A Life Changing Journey

No matter what "they" say, one size never fits all.  We see things advertised like this everywhere.  It is truly more about selling more than the satisfaction of the customer.  People who are selling have learned that the consumer has learned after all these years to get by with whatever it is that is being offered.  But, the truth is my head is bigger, or smaller, than some other people.  And my hands don't match the one size fits all fingers in gloves.  Stuff is mostly about getting by with whatever these days.   

Sometimes it seems that this attitude has spilled over into the church.  People in the church no longer demand sound Biblical doctrine.  Or, maybe it is more that the we have become so acclimated to how the secular culture is defining Biblical truth that we no longer really know for ourselves what the Bible is actually saying.  There are folks out there who will tell us that one size glove fits every hand and there are also folks out there in the church disguised as dispensers of God's Word who are quick to give us a version that fits their needs which in their mind should fit fine for everyone else as well.   

Actually, one size never fits all.  And, even more so, Biblical truth is Biblical truth, not someone's version of it.  What is needed in some places are not more educated and bright teachers of truths that do not hold water, but folks who are willing to sit down with the Word of God and find out for themselves what it is really saying.  Such does not require a set of commentaries, or an ordained preacher.  All it requires is an open Bible and a willingness to let the Holy Spirit do the the leading.  For some one who has never taken this journey, it will be both surprising and life changing.  

Call to Prayer

Just now there came into the silence of this place the steady drone of an airplane on its way from where it left to where it is going.  As an old man with a young boy's memory of an airplane that did not bring my father back home one day long years ago, such sounds are usually noted.  An while it is not true every time, it is often the case that when I hear or see a plane flying overhead, I offer a prayer that those who are above me will see loved ones at the end of the day.  There are always visible and audible reminders to pray for others, but most of the time we are not tuned into what the Spirit might be saying.    

I remember back in the days when I was pastor at Vidalia moments when the sound of an emergency vehicle would break into the sounds of worship and I wanted to stop what was happening and pray.  I have often wondered what it was that kept me from doing it, but sadly, the sound passed by and out of hearing without the prayers of a church that could have prayed.  But, it was not the church's failure. It was the pastor's who was its spiritual leader.   

The truth is there are many sights and sounds which intrude into our space each day which could be seen as the Holy Spirit calling us to pause for a moment of care through an act of prayer.  Some of those things are surely a reminder that someone is in trouble and though we may not know the particulars, we do not need to know in order to lift up someone's difficulty before the Father.  Perhaps, the beginning point is in asking God for ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart that will not rest until it reaches out through the power of the Holy Spirit to offer some expression of compassion for an unknown sufferer, or someone like ourselves, who is on the way to somewhere from where they are.

Men of Faith

There are times when memories come crashing from who knows where.  Tonight I have been remembering some friends from my Young Harris College days:  Sheppard and Mobley, next door roommates who put up a Christmas tree with strung popcorn that kept disappearing, Tom, my roommate who taught me how to knot a tie and other things, Dwight who led me off a pier into the cold waters of Lake Chatuge one hot July afternoon, Claude, a guy whose personality filled any room, Harold, with whom I learned about being a circuit rider in the North Carolina mountains, and Walter, a quiet guy who had a deep powerful singing voice.    

These guys were men of faith in Christ back then and remain so today.  They each had shaping power on my life at a time when it could have very easily gone awry.  With the exception of two of them, I still have some contact with each one.  Obviously, they are all different and each one of us has changed in the years since those days long ago.  And though we may not all fit under the same theology tent, each one has been rooted in Christ, and thus, has been individually shaped by the Spirit in a way that speaks of God's plan for them.    

Grace did not make them all like me.  One of me is more than enough.  Grace created these men to accomplish something in the places He put them without any consultation with me.  So, it is with all of us.  We are who we are.  We are the person God is shaping for His plans for us.  There is more than enough grace to go around so that each one of us are shaped by this Christ to Whom we chose to be rooted through faith.   

Advent 2022

In most liturgically bent churches, Advent took front and center stage at worship today.  There is plenty of ritual to go around the altar, greenery abounds, and, of course, in the middle of it all is the Advent Wreath with all those candles.  And while there is a theologically correct liturgy which accompanies the Wreath on its journey through the four Sundays of Advent, in many places it is more like a count down to Christmas mechanism which does nothing to slow things down, but instead, seems to turn into just another thing to do to get ready for Christmas.   

In many places Advent has lost its unique identity and been turned into a season which somehow corresponds to the secular getting ready for Christmas which always is going full steam ahead by Thanksgiving.  Advent was never intended to be a busy season, but a quiet one.  When it is rightly understood and observed, it is a time where silence is welcomed and the pace is slowed down to provide spiritual breathing room.  It is not a time for arriving at Christmas, but a time for a journey that enables us to know the value of waiting on God to act in His own time as well as to know what it is to live with hope.   

