scottdwilsonstuff

Apr 24 - Easter Sunday - "The Joy of Eternal Life"

2011-04-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” --- John 20:1-20

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Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Lord is Risen indeed. Alleluia!

O glorious day! Our friend Jesus has returned to us a the risen Lord! Prophesy has been fulfilled! Our sadness has been put aside! Rejoice! Again I say, rejoice! Did I put enough exclamation points here to show how joyous we should be! :-)

This truly is a day for which we should be excited…cheer…sing…smile…laugh…play…dance…love. Whatever that thing by which you show true and unbounded joy, you should do today. But, why is this day so important? Many of you might read this and say, “Well, isn’t it obvious?!? Jesus Christ rose from the dead.” Yes, I agree, but why is it important that He rose…that He died…that He lived…that he was and is and is to come? Why? Because today’s resurrection is the completion, a fulfillment of a plan set in motion before the first moment of creation.

What do we see as the story of our lives; not just the time those reading this have spent on the earth. I mean from the beginning of time. The story which, without all of its parts in the correct order, would not have the same meaning, the same impact as it has on us because of those events and because of the sequence in which they occurred.

Could you imagine how confusing the Bible would be if Noah had come after Jesus? Or if Jesus would have appeared to Adam and Eve, as a gift for their salvation and redemption after taking of the forbidden fruit? What about if Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac would have taken place while all of Israel was held captive in Babylon? Would the scriptures be as relevant without Moses and the Exodus…Jacob and the Angel…Judas’ betrayal?

God’s plan for us over the millennia has an order and a composition that is miraculous. We, as Adam and Eve, were given the gift of all creation in its perfection. But we threw it away. We were evil, so God had to wipe the Earth clean with a flood, and promise to never do it again. We had to see the faith of Abraham, ready to slay his own son. God lead us out of Egypt to safety, but we went back to worshipping golden calves. When the Judges were raised up, time and time again and we as a people repented, returning to the Lord but only to fail again, the message was still not getting through. Israel was placed in captivity, then gloriously released after years of slavery. Did any of these things cause us to remain steadfast in our faith? Was there any point when we, as humanity, did not return to our wicked ways, even after we had seen miracles, wonders or received holy deliverance from our God?

We had to see all of these things in the right order to fully understand and appreciate the gift that is Jesus Christ. God had already tried everything else. The only thing left to be done was to offer us forgiveness when we did not deserve it. He gave us His only Son, who was perfect in every way, as a sacrifice to forgive all of our sins: the ones we committed yesterday, the ones we will commit today and the ones we will commit tomorrow…and the next day…and the next day. All of them!

Today is a glorious day! Our sins have been forgiven! There is no longer any way to “earn” our way into Heaven. The debt, the price of entry, has been paid in full. All we have to do is accept what has been given to us.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

So, dear friends, rejoice in this gift. Have peace in knowing that we will be with God forever after the end of our earthly days because He died for us. Alleluia!!!

Apr 23 - Holy Saturday - "The Barren Wasteland"

2011-04-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

“For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.” --- Psalm 31:10

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If there was ever a day without hope, today is that day.

If you look at each of the four gospels, nothing is written about this day. There are no stories about what the Disciples did during this time, no account of how Mary spent this day. The day is a barren wasteland, both in spirit and in the Word.

From the earliest days of the Old Testament, there was always a hope of the Messiah to come. That hope is now gone. Over the past three years, Jesus preached of a new type of relationship with God, with the Law and with each other. That promise now lies dead in a cold tomb.

What can we do on this day when all hope seems to be lost?

If you are His Disciples, now only numbering eleven after the great betrayal, you fear for your lives. Are you next? Will the chief priests, emboldened by the death of He who said He was the Messiah, come after His followers to crush this rebellion?

If you are Mary, His Mother, your pain is doubled. Not only has the promise of a new covenant been destroyed, you are mourning the death of your own son.

What can we do? What will happen next? We can pray that all hope is not lost, but just as Jesus was betrayed, do we not also feel betrayed? Was our faith placed in the wrong man?

If there was ever a day without hope, today is that day.

Apr 22 - Good Friday - "Why Did I Fail Him?"

