We really do try in our own way to adhere to Moses’ instructions for the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6.  First he states what the Jews call the Shema (which means “hear”).

“Hear, O Israel:  The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Then he goes on to instruct them to teach them diligently to their children and talk of them when they walk by the way and when they wake up in the morning and lie down at night.

Tressa and I are trying to make it a habit to ask the kids questions along the way like “who made the trees” or “who made the sun” or “who are you making sad when you don’t do what you are supposed to do” and “who saved Noah on the ark.”  The kids will always answer “God.”

But the other day I noticed that when they aren’t paying attention to what the question is their answer is usually “God.”  I can ask them who left a certain door open or who pulled some DVD’s down from the shelf and if they are distracted their automatic answer is “God.”  They are so used to us asking questions about God that they assume the answer is God.  Of course we get that straightened out.

No doubt you’ve heard people say that “Jesus is the answer” or “It’s just a God thing.”  How about “you’ve just got to trust in God.”  And my favorite “God has a plan.”  Answer easy.  Question hard.

I’m one of those people who likes to know the ending before I begin.  “Begin with the end in mind” is a phrase that reminds one to know what results they are seeking before they begin the task.  So I struggle with questions such as “why did this happen to me” or “how could a loving God allow bad things to happen.”  As someone who has spent 41 years going to church services and hearing almost every Bible lesson imaginable the answers to those questions are easy for me.  However, where I am in my faith is not the same as everyone else and for me to just arbitrarily say “God has a plan” can seem shallow and trite.  Answer easy.  Question hard.

David wrestled with the same concerns in Psalm 13:1-2:

How long, O LORD?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?  How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

This life is filled with hard questions.  Some we will wrestle with until our last breath.  I’m thankful that God continues to give me the strength to wrestle with them.  That’s faith.  God really is the answer for me.  I just wish the questions were a lot easier.

On a “normal” evening our routine consists of baths after supper, playing bull fighter by running through the bath towel several times, pajamas, a little Disney DVD, and then bedtime.  At bedtime Tressa and I usually split the duties putting the kids to bed.  We have a prayer with them and tuck them in for the night.  One of the greatest joys in my life right now is to hear my children praying.  Their pure, innocent, and sometimes naïve conversations with God are truly heart-tugging.

The other night I was kneeling over Callie in her bed and we were praying.  I’m leading her through some things to be thankful for and we always try to pray for those who are marginalized by society; the poor, the lonely, etc.  As I was thanking God for her bed, and pillow, and clothes, and such, she says, “And thank you that they don’t got no bed.”  Now what she meant was “be with those who don’t have a bed.”  Her syntax and vocabulary is still under development.  But it got me to thinking.

Have you ever been thankful for what you don’t have?  Have you ever praised God that you have not received a blessing that you have been desiring?  “Oh Lord, thank you that I am unemployed or in a job I hate so that I may learn to trust in you more.”  Or how about “Oh Lord, thank you for this illness so that I may learn dependence upon you rather than myself.”

Paul wrote to the Corinthians regarding a certain thorn in his flesh?

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10.

We do have to be careful, though, that our attitude is not like the Pharisee of Luke 18 who thanked God that he was not like other men.  “Thank you God that I haven’t won a bunch of money so I’m not as big of a jerk as so and so?”  Umm, no.

Consider some things in your life for which you have prayed to happen yet are still waiting for them to transpire.  I challenge you to thank God “that you don’t got no bed”.  Not that  you give up on your requests, but that you submit to God’s will and seek purpose in your season of doubt.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”    Jer. 29:11

I wore a pager (old school) for 16 years working in EMS.  Wore it every waking hour.  Then when cell phones became the standard issue I wore a pager and a cell phone.  Many times I kept them set on vibrate unless I was in a noisy environment.  What I began experiencing, the sensation that anyone who wears the phone next to their body knows, is called “phantom phone.” That’s when you feel the phone vibrate when it doesn’t or think the phone is on your person when it is actually not.  It’s a true physical phenomenon.

