work through circumstances and people we would not have chosen, or that we would choose.  Actually, most of us figure that the political mess created by our unwillingness to listen with open ears and heart is beyond the realm of God's ability to do anything.   Despite all that is happening around us, God has not left the room.  He is not a disinterested third party.  And, He is working with whatever and whoever to move us toward, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)

An Unchosen Group

There are times when we become members of a group we would rather not join.   It happened to me some sixty-five years ago when my father died six days before Christmas.  While I did not realize it at the moment, future celebrations of Christmas would always be somewhat diminished by the memory of this loss.  Of course, the passing of so many years plus a family of my own puts some of the glitter and joy back into the season, but it is still a loss that is deep in my memory.  Wounds may heal, but some leave scars that are worn through a lifetime.    

Many around us are members of this group.  We know the grief and loss of some, but the struggle of others is unknown to us.  There is nothing we can do to change the reality with which these folks live.  We can, however, live with them with a sensitivity to their pain that enables us to pray for them and to remember with them instead of avoiding what might seem to be a painful conversation.  Whether we mention the loss to those struggling or not, it does not change the reality of their remembrance.    

Remembering with them may seem more painful than helpful, but to know that the one lost to this life is being remembered not only brings some comfort to the mourner, but also can be a way of celebrating the life that can never be forgotten.  There are many gifts which can be given during this season.  Some may be brightly wrapped.  And some may be prayers to the Father God for comfort and words that speak the name and bring to mind memories that are made ever so precious by the tears and broken heart of those who have lost a love as important as life itself.

A Grandfather's Story

 "Never seen an angel before that night," the old man said to his grandson, "but that night one showed up in the sky above us.  It was a night just like this night, Reuben.  We were sitting around the fire.  The sheep were settled down just beyond the light of the flames.  The night sky was  clear.  And, back then and unlike tonight, we had all been drinking a bit too much wine.  I am sure your Ma has told you about me in those days.  But, there we were doing like we always had done and suddenly everything changed"    

"It happened so quick as if a bolt of lightning had struck from the sky.  A bright ball of light lit up the sky and an angel came from it speaking a word to us.  Of course, by the time the voice sounded we were all on the ground trying to hide from what we thought was surely going to be the end of us.  I remember laying there shaking and trembling like a leaf caught up by the wind and ready to fall to the ground.  The angel must have known because the first thing he said was, 'Don't be afraid.'  But, we were."     

"He told us about this child being born in Bethlehem and how he was not going to be just any child, but the Messiah.  Last I heard this child they named Jesus was going up toward Jerusalem, but that night He was in a bed of straw.  When the light was gone, old Jehu said,  'Let's go,' and we did.  We went to Bethlehem and saw the One the angel called the Savior.  My life has never been the same.  Ask your Ma.  Ask these others here with us.  The One called Jesus changed my life and, my boy, He can make all the difference in your life, too."

The Call to Radical Faith

The story Luke tells about the birth of Jesus is full of the unexpected.  Of course, it is not Luke's story to create and make up, he is simply telling things the way God orchestrated it to happen.  So it might be more appropriate to say that the way heaven planned the birth of Jesus is full of the unexpected.  After all, who would have picked Bethlehem?  It was a small insignificant place.  And, who would have picked a couple like Mary and Joseph to parent the holy child?  They were so young, it was learning by trial and error as it is for most of us.  And finally, who would put the shepherds on center stage in a night that was changing history?   

From beginning to end it is an unlikely story.  It is an unlikely plan.  It fails the logic test.  From beginning to end it not the logic and common sense of folks which is tested, but their faith and trust in God.  What one of us can imagine the degree of faith exercised by Mary when she submitted herself so completely to the divine will and plan?  The night Jesus came into the world of flesh as a mere baby was a night filled with people involved in what God was doing because of their radical faith in Him.     

Maybe Christmas calls us to be involved in that kind of faith as well.  To believe and accept the birth of the Holy One is an act of radical faith in itself even though we seldom see it as such.  The event of Bethlehem is something which goes beyond any sense of understanding and the only way which provides any response at all is the way of faith.  To believe that God was about extraordinary work that night for the likes of you and me is in the final analysis such a radical departure from anything which makes sense that our only response is the kind of submission modeled for us in the life of the mother of the Holy Child.

The Eternal Light

Willingly He came, 

   voluntarily,  

     The Eternal Light

into the darkness, 

   a place of no light,

     Holy womb dweller

now fleshed in with us.

From deep womb darkness

   unwilling He came, 

       The Eternal Light,

into the bright first light,

    shining from before,

      man full of flesh

now walking with us.

The Light before light,

   the Creator of it all, 

      The Eternal Light,

a light for us all,

   Light of the World,

     a dark tomb dweller

now risen for us.

Pondering

The story Luke tells of the journey to Bethlehem is one read every year in most churches on Christmas Eve.  And if not read and heard in that place, it is often read in homes where the meaning of the Day is remembered and celebrated.  As a story it almost seems painless and easy.  It has a fairy tale quality about it.  Two young people set out from the home to a small village and as they arrive their firstborn son comes into their lives. And with the appearance of the angel prompted shepherds, the story gets filled with details almost too true for real living.     

Of course, when we read between the lines of the story, we come to understand that there was nothing easy about what took place that night so long ago.  It was a hard journey, made even harder by the nearing of the moment of birth.  And the birth which took place in a bed of straw was bereft of supporting and helping families who had the experience to offer comfort.  It was simply two very young people trying to figure it out as things unfolded.   The journey to Bethlehem was tough, but surely those final moments before the first cry of the newborn was an even harder journey.     

When all the sweat had been wiped away and the child was laid in a place as clean as any place could be in an animal stall,  Mary and Joseph must have been overwhelmed as any new parents are in the hour of such beginning.  One of the most revealing moments of what was happening is found in the 19th verse of that 2nd chapter of Luke as it says, "But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart."  Surely treasuring the gift of the child and pondering why He was born is worthy of our time during these final days of Advent.  

A Mouthful

If Jesus ever said a mouthful that was hard for us to receive and chew, it was surely, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  (Matthew 5:46)   And while this Word is an inclusive Word which includes the whole of our living, another Word which is more particular is just as hard for us to receive and chew.  It is found in the same section of Scripture and says, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today's trouble is enough for today."  (Matthew 6:34)   Some of us might even think that perfection is more likely than staying inside one day with our worrying.   

Indeed, it is a hard thing for us not to borrow trouble from tomorrow.  Whenever we get caught up this act of borrowing from the future, it not only decreases the possibility of experiencing a measure of pleasure in the day being given to us, but it also takes away from focusing our energy on the trouble which is actually at our doorstep when we open it up to walk into the day God is giving to us.   

Jesus seems to be recognizing the reality of our anxiety over things which cannot be handled, but He also calls us not to become so obsessed with it that we fail to live in an attitude of trust in Him.  If we are looking for the opposite of worry, it is surely trust. What cannot be handled by us does not end up being handled because of our worry.  On the other hand what cannot be handled does seem to find some sense of resolution when we live placing not just the unhandled parts of our life in His hands, but all of our life.

A Word from the Fallen Leaves

The morning began with a strong wind blowing across the land sending trees limbs into a waving frenzy and leaves on the ground racing to some unknown stopping place.  The leaves had dried, fallen, turned into a mat by the rain, and then dried again.  For so long they had laid in place waiting to become compost and then came the wind.  Perhaps, it had seemed that their destination had been reached when they landed on the dirt beneath the tree which spawned them, but such was not to be as the found themselves caught up by the morning wind.    