2011-04-22T03:57:00.000-07:00

“Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, ‘You are not also one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it and said, ‘I am not.’ One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with him?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.” --- John 18:25-27

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You are Peter. It is late in the morning. You sit in alone in a corner of the courtyard as the last few people from the massive crowd, there just moments before, filter out into the city. They have just finished shouting, “Crucify Him!!! Crucify Him!!! Crucify Him!!!”. You begin to weep, unable to believe what has happened over the past day. The simple Seder you shared with your friends last evening seems like an eternity ago.

You reflect on all that has happened these past three years. You smile, remembering the joy you felt when you first met Jesus. You had such pride when He said, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”. The possibilities of a life with this Man, spreading His message of love, grace and redemption, seemed exciting and endless. But what did you do? Did you have faith and stand by His side? No…you failed Him.

When your faith in Him would have let you walk on water, you sank because you did not believe.

When He spoke of His sacrifice to come, you scolded Him.

When He was teaching, your questions were selfish, petty and foolish.

When He offered to serve you, to wash your feet, you rejected His gift.

When He needed you to stay awake and pray with Him, in the Garden at Gethsemane last night, you fell asleep.

When the guards came to arrest Him, your temper flared and you hurt an innocent man; Jesus scolded you.

When the authorities had taken Him, you denied Him once, a second time, a third time.

We are all Peter. We fall short. We have failed Christ at so many points. He is dying on this Good Friday because of us, because of our sins, because we reject Him over and over.

He was mocked, He was beaten, He was crucified, He died.

You are Peter. You have lived a full life, preaching the word of God and the good news of Jesus Christ. Thousands of people have accepted Christ because of your work in the world. You were crucified, just as your friend Jesus was. Yet, you wonder… Your life has just ended and you are sitting in a brightly lit space that has no form. As you reflect upon your life, you remember the moments of failure. You start to weep, just as you did in that courtyard as you watched the thinning crowd, replaying in your mind the three times you denied your Lord, Jesus Christ. The echo of the cock’s crow, reaching you yet again after so many years, mocks you.

But, coming to you in the formless mist is your friend, your teacher, your Lord. He is smiling. He opens His arms to you and takes you in. Instantly, you remember His words, His love, His gift to you. Your faith is complete, your denials forgiven, your worthiness restored. You are filled…bursting…with the awareness of what He has given to you and that in each time you failed, was the gift of redemption. He is not hurt, He is not disappointed, He is not saddened. He turns with you, arm around your shoulders, walking together again as friends, taking you to be with your Father forever.

So, on this Good Friday, know that we are the reason for His death, His sacrifice. Remember that we are Peter.

Apr 21 - Maundy Thursday - "Serving Each Another"

2011-04-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

” And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off His outer robe, and tied a towel around Himself. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around Him.

After He had washed their feet, had put on His robe, and had returned to the table, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.’” --- John 13:3-5, 12-16

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Yet another amazing a beautiful thing occurs between Jesus and His disciples on this night. The Living God in the form of Jesus Christ, stoops down to the lowliest of positions and washes His disciples’ feet.

This act of service has such a deep meaning, not only to those around Him who experienced this moment, but to us today. During this time in history, we have to remember that everybody wore sandals, if they had shoes at all. This meant that the dusty and muddy conditions of the roads, paths and fields caused peoples’ feet to be in a constant state of “dirty”. Not only that, but the wear and tear of the feet of that time was great; no comfy slippers or cushy running shoes…no Vibram soles on sturdy walking shoes or work boots. Feet took a beating. Therefore, the act of cleansing a person’s feet with gentle hands, drying them with a soft cloth, was an especially refreshing an healing experience.

When I think about the beauty of this day…the celebration of the Last Supper and of Jesus’ humble act…it reminds me how infrequently I actually take the time to serve others and, most importantly, serve in a humble way. Yes, I help and my church with Sunday School, as a reader, usher or greeter and with the occasional set up or clean up at a meal. The Jehoshua House prison ministry I participate in is also a way to serve. But, do I truly ever place myself in a position where I submit my all with deep and obvious humility? How can we do this?

Christ calls upon us to serve each other. And, not only does He call upon us in this way, He also shows us that even He, a King, is not beyond serving. We all bring something different to the table which we can use to serve . We can use our time, talents and treasure to offer what we have been given and show our appreciation for the gift that Jesus gave us in His teachings, His miracles and His ultimate sacrifice.

