Stealing the Show

I was blessed this morning.

During our second worship service, as I was beginning my sermon, a toddler, who wasn't more than a year old slipped out of her pew and headed toward the front of the church.

I had delivered only a sentence  or two when she arrived at my feet.

Of course, I picked her up and held her.

Serious sermon today.  Will post it on the blog tomorrow.  Preached on the Old Testament lesson from Genesis 50 where Joseph's brothers come to him terrified that he will punish them for the bad things they did to him as a child.  Joseph utters a brilliant line, "What you intended for evil, God intended for good."

Focused on that message in light of all the trying stuff that is going on around:

One member recovering from a serious stroke.  Roller coaster ride up and down.  A few times, we thought we'd lose her, but she's always bounced back.  It's emotional walking with the family through this one.

Another family's 12 year old daughter suffered a heart attack, and we still don't know what the long term prognosis is going to be.  Another highly emotional situation.

Another member who had quadruple bypass surgery had to be life-flighted back to the hospital due to slow progress in his recovery.  Thankfully, he's doing better but has a long way to go.

The persistent drought shows no end, and not only is my faith tested, but many of my parishioners are seriously effected.

More than a few of my congregation members have had family members or friends lose homes to the wildfires raging around the state.  Several times, we've been inundated with smoke.  It's tense at times.

Add this to all the other stuff in the life of a congregation: searching for a new music director/organist in a rural area (a nearly impossible task), preparing for next year's budget, preparing for a new Bible Study, continued prep for my adult Bible Study, reading and self study that I had neglected for years, revamping Sunday School and leading that process, and knowing I haven't had the chance to visit many of my shut-ins for an extended period of time while dealing with the serious nature of all these other things.

More than a few times, I've been stretched thin.  As Bilbo Baggins says in the Lord of the Rings, "'I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter, scraped over too much bread."

If it's not one thing, it's another.

It was an important message for everyone, including myself to consider.  "What you intended for evil, God intended for good."

But it's seriousness was tempered greatly by this little girl who wandered up to the front of the church. 

Innocence.

Cuteness.

Waving to her mother and pointing at her.

One cannot help but smile--even in the middle of so much stress and concern and heart ache.

About a quarter of the way through the sermon, I handed the girl back to her mother, but that wasn't the end.  After the sermon was done, we sang a hymn.  The little tyke slipped out again, and headed once again to the front of the church.

This time, she stayed with me for the rest of the service. 

She waved to her mom.

She pointed at people.

She looked at me and at the statue of Jesus above the altar.

My heart melted within me.

Jesus told His disciples once, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs."

I understand a little bit better why Jesus said this.  That kingdom of heaven reached down and touched me today as a little child came down to me.

She "stole the show" so to speak, and this is one pastor who is glad she did.

An Open Letter to President Obama and Any and All U.S. Congressmen

Dear Mr. President and all distinguished leaders,

I am writing in reaction to the President's speech last night.  Several of his proposals will directly affect me positively, and I can easily get behind most of the ones that don't directly affect me as well.  Who doesn't like money being put into one's pocket?

However, as  a lower-middle class family man, I can say that such proposals really won't help much to get me to spend more: which is at the heart of the economic uncertainty right now.  Honestly, the economy needs us consumers to spend.  Providers have plenty of goods to supply, but there is little demand from us.

Let me tell you why. 

1. We're not necessarily holding onto our cash.  Sure, some are indeed saving money right and left because of the uncertainty in the economy, but most of us are like pass through banking accounts.  It goes in one day and out the next.  We are spending our money, but it's not on the extras anymore.  We can't afford them.

Why?

2. We're paying through the nose for energy and food.  Yeah, I know the FED keeps saying, "Core inflation is healthy."  Just once, I'd like to tell those folks to get a grip!  Inflation is inflation no matter if it's core inflation or commodity based inflation.  It has the same effect on our pocketbooks. 

Here's a thought for you officials to consider.  When energy prices dropped during the Great Recession and maintained low levels, the economy started recovering.  But when they spiked again, everything stalled out.  Our expendable incomes dried up once more.  Consumer confidence dropped.

Energy prices, directly impacted by the price of a barrel of oil have a major effect on all other consumer goods.  They drive up the price of food.  They drive up the price of manufacturing.  They drive up the price of clothing.  When such necessities go up in price, they dry up our ability to spend.  We have to cover our electric bills.  We have to cover the cost of food.  We have to have clothes.  Whether you like it or not, most of us drive to work, and we have to pay for the gas.  When these prices, driven by high energy prices increase, our ability to keep the economy moving by our spending falters. 

And, of course, when our spending falters, businesses hunker down, save their money, and refuse to hire.  Unemployment stagnates, and we end up where we are right now.  A perpetually spinning hamster wheel that moves nowhere.