“If you use your cell phone a lot, it becomes part of you,” says Dr. William Barr, the chief of neuropsychology at the New York University School of Medicine. “You become habituated to it.  It’s like wearing a tight sock all day,” he explains. “When you take it off, you still feel it there on your foot. If your cell phone is not there, you still feel like it is.”

Aren’t we the opposite about God sometimes?  I mean, if we allow God to be an integral part of our life wouldn’t we feel His presence more?  Not phantom feelings but real tangible presence.  If we seek a constant relationship with him, to have as intimate a relationship with him as we do our phones and emails and Facebooks, would we ever feel far from his presence?

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside waters of rest.  He restores my soul.  He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of deep darkness I will fear no evil, for you are in my presence; your rod and your staff they comfort me.  You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you keep me groomed.  Only goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the temple of Yahweh forever.” (Psa. 23)

If we feel the presence and workings of a phone that is not present why can’t we feel the presence of our God who never leaves us or forsakes us?  It’s because our relationship with Him is superficial.  It’s occasional.  We need to allow God to permeate our lives because “He will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom. 8:11).

If you find yourself not feeling God’s presence you need to stop and ask yourself what is going on in your life that has prevented God’s Spirit from dwelling fully within you.  Because “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psa. 34:17-18).  Maybe what is phantom is our faith.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Thanksgiving was established as a national holiday to “express thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation to God, family and friends for which all have been blessed of material possessions and relationships.”  What a mouthful (pun intended).  Following the tradition of Thanksgiving I want to reflect on those who have blessed my life.

I could not begin to include all of the names of those for whom I am thankful and to do so would insult and embarrass most of them.  They don’t do it for the “thanks.”  They bless because that’s who they are.  So I will offer some general categories of people for whom I am thankful.  Maybe you know them.

1.  I am thankful for those who seem to offer an encouraging word at just the right time.  I don’t know how you do it but it is always a timely blessing.

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18.

2.  I am thankful for those who lovingly offer constructive guidance without coming across as opinionated or confrontational.

“The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”  Proverbs 15:28.

3.  I am thankful for those who are always willing to help someone else, whether in goods, services, or simply by the giving of their time.  Your generosity blesses and blesses again.

“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” Proverbs 11:24.

4.  I am thankful for those who are intentional in the lives of others.  These are people who make a point to cross the barriers of age, gender, and socio-economic level.  Your influence on others can help change generations.

“One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26.

5.  I am thankful for my parents who have always made a life of faith a priority.  Not that I have always adhered to it.  Even proverbs are general principles.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6.

6.  I am thankful for my children who truly are a reward.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” Psa. 127:3.

7.  I am thankful for my wife who truly is “excellent.” Because

“charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30.

And I am thankful to God for life, this beautiful world I live in, and the certainty of His enduring love and goodness.

Who do you need to thank this week?

(originally published in the Somers Avenue Observer, August 22, 2010)  

   “…cause Band-Aid’s stuck on me.”  Many of you remember that old commercial jingle.  A few months ago Jackson, our 3 year old son, hurt his knee.  He scraped it on something or maybe fell down.  I don’t really remember.  But what I do remember and what some of you already know is that he wore the same band-aid for weeks after that injury.  What I’m saying is he never took it off.  

     During bath time he would keep his knee out of the water.  When you put his clothes on him he would maneuver his leg to minimize or eliminate the chance that any clothing would come in contact with that “boo boo.”  He protected it.

     Tressa and I tried to change the band-aid after several days but he wouldn’t let us touch it.  After a week or so we tried to convince him that the “boo boo” had certainly healed by now and there was no reason to keep the band-aid on his leg.  But he would have no part of it.  He was convinced that it still hurt and that if anyone came near it that would make it worse. 

     He couldn’t let go of the memory of the pain he felt when the injury happened.  And with most wounds it was tender for several days following.  But at some point it began to heal and it was time for him to move on.  Although the physical effects of the injury had passed his mind wouldn’t let him move on.

     Isn’t bitterness that way?  When someone does something to us that we deem “wrong” there is a natural feeling of hurt, disappointment, or maybe even anger.  Their apology is like putting a band-aid on the wound.  If they don’t apologize we still tend to apply our own band-aid; in some ways helpful and in some ways more harmful.  But we want the hurting to stop.