Jesus, when speaking with His friends after this simple meal which we still celebrate today during Communion, in remembrance of Him, offers to us His final and most important words of guidance; “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” What greater form of service is there than simply loving one another?

So, serve each other. Do this in remembrance of Jesus, with humility and true love. For, when we love one another, we put others before and above ourselves, and this is the greatest way to heed Christ’s call to us to serve.

Apr 20 - "Parting Words"

2011-04-20T05:12:00.000-07:00

“After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.’” --- John 17

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Did you know, that Jesus prayed for you? Not just to those who were on the earth with them, but for you…yes, you…who are reading these words right now.

To be honest, I am not sure if I have ever read this chapter of John’s gospel. Most likely, at some point, it was covered in a sermon, Sunday School or a bible study, but for some reason it never stuck with me. I think it is one of my new favorites! I encourage you to crack open your Bible and read more than just the excerpt above, but the whole chapter.

The whole chapter is basically a prayer. It is Jesus praying to God, His Father, about all that has happened during His time on Earth. But the most important part of the prayer is what He is asking God to do for His followers; “Holy Father, protect them in Your name...”. Jesus, our friend and teacher with who has been with His earthly family and friends over the three-plus years of His ministry has a beautiful prayer for us; He also says:

He assures us that what we have seen is the truth: “Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.”

He comforts us that, although He is leaving us, we will not be sad: “But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.”

He blesses us: “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

He gathers us together as His family: “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

What a wonderful gift these words are!

So, rejoice in the blessing Christ gave to us in his parting words. Because, even though we was praying for those who were with Him at that time, He also prayed for YOU: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their word.”

Apr 19 - "A Perfect Response to Betrayal"

2011-04-19T03:44:00.000-07:00

“Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray Him to them. They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray Him to them when no crowd was present.” --- Luke 22:3-6

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Have you ever been betrayed? Has someone broken trust with you and seemingly rejected the relationship of honesty and truthfulness you believed was in place?

In this continuing account of Christ’s journey over the final days of His life in human form on the Earth, we see Judas offering up to the Sanhedrin a means for them to capture this rebel Jew. Can you imagine a deeper betrayal? What has Jesus done to warrant this type of treatment from one of His twelve disciples? It seems hard to believe that a man who had witnessed all of Jesus’ miracles, words and loving actions could offer Him up to be arrested and slaughtered.

But yet, we see the Evil One entering into Judas, putting this betrayal in his heart. He becomes yet another pawn used in the attempt to bring down humanity through death.

Betrayal is one of those acts which can cut us to our core. When a stranger steals from us or harms us in some way, the physical outcome may be the same as when it is done by someone we know. But, the emotional harm placed upon us when a person who is close to us or whom we love harms us can almost destroy us. The trust which is destroyed as a part of this betrayal is something that can often never be restored. Our response, when faced with a betrayal is, at best, a loss of love for that person, at worst anger and even hatred can settle in. The restoration of that trust may never occur.

How does Jesus respond to His betrayal? He willingly accepts it as His Father’s will. Jesus has known from the beginning of Time that Judas would betray Him. He also had the power to bring the power of legions of angels…or at least eleven of His friends…to stop it from happening. But He knows that this betrayal has been foretold and that this betrayal is a part of the sacrifice He must make to save all of us.

Should we expect ourselves to respond like Jesus when faced with betrayal? Maybe for some little thing, we could let it go. But what about the big ones? The business associate who steals from you; the friend who discards the trust of a secret you shared ; the spouse who breaks the marriage covenant; all of these seem unforgivable. What would we do when faced with any of these? It is hard to imagine being able to forgive these things. And even if someday forgiven, how could we not take action to eliminate the risk of betrayal again in the future by disbanding the business, ending the friendship or leaving the marriage?

What did Jesus do? His response is perfect: peaceful acceptance without judgment or retribution. We will see many examples of His perfection over the course of the next couple of days as a part of the events to unfold.

So, as always, look to Jesus as our guide. For even though we may experience the deep pain of a betrayal, we must still find a way to love.

Apr 18 - "What You Might Miss"

2011-04-18T04:03:00.000-07:00

“Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.’” --- John 12:20-25

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Can you imagine what it would be like to plan a wonderful vacation full of exciting events and only experience the first day and the last day?