To watch the brown dried leaves on their journey to someplace unknown was like hearing a Word from the Creator of the wind and the leaves reminding me to pray for the abandonment of the wind blown leaves.  The old Celtic saints were known for pilgrimages, or journeys to wherever God might take them.  They would get into a small round boat that had no rudder or oar and go where the current and the wind would taken them.   Our goings with God are always model a bit more caution.  

So often we speak of being willing to go wherever God wants us to go, to do whatever God wants us to do, but then we go ahead measure in a pragmatic way any sense of being taken out of what makes life comfortable for us.  When Jesus invites us to follow, it is always to an unknown destination.  Instead of plotting the journey, He calls us to abandon ourselves to the blowing Wind which takes us to the unknown places of His Will.  Those morning leaves blown by the wind invite me to pray for abandonment to whatever the Wind of God would do with my life.   

A Word from the Henhouse

Life on the farm is not a solitary lifestyle.  It is shared with the animals who inhabit the fields and the woods as well as the domesticated varieties such as cows, chickens, and dogs.  There are six hens that roam around here, get fed, and provide a few eggs for the kitchen.   They are interesting to watch.  They roam around digging and pecking as they search for food on their own.  It is not something done for an hour, or two, but something done all day long.  But, when the sun gets to a certain place in the western sky, they go to the hen house and get on the roost for the night.       

Watching them going to the roost as dark comes speaks a Word which reminds me to pray for a roosting spirit.  A roosting spirit is one which is in sync with the order created and put in place by the Creator.  There are hours for working and doing the things which sustain life and then there are hours for resting.  There is day for work and there is night for rest.  So many of us live without any regard for this order and we live without any regard for its purpose.     

As I look back over the years, honesty requires me to acknowledge that there were too many times work was taken home which could have waited for another day.  And, maybe the idea that it could not wait for another day was more about my ego wanting to feel important than what was actually needed or required.  What most of us need is not more work, but more rest.   When night comes, the creation says the hour for rest has come.  The chickens seem to know this.  Praying for a roosting spirit sounds like a Word from the Spirit.

A Word from Tree Roots

Watching the squirrel enabled me to hear a Word about praying for awareness.  And, as I gave more thought to this unspoken Word that had suddenly became a spoken Word, I realized that there were other Words being spoken as well.  The landscape around here is filled with trees.  In the branch are sycamores and oaks while out on the farm dozens of pecan trees stretch upwards.   The visible part of the tree often keeps us from seeing the invisible and necessary part that has pushed deep into the ground.  To see these trees that have been here longer than my years of walking on the earth cause me to me to think about the need to pray for a growing faith with deep roots.     

Deep roots are needed when the wind comes to shake and sway what is growing from the earth and from the heart.   A faith rooted in the superficial things will not be able to prevail when undermining difficulties come disguised as loss, illness, and the personal tragedies which often confront us.  Such is why the spiritual giants from the past and the present encourage us to spend inordinate amounts of time in the Word and on our knees.     

Running from one book to another, or from one seminar to another, or even from one church to another one more spiritual may make us feel good for a time, but the lasting power is often only as long as the moment.  Real faith requires deep roots in ground that is fertile and has life giving power.  These trees all around this place speak a Word about sending roots down deeply into the realm of the invisible life giving power of God.  

A Word from the Squirrel

As we walk in the creation seeking to get our lives in sync with the order all around us, we begin to grow ears to hear things previously unheard and eyes to see things never before noticed.  We also begin to understand that the Creator's voice wrapped in sheer silence is constantly being spoken in and through the creation He has put in place all around us.  Slowing down and paying attention opens up a world of divine revelation missed as we do our hurrying through life routine.     

During these days of retirement on a farm it seems that there is always a Word being spoken.  Sometimes I hear, but I would imagine that I miss far more than ever I could realize.  One Word not missed came through a moment of watching a squirrel as he sat on a limb more still than the evening and so quiet his presence was nearly invisible.  As I lingered to watch, a Word came that it would be a good thing to pray for the awareness of the still squirrel.    

Awareness can be illusive.  Our lives are so oriented toward activity, productivity, and noise that focusing on what is present all around is a thing not done unless there is an intentional bending toward it.  And though these busy things which fill our lives are supposed to bring a measure of fulfillment and joyful living, they mostly keep us looking beyond what is in front of us.  The tree living squirrel is constantly aware of what is going on around him.  Not to do so may be deadly.  It is no different for the soul within us.  

The Gift of Memory

Creation has its beautiful sunsets that inspire us  and its dark storms which frighten.  Not all our memories within creation are good, but neither are they all bad.  So it is with all our memories.  Some fill us with great joy, filling our hearts with a wonderful warm light and others remind us of the dark and painful moments of our life.  Even as we recognize this reality, we also know that memories are gifts.  Even the hard ones full of darkness have on the edges memories of those who helped us, or the strength and courage shown in those hours.      

My memories of the night we were told my father was dead and the memory of the funeral which followed are hard memories, but he is not remembered just in light of those difficult moments.  What has come to be a personal reality is that for him to remembered after sixty-five years have passed means that he continues to live as a presence and influence in the deep places of my heart.  While I would never have chosen for his life to end so early, I am grateful for the memories which have kept his life always before me.     

Memories can be seen as a gift from God as surely as the evening display at sunset.  In Deuteronomy 15:15 the Word says, "Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; and the Lord your God redeemed you..."   Even though some of the memories may bring tears to our eyes and pain to our heart, they, too, like the memory of the God who comes to us in those hours, are gifts that cause the deliverance of God to once again give birth to hope in our hearts.  

A Time For Mourning

Long years ago when I finally got around to reading the Scripture regularly and seriously, the gospel of John was the gospel I frequented the most.  As I remember those days of beginning to read the Word, I remember that the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead was one which received an ample amount of underlining.  While it is a powerful story of Jesus' power over death, it is also a story in which Jesus models for us some important things about being with those who are mourning and grieving.    

Of course, one of the surprising things in the story is the way Jesus delayed in going to the home of Lazarus after He received the message asking Him to come,.  "Lord, he whom You love is ill,"  (John 11:3) was the message.  By the time Jesus arrive, Lazarus was dead and in the tomb which prompted both of his sisters to play the "If only You had done differently..." game with Jesus.  What is interesting is the way Jesus felt no need to try to make Himself look better.  He seemed more aware of the hurt within them than the words they spoke.    

The Word says, "...he (Jesus) was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved."  (John 11:33)  It also speaks of Him weeping.  One of the things to be learned from Jesus at the tomb of His friend is that the time of mourning is not a time for arguing, being concerned about ego, or trying to run away from the emotions which are so ever present in those moments.  Instead of running from His emotions, He embraced and expressed them.  While we might think there is more strength in trying to be strong and not expressing our emotions, Jesus reminds us there is strength in expressing them as we seek to offer ourselves to those who mourn.  

The Life Changing Graveyard Story

My father is buried in a small country cemetery in the neck of the woods where he was born.  It was a long time ago when we went there for the burial and in the over sixty years since then a lot of new graves have been dug.  There is nothing unusual about this church cemetery.  The landscape is dotted with thousands just like the Pierce Chapel Church Cemetery.  Cemeteries are places where memories are remembered and where stories are told.  And, somehow or another, they take on the nature of a place that is holy.     