Everything we want is not on its way today.  Today's culture communicates a different thing to us as it provides next day delivery, instant gratification, and advertising that convinces us that nothing is beyond our means.  Advent is about waiting and hoping.  It is about trusting that the Eternal Light which shined on the moment of creation and the moment of incarnation is really out there and will once again light up the darkness in which we live in such a way that there is no darkness, only the glorious eternal light that overcomes.   

The Eternal Light

At night the farm is a dark place.  No artificial light shines.  No line of streetlights.  No security lights on poles.  About a half mile away can be seen a light on the side of the nearest neighbor's house, but then, only during the season of the fallen foliage. Otherwise, it is natural light.  Natural light is the light that comes from the stars, but mostly from the moon.  Without the moon it is truly dark, but in most moments there is something special about the deep darkness.    

Interestingly enough, once the eyes get accustomed to the absence of light, things which seemed invisible move into the realm of the discernible.  What is discerned may not be seen clearly, but there are things to see even when the darkness seems to be overcoming.  Maybe there is always light even when the light cannot be seen.  "The light shines in darkness. and the darkness did not overcome it."  (John 1:5)  Later John, the Apostle and writer of the gospel which bears his name will speak of the Light of the World.  It is this Light, this Eternal Light, which always shines in the darkness.    

What we know is that there is a darkness which is even deeper than the darkness of the farm without artificial lights.  It is the darkness which settles over the soul in an unrelenting way.  It is the darkness which seems bent on destroying all that is good within us.  It is a darkness into which we all walk from time to time.  In the midst of it, we can be still for a moment and we will surely know that the Light which cannot be overcome or extinguished is out there shining to light up the way.

1000 Gifts

Ever since Dick and Jane and their dog, Spot, ran across the pages of the book in front of me, I have been an avid reader.  Some books are read and put aside.  Some are read and kept because they are timeless classics.  And, some have the power to change our spiritual life.  One such book came to me back in 2013.  It was written by Ann Voskamp and is entitled, "1000 Gifts."  I remember the date because it was when I started my gratitude journal.  The Voskamp book chronicled her listing of 1000 blessings for which she was thankful within a year.  Next Lent I will be working on mine for ten years and have just now written down gift number 645 for which I am thankful.    

But, the book is more than just a listing of things for which she is thankful  Much more.  In it she also shares her own spiritual journey for that year in a way that enables us to share deep loss with her as well as moments so filled with joy and praise that she dances before the full moon.  It is a book I have recommended over and over to many people through the years.     

Good books are always shared with others.  Her book has helped me pay more attention to the blessings which are all around me.  The fact that I have only recorded 645 does not speak to a lack of blessings for which I am thankful, but being undisciplined as a journal keeper.  My list is not a list of super extraordinary things but stuff like (642) the gift of red handled knife, (643) a phone call expressing care, (644) a Thanksgiving Day lunch shared with two special folks, and (645) a good night's sleep. Anyone open to reading a book which will have a powerful impact on their spiritual journey is invited to read "1000 Gifts" and, oh yes, start a gratitude journal.  

Truly Grateful People

Those who are truly grateful are not those with large portfolios of accumulations.  Accumulations of stuff do not make for grateful hearts.  At least, not always.  They more likely make for a desire for more.  There is something about seeing the stockpile grow that makes us want for more.  It would seem that it would breed satisfaction and contentment, but everything never seems to be enough.   Jesus told us about such a man in one of His parables.  Ir might seem to those who have the smaller piles that bigger piles would make an ungrateful person into a grateful one, but such is not necessarily true.    

The truly grateful people are those who live mindful that life is filled with both blessings and grace.  Those who live with an awareness of being blessed in the moment of conception with the gift of life also are aware that it is the same stream of blessing which has sustained them through the days of birth and on throughout the journey.  And as surely as life is about blessing, so is it about grace. We live thinking we have control, but the truth is, there is very little of the stuff which really matters that exists under our control.  We could even go so far as to say nothing is really absolutely dependent on us and our efforts and everything is absolutely dependent on this thing called grace which along with blessings comes from God. 

It is God's gift of grace which makes us into who we are for that grace is always seeking to restore us to Him and finally bring us the Home He is preparing.   To live aware of the blessings touching our life and the grace which gives it purpose are things which make us grateful in a way that a storehouse of accumulations could never do.  The truly grateful people in our midst know this and live with a grateful spirit instead of one never satisfied.  

Addendum on Trust

Not too many days ago, I wrote a blog post entitled "Bedrock" which focused on trust in God.  An old friend of mine who is a faithful reader sent me a comment via email which simply read, "though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."  (Job 13:15, KJV)  Some of the more modern renderings of this verse put the act of God acting in such a way in a more sanitized and not so offensive manner.  The old King James Version seems to do a better job of rendering the intent of the Word.  Job is speaking of trust in a way that goes far beyond our modern easy renderings of the word.   I am not sure I have ever thought of trust in God in such a dramatic fashion.  Perhaps, some of the missionaries who took themselves and their families into perilous situations had an understanding of this verse that most of us miss.  