This may sound strange, but it what many of us do, when it comes to the experience we have every year related to the remembrances and celebrations of Christ’s life in the world. There are many who attend at Christmas, Easter…and that’s about it. Every year, the experience is, “He is born! He is risen!”, over and over again.

But let’s say you are a regular churchgoer. You have a community of faith where you belong and regularly attend. You experience the celebrations of Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, Eastertide and Pentecost each year. This is a very good thing, but what do you do between Palm Sunday, the glorious celebration we experienced yesterday, and what we have this coming Sunday, rejoicing in Christ’s resurrection on Easter? Might you be missing something?

Please believe me, this is not a guilt trip about everyone needing to attend church more or something like that. As I have written on numerous occasions: God doesn’t need you to go to church; attending services with a community of believers in some building does not automatically get you into heaven, nor does the opposite…never stepping foot in a church…keep you out. This is about the enrichment we can receive by experiencing the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ; what happens in over the course of the week from Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is so important to see.

Between today and six short days from now, we will see Christ speak to His disciples about the importance of what is to come, both in parables and very direct words. We will share a Last Supper with our teacher. There will be the struggle, violence, fear, anger and peace of the Garden at Gethsemane. Our friend , Jesus, will be arrested. We will deny Him three times. He will be beaten. We will shout, “Crucify Him!!”. He will be dragged through the streets, nailed to a cross, die and be buried.

You may say, “Yeah…that sounds like a lot of fun. And why would I want to experience this?!?!?” Brother and sister, we know that life is enriched by all that we experience; the good, the bad, the smooth and the rough. All of these things make our joys more joyful, our love deeper and our laughter louder.

So, don’t miss out. Take the opportunity to go to church this week and experience all that Holy Week has to offer; Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and…of course…Easter Sunday! I guarantee you that the joy of the risen Christ will be increased a thousand fold if you have also had to experience the pain of His death.

Apr 17 - "Hosanna!"

2011-04-17T04:39:00.000-07:00

“The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!’ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: ‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’” --- John 12: 12-15

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Have I told you at least once or twice in the past 40 days that I think that we humans are a fickle bunch? It is amazing how quickly our public opinion can turn from one end of the spectrum to another, in relatively short amounts of time.

Do we not remember that a man who now has a daily talk show on TV, with people seeking his “wisdom and insight” on a regular basis, was ousted as governor of New York because he organized a prostitution ring?

Have we forgotten that a man who now commands six-figure fees for 30-minute speaking engagements admitted to cheating on his wife in, of all places, the Oval Office of the White House while he was President?

Is it hard to remember that the most well-known radio talk show host was arrested and convicted of buying mass quantities of prescription pain killers just a few years ago?

I have written about forgiveness many times during this year and past years and it is something I believe with all my heart we need to do more of, but there is a point where forgiveness moves to the point of rewarding and validating the poor behavior.

Looking back 2000 years, I say to myself, “I never would have gone from praising a man one day, worshiping Him as He came into my city, then shouting, ‘Crucify Him!!’ a mere five days later.” But would I have? Am I any different…are we any different…from those people two millennia past? Based on what we see in the world almost every day today, I am not so sure.

But, enough of that…today is a day for rejoicing!

Today, all who saw the miracles of Jesus over the three-plus years of His ministry on Earth, have the opportunity to praise Him as He enters the city of Jerusalem. Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be there? Close your eyes for a moment and think about a humble shop keeper in Jerusalem.

Pretend you are him. You saw this man Jesus preach to and feed five thousand people. You have heard of His miracles; healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, allowing the lame to walk again and raising a man from the dead. All of the ancient prophesies point to the fact that this man is Messiah; He seems to be fulfilling these more and more every day. And today, He fulfills, yet again. You remember the words of the prophet Zechariah, that He will arrive, sitting on a simple donkey.

You look up; here He comes!! You hear all of those around you praising Him and saying, ‘Hosanna!’, pleading for Him to save. He passes you, looks in your eye and smiles. You feel great joy, exhilaration and peace all at the same time. Can you imagine it?!? How wonderful it would be to feel so fulfilled, so validated that what you have come to believe is actually true.

So, today, rejoice! Our King has come! Sing Hosanna, praise the Lord for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. For even though we know that some darker days are soon to come, live now, fully in this moment of pure joy and perfect fulfillment.