Of course, all ground is holy because all ground passes through the hands of the Creator God, but graveyards are certainly viewed as more than ordinary ground by those who go and leave someone there.  It has always seemed that church yards are good places for cemeteries to grow.  The sermons preached from the pulpit inside the church speak of the life to come, Resurrection Sunday is celebrated by its people, and as the people worship inside, there is this ever present reminder of the communion of the saints.   

The Scripture, too, has its graveyard stories.  From Abraham's purchase of burial ground to the place where Lazarus lay waiting for Jesus, the stories abound.  Of course, the greatest and most profound graveyard story is the one which is told after Jesus was crucified on what we call Good Friday.  From the burial ground owned by Joseph of Arimathea came the resurrected and about to ascend into heaven Jesus and, thus, life and death has never been the same.

Cemetery Musings

About the middle of last year's summer, I took on a volunteer job as the caretaker for our local city cemetery.  Someone else is paid to do the maintenance so my part is to handle the sales of plots, make sure what needs to be done out there is done, and mostly just be available as the contact guy for whatever.  It has put me in a position of helping people with end of life stuff.  Sometimes it simply has to do with someone who is wisely planning for the inevitable and at other times the inevitable has come full force with overwhelming power.      

While there are plenty of graveyard jokes, I have discovered that the work is more sobering than humorous.  It is also a place kindness and compassion can be offered in difficult moments.  And while not everyone who sells cemetery plots asks for permission to pray with those making the purchase, it has come to be something which has proven to be a not spurned offer.     

Seldom do I go out that way without thinking about my own mortality.  I have been blessed with more than my three score and ten years.  I have also been blessed over and over and over again with a mercy not deserved and a grace that is beyond measure.  I am grateful to God for His hand which hovered over me when I was brought into this life and am grateful that the same hand shall take me when it is time to leave here for home.  

Faith for the Journey

The very first part of the narrative told by the gospel writer Matthew tells of a troubled man.  When Joseph went to bed on the night set forth in the story, his world had been turned upside down.  His anticipated marriage to Mary was something which seemed impossible.  She had told him that she was pregnant, not by another man, but by the Spirit of God.  It was not only embarrassing, but unbelievable.  When he went to bed he had resolved himself to end the relationship in a way which would cause him and Mary the least amount of gossip and scandal.      

All these plans went awry as he slept and dreamed.  The Word says, "...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."   (Matthew 1:20)   At that point he not only had to decide about trusting Mary, but also trusting God, and his own inner heart.  Even then, knowing what to do and doing it was surely a hard thing.    

But, Joseph appears as a man who lived with an attitude of trust in others, in God, and himself.  All three of these voices were lined up in his spirit saying the same thing to him.  It is not always easy to act with in a manner that defies logic.   It is not always easy to let our faith guide us.  What we have learned is that faith is the only guide we have when it comes to following after God.  Sometimes the Word which calls our faith into action is the witness of another, sometimes it is the voice of God, and sometimes it is that sense of rightness which He has implanted within us.  

Pom Poms and Fire Sticks

Some might say dreamers are deadbeats.  If so, count me in that group.  Of course, there are a lot of great characters in the Bible who were either dreamers or interpreters of dreams.  Long years ago I shared with a small group of pastors as we delved into a study which involved understanding our dreams.  It was a time of learning to keep a dream journal.   We were to encouraged to keep a pad next to the bed to write down as much of the dream as possible upon waking.  The other night I woke up from an interesting dream I wanted to remember and wrote down, "Pom poms and fire sticks," but the next morning the clues meant nothing.     

Dreams are elusive creatures.  They often disappear with the light of day.  As we read the dream stories in the Scripture, we discover that they can be a means of divine revelation.  When our conscious mind is finally put on the back burner and we are only left with the sub-conscious, God seems to have a way of getting through to us in our dream language.  Of course, as we begin to listen to that language, we often find that what might appear to be on the surface is really all about something else.    

Every part of our life can become a door to experiencing the presence of God and every moment can hold within it the possibility of a divine word which helps us with our living.  Perhaps, our dreams are not filled with the voice of an angel as was the case with Joseph long ago, but if we learn to listen even while we sleep, we may discover a new way that the Spirit is seeking to break into what we thought to be a mundane part of our lives.  

Ponderings

Along the way we run into moments which challenge some of the things we thought were nailed down and poured in concrete.  Life has a way of calling us to examine what we have always thought to be unquestionable.  For example, what do we do with the a Word like Psalm 51:5, "Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me"  when we start thinking seriously about what it means to be made in the image of our Creator?  And as that Wendell Berry character, Jayber Crow, wonders, how do we pray after we have come to the praying Words Jesus taught us to pray which say, "Thy will be done?"  (Matthew 6:10)       

 One certain thing is change.  Of course, not all of the changes we bring about are necessarily for our good which makes us a bit cautious when it comes to pulling up the nailed down planks which hold our theological house together.  Each change we make has a rippling effect.   If we lay aside the concept of human depravity, what do we do with the cross and if one part of a prayer makes praying about other things seem unnecessary, why pray anymore?    

In figuring out a workable theology, I have often turned to John Wesley, the father of Methodism, who taught that what is theologically true is determined by looking at it through the lens of Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.  Another thing I have found myself adding over the years is taking what is believed to be true to its logical conclusion. When we get there we may decide it is a place we cannot live which only means going back and starting the journey over once again. 

The Light of the First Day

The light of that first day has never ceased to shine.  It is not the light of the sun, or the moon, or any other heavenly sphere, but the light which gave birth to the light of all that now beams light abroad.  The light of the first day was a light called good by the Creator.  It is the light in which all things find their beginning.  It is the "light of life,"   (John 8:12)  Within everything living thing this "light of life" is present, sometimes hidden, but like the sun which moves from one horizon to another, always there and always shining.   

It is a holy light present in the darkest place during the moment of conception when life begins.  What might seem to some to be simply a biological function is instead a holy moment when the likeness of the Creator is stamped indelibly upon the life which is beginning.  And even as all things receive life from the "light of life,"  so has everyone of us.   The light of the first day is at the heart of all life.  It is the center from which all life emanates, comes, is created.     

And so as it was in the beginning of our days on this earth, so is it with all of them.  This light of the first day is within us in the deepest part of our life.  To say that it is the light that brings light to our soul would not be step too far to take.  There may be a sense of darkness in our living because of the sin which we have allowed to take hold, but it is not a darkness which can prevail.  The darkness of our sin may make it difficult for us to see and know the light within, but like the sun of the sky, it is always present as it has been since the beginning.   

From Here to There

There is on the edge of here,

    here is on the edge of there,

      between there and here,

        angels come and go and 

sometimes linger with us.

 

In the land of not yet there,

    here is always changing,

       the journey not the same,

new companions along the way.

 

To be here is to long for there,

    to be there becomes a new here,

       a home unlike any home,

but for now not yet ready.

 

To arrive there from here,

    makes here a memory,

       and there the new heaven,

longed for from the roads of earth. 

 

Rejoice, my soul, that here

    leads to the place called there

       where the saints wait for us,

and the Light no longer is dimmed.   

     

Waiting to Rise

Waiting in silence, 

  closed eyes looking

    toward the east sky,

straining to hear

   the echoing sounds

    of the last trumpet.

 

Waiting to rise,

   from the dark ground,

    into the waiting air,

going after glory,

  now breaking forth

    upon the waiting earth.

 

Waiting no more,

   the One who came

     now comes again

in a final move

   to take His people,

     the waiting ones, home. 