     What happens sometimes is that we leave that band-aid on too long.  We are either afraid to remove it for fear of greater pain or we want it to serve as a vivid reminder of the hurt that someone caused us.  Either way it’s not good for us.  And more than likely the longer we hold on to that negative experience the greater the tendency to develop bitterness towards the person who caused it (or who we think caused it).

     We have been studying in Ephesians for the last several weeks and in Ephesians 4:31 we read Paul’s charge to “let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”  These are not the Christ-like qualities we should possess.  They belong to the world. 

     But rather “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  The battle for our soul is truly in the heart and mind.  We just have to be willing to remove the band-aid.    

“That’s one small step for (a) man.  One giant leap for mankind.” 

Some of the most famous words in American history spoken by one of the most famous Americans to have ever lived…Neil Armstrong.  Of course today is the 41st anniversary of the first moon landing by the crew of Apollo 11.  Although at that time I still had two months to go before I greeted this world, I can today imagine the excitement as the world found out that man had stepped foot on the moon.  For Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, their names would forever be etched in the history of this country and the world.

Since that day in 1969, both Armstrong and Aldrin have been public figures called upon to represent and speak publicly about various organizations and issues because of their notoriety.  But there was a third member of that most famous lunar mission whose name can scarcely be recalled except by Google.  What about the pilot of the command module that orbited the moon while Armstrong and Aldrin were on the surface?  What about Michael Collins?

courtesy of apollomissionphotos.com

Michael Collins’ foot never touched the moon’s surface but his contribution to that mission was undeniably important.  He was responsible for ensuring the safe docking of the returning lunar module.  Without that docking Aldrin and Armstrong would be stranded.  Even though to the world Michael Collins might have been a shadow, to his crew members he was their lifeline.

For many people it is hard to be second, much less third.  For some it is about ego or jealousy or even fame.  But for most I think it is about recognition and appreciation.  Don’t we all want to be appreciated for our efforts?  Though some prefer to be behind the scenes they still need to know that their contribution makes a difference.  To those who, not by choice, find themselves on the lower rung of societies awareness, be the best person you can be.  The good you do for others and for society may never receive the recognition it deserves.  Do it anyway because it’s the right thing to do. 

About his view of the moon from the bleachers Michael Collins said:

“This venture has been structured for three men, and I consider my third to be as necessary as either of the other two.”

So today, I want to say “thank you” to Michael Collins.  I had to Google your name to remember it but your contribution has blessed generations. 

Who do you need to thank today?

In my lifetime I have experienced several people claiming to be God-followers or Christians who were either living in a state of guilt or misusing the Bible or the church to beat others into guilty remorse.  Either way, they were wrong.  We call the first four books of the New Testament ”the gospels“, from the old english “god spell” meaning good news, because they tell of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  It’s good news, as is the whole Bible, because of the redemptive story of God reclaiming his creation from their own sinful ways.  It’s about how no matter how bad we mess up, we can change and be changed.  The apostle Paul writes:

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.  2 Corinthians 7:10

This is possible through Jesus Christ.  If this is not good news for everyone, then it is not good news for anyone!  Judas is the poster boy for guilt.  Here is a guy who was chosen by, lived with, worked for, and betrayed the very Son of God.  How can you be so close to someone for so long and turn your back on them?  How can you profess loyalty to someone for so long and then betray them for short-term gain?  We’d have to ask Judas.  And we’d also have to ask Peter.

Judas could see his mistake but he couldn’t see his Savior.  Although he was remorseful he couldn’t see his Hope.  Peter could also see his mistake AND he could recognize the one who could forgive him, even the one he betrayed.  Judas had worldly grief.  Peter had godly grief.  Death vs. Life.  The story of our human existence.