Apr 16 - "Praising The Pain"

2011-04-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

“By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered you, O Zion. As for our harps, we hung them up on the trees in the midst of that land. For those who led us away captive asked us for a song, and our oppressors called for mirth: ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’ How shall we sing the LORD’s song upon an alien soil?” --- Psalm 137:1-6

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It is really hard to remain positive in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Today’s Psalm was written (or looks back) on the time when the Israelites had been taken from their land and were in captivity. Although Jeremiah prophesied for 50-plus chapters that things were not going to go well if the Jews did not turn from their evil ways, they did not and were taken into captivity. Their captors ask them to sing a song, to play happily, but the people are not able to do so because of the pain and loss they are feeling at this time.

Don’t we feel that way sometimes? I know when I am in the middle of a rough patch (we all have them), it is hard to think about praising God for the gifts that still are coming, even in the midst of tough times. We have trouble seeing them, remembering what it feels like to be joyful. When we are really sick with a bad flu or have pain from some injury, it is hard to remember how it felt to be free from sickness or released from the pain.

Yet, the time when we need to be thankful, when we need to relish in the opportunities for learning and growth, are when these hard times occur. If I am honest with myself, I know that the tough times I had prepared me for something for which I needed strength. Can you imagine how differently the pain would feel, if we were thankful for it? Seems weird, but somehow it also makes sense. I pray to remember this when things are tough.

There is a Jewish prayer that says something like, “When it is raining, we pray for rain.” I love the deeper meaning that can be associated with this simple phrase. It recognizes that even when things are not working out the way we want them to, we need to be thankful for what that particular situation may be bringing to us, in the form of a blessing.

So, when those tough times come, when you are in pain, praise the pain. Orient your heart and your spirit to the blessing which the hardship may bring. Realize that these struggles bring growth and that, just as silver and gold must be refined in the heat of the crucible in order to be pure and shine, you also will be made bright and new after the pain has passed.

Apr 15 - "Be Careful of What You Ask For"

2011-04-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

“So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.’ The Jews took up stones again to stone him.” --- John 10:19-42

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Are there times when we pray for something, ask God to deliver or provide, and yet when the answer is given to us, we reject it?

When I read through different parts of the Gospels and see times where Jesus is interacting with the Jewish leaders, I really think there were many who wanted desperately to believe the Jesus was the Messiah. There are many times when they ask Him these direct questions; “Are you Him?!?”. But oddly enough, when He does given them a straight answer, they flat out reject it.

What’s beautiful about all of these interactions, is that Jesus had the power to absolutely prove to them that He was the Messiah, but He does not. He could have waved His hand, swooped them all to Heaven to be in the presence of God and every servant who had come before…Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…all who would have testified that Jesus was the Son of God. They would have seen, without any doubt, that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. But He doesn’t do this. He relies on them to have faith, to accept His answers and believe. But, as we see, they do not.

I am sure many of you have heard the story/joke about the man on the rooftop in the flood.

A man’s house has been surrounded by flood waters and he climbs on the roof to escape. He prays to God, “Lord, I know you are my God and you will rescue me from this flood. Please, Lord, deliver me from this position of certain death.” In few minutes, a boat with his friends come by and they say, “Get in, the waters are rising fast!”. The man says, “No thanks, I am waiting for God to rescue me.” The waters continued to rise until he has to stand on his chimney.

Shortly thereafter, a police helicopter comes hovering over him. The office with a bullhorn shouts down, “We are lowering a rope to you so you can get off your roof before the waters overtake you. Grab the rope!”. The man says, “No thanks, I am waiting for God to rescue me.” Not long after that, the waters rise further, overtaking the man. He is swept away and drowns.

Moments later, he is standing with God in heaven. He asks God, “Lord, I believed in you. I waited on you to rescue me. Why did you let me die and not save me?!?”.

God said to the man, “I sent a boat and a helicopter. What else did you want me to do?!?”

If I am being honest with myself, there are many times in my life when I am the man on the roof. Sometimes, God sends me answers to my prayers and I don’t recognize them for what they are. But equally as often, I say prayers that maybe I don’t want to be answered. Maybe, when the answer comes, I am not willing to accept it and take the action which the answer is delivering to me.