  

Mystery is Afoot

Advent announces that mystery is afoot.  Not just any kind of mystery, but real mystery.  Holy Mystery is out there somewhere in a darkness that is only waiting for a moment when the Light will come to break it into a thousand unrecognizable pieces.  This Mystery first penetrated the earth in a place filled with the smell of hay and animal manure, a  normal place transformed by painful agony and then unexplicable joy, and a place where the mundane and holy became as one.  It was a much anticipated moment for the two who carried the longed for and invisible one with them.     

Mystery is still afoot.  So often we live with blinders to what is unfolding around us.  We seem only able to see what speaks of enabling us to make it to the next day, the next year, the next season of our life.  Still Mystery is pressed in around us and within us.  What we long for cannot be seen, but once it is seen, we know the reality of who we are and Who is it that has come and is still to come.   

It is Advent, is it not?  Sing the words loudly, "Come, Thou long expected Jesus."    Hear the Word calling us to watch and wait.   And as we dare to worship on a day so filled with what cannot be understood, we find ourselves standing on the threshold where glimpses of the Coming One Who has come to live with us, to save us, and to take us home are seen dimly and then clearly.  Ah, it is indeed a moment when holy Mystery is afoot all around us.

Glorious to Behold

Every evening there is a sunset.  Sometimes it is not visible, but there is still a moment when the sun sets on the western horizon around these parts.  But, it is never the same sunset.  I have been here now a little over ten years and while I have not noticed and seen every single sunset, I have been attentive enough in that moment of the day to know that each is unique, never before been seen, and never to be seen again.   

And what I know, too, is that this is true for all the sunsets which have graced this land that others walked before it came my turn.     It may seem that we walk alone through our days in the places that have grown familiar to us, but as our eyes are opened to invisible possibilities and unseen realities, we come to know that we are here as short timers.  The towering trees with a "thousand" years of growth rings, the rich life giving dirt underneath our feet, and the stories of those who have lived before us speak to us of our place in this ever changing world.  Even though some may live to be a hundred years old, even their life is like a fleeting moment in the span of time.  

And, yet, like the sunsets, each one of us is unique, has never before been seen, and once we are only memory, will never be seen again.  God has made us in a such a way.  We bear His imprint from the moment of our conception.  Let no one think that life is about coincidence.  Regardless of the matter in which our life began, the Father God was present to mark us as one of His treasured children.  The God of sunsets is the same God who created each one of us which surely makes us someone glorious to behold. 

The Invisible Now Visible

Some books are read and join others on the shelf that are destined for the throw away pile, but there are always a few that turn out to be keepers.  Keepers are books that are not only kept, but also read, not once, but several times.  "The Book of Creation"  by J. Philip Newell has been one of those books to which I have gone now several times.  It is a keeper.  Each time I find myself reading at a slower pace than the previous read as I seek to digest more completely what is on the page.   The book is basically a series of meditations on the seven days of creation recorded in the first chapter of Genesis.    

While it might seem to some that the seven days of creation  is a narrative of completion, Newell invites us to understand that creation is not a done deal.  It is something which is always happening.  In a reference to a ninth century theologian named Eriugena, he writes that all things do not become visible at once.  This is another way of saying that on the seventh day, creation was not a done deal, but something which would continue to unfold throughout time.    

It is an easy enough thing to claim the idea that creation has within what has not yet become visible.  Medical treatments that are developing in our day have always been inherently a part of the created order, but not always visible.  As something new is announced, what has been invisible has suddenly become visible.  Such is the nature of Creation.  It is never a done deal.  It is always unfolding out of the invisible and into the realm of the visible.  

Saying Thank You

Sometimes life throws curve balls.  Surely the disciples traveling with Jesus on that day He met the ten lepers experienced life in such a way.  Out there in the countryside between Samaria and Galilee ten lepers encountered Jesus at an appropriate social distance and cried out for mercy.  Jesus sent them on their way to the priest and as they went they saw in another a healing happening.  One of the healed ones left his companions and sought out Jesus to thank Him even though the other nine went hurrying on their way.   The one who returned was a Samaritan which was surely unexpected by the disciples.  (Luke 17:11-19)

There are times when expressing gratitude requires some effort, being inconvenienced, and going an extra mile.  It is not always an easy thing to do.  In the case of the nine it is doubtful they made it to the priest although they needed a kind of certification of cleanness to re-enter normal living.  They may have ended up going home to their families, or throwing a party somewhere at a tavern to celebrate.  One thing is certain.  They had no intent of being inconvenienced in order to speak a word of thanks.   

The one who sought Jesus had a sense of determination.  He recognized that he had been gifted with a blessing not earned.  His trip to find Jesus was surely not a casual journey, but one filled with a double measure of urgency.  There are people around us who have gifted us with blessings we did not expect to receive, but which have changed our life.  It may require some effort to express an overdue gratitude, but surely this Thanksgiving Day is a good day to make the effort required to say thank you. 

Immersed in the Word

The preacher who preaches as one who buys into the reality of  "Thus says the Lord"  is one who does not just dabble in the Word from time to time, but one who lives immersed in the Word.  After years and years of preaching it becomes an easy thing for the preacher to begin to see the Word as a sermon starter rather than the definition given in Hebrews 4:12:  "...the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword..."  One of the real temptations for any preacher is the one which enables the preacher to live comfortably in a world empty of a ongoing personal encounter with the Scripture.    

If any preacher intends to preach the Word of God for the people of God, living immersed in the Scripture a required spiritual discipline.  While any preacher can pick a text and manufacture a sermon, the preaching is never the same as the preaching which comes as a part of the overflow of a heart constantly being filled with the Word of God as well as the divine helping which comes from the Holy Spirit.   

Preaching is hard work.  It is disciplined work.  In some preaching circles there is talk of Saturday Night Specials, or last minute sermons.  And while I have preached too many of those, they often were more about desperation than allowing the Word God had given to grow in my heart until it was ready to be poured out in the study and pulpit.  It is that constant life in the Word which give the preacher's sermon power and which also enables the preacher to stand and speak in behalf of God. 

Listening Before Preaching

The  preacher who preaches the Word of God for the people of God convinced that preaching should model the prophetic "Thus says the Lord"   is one who has learned in the times of stillness to hear the Word of the Lord as it is spoken in those moments.  For some all of this is too big a stretch.  First, some find it unrealistic to think that today's preacher should presume to speak for the Lord, and secondly, the idea that God actually speaks His Words into the heart and mind of the preacher is nothing but preposterous.  Dismissing this divine interaction does not change the reality that it happens.     

It could be said that there is no real preaching without it.  It is not enough just to have a text from the Word.  A text can always be manipulated to say what the preacher might want it to say.  And, of course, there is the possibility that the sermon begins not with a text, but with something the preacher wants to say and in those cases the text is more like an afterthought or window dressing.    

If the preacher is to have something to say that comes from God, it is because the text has been taken into the silent place for pondering the question, "Lord, what is Your Word in this Word that is before me?"  In order to preach, "Thus says the Lord, "  there must be some moment for asking and listening; otherwise, the preacher runs the risk of preaching something other than the Word of God for the people of God.  

In Behalf of God

 One of the first things required of the preacher who desires to preach a word which in the spirit of the prophets whose word was characterized by the phrase,  "Thus says the Lord....,"  is silence.   In the world in which we live and work, silence is a scarce commodity.  Not only is it scarce in that there is always some kind of noise to fill silent spaces, but those who step into spiritual disciplines find it difficult to cultivate seasons of silence in their daily time set apart for God.  For the preacher experiencing the silence where God is able to be heard is not an option, but a necessity.    