I remember a young man who served with me on the pastoral staff at Vidalia who had a strong call to the mission field.  It was one he could not lay aside and so off he went with his wife and two small children to Liberia.  Before it was said and done, he found himself in the midst of a civil war where his life and the life of his family was in great danger.    He would likely say the actions which saved his family were more instinctual than heroic, but those of us who heard the story would disagree.  Or, maybe it was, after all the God in whom he trusted who did the delivering.  Regardless, the action of missionaries like him and others model what it might mean for us to trust God even if that trust costs us our lives.   

Trust and faith is a word which gets cast around rather lightly from many a pulpit and from many a person who talks about walking with Christ.  It is the main words of the t-shirt, and the object of many a trite slogan, but it is so much more than any of this.  It amounts to putting our life on the line for God.  It means saying to God He has a blank check.  Whatever it is that He wants to do with our life is His to choose.  We turn loose the controls and put ourselves in His sure hands even if the cost is death itself.        

Not Forgotten

I was seven years old when my father left home one December morning for a regular day at work as a  crewman in a B-29 bomber.  It was also the first day he went to work and did not come home.  Instead, there was a collision in the air with another plane involved in the training mission and everything about life changed by the time night had fallen.  And, as I remember those days, they were also the first days that I came to believe that there was a heaven.  To think otherwise was unthinkable..   

It has always seemed a bit strange that something so full of theological mystery would warrant so little attention in the church.  Of course, it gets plenty of attention in most places on Easter Sunday, though such cannot be guaranteed.  And, most funerals are accompanied with multiple assurances that the one being laid to rest is surely in heaven.  Still, it seems that something so large and so filled with eternity would receive pulpit time on at least a few other Sundays during the course of the year.   But, the truth is, it is a forgotten, or omitted part of the preaching which comes from most pulpits.  

The one thing preachers and churches do not want to do is to appear to be other worldly.  Those who speak too much about heaven, or even any at all, are likely to hear voices criticizing them for ignoring the suffering realities of the world that is here.  Why it has to be either or is a troubling mystery.  There is room through the course of the year for both.  And, as much as folks want help in the day to day stuff, they also seem to have a desire not to know the details of heaven, but to have the way toward that eternal home pointed out to them and even celebrated as a very real part of the spiritual journey.  

Glory! Glory! Glory!

Over yonder is where we are going.  "There's a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar, for the Father waits over the way to prepare us a dwelling place there.  In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore, in the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore."  (In the Sweet By and By)  So many of us are getting closer to the land where so many have gone ahead.  The older we get, the more of those we know now wait for us on the other side.    

The other side of the River is just over yonder now. Sometimes it seems that the moving waters can be heard pushing against those golden shores, sometime it seems that the fragrance of the holy water is in the air, and sometimes it seems that voices singing out "Glory!" can be heard on this the earthly side.  The older we get, the less does it seem that the shore on the other side of River is so far away.    So many have made it across.  Our fathers and mothers have made the journey.  Grandparents and others, too.  Maybe even some whose memory still brings pain to our heart have made it across the way and wait there for us.  Some have been there for what seems to us like such a long, long time, but to them on heaven's shore it is likely more like an immeasurable fleeting moment of eternity.  

There they wait,  They wait on the other side of the River, but they are not alone.  The Father waits with them.  The Son shines forth midst the Eternal Light which comes from within Him.  And, the Holy Spirit, waits and watches, and rejoices that so many of the saints have gathered on the other shore and are waiting for us to come and join with them in singing, "Glory!  Glory to the Father!  Glory to the Son! Glory to the Spirit!  Amen!"

Lord, Help Us.

When we pray there is no doubt in my mind that God hears.  I am of the persuasion that no prayer goes unheard.  It is hard to perceive of God calculating our prayers as being worth hearing, or worthy of the trash pile.  So, I guess the real personal issue is not whether or not God hears our prayers, but why some seem to hang out there in some spiritual space where prayers go when the response is not immediate.  There have been prayers I have prayed for decades which are still on going prayer concerns.  I keep going back to them from time to time, but still they linger as one of the unsettled prayers of my spirit.   

And, what I also know is that so many of my prayers have been heard and I have been blessed to see the desires of those prayers come to pass.  To say that there are more unanswered and unresolved prayers than there are those of the other category would not be true.  I suppose what is true is that those which hang out there as if they are not being heard are the ones which touch our hearts more deeply and which are desired with more intensity that most.  I must confess to not understanding.    