When I pray to God, “Lord, I want to do Your work in the world. I want to serve You. Show me, Heavenly Father, what You would have me do to show the light of Christ to others. Help me know what way I can serve You”. This is a “dangerous” prayer. What if God’s answer is, “I want you to quit your job, sell all of your worldly possessions and move to China to preach the Good News and build up My followers in a country where my Gospel is suppressed and persecuted.” What would I do? Similarly, when I pray for an answer for how I should address a particular situation at work or with my family, and the answer comes, but it will be a hard or painful thing, will I accept the answer to this prayer?

So, be careful of what you ask for. Do you really want God to answer your prayer? Are you prepared to act on what He asks you to do in its fulfillment? When we pray, we must also ask for God to give us the strength and the desire to follow His will. He will not give us more than we can handle, but when we ask Him to deliver, we must also be prepared to recognize and accept it.

Apr 14 - "Our Shepherd's Voice"

2011-04-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

” Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” --- John 10:1-18

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Talk to any shepherd (do you actually know one?)…maybe even a farmer. They will tell you that sheep are pretty mindless creatures. But, they will also tell you that, when properly acclimated to their shepherd, be it a person or a Border Collie, they know what they are supposed to do when called.

From the time when we were all babies, we learned early on the sound of the voices in our lives. It is amazing to watch a new baby (we have one coming today…my sister Jessica is having her third…very exciting!!!) just a few weeks after being born, and how quickly he or she can identify voices. Even at such as early age, when a baby can’t see mom or dad but hears their voice in the room, their demeanor changes instantly. Sometimes, they look around a bit, or most often, start crying. Whatever the reaction, it is evident that they know the voice.

As I think about today’s scripture from John’s Gospel, I wonder, do I know when I hear the voice of my shepherd, Jesus? Do I react when I hear His voice? It is always hard to know. We can get confused at times and we can take over. Most often, good things don’t come of following our own voice over the long term. But, I think there are times when it is abundantly clear that our shepherd, Jesus Christ, is calling to us, when we can hear His voice over the cacophony of noise blaring at us each day.

When we hear, “Peace. Don’t worry, it will all work out.”…that is the voice of Christ.

When we hear, “You are good enough. You are perfect. You are worthy.”…that is the voice of Christ.

When a sermon on a Sunday morning touches our heart, speaks to us directly…that is the voice of Christ.

When our favorite song comes on the radio and we sign out loud with joy in our heart…that is the voice of Christ.

But, it is not only about hearing the voice of our shepherd, Jesus. It is also about being His voice.

When we open our heart to someone undeserving of our forgiveness and say, “I forgive you.”…we are the voice of Christ.

When we reach out to those in need and say, “Let me help you.”…we are the voice of Christ.

When we come together with friends and family and say to one another, “I love you.”…we are the voice of Christ.

So, listen for His voice. Have you strayed away and He has come looking for you, calling you home? Are you in need of peace and His comforting voice is ready to be heard? Be His voice; speak good things to one another, sing praises, offer forgiveness. Be still… Listen… Is He calling to you?

Apr 13 - "Two Approaches To Believing"

2011-04-13T04:54:00.000-07:00

“So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner.’ He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’” --- John 9:18-41

When you think about your faith, what you believe, what kind of approach do you take? From which direction do you come”? Do you start with doubt and try to have your belief “proven” to you, or, do you start with believing?

Although I was already familiar with this story of Jesus restoring the sight of this blind young man, for some reason, I must have never read on into the this chapter from John’s Gospel to learn what happened after. The Jewish leaders were highly critical of Jesus. They were looking for any way to dispel the fact that He was the Messiah. With this young man, they even go to the point of badgering his family, berating him, doubting that he was actually ever blind and repeatedly questioning the facts of what happened. And, what do they do when they don’t get the young man to renounce his newly found belief? They banish him from the temple and send him away.

How about this young man? I have to imagine, that until he met and was healed by Jesus, he did not already believe that Jesus was the Messiah. He merely came and asked to be healed, probably because he had heard that Jesus could do these things. Yet, he believed it would happen. Once healed, his faith was immediate and strong. He approached the situation starting with faith, and his faith was upheld. As a brand new believer, how does he respond when questioned about the event and his beliefs? He stands impressively and simply strong. He even goes to the point to tweak his inquisitors a bit, when asked to tell of his healing a second time, by saying, ‘Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’.