Good preaching that is received as the Word of God for the people of God begins in these moments.  It is not that the sermon is presented to the preacher in those moments, but instead, it is the time when the  preacher begins to know, understand, and experience the heart of God.  As such a blessing begins to overflow in the preacher's life, it is more likely that the preaching offered will begin to reflect this spiritual awareness.    Whatever it is that is saturating our life is what is going to overflow into whatever work we do for God. 

And as we experience the saturation overflow, what we do for God, whether it is preaching or something altogether different, will be done with a different motive and in a way that enables those on the receiving end of some act of ministry to know that it comes from the heart of God.   The word preached in behalf of God, and acts of ministry done in His behalf, will reflect what is experienced in the silence shared with Him.  Without the silence, we run the risk of being the noisy gong and clanging cymbal. 

Calling the Sinner

The first response of anyone called to preach should be in line with the words of Isaiah when he suddenly found himself surrounded with the glory of the Lord.   In the fifth verse of the sixth chapter of the Word which bears the prophet's name, we hear him crying out, "Woe is me!  I am lost, for I am man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips...."   To hear God's call to give spiritual leadership in the church and in the world should drive anyone to the place of unworthiness.  It is never a call to be taken lightly, but with reverence and humility.  

The preacher who comes to the place of standing in behalf of God and ready to speak "Thus says the Lord,"  is one who understands that preaching is not about what I can do, but about what God can do through the preacher and the preaching.  To respond to that call with a sense that it is something which can be done easily enough is a sure sign that the preacher does not really understand the essence of the moment of the calling.  

When God calls a person to preach, He first calls the sinner.  It is the sinner, the one who knows and understands the limitations of human determination and the brokenness of the human heart, who is able to grow into a servant of the One doing the calling.  In the final analysis the call to preach is the call to serve the One who does not ask for excuses, but expects faithfulness to whatever.  It is the call to do divine bidding regardless of the cost of the bidding.  It is not an easy place to stand and many who have started out often end up in a place filled more with human expediency than divine urgency.      

Not For the Timid

When the preacher has such a regard for preaching that it is viewed in the same spirit as the Old Testament prophetic formula, "Thus says the Lord....,"  it means that the preacher is actually convinced  that such is what is happening in preaching.  While this is the Biblical viewpoint, it is not necessarily the viewpoint embraced by a majority of those preaching from the contemporary pulpit.  The first hindrance to this happening is the preacher.  It must first be the preacher's fundamental belief about preaching, or it will not happen.     

It is easy enough to understand why the preacher would seek a lesser definition of preaching.  It requires a certain amount of boldness to preach as one who stands in the name of the Lord and as one who speaks in His behalf.  It is not a position for a timid soul who would rather be seen as one who is simply offering a personal opinion about spiritual matters and theological understandings.  What seems to have been lost in many places is the Biblical understanding of the role of the preacher.     

Preaching is not going to win anyone a popularity contest.  It will at times put the preacher in a place of preaching a word that no one wants to hear including the preacher.  As we remember the prophet Jeremiah, we remember him lamenting, "If I say, 'I will not mention Him, or speak any more in His name,'  then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it up, and I cannot."  (Jeremiah 20:9)  When God calls the preacher, He calls the preacher to stand where the sensible ones dare not go.  

The Word of God

 In some church circles the reading of the Scripture is followed by the reader saying, "The Word of God for the people of God,"  and then in response the people say, "Thanks be to God."  I remember a seminary prof who always said it was important the Scripture be read in every worship service because it might be the only moment when the Word of God was actually heard.  Unfortunately, such a reality still exists in many places.  However, there is at least one other time when the same ritual could be used and that moment is at the end of the sermon.    

Not many preachers would speak with such boldness.  But, then, it may not be so much a matter of boldness as it is a matter of conviction.  It would seem that today's corp of preachers are not so sure that preaching bears the divine imprint to the point that the ancient prophetic formula, "Thus says the Lord,"  (Jeremiah 6:16)  or the contemporary liturgical ritual could rightly be used.  Most might experience too much personal embarrassment to speak of their preaching as "The Word of God for the people of God."     

Somewhere within this hesitancy to speak of preaching in such a way is the problem with much of today's preaching.  It lacks authority.  It is too filled with personal opinions.  Instead of saying, "The Word of God,"  it is more likely that those in the pew will hear the preacher saying too many times, "I think..."  Once again I remember the seminary preaching prof also saying, "People are not  interested in what you think, but what the Word of God is saying."   It is a reminder still worthy of remembering.

Thus Says the Lord

In the Bible which I read as a boy all the words of Jesus were in red print.  Maybe there is some argument with this simplistic statement.  I am just reporting what I was told.  But, in the spirit of the red print edition, I wonder why the speaking of God did not get the same treatment in the Old Testament.  It is obvious He did a lot of speaking.  Some of those Old Testament saints had conversations which have  been recorded.  And, in the prophetic writings, we frequently read, "Thus says the Lord..."  (Jeremiah 6:16)   

When we run into those words where the prophet seems to be speaking for the Lord, this prophetic formula separates what a prophet like Jeremiah might be saying from a Word which all but comes from the mouth of God.  Certainly, this prophetic formula gives a unique sense of authority to what is already the authentic Word of God.  Perhaps, those "Thus says the Lord"  words are worthy of some red print.   

There are still some in our society who speak for the Lord, or at least such is what they are expected to do.  Preachers have this responsibility.  When there is a failure to embrace this foundational view of preaching, the preacher, the preaching, and the congregation suffers.  It is such an awesome responsibility, many shirk it by declaring it impossible to do.  What is offered in its place is preacher based preaching, politically correct preaching, and let-me-entertain you preaching which is a far cry from the intent of "Thus says the Lord."

The Holy Essence Within

When the Lord spoke through Jeremiah telling the people to seek the ancient paths where the good way lies, He did it for a not so obvious reason.  It would seem that His intent would be their escape or their deliverance from the imminent danger which was facing them, but He had something else in mind.  Instead His intent is found within the words, "...and find rest for your souls."  (Jeremiah 6:16)   It is just like our God to offer what surprises and takes us beyond what we can understand.     

Of course, it is not hard to find books which tell us everything there is to know about the soul.  The only problem is that at the end of the read we realize there is more about the soul that we do not know than we can ever know.  Like the One who gives the soul to us in the moment of conception, it is a thing of great mystery.   

 It would seem that the soul is that created part of us which bears the imprint of God; thus, there is mystery within us which will inevitably leave us with what is both undefinable and full of what cannot be known.  Whatever we might say about our soul, surely it speaks to the presence of the essence of God within us.  The restless soul can only find the peace of rest as it finds reconciliation and restoration with the Holy One who imparted the mystery from His own Mystery. 

The Way Things Used to Be

Longing for the way things used to be makes one guilty of living in the past.  It is also a world view that is looked upon with a measure of disdain.  The way things used to be is not regarded as something which will help us deal with the present, or get us into the future.  Of course, something Jeremiah said to his beleaguered countrymen throws a kink in present day disregard for the way things used to be.  We hear that word in Jeremiah 6:16 where the Lord speaks saying, "Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls."      

Instead of pointing the people toward some national strategy for deliverance from approaching enemies, or to stockpile more weapons and food, he points them toward their past.  It is an important past.  The fact that they have moved away from that past is the reason the find themselves in an untenable present predicament.  Their help is not in something new to be learned, but in something old to be remembered.  