Now, I know you Republicans and Democrats hate each other.  I know you spend most of your time trying to make each other look bad.  I know you vie for power and strive to keep it.  Unfortunately, for myself, I have become a great cynic of most things political.  The old joke, "How can you tell a politician is lying?  His/Her lips are moving." is more of a description now-a-days instead of a joke.  I hold out great hope because of my faith, and I really, really try to put the best possible spin on your actions and speak well of you when I get the chance.  My faith urges me to do so. 

But I find such a thing more and more difficult as I sense the further gap between the ideologies you embrace and the realities of the life I live from day to day.

I think, that if you truly wanted to help me and others like me, you'd try to address the things that really limit our spending down here: energy and food.  Reign in speculators.  Tax the heck out of their capital gains in these areas and make it prohibitive to drive up the cost of oil and food.  Work to get gas prices back in the $2 or less per gallon range, and watch the prices of food fall once again. 

Now, I know that both parties have a vested interest in high energy prices.  Republicans are great friends with the oil and gas industry, and it would be a shame to have that relationship strained on behalf of the people who elected them.  But, hello, make a deal with the devil, and you eventually get burned.  Most of us down here know this.  And most of us don't like it.

Democrats, you aren't off the hook either.  We know you like high energy prices because it helps you push the "green" agenda.  Now, I agree completely that renewable resources are great.  I love solar and wind power.  If I could afford the darn stuff, I'd put it on the house I own immediately.  But such energy sources aren't there yet.  They are horribly inefficient, and we can't touch our power generation needs by using them alone.  This is just the tip of the ice berg.  I know you are truly concerned about our dependency on foreign oil and sending U.S. monies to countries that aren't exactly friendly to the U.S.  However, consider this, by failing to reign in those who drive up the price of oil, we're actually putting MORE money into the hands of those countries who don't exactly like us.  How is this a good situation?  Lower the cost and lower the amount we give these countries who purposely denigrate us and would like to see us come to harm. 

So, let's look at this again.  Work to lower energy costs.  That directly lowers the prices of food and other necessities.  Consumers have more money to spend.  The government does not have to go into debt.  A commodity tax puts money into the government's pockets--which it desperately needs.  The only one's really hurt are the speculators who aren't exactly being kind to Joe Public.  Where is the down side?

I guarantee, folks like myself, with the extra income will begin spending again.  We won't feel so pressed and up against the wall. 

The economy will get better.

And then you can go back to beating each other up and vying for power.

Just about everyone wins.

An Act Of God (AAOG)

I think that's what I'll call it.

It will be a short lived organization, just as long as it takes to get folks back into their homes.

What it is: An organization comprised of Christians of every denomination who seek to assist their neighbor who has been left in need due to the Texas Wildfires of 2011. 

It's mission: Provide uninsured families who lost their homes to the 2011 Texas Wildfires with a home.

How will we do it? 

Faith in God providing and expecting the Church to well, be the Church.

First, prayer.  If such an undertaking is not done with prayer, it will never happen.  Pray that this vision is first and foremost of God and for His glory and no one else.  Pray that He opens the way. Pray that God opens the hearts and minds of those willing to help with time, talent, and money.  Pray that God will grant vision to others who will help lead and direct. 

Second: Need assessment.  How many folks will need homes?  What are family sizes?  How much space will they need?  How much are we looking at for an average cost of a home?

Third: Parameters for building or providing housing.  No McMansions.  No shanties.  Basic and quality.  Manufactured housing?  A possibility.  Metal building homes?  Definitely where applicable.  Sub-divisions?  Have to deal with HOA's or deed restrictions. 

Fourth: Contractors.  Gonna need several who have a heart for this.  Pay where necessary.  Volunteers welcome.

Labor: God's work.  Our hands.  Sweat equity included (stealing that from Habitat for Humanity.)

Fundraising: Grass roots.  Appeals to congregations and their members.  Will accept grants from organizations, but will not take strings attached.  This is the Church's work. 

Structure: Rooted in a congregation.  Lead committee which oversees work in several areas.  Will need several throughout the state.

Lots more to consider, I am sure.  Starting with the skeleton.  Flesh to follow.

Sermon Delivered September 4, 2011: We Do It Backwards

The scene plays out over and over again. Thousands of times each and every day. In many places, and in many settings. The characters are different, but the story line is the same.

A husband makes an offhand remark to his wife.

A boss is overly critical of an underling.

A student bad mouths a teacher.

Co-workers differ in their political understandings.

Diners receive poor service from a waiter or waitress.

A pastor says something that angers one of his parishioners.

The list can be exhaustive. Each situation demands a response, and what does our nature lead us to do?

The wife calls her friends and speaks ill of her husband.

The underling complains to his coworkers about how difficult his boss is.

The teacher complains to her colleagues about how unruly the student is.

Co-workers tell their friends how ignorant their fellow workers are.