But, I must also confess that my lack of understanding does not turn me away from praying.  Jesus said to pray.  Jesus prayed.  The people of faith about whom I have read prayed.  My mother prayed.  Prayer is embedded in who I am.  When I do not know what to do, when I know what is being faced is beyond my ability to manage, and when I know divine help is the only answer, I am going to pray.  What God does with those prayers is up to Him as it always is.  But, I am going to pray.  And pray.  He will just have to deal with my persistence and my lack of understanding and sometimes anger about His response.  One day maybe what is unclear in these days for us will be clearly seen which sounds like a heavenly prospect.  "Lord, help us,help us.  Amen."

The Plan

So many people are living without any awareness of the plan for their life.  Certainly, none of us live our lives empty of plans   Many have made some good plans for their days which include the big factors for the equation of life such as education, work, family, and even retirement.  And, of course, there are others whose plans carry them toward the edge of self destruction and even beyond.  To say we live empty of plans is not true,  If plans would save us, point us toward what is the very best for our life, we would not need the plan, but of course, all the lesser plans we go after leave us without something required for the most purposeful life.    

The most purposeful life comes from embracing the plan of God for our life.  One of the most oft quoted verse of Scripture about this plan is from Jeremiah 29:11 which says, "For surely I know plans that I have made for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."  From the very beginning we are reminded that we were not conceived in our mother's womb without purpose.  We do not need to wait for Jeremiah to know this.  All we need to do is to seriously read the book of beginnings in the sacred Word. 

Some may think otherwise.  Some may think more of some random role of the dice, but when we read the first words of the Holy Word, it is clear that what and who is created are created as creations which bear the imprint of the Holy One.  There is nothing about the creation account in Scripture which would suggest that all that is came into being randomly.  On the contrary, every act of creation bears the imprint and the intention of of holy purpose.  We were conceived within the plan of God and we were born into it.  The problem for so many is living into it.  

Sounds in the Night

When I was a boy I lay in the darkness and listened to the clanking sounds of freight trains crawling into town and the sounds of dogs barking at one one another in the distance.  Here when the old man lays down in the night, there are no sounds to hear.  Leash laws seems to have hushed the dogs and the nearest train rails are too far away to hear.  However, once in awhile on a night like tonight the distant highway sounds slip onto the farm through the moisture laden air heavy on the ground.  The sound of rubber rolling on asphalt is as distinctive as the whistle of a train engine as it rumbles toward a crossing.  

These distant night time sounds are a reminder that while I am here and still, others are out there moving toward another place in their life.  The truth is we are all moving toward the next place in our life.  We may think we know what that looks like, but many times we end up being surprised.  Some of those who are still out there moving from where they are to where they are going may be going to safe places, but others may find some trouble or difficulty awaiting them.  We never know where those who are going are going.  

What we can do as we hear the sounds of their going is to pray for them.  Some may be travelling with a heavy heart, others going aimlessly with no purpose, and some are distracted by the things which have been troubling their spirits throughout the day.  The Spirit speaks to us in many ways as He calls us to pray for one another.  We cannot always know the stranger's trouble, but we can know that he or she is out there with a life that is unraveling.  Maybe the reason we hear the sounds in the night, or see the things that are often missed in our hurrying is the Spirit's way of calling us to help them.  Maybe the Spirit is calling us to pray for the unknown stranger still out there in the darkness going to some place where whatever is still unfolding.

'Twas a Dream

"As if in a dream and maybe it was, I watched them from afar.  They were down below and I seemed to be somehow suspended between up and down, here and there, and here and not yet there.  They were twelve as I determined after they settled down around the table which was spread with what seemed to be rather meager fare, some bread, a piece of lamb, and cups half filled with purple wine.  Listening to their conversation I began to understand that this was no ordinary group of twelve men, but twelve very holy men.  

There was one who seemed to be talking more than the others and what he talked about mostly was what he did one night in an open courtyard.  "Traitor," he called himself.  And I heard another down a seat or two saying how sorry he had doubted what all the others knew to be true.  A big burly guy who was listening only laughed and with wine dripping from his beard spoke of a prejudice toward the small town people.  It was a room filled with loud voices, the laughter of men, and the strong smell of fermented drink.  With an ear now tuned to what was unfolding in the recesses of my mind and being seen by the eye of my spirit, I knew that this group was no ordinary gathering of men, but a holy band of twelve about whom I had read in the holy book since I had  learned to read.  Sensing that this vision was beginning to fade with the morning light, I strained to hear every voice and to see into every corner. 

It was in those fading fleeting moments that I saw him.  At first sight, there was surprise, but he looked as happy as the rest.  He laughed and listened and those around him seemed pleased with his presence.  As the moment was disappearing, I heard his voice, a distinctive one speaking of the desire he had once had for money and something about thirty pieces of silver.  Each of them looked like men made new and fit for eternity and each bore the red stain not of wine, but of shed blood which seemed to loudly say, 'All forgiven.' "  

God is Good

 A popular religious platitude that I simply cannot stand is the one which is expressed with the words, "God is good, all the time."  Of course, He is.  He is good.  And, He is good all the time.  Perhaps, what sits in my craw is the way it is used.  It is most often used when something good happens such as someone getting well who has been sick, or someone walking away from an automobile accident which should have killed them, or someone getting an answer to prayer just in the nick of time.  Such things and others like them are most likely candidates for "God is good, all the time."    