It truly seems no different in our day.  So much of the troubles facing our nation, our church, and our own sense of well being come from the fact that we have either forgotten the ancient paths once walked, or we no longer regard what can be learned from them as having any value for day to day living.  The way things used to be, the traditional values that have gotten us this far, things like the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount,  a more church centered community, and faith in the Creator God are things which when remembered and embraced will surely take us to the good way where our souls can find the peace that has been lost.

The Ancient Paths

When Jeremiah pointed his people toward "the ancient paths,"   (Jeremiah 6:16) his intent was to give them life and hope instead of the destruction and hopelessness which lurked in every place.  As they lived midst the unfolding chaos, they had many choices.  Anxiety was surely one.  Marching into battle was another.  And, of course, resignation was likely very high on the list of embraced options.  The prophet encouraged them to slow down, take a breath, and ask about the ancient paths which had been walked by their ancestors.  

Those ancestors were people like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and King David.  Their history was filled with periods of faithfulness and faithlessness, but the awareness of being God's chosen was ever present.  They had never been utterly forsaken.  Always He had loved them, even when they raced after the gods and the custom of other cultures.  As they turned to the ancient paths, the reality of their identity rose before them with great clarity.    

There is value in searching for the ancient paths in our own troubled days.  There are, of course, two kinds of trouble.  There is the trouble of our own making and there is the trouble which simply comes to our doorstep for no apparent reason.  Regardless of the nature of the trouble, it is important that we are not led down a way that provides nothing more than temporary relief while the hole is being dug deeper.  The Word of God declares that the ancient path which is the path of faithful obedience to a faithful God is the only good way worth walking. 

Different Action Words

When Jeremiah spoke to the people of Israel saying, "Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls,"  (Jeremiah 6:16), they were facing imminent disaster, yet, his words tell them there is still time.  When we face difficulties, uncertainly, and danger, the last thing we want to do is to be still.  The mistake we often make in those crossroad moments is rushing ahead of our future.  What the Word of God calls us to do in those moments is so different from the action every part of us wants to take.    

What we want to do is to take action, not pause.  We want something to change quickly and decisively.  Waiting for God's future is not what we do best.     The action called for by Jeremiah is more the action of being rather than the action of doing.  The three action words are "stand...look...ask..."   The word stand points to stillness.  The word "look" speaks of a seeking of perspective.  The word "ask"  points toward receiving external help.     

These three words take us to a place within our hearts where things that are not always seen can be seen.  And to see those things of the Spirit require a different mindset, a willingness to pause in the midst of what is not known, and a desire to know the intentions of the Creator God Who brought us to the crossroad.  As we stand in those crossroad moments in our life, there is still time.  There is something important to be determined.  And, the way may not be within us, but out there somewhere still to be seen.

The Road Less Traveled

When Jeremiah spoke for the Lord saying, "Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls,"  (Jeremiah 6:16) those who heard the Word found themselves confronted with more choices than the two Robert Frost created in his most famous poem, "The Road Not Taken."   With Frost there were only two choices, well, maybe three if turning around was an option, but with Jeremiah, there were clearly four choices.  To stand in the middle of any crossroad gives the one who travels four very clear choices.   

As the Word is presented by Jeremiah, the best choice is not determined by a travel atlas, but by the purposes of God.  Pausing in the middle of the crossroad long enough to see which way points toward that purpose is time well spent.  It is the pausing which gives us trouble.  We are a hurried sort who by the time we reach the crossroad have already decided which way is the best way to travel.  We do not always remember at life's every juncture that we are at an important place and moment.   

Clearly, God guides us along the way and His Spirit is ready to grant the blessing of an inner nudge, but the final choice for the direction we choose and the purpose for our living rests in our own hands.  The Word of God tells us there is great value in following the ancient way even though it does not bear the markings of an oft chosen road to travel. What Robert Frost wrote at the end of his poem is true for us as we stand in the crossroad, "I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." 

Beyond the Crossroads

When faced with national disaster, the people of Israel were called to stand still for a moment and consider the place at which they had arrived.  With an army from the north ready to wreak havoc, prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah spoke in the Lord's behalf.  The prophet Jeremiah did not call the people to action, but to stillness.  The Word of the Lord did not direct them to build more weapons and build a bigger army, but to consider the place to which they had arrived.  In Jeremiah 6:16 we hear that Word being spoken, "Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls."    

The crossroad imagery is one which points to understanding the strategic nature of the moment and that the way forward is found not in the immediacy of some action, but in looking with a perspective as large as history itself.  As the call to stand in such a moment is sounded, we hear a Word that calls for a reflective pause that gives consideration to what God has done over the long haul of the shared history.  The way forward is remembering those things which speak of the eternal agenda and wider than the moment view of the Creator God.  

One of the things which is missing in our search for the way forward is the loss of a sense of urgency which provides for the moment of seeing where we really are and the alternatives that await us in the future.  The real test of determining the future is not found in what experts tell us, the views of political pundits, or some kind of sociological trend, but what is found when we allow ourselves to explore the ancient paths for the lessons God has left for us to see and embrace along the road.   

The Ancient Paths

Some folks regard the past like a piranha fish.  While the piranha fish do not frequent nearby rivers and ponds, the movie industry has made these razor toothed fish the villain in enough movies to make them a true Friday the 13th character.  Those who think of the past in such a way want us to believe that our past has enough horror in it to devour our future.  The exact opposite is true  The past whether it is our individual history or our collective history can serve us well as we walk toward whatever is ahead.  

The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, was inspired to put such a Word in the mouth of the Lord.  In Jeremiah 6:16 we hear, "Thus says the Lord:  Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls."   While it is a dangerous thing to live in the past, it is an equally dangerous thing to ignore it.  The directive of God's Word reminds us that there is a way which has been in place since the beginning which is always life giving. It is a good road to walk.    

And, as the Lord speaks through the prophet, we are enabled to see that there are moments when we need to pause and seek the way of the past.  He uses the word "crossroads" which speak to us of a moment for deciding the way forward.  Instead of racing into what we think might be the best of all choices, the Word of the Lord calls us to look at those who have walked through those times before us, to benefit from their stories, and to determine how it is that He is speaking to us through the record of His dealings with other people so much like us. 

Bright and Brilliant Light

It was a day when the sun struggled to rise.  There was no brilliant display of colors on the eastern horizon, but a dull light that managed to penetrate the gray skies that greeted those who rose from their beds for the day.  And, all day as the sun struggled with the gray skies, the gray often heavy with falling rain appeared to be winning the battle.  But, then in the late afternoon, in a moment that was sudden, the gray disappeared, patches of blue appeared, and the brightest, most brilliant afternoon sun shined from one horizon to the other.    

The sudden bright afternoon sun brought reminders of how God comes to us in those moments when it seems that the light of His love and mercy has become overcome by the gray shadows which settles over the soul and spirit.  Most of us have experienced those kind of moments.  They are created by a host of things like loss, chronic suffering, and uncontrollable life changing circumstances.  In those moments we struggle to see the way forward.  More frightening than the difficulty is the sense that the light will never again shine in our life.    

The Word assures us what our experiences claims as truth.  There is always an end to the gray skies.  The sun has not really disappeared, but still shining even though it is unseen to our eyes.  Nothing has changed.  "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it."   (John 1:5)   Even though we may not see His light in a momentary moment, He is still present and His light is still shining.  And, what is certain is that as surely as that afternoon sun came to overcome, so will He.   