Poet laureate Nicholas Rowe wrote:

Guilt is the source of sorrow, ’tis the fiend, Th’ avenging fiend, that follows us behind, With whips and stings

Forgiveness.  Easier to give than to accept.   It’s not about remorse.  Most of us have plenty of that.  But what we lack is a deeper understanding of what it means to be saved.  By being baptized into the covenant relationship with God through Christ, we are no longer enslaved to our mistakes.  That doesn’t mean you don’t and won’t make them.  It means that sin will no longer rule your life (Romans 6:14).  It no longer defines who you are.  But you can build a self-imprisoned life trapped by guilt and shame wherein you spend the rest of your days.  But Jesus said:

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

You know your mistakes.  But do you know your Savior?

Many people spend a lifetime interpreting and adjusting to reality.  Some have or will face greater challenges than others.  The old joke speaks to two inevitabilities – taxes and death.  Some are tempted to “opt out.”  And sadly, some do.  It is tiring and challenging to walk straight and narrow every day.  Constant commitment can be burdensome.  Some are tempted to “opt out.”  And sadly, some do.  But Jesus still said,

If anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)

God does not offer an exhaustive explanation for every experience we encounter.  But he has revealed his love and glorious purpose – to conform us into the image of Christ.

God brought the universe out of nothing.  He brought order out of chaos.  He brought life out of death.  He brought glory out of humiliation.  And He wants to bring us to wholeness out of brokenness.  The shoulders that bore the sins of the world are the only ones capable to carry ours.

When King David charged his son with building the temple for the LORD he gave details of how to build God’s house.  He recalled to Solomon the key to success:

Be strong and courageous.  Fear not; do not be dismayed.  (1 Chronicles 22:13b)

Have you seen a nesting bird in a rainstorm?  The pelting rain may threaten, but the bird does not desert the eggs.  The faithful bird settles deeply into the nest; and when the wind shifts she changes position so as to face directly into it.  By doing this she gains stability.  We also gain stability by facing hardship rather than trying to escape it.  We even sing the song, “Be not dismayed what e’er betide.  God will take care of you.”

But we want to know, “How long?  When will this end?”  And the answer doesn’t come.  To Paul, God said, “My grace is sufficient.”  To Jesus, God affirmed, “My will.  Not yours.”  And to the faithful God still says,

Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  (Isaiah 41:10)

In a storm a rooster folds up its wings and hides til the dreary end.  An eagle spreads its wings and rises above the storm.

Will you fold up, or fly?

You’ve probably said it.  It’s likely you’ve at least heard it.  That phrase that identifies a moment in our life when we ceast to be who we are and have now assumed the personality, mannerisms, quips and quirks of someone else:

“I can tell who you’ve been around.”

Usually that phrase is not offered as a compliment.  If I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it a thousand times in my life.  You see, I’m one of those people who are predisposed to what I like to call “subliminal assumption.”

It can be a bold way of gesturing, a distinct way you inflect your phrases, or a repetitive facial expression.  I’ll grab onto that and ride it for a few hours, sometimes longer if I spend more time with you.

Now, the funny thing here is that all of you who spend time with me are going to be paranoid for a while worried what I might pick up from you.  First of all, it’s not that easy.  And second, the point I am making is deeper.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?  Well, that depends on who, what, where, when, and how you are imitating.  My children try to imitate me whether it’s a goofy facial expression, a crazy dance across the living room, or even how I handle a situation.  It’s a scary reality, especially for Tressa!

Many times I will see them do things and think, “They got that from me!”  But I should want my children to imitate me because I am supposed to be imitating God.  Not while monkey-dancing across the living room but imitating God in my character, my relationships, my life.

The apostle Paul whose writings make up much of our New Testament urges his readers to be imitators of those who are following Christ, imitators of Paul because he was an imitator of Christ, and imitators of Christ who was an imitator of God.  Our English word translated in Paul’s letters as “imitate” is from mimetai in the original language.  It means to use as a model or to emulate.

We are to model God in every aspect of our lives.  But how can we imitate an invisible God?  How can we know what He looks like?  Jesus told Philip,

“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

We can look at the character, relationships, and life of Jesus Christ and know our Father.

Christians are to be imitators of God.  Our lives should be a mirror to hold up for others to see how God wants all of humanity to live and to relate.  “Imitate us!,” should be our cry.  And when they do we should welcome anyone to say of them,

“I can tell who you’ve been around!”