By the time everyone gets through responding in kind, it sounds like a heavenly chorus out there singing about the goodness of God.  But, what about those moments when healing does not come, a accident victim dies, or God seems to be silent in the face of unrelenting persistent prayer.  In those moments no one is out there crying out loudly,  "God is good, all the time."   Does not the platitude say "all the time" which surely must include these moments when God does not seem to be watching, or listening, or responding in the way we want Him to respond?  

The hard truth is that God is good.  He is good even when the results we want are not really seen by us as being good.  He is good even if no one dares to say it in the face of a loss, or unanswered prayer.  We want to make good relevant, but God's goodness is not relevant, it is absolute.  It is as absolute on Sunday as it is on Friday and it is as absolute in the days when the sun is shining as it is when the sun is hidden by dark stormy clouds.  Maybe my problem is not with the fact that God is good, but the way that goodness is often held forth as something which is conditional.  It is not.  God is good.  God's goodness never changes.  His nature speaks of goodness.  He can be nothing other than good.

Bedrock

If we walk long enough, we will walk into some hard times.  We will walk into some darkness which is so black that there seems to be no light at all shining anywhere.  Not even the Eternal Light.  If we walk long enough, we will finally know what it is to know that there is nothing to know.  When we arrive in this place which seems so forsaken by the Holy One, we will not find much comfort in the platitudes which have sustained us through a life time of things which we thought spoke of the worst that could come.    

A lot of people live by such things as "God is good, all the time" and He is.  Others might say something about hanging onto the knot at the end of the rope.  And, of course, we do, at least as long as we can.  And then there is that one about "all things working for good"  which when delivered some times feels like being spat on.  The last resort in the platitude book always seems to be "you just got to have faith,"  which makes the one in darkness feel as if life has been lived without it.    When we walk in real darkness and struggle on the road of the very hard times, religious platitudes do not measure up.  They have no strengthening power.  They are empty.  But, then none of this is a surprise to those whose lives seemed to have disappeared in the suffering.  

When we walk far enough and struggle to stand with all our strength, we will come to understand that platitudes can never take the place of the bedrock.  The bedrock is trust.  Just trust in the One who brought us into being, Who has been sustaining us, and Who has a plan for whatever it is that is ahead.  Trust in God is the bedrock.  It is the kind of trust to which we cling whether the times are good or bad.  The darkness may deepen, but our hold on the One we trust is made more secure because of His hand holding tightly to ours.  Trust.  Bedrock. It is all we have.

The Unimaginable

There are unimaginable things which are suddenly dropped heavily on us.  Many who lost loved ones to covid a few years ago during the height of the pandemic went through a process of loss and grief filled with a separation which was heart breaking beyond measure.  Of course, any unexpected loss of a loved one is for most of us unimaginable even though we look around and see it happening every day.  Life is a wonderful thing and we fight to our last breath to hold on to it, but it is also messy, unpredictable, and very fragile.   

Our head tells us our bodies are made with an expiration date, but it is mostly a reality which we ignore until ignoring it is no longer an option.  What is true is that the Creator who held us at the first instant of our life in the womb of conception never really turns us lose  We may seek throughout the course of our life to loosen His hold on us, but it is something we never are able to fully accomplish.  It is hard for us to comprehend how fully we are His, how He loves us sometimes despite us, and how His plan for us takes us far beyond the transitory nature of this life into an eternity even now being readied.  

Even as unimaginable things come to us in this life, so are there unimaginable things out there ahead of us in the life to come.  When we remember the words of Jesus to the dying thief on the cross, we seem to get more caught up in figuring out what Jesus meant by "Paradise" than looking at the obvious which is expressed in those words, "Today you will be with me..."  (Luke 23:43)  Being with Jesus in an eternal life is unimaginable for many of us, but it is as certain a gift as death for anyone who like that dying thief on an unimaginable cross is ready to receive it.  

And Can It Be

There was a time when not being in worship on Sunday morning was an unthinkable thing.  When I was growing up, it was mandated.  "If you put your feet under this table, you will do what you are told," is what I was often told and always I was told when Sunday came I would be going to church with the rest of the family.  And, then much later I ended up as one who was preaching and leading worship so no one had to tell me what I had to do on Sunday morning.  What was sometimes done unwillingly became my own choice through most of my life.    

Retirement put me into a different set of circumstances.  Or, maybe it was getting older and not being able to count on being able to do what I had always taken for granted.  Whatever the reason these days have been days of attending and not attending worship every Sunday.  I have discovered that sometimes what we might choose to do is not really being chosen for us.  If such makes little sense, continue to hang in there for life to unfold new possibilities.   