Diners tell their friends to avoid the restaurant and in particular this waiter or waitress.

The parishioner calls up several members in the congregation and launches into a tirade about how poor the pastor is performing.

Soon, the commentary spreads. More and more people hear the complaints. More and more people become angry, anxious, and agitated. Sooner or later, the word finally gets back to the person who was the target of the original diatribe. Many times, the person is completely blind-sided by the attack. He or she becomes angry. And what does that person do? Does he or she go back to the person who started telling everyone in the first place?

Hardly. The person calls up a friend or family member, and the process gets started all over again. Doesn’t matter if it’s business, family, friends, or what have you. The dynamics are the same. And the consequences are dire. Relationships are strained and broken. Jobs can be compromised or lost. Ulcers develop and walls around hearts get built. Anyone familiar with such things happening?

I’m sure you are. I’m sure you have fallen victim to the process at some point or another. I am sure it wasn’t fun–or isn’t fun if you are going through it right now.

God knows it’s not fun. God knows it’s not right. That’s why He had Jesus instruct us on how we should act in the face of someone who sins against us.

Compare the above examples with the steps Jesus invites us to take when another member of the church sins against us. I think you will see that when it comes to handling our issues, we tend to do it backwards.

Jesus says, "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one." Don’t call a friend. Even a trusted one.
Don’t post something to your Facebook status. Don’t email two or three confidants. Go directly to the person who offended you and tell them face to face. That’s step one.

I know this step is difficult. It’s not easy to confront someone who has made you feel like dirt. It’s not easy to confront someone who has made you angry. It’s not easy to confront someone who has made you feel smaller than small. But think about this for a moment. Jesus isn’t allowing you or me to be the victim. He is not allowing us to be less than human. He isn’t allowing us to feel sorry for ourselves. He is not only encouraging us to stand up for ourselves, He is demanding it! Running from problems is never the answer. Confronting them is. Even if those problems have two arms, two legs, a brain, and use words that hurt us. Jesus tells us to embrace bravery.

"But what if it doesn’t work?" you might ask. "What if I confront whoever it is and they don’t listen to me? What if they continue their verbal assaults and reconciliation does not occur?"

Well, that’s where your friends come in. And not the whole shooting match either. Again, not your entire Facebook family. Not your entire email tree. Not your entire personal phone book. No. Two or three. Get them together. Have another sit down–face to face. Another attempt to bring about healing to the relationship. Jesus puts it this way, "But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses."

Again Jesus doesn’t let us play helpless victims. He doesn’t let us wallow in our own misery. He invites us to build a case. Let witnesses be there to hear the conversation. Let them see things from their perspective. They might see something a little differently. They can confirm if you are right in your assessment. They can see if you are missing something. They are there for moral and physical support. And they are there to back you up if you have to take it to the next level.

Jesus says, "If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." If nothing else works, let the church in on the ordeal. Let the church render judgment. I find this particular aspect very interesting indeed in light of how things normally happen. Oftentimes, folks are willing to let the rumor mill get started in the church as long as it’s done secretly. Folks are willing to talk about stuff people did under the table, but when you ask them to bring it out in the open, they clam up. Why is that? I mean, here, Jesus gives us permission to air the dirty laundry out in the open, to bring cleansing to it. Why is it we want to keep things such a secret and spread stuff underground? Jesus says it’s healthier to get it out in the open, especially if the other person is doing something that is unhealthy. And when that unhealthiness is exposed, the other person has a choice: shape up or ship out. The church is supposed to treat such a person as an outsider–as someone who is not worthy of fellowship until that person repents. And isn’t repentance the overall goal? Isn’t getting a person to change unhealthy behavior the goal?

Well, maybe it should be. But perhaps when those rumors are spread, the ultimate goal isn’t reconciliation. Perhaps our motivations are less than healthy. Perhaps our motivations tend towards discrediting someone else. Making them feel as badly as we feel. Hurting them as we have been hurt. Perhaps this is why we do it backwards and not as Jesus teaches us.

"Well, Pastor," you might say. "That’s all well and good. I see your point when it comes to the church, but a whole lot of people who offend me and sin against me aren’t a part of this church. Some of them don’t even go to church, so while this teaching might be true, it’s pretty impractical in the midst of the situations I face."

O.K. So, if you really want to go there, I’ll even go one step further. I’ll take the step which says that Jesus gave us this instruction because it’s easier than the way He truly wants us to forgive. In all honesty, very few people on this planet can forgive like Jesus forgives. And how does Jesus forgive?

Pull out your Bibles, and I’ll show you. Turn to Luke chapter 23. Look at verses 33 and 34. Read them and see how Jesus forgives, " 33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."