The Good Shepherd

Tradition has it that Jesus was a carpenter's son.  Of course, He is best known as Son of God, but carpenter's son was another hat he wore.  As a carpenter's oldest boy, He surely learned His way around the wood shop, pulled a few splinters out of His hands, and stood back with appreciation for a completed wood project.  What is interesting is the lack of references to the carpenter's shop.   As One who was prone to earthy parables, it would seem one or two such stories would have entered into a teaching, or a sermon.   

Instead what we hear in His teachings are illustrations which lift up the things of the creation.  He talked about water and bread, light and darkness, planting and animal husbandry.  He even went so far as to speak of Himself as the Good Shepherd.  Of course, in His hometown there was not the separation of town stuff and country stuff.  His was a world where the two constantly intermingled.  He was not a stranger to wood and He was not a stranger to the world of the rural shepherds.   

No doubt Mary and Joseph told Him about the first men who came from their fields to stand in awe at His birth.  And, no doubt, He grew up knowing shepherds and knowing about their work.  But, it is even more likely that He spoke of Himself as the Good Shepherd because the shepherd image was a part of the religious tradition He learned as a boy from Joseph as well as the synagogue.  We remember that tradition most clearly in the 23rd Psalm which begins with the words, "The Lord is my shepherd."   Jesus grew up with it, too, and used it as a window through which we could look and catch a glimpse of His spirit and the over abiding care of the Father God. 

The Guy in Charge

Who forgot to tell 

   the guy in charge

      to pull the switch

on the merry-go-round?

 

Maybe the guy is gone,

   or, perhaps, asleep

      while the rest of us

go round and round.

 

The guy over there

   seems not to care

      we all want off

this spinning machine.

 

He just sits and stares,

   his hand over the switch,

       but still we go round

and round once again.  

 

Will his hand not drop

     to stop the madness

        of unending chaos

gone out of control?

 

The hovering hand drops

    the going round ceases,

      confusion no more,

peace and order restored.   

Connected to One Another

The truth is we are all connected.  We may look different, act differently under stress, embrace different value systems, and surely, we all think differently.  When God made each one of us, the mold was tossed aside.  No two of us are alike which is an amazing miracle in itself.  Yet, as different as we are, not a single one of us lives alone and disconnected from those around us.  A recent read written by a Duke theological professor points to our navel as a scar that points toward our connectedness.  From the very beginning we are connected to another and so we remain through the years of our life.    

What connects us is not the fact that we all are different, but the reality that we share a common Creator.  As surely as we breathe the air of this earth, we bear the markings of God in our life.  The Word speaks this truth as it says, "So God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them."  (Genesis 1:27)   As we  bear the image of God so do we walk with the essence of the Creator within us.  This is not true of some of us, but all of us.  So it is with each of us.   We truly are divinely connected to one another. 

When we look at one another, we tend to see only our differences rather than the core reality which connects us and make us as brothers and sisters rather than strangers or antagonists.  As we see one another and speak silently to ourselves saying, "the essence of God is in that one," our sharply divided world begins to crumble leaving us with an awareness of what, or Who is it that connects and joins us to one another. 

The Balanced Life

The gospel of Mark begins at a fast speed and never really slows down.  The very first chapter of this gospel has Jesus going at what seems to be breakneck speed.  Hardly has the water of baptism dried and He is off to the races.  First, there is the time of temptation in the wilderness which is followed by His first preaching foray.  After He walks along the Sea of Galilee calling fishermen to be disciples, He enters the synagogue and teaches and then one after another show up where He is to be healed of some infirmity.  It was not just a few who came, but as Mark reports it, he wrote, "And the whole city was gathered around the door."  (Mark 1:33)     

What follows allows us to see Jesus leaving the marketplace of public ministry and entering the quietness of solitude with the Father.  "In the morning, while it was still very dark, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed."  (Mark 1:35)  In the early morning hour when other folks were sleeping, Jesus slipped away to a place that was empty of everything except the Father's presence.  While some might rightly suggest that this was a moment for Jesus of getting Himself empowered to fulfill the ministry of the upcoming day, it was also a moment of enabling us to see a model of a balanced spiritual life.   

We tend to move toward the extremes.  Some would declare that the best spiritual life is the one which is filled with working at responding to human need while others argue that it is found in the place where no one is present.  What we see in this capsuled view of a short time in Jesus' life is the importance of balance between being and doing.  Both are important.  One without the other invalidates what would otherwise be an authentic spiritual life. 

Knowing Not Where

If we walk with Christ, we go where we know not where.  Such is the nature of the faith journey to which we are called.  It started with the Old Testament man known as Abraham.  In Genesis 12:1 the Word of God says, "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you."  And then, when we make it to New Testament writing known as Hebrews, we find a confirming Word which reads, "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going."  (Hebrews 11:8).   

Abraham is the spiritual model for those who decide to respond to the invitation of Christ to come and see.  (John 1:38)  When we start out with Christ we often mistakenly thing that we know what is ahead.  The truth is that we really know nothing.  We begin with some romantic idea of a great adventure in which we will change the world, but soon we realize that we know not where we are going.   

According to the model of Abraham, going where we know not where is a definition of faith in the One who sets us out on the journey.  For most of us it takes some time of going before we come to the understanding that knowing what is up the road was never an option or an offer.  After all, what one of us could have imagined that we would be where we are in the present moment?  We have arrived at this point and place of knowing not where not by our plan or purpose, but by the providential plan and purpose of the Holy One. 

An End to Weariness

Today in one of those moments when my body was ready to give into the weariness, I thought of a particular verse of Scripture in which Jesus said, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."  (Matthew 11:29)  Of course, I know Jesus was not talking about the weariness of work, nor did He have in mind the sacks of pecans I was loading on the back of the truck for a trip to the market, but it was refreshing to think about it for a moment in such a way.  It is always easy to make the Word say something it is not saying.   

Actually, Jesus was not talking about work, but about religion.  He was talking to people who were worn out with trying to live their lives according to a man made religious system that took the life out of life.  He was talking about the way such a life seemed more like a heavy burden than something that brought joy and peace into life.  Most likely most of us have been weary and burdened with our own religious system at one time or another.   

When religion is taken too seriously, it is exhausting.   It is burdensome.  It becomes something that robs us of meaningful life.  Jesus tells us that the answer to such a problematic life is found in the rest He gives to those who choose to depend upon Him instead of a religious system.  When Jesus points the way toward a life of faith that leads us home, He points us toward a road filled with grace that allows us to find forgiveness for what is past and the freedom to experience the new day He is ready to give to us.   

Adjusting to the Unfolding

It is a wonderful season.   The roar in the distant announces harvest work is being done.  Cotton is on its way to market.  Peanuts are turned in the field letting the sun do some drying before the gathering equipment rolls over them.  A little closer to home the hay is lined up in large round bales ready for the winter feeding of the cows and the sound of pecans dropping in the buckets have joined the soft thud as they drop from the trees to the ground.  It is harvest time.  It is a time which is full of labor, but one which also speaks of completion.   

Completion is not something which just happens.  Around here everything has been moving toward it since the first trees budded, the first seeds were planted, and the first signs of green appeared in the hayfield.  The journey toward harvest has been a slow one, never hurried, and always dependent on a beyond itself interaction.  The creation never acts in a hurry and never does one part of it act independent of other parts.  

Perhaps, our lives seem so full of unfinished and unresolved stuff because we live out of sync with all that is around us.  God speaks volumes to us through the creative process about the movement of life.  We, too, can know completion in our lives by paying attention to what is around us and then letting everything be adjusted to what is unfolding before us. 