So, on a day when worship in the church was not an option, I pulled out my United Methodist Hymnal and started turning pages.  As I turned the pages, I saw some hymns I never thought I would have forgotten, but such was the case with some.  And I even found myself silently singing a few that have always stirred the deep places of my spirit.  One of those hymns was a Charles Wesley hymn entitled, "And Can it Be."  It is a glorious hymn.  It is a teaching hymn.  It is a hymn that tells the story told in the gospel in a powerful and compelling way.  It is a hymn of great victory as it ends with those words, "Bold I approach th' eternal throne and claim the crown, through Christ my own."  Would that I could be with a great crowd of believers to sing this hymn today!

No Certainties

Each day is not filled with planed certainties, but unexpected possibilities.  While there is nothing wrong with making plans, being married to them is a frustrating reality.  If there is any doubt, take a moment and ask the guy Jesus talked about in what is called the parable of the wise fool.  It seems that he was a very successful farmer who was so taken in by his harvest that he started boasting to himself about the need for bigger barns. His advice to himself was, "...I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years: relax, eat, drink, be merry"  (Luke 12:19)  His plans were changed suddenly for the day of his boasting also had within it the night of his death.      

The Apostle James wisely said to those kindred spirits of the wise fool who were planning their future and their fortune,"Yet, you do not even know what tomorrow will bring."  (James 4:14)  The Word reminds us again and again that life is fragile.  It is not made of certainties.  There are no guarantees.  The best thing we can do is to get up each day and be grateful our feet are good for walking and our body is ready for the day filled with whatever it is that is ahead.  

Walking toward our plans is, of course, a good thing, but there should be no surprises in the detours and road blocks which might be in the way.  If we can come to a place of simply putting each day in the hands of the God who awakens us, we will surely find less frustration and more purpose.  Our plans and His purposes may not always be in sync, but when we come to the end of the day, it is His purposes being engaged which enables us to know that the day despite its difficult moments was not a waste.

In the Beginning

When I first came to this place,

When I first came to this time,

I heard God say deep within,

             "Pay Attention."

A Word clearly spoken, 

A Word clearly heard,

A Word immediately understood

            a Word from Him.

It was a voice without sound

A voice not heard with ears,

A voice from the silence,

           the Holy Voice.

Something never doubted,

Though not always heeded,

Always out there, speaking

          "Pay Attention."

          

Hidden Scars

We all wear our scars.  My pinkie finger has a mark that was made back in the day when families would go to drive in movies and the speaker would be pulled in and then out of the car window.  My leg did battle one afternoon with a lawn mower and then there is the forearm marking from some skin cancer surgery.  There are a few others worthy of honorable mention,but  a few make the point that we are all scarred people.  Life has a way of leaving its marks on us as we move through the years.   

And as surely as there are visible scars from past struggles so are there scars within which no one really sees unless we decide in a moment of vulnerability to share them.  Acts of betrayal can cause us to never trust again, church battles can make us suspect of anything and anyone that smacks of Christianity, and a spoken word meant to hurt still seems like an arrow that has pierced our heart.  Like the physical hurts that scar us, these inner wounds may heal over, but the pain may from them may come again and again like the joint pain some old timer says comes when the weather changes. It seems that they will simply never cease to limit our living keeping us from the joy that we long to know in our life.   

And, indeed, this is true if we depend only on our own attempts at healing.  There is a balm that heals even the worst scars of the heart.  When Christ went to the cross to die for the sins of those who were persecuting Him, the power of reconciliation, forgiveness, and love was poured out upon humanity in such measure that our scars from the past no longer have a hold on us.  To embrace this gift from the cross is to bring it into our life in such a way that our inner healing becomes possible and the destroying power of our scarred soul is broken.  For so many of us, it is a gift waiting to be received.  

Not Paying Attention

Today had within one of those anticipated waiting times in a dentist office so I picked up a small book by Esther de Waal entitled "Lost in Wonder."  It is one of those books which does not require a front to back reading, but is set forth in such a way that any chapter can be read independently of the rest.  And then, too, as I made my choice I knew it was a book I had already read a couple of times, maybe even more.  

This is not to say I had digested everything in its pages which is why it required multiple reads.   But, as is often the case a repeated read can bring unexpected surprises.  It was the sub title of the book which really caught me by surprise this time:  "Rediscovering the Spiritual Art of Attentiveness."  Just when it seems that some progress is being made in paying attention, something like this happens.  The slow learner than I am read the book several times and never noticed it was about the spiritual art of attentiveness.  I picked up some of this in the reading, but did not realize it was a major part of the reason for the book.   

This is not the first time life has surprised me in such a way.  I read too fast.  It is just something I do.  And, so I miss some things that I find the next time I race through the pages.  Of course, some things I never see because I am reading too much to get to the end instead of staying in the stream of what is being expressed.  It makes me wonder if this is symptomatic of the way I live.  