Take a look at that! Did Jesus confront them with their sin? Did Jesus wait for them to admit their wrongdoing? Did Jesus go through that entire process He outlined? Nope. He took every bit of evil that was done to Him. He took every bit of cussing, spitting, demeaning talk and behavior. He took every lash of the whip; every pounding of the nail, and every prick of the thorn. And when they stood beneath Him mocking Him and casting lots for his clothes, He said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Do you want to take a hard look at Christian forgiveness? Then take a look at Jesus on the cross. Take a look at how our Lord handled such matters. And if you really want to deal with those who sin against you in the world differently; if you want to set yourself apart as one who could strike back but won’t; if you want to set an example of what it means to live and move with Jesus as your Lord, follow His example. Offer your forgiveness when others don’t deserve it. For that is the way of Christ. Difficult, I know. But try it and see how effective it might be. Amen.

A Challenge to the Church

You've seen the television scenes.

You've watched on YouTube.

Smoke rising.

Flames curling.

Homes destroyed.

People uprooted.

The fires in Texas have been devastating in the midst of the worst drought in most folks' memory.  Insurance companies call such things (kindly or unkindly) "acts of God."

It is debatable whether or not such acts are committed by God.  For sure they bring the faithful to their knees, but they also leave the unbeliever questioning the goodness and character of the Almighty.  If such acts are caused by God, then God is a very poor evangelist.

But if, indeed, God is good and His character is one of compassion, then His people should share those traits.  His people should show their best in the midst of such horror and devastation.  His people should commit acts of God greater than said drought and fire.

Therefore, I offer a challenge to His people.  I am sure most of the homes destroyed by the Texas fires are insured, but for those that are not, I challenge the Church--all denominations and all faiths--to unite and coordinate and rebuild those houses.  It matters little to me whether it is churches of Texas only or throughout the U.S.  But the gauntlet is laid down.

Are we bold enough to tackle it?

Are we bold enough to show such compassion?

Are we bold enough to set aside our differences in beliefs and doctrines and unite under compasson?

I challenge us to do it!

Denomination as Multi-National Corporation?

...only a fool or a true believer still thinks that denominations differ from one another for decisive theological reasons.  For all their different traditions, most denominations now resemble each other remarkably closely in structure.  They are all cast in the same organizational logic and confronted by the same organizational imperatives, such as public relations, fundraising, and lobbying.  Watch their day-to-day operations, their hierarchical chains of authority, their external dealings, and what do you see--the "Body of Christ" or a pale ecclesiastical version of a multinational corporation?"

--Oz Guiness, The Last Christian on Earth p. 139

God forbid.

Signs of Hope

This past weekend, I sat down to breakfast with two gentlemen from my congregation.  We got together to have one of those "intellectual" discussions--particularly reflecting upon a book entitled A Place for Truth edited by Dallas Willard.  We spent two and a half hours in discussion and reflection. 

At one point as we reflected upon several issues and concerns, I spoke out, "I cannot not believe in Truth.  I cannot not have hope.  I've seen too many things and been with too many people who are suffering to believe that is the end all and be all.  There's got to be something more!"

That point, my friends is one of my basic assumptions of life.  I can't prove it rationally.  I cannot prove it mathematically.  I can give no tangible evidence for its existence.  But I believe it, none-the-less.  I have to.

Today, I visited a 12 year old girl who suffered major brain damage because of an irregular heartbeat leading to a seizure leading to a heart attack.  She was literally dead for quite some time.  She has been move from intensive care in a major children's hospital to a rehab type of hospital.  She still cannot talk.  She is moving, but we still don't know if her movements are voluntary or not.

But there is hope.  She is off of breathing helps and apparatuses.  She is off IV meds.  She has a feeding tube and is still being monitored, but it is far less than where she began.

As the physical therapists worked with her today, she held her head up on her own for extended periods of time.  She had been very reluctant to do so.  Her eyes were open more.  She was placed in a wheel chair of sorts and "driven" around the hospital.  She did extremely well in that chair which isn't the case for some patients.  All of these things are signs of hope.  Who knows what the exact future holds?  But there are moments like these.

For this little girl's parents, they don't come fast or often enough.  They would like to see her up and moving and running around with reckless abandon.  They would like answers to all the questions of why, how long will she be this way, and how will her brain damage affect her.  At this time, there are no answers.  Even with all the medical technology we have.  There are no answers.

But there is hope. 

Sometimes it's small, but it is there.  Sometimes it's the only thing to grasp onto that keeps a person getting out of bed in the morning.

I'm constantly on the lookout for it.

And even when I can't see it, I remind myself of what it must have been like to believe in Jesus for those three days He was buried in the tomb.  None of His followers expected resurrection even though He had foretold of it.  They were living in a great cloud of unknowing. 

But after the resurrection, they understood hope.  They understood there was something more.  They understood that the wrongs would be made right. 

Sometimes, I have a hard time understanding, but I try.  And won't give up.  I have to.  I need to hope.