The Power of Faith

Never assume what tomorrow will bring and never underestimate the power of today.  Both of these things are likely to happen as we cease paying attention to the present moment, the people who are present in that moment, and what God is seeking to do in our lives in the here and now part of our life.  The here and now part of our life is the arena God makes Himself known to us.  The people who are with us in the now moment are there for a reason.  And, the present moment is the only one which has any kind of guarantee on it and it is always at best a very short moment by moment guarantee.    

What is always easy for us is to live somewhere beside the present moment.  We get caught up in our plans and our eyes begin to move from here to there.  As those who walk the road of faith with Christ, there is a sense in which we are looking on up the road toward home.  Home is the only destination worthy of our efforts and it is seen only by the eyes of faith.  But, even this part of our future should not take us out of the living God wants us to do today.    

When we sign on with Jesus, we sign on to a life of trust.  What enables us to live in the present moment and to pay attention to what is unfolding around us is our faith in Christ to guide, provide, and protect.  As our faith allows us to turn lose of these concerns which can become so consuming of our time and energy, there is life left for us to catch glimpses of what is so easily missed and to make the journey home one that counts for something that is eternal. 

Falling Leaves of Fall

The falling leaves of the fall are regarded as an inconvenience, a nuisance, messy, and extra work by a lot of folks, but falling leaves are a blessing.  The leaves which draw life from the sun, create a cooler shady place to escape the heat of midsummer, and provide a beautiful to behold canopy of colors finally die and come drifting down to the ground to be raked, burned, and cursed.  The truth is the falling leaves fall to the earth to bless it with life.  It is creation's way of composting and nurturing the dirt with life giving powers.    

Watching the falling leaves as they grace the dirt with blessings of life remind us it is much the same way with blessings which fall upon us.  Not all the things which bless our lives are as obvious as the sunshine, or the smile of a friend.  Some come causing us to question why our lives are being touched by something which seems so difficult to bear.  Most of us have cursed some of the difficult things in our life before we realized they came with a life giving purpose.    

We mistakenly think that blessings are sunshine creations, but they are likely to come to us in the shadowed places of our life where the way forward is not as clear and stumbling is a danger.  When we are in a mood to count our blessings, we seldom look into the hard and difficult moments of our life, or the times of uncertainty and pain.   God is found in all things.  He works in the bright light of the sun and the darker shadows.  As He works in both, it is always His intent to bring blessings into our lives.

Worship on the Farm

It was a different kind of All Saints Sunday here on the farm.   Not being able to be in a church setting for a structured order of worship made the day a bit different.  Since my mother's name was one of those called this year in the church she worshipped, it was impossible to go through the day without thinking often about the significance of the day.  Such thoughts brought with them some regrets about not being able to be present, but more importantly, a host of memories.   

Of course, worship does not require the interior of a sanctuary, nor does celebrating All Saints Sunday require a ritual and holy communion.  It was in the evening part of the  day that the moment of worship came around here.  In the Celtic tradition the twilight part of the evening is a threshold moment and also thought of as one of those thin moments when heaven and earth are touching one another.  In some ways when it came it came as something anticipated, but also something which came almost as a surprise.   

As the light was giving way to darkness I walked between there and here calling her name and the names of others who had gone on to the eternal home.  Some were family members and some were friends.  As I called the names, I thanked God for the memories each one brought to my mind and heart.  It might have been a different kind of worship, but it was still a moment of great blessing.

Heavenly Witnesses

As we stand on the eve of All Saints Sunday worship, those who have run the course of this life and have entered into the eternal home prepared for them are much on our minds and hearts.  It is a holy time of remembering and giving thanks.  Death is no welcomed guest for any of us, but neither is it a stranger.  If we have lived more than a few years, we have lost some good friend too soon, or some beloved member of our family.  Sixty-five years ago my father died and only this year did my mother follow him in death.  While I will not be in a service of worship in a church setting tomorrow, I will be calling their names as well as the names of others.  

Over the years All Saints Sunday came to be time of a growing awareness that while I am here, they are there.  Many times when I offered the Holy Meal to the gathered community, it was with a sense that we were not alone.  In my minds eye it seemed that the Table before us somehow was mysteriously extended beyond the thin veil of separation into the realm of the eternal in such a way that the communion of the saints was indeed experienced.   One of my favorite passages of Scripture speaks of the gathering of the saints.  In Hebrews 12:1, the Word of God creates an image with the words, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses..."    I have never dwelt much on trying to figure out the eternal home toward which I daily walk, but I have always found great comfort from this Biblical image of the gathered saints. 

As we walk into the experience of All Saints Sunday, it becomes a very personal moment for so many of us.  It is not an ordinary service of worship, but one where our hearts and spirits reach out to embrace those who live in the realm of the invisible.  How they live, I do not know.  But, I know they do live for Christ has been raised from the dead and, therefore, we shall one day live alongside of these saints as we become a part of that great cloud of heavenly witnesses. 

Surrendering the Wrong Thing

In the beginning of our journey on the faith in Jesus road, we talked a good bit about surrendering our life to the One who called us to come after Him.  But, even as we did the talk, we also had a sense of what we might need to surrender.  In those days it was usually some very visible thing like a bad habit, or Sunday leisure during worship hours, or maybe language that was too rough for Sunday School.  Whatever we might have called them as we remember those days, they were most likely the external things.   

As we moved along the road and began to compare notes with others and listen more intently to what Jesus was say, we began to understand the real things Jesus was calling us to turn lose were the internal, unseen by others, mostly invisible things of the heart.  We should have recognized from the very beginning that this was going to happen, but we managed to get started without remembering how Jesus spoke in the Sermon on the Mount about going a step beyond what was obvious.  As He viewed the world and those who wanted to come along with Him, doing was never the most important thing.    

It is interesting how we regarded salvation by works as such a heresy and then over the course of time began to live out our life in such a way.  Many of us worked ourselves into a frenzy for the sake of Jesus.  Maybe, some of us still do.  We worked hard doing the things we had come to understand believers were supposed to do and since we excelled in the doing, we were lulled into the sleep of having gotten it right.  Only after we were worn out, exhausted, and weary did we begin to realize Jesus was not as interested in the pious looking things we had set out do as much as He was interested in the things which lurked in our heart and were actually the real things He wanted us to surrender.   

The Right Outcome

The real problem with praying is that we want to control the outcome.  So often prayer is not a moment of entering into a conversation with God, but a moment for a monologue in which we tell God about some issue which is troubling us and then we proceed to tell Him what He needs to do in response to that need.  It is not enough that God gives us His ear and His heart, we want to make sure He also gives us the right outcome.  And, of course, the right outcome is what we have decided is the best outcome.    

When Wendell Berry wrote "Jayber Crow,"  he grew a character who had an encounter with the Lord's Prayer which changed his spiritual life forever.  "After you have said, 'thy will be done,' what more can be said?  And where do you find the strength to pray 'thy will be done' after you see what it means?"  Such was how Jayber spoke of his dilemma.     Of course, most of us avoid the spiritual crisis of this bachelor barber by never really learning to live with the question.  We know what God needs to do, and if He will only listen, we will tell Him.     

Living inside a faith that only asks for the will of God to be done in our lives is never an easy thing for us.  While we might say that all our praying is framed by this petition, we are also heard to say things about how God is so good when we get our outcome, but seldom, if ever, are we heard singing such a refrain when nothing about the outcome resembles our praying.  Maybe prayer is more about submitting than getting.  Maybe it is more about being in the presence of a loving and compassionate God than it is about getting a particular outcome.