Walking Without Shoes

The things that are not yet seen belong to the hidden sphere of the creation.  The Apostle John wrote, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.  He was in the beginning with God."  (John 1:1)  Of the Eternal One it is written, "All things came into being through Him..." (John 1:3)  There has not been a time when Christ has not been present, but until Bethlehem, His presence was within the hidden invisible realm.  It was only when "the Word became flesh" (John !:14) that what was invisible through the ages became visible to those who were there to behold Him.  

Micah caught a glimpse of what was to be, but had not yet come when he saw in his spirit that Bethlehem would be the place of the birth of One not yet come, but coming.  (Micah 5:2)  Other prophets, too, beheld the wonder of seeing and knowing what was unknown and hidden.  Long centuries before the Christ was hung up to die on Calvary, the prophet Isaiah described it with such vivid accuracy that it would appear he was an eye witness. (Isaiah 53)  He, too, beheld the hidden mystery that was yet to be revealed through the life, death, and suffering of Jesus.  Perhaps, it was a partial glimpse of an ever present eternal and invisible reality, but it was far more than others would see.   

We, of course, live in a world bound by what is visible.  So bound are we in this world that we live with a creed that it is not only improbable, but impossible for the invisible to break through into our physical world.  It is impossible for the holy to break into our secular based world.  Our saying so, our lack of expectation, our inability to see does not change the ability of an all powerful God to reveal Himself and to sound His Word among us.  The invisible and hidden will be revealed again and again according to God's will and our willingness to see and hear.  Always we stand midst the holiness, but only those who see walk without shoes.

The Greatest Mystery

In a world brim full and overflowing with holy mystery, the greatest mystery is the one which transforms the human heart and enables the God given soul to once again come home.  Like other holy mysteries this one remained hidden for such a long time before being seen and, unfortunately, for many people it still remains something unseen and dismissed into the realm of something which does not really exist.  In the final words of Romans we hear the Apostle speaking, "Now to God who is able to strengthen you...according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed..."And then in still another letter he wrote, "...the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations has now been revealed to His saints..."  (Colossians 1:26)    

What goes without saying is that the great mystery is the mystery made incarnate through Jesus Christ.  And while there is great mystery within our attempts to understand what God did through Christ, an even greater mystery is found within the question framed by "Why?"   Why would the Son of God come to this earth, be born in a place like Bethlehem, live in this world, and die on a hill filled with rejection, scorn, pain, and ridicule?  And if the gospel is true and there is no reason to think otherwise, He came out of His love for the likes of you and me.  

Why would He do such a thing?  Not a one of us can count ourselves worthy of such a sacrificial and unconditional love?   No, not a one. Therein, lies the greatest mystery of them all.  Why would Christ choose to die for me and you?  Certainly, the theologians and preachers point to love as the reason, but it still does not answer the question of why He would love us in such a self sacrificing way.  Why would He go to the cross for each one of us?  Of all the mysteries, surely this is the greatest.

Mystery's Journey

 I walk in Mystery,

    smell its fragrance,

      taste its sweetness

       feel is freshness

         see its hiddenness

           hear its silence,

Mystery all round me.

I walk into Mystery, 

   waiting on its unfolding,

      expecting the shimmering,

        sensing the revealing,

          knowing the presence,

            listening expectantly,

Mystery always before me.

I walk through Mystery,

    going, but not yet,

       clouds of glory,

         a river so very wide,

           saints on the other side,

             the Holy One waiting,

Mystery soon to overcome me.

          

Locked Church Doors

Many things have changed about the church in the years that I have known it, sat through its many sermons, and preached more than a few of my own.  Some of the changes may be in the area of the profound and the unexpected while others are so simple we seldom give any attention to them.  One of the things which has been remembered in these last days is that the church of my boyhood was the church of the unlocked door.  In these day every door is secured and the windows are tight.  Getting inside amounts to breaking and entering, but not so in a day so long ago.    

Back in the day I remember, getting in the church any day of the week was as simple and easy as opening the front door and walking inside the building.  In the neck of the woods I remember, church doors were not locked.  Perhaps, back then there were not as many people bent on committing crimes.  Or, maybe those who would break in figured the law and God would get involved if caught.  Or, there is also the possibility that open unlocked doors were no challenge to the thrill seeker.   

Of course, none of this wondering amounts too much.  It could be true that church doors were unlocked back then because folks wanted the doors to be open at any time should someone have a reason to go and kneel at the altar.  Or, maybe back then people did not count what was inside as being so valuable that it would need locks and expensive insurance policies to protect.  I have never really settled on the reason, but I do remember a church next door which was always open and available to young people like me who might want to go in without having to worry about some adult watching over our shoulder.  My adult mind understands all the logic of the locked church doors, but my memory sure does long for the days when admission was available to whoever, whenever.  

Holy Mystery

If we live in a world of holy mystery which is where we live, what do we do when we begin to see that world of mystery which has been hidden from us for so long?   Those who would disagree by pointing to all the terrible acts that are unleashed on society, or the powerful storms and devastating fires that bring havoc, destruction, and death may declare that if we live in a world of holy mystery, it must be a big joke.  But, of course, it is no joke.  It is reality.  The holy mystery is all around.  It is even within us.  There is no place we can go that is empty of this mystery that pervades the creation.    

It may take some of us longer to see it than others, but if we keep our eyes open and our hearts pointed toward the Creator, the moment of revelation will surely come to us.  And when it comes it may be something extraordinary such as Saul of Tarsus encountered on the Damascus Road, or some quiet moment of solitude such as the one experienced by Moses when he stood in front of the bush that burned but was not consumed.  The seeds of our search for holy mystery in the creation are planted within us at the moment of our conception.  From that moment there is within us a growing longing for the mystery which brought us into being and continues to sustain through all our days.   

Mystery, of course, is mystery.  It is not always perceived as something clearly seen.  It does not always reveal itself with the overwhelming glory of the evening sunset, or the soft splendor of light brought to us in the darkness by the rising moon.  It is simply something always present.  Some say it is hidden, yet visible.  What sounds confusing speaks more truth than the unseeing heart first perceives.  When the invisible starts breaking into the visible, there are things to see and know which are beyond the scope of what the eye can see and the ear can hear.  A new language is learned in those moments and it is the language the Holy Spirit speaks deep in our souls as He points us to the unfolding glory and mystery to be seen everywhere we turn.  

Unseen Mystery

Life is full of mystery.  While some may live as if they have it all figured out, any such figuring is just a wishful illusion.  If there are a million certainties in life, there are ten million mysteries.  The problem for so many of us is that we live so immersed in the certainties that there is no room for the mysteries.  And, of course, the real truth is that we stare in the face each day more mysteries than we can count, but then, we are not really able to see these things which are very visible; yet, hidden.    

The Creation belongs to the Creator.  The creation reflects the handiwork of the Lord God.  He is architect, artist, the creative hands that have brought everything we see into being.  This includes not only the marvelous sunsets which are the objects of such awe, but also the weeds that invade our yard, the wasp that sting, the bees that make honey, and the grass which feeds livestock.  All the ordinary stuff is just as much an expression of the handiwork of God as that glowing radiant sunset.    

We are not trained to see.  We have been trained not to see, to be so busy with making a living that we have lost touch with the art of living.  Living is about the present.  It is about being in the present with an awareness of all that is around us.  The old saying about stopping to smell the roses has more truth in it than most of us are willing to acknowledge.  We do not smell the roses because we never see them.  Too busy is what we have become.  Being busy obscures the mystery that God has embedded in this unfolding creation.  It is a shame we are like a visitor to an art  museum who wants to see all the art work in only a minute.  

Morning Sun

 Morning sun,

    shining surely,

      through the gray.

Once again,

    lighting the new,

      chasing darkness,

Making visible,

    hidden things,

       holy things.

Brother Sun,

    faithful friend,

      always close,

Come now again,

    light our life,

      show the way.

Bring forth today,

    hidden glories.

      often unseen.

Eternal Light,

   no beginning.

     never ending.

Here among us,

   lighting souls,

     heavy hearts,

Lives overcome

   with darkness,

     never more.

The Adversary

The snake that appeared in the story of beginnings to tempt the Garden of Eden couple was cunning, subtle, and crafty.  It does not appear that Adam and Eve realized they were looking into the face of evil.  Of course, the power of evil has no problem in appearing as one thing while working in a way that is true to the nature of evil.  In the beginning evil does not always show itself for what it is.  It is a master in deceiving and enabling people to believe what they want to believe.   

And while there is no reason to spend our time looking for a devil behind every bush, it is also a foolish thing to live as if evil is not lurking in the shadows and sometimes in the sunlight all around us.  This is to say it is foolish to live as if evil is not a reality with which to contend.  I Peter 5:8 says, "Like a roaring lion, your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour."   And that oft quoted passage at the end of Ephesians make it clear that the power of evil is real and not something to take for granted.  Standing in the face of evil will require not just human strength, but every bit of benefit made available to us from God our Father.   

The real fool is not the one who acknowledges the power of evil, but the one who lives as if evil is not really a spiritual adversary seeking to undo everything God wants to do in our life as well as in the lives of those around us.  We will see its presence in our world, but that never means it has the upper hand.  No matter how evil expresses itself and no matter how much confusion and malice it brings to bear around us, we are called to live in its presence knowing we are not under its power, that it is a defeated foe, and that the resurrected power of Jesus Christ has prevailed against it and won the victory we can by faith claim for ourselves.