By starting from a place of doubt, the Jewish leaders are unable to believe.

By starting from a place of belief, the young man is able to stand strong in the face of adversity, and his faith is strengthened.

When you pray to God for help, for healing, for forgiveness, from where do you start? Do you believe in your heart and soul that God will deliver what you ask, or are you filled with doubt and skepticism? Is your prayer spoken with the confident voice of deep faith, or is it a feeble plea with no real expectation of realization?

I am amazed at the faith of this young man. As a new follower of Christ, not even a few days from being ‘born again’, he stands stronger than I ever have, even after years of being a Christian.

So, take the approach of starting with belief. Speak your prayers and your faith assuredly with the conviction of the young man who has been given the gift of sight. When we start from the position of ‘I Believe!’, surely, our faith will be strengthened and greatly rewarded.

Apr 12 - "The Spoken Word"

2011-04-12T02:26:00.000-07:00

"...because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with his heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved." --- Romans 10:1-13

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Have you ever thought about the power you have with the spoken word? Do any of us realize how much good or damage we can do just by saying something to others, or to ourselves?

In today's scripture, Paul is speaking to the Romans about the continuing confusion early Christians had around how they were to obtain salvation (2000 years later, are we any different?!?). Having been a Jew, Paul recognized the complexities of Hebrew law and how following all of the rituals and rules which were supposed to justify a person's faith. Many of the early Christians believed that they had the ability to "earn" there way to salvation by their works and gain righteousness through simply having a passion for the teachings of Christ.

To clear things up, Paul makes it really simple. He puts aside any misconceptions on things we have to do to be saved: believe it and speak it. By truly having a heart which believes that Jesus was the Son of God who came to earth to die so that we might have eternal life with God, and by saying it out loud, we are saved. That's it. What power in those words!

One of the rules with our family is that there are certain words we don't use. Yes, the standard ones apply that I won't even write here, but there are also other words which, though seemingly less profane or taboo, can be just as sharp. Words like "stupid", "hate", "ugly", "shut up"...these words when directed at someone, are very hurtful and mean. Even as our daughters have grown up, and they hear these words at school every day, they still get a cross look from us or a scolding when one of these words slips from their mouth by accident.

Similarly, we need to think about the words we use to speak to ourselves. When we say things to ourselves such as, "I can't do it", "I'm a failure", "I'm miserable", "I hate myself", do they hold any less strength to do harm than when we say them to others? What about supportive words? When we say "I know I can do it", "Stay strong", or "I'm not going to let it get me down", are we also not unleashing the power of the positive? In either situation, the positive or the negative, repeated enough times, these words can become the truth. The can shape how we view ourselves and those around us.

Paul realized this when writing his letter to the Romans: words have power. When we confess with our lips, say out loud, that Jesus is our Lord, it becomes the truth.

So, speak the words which you want to become the truth. Know that in speaking with your heart, you have tremendous strength. Recognize the power you have to do good things, simply by saying them, to others, but most importantly, to yourself.

Apr 11 - "How Do We Know?"

2011-04-11T02:34:00.000-07:00

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they are deluding you. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise the word of the Lord, 'It shall be well with you;' and to all who stubbornly follow their own hearts, they say, 'No calamity shall come upon you.'" --- Jeremiah 23:16-32

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We offer up our prayers to God. We wait for an answer. When the answer comes, how do we know it is God speaking to us and not our own thoughts? Is there some clear way to know that we are doing God's will for us and not just going our own way?

I find myself in this situation all too often. I have am struggling with what course of action to take on a particular issue and have offered it up in prayer to God for an answer. Usually, this comes in the form of a "conversation" with God. The prayer tends to wind out into a long dialogue where I eventually come to the point where I think an answer has come. But, given that thoughts can just pop into our heads when we least expect it, I find myself wondering if it my idea or God's idea. I find myself saying, "God, is that You or am I just coming up with the answer I want, not what You want, and pretending it is You just because I offered it up in prayer?"

When these answers come and I am not sure of the source (me or God), it usually means that my will has taken over and pushed God's out of the way. It's all about being truly honest with myself. Am I going down a path that is easy or without conflict, just because that is what I want to do? Or, has the answer God given me present a challenge, a hardship which I will have to ensure and so I choose a different direction?

The truth is, there is no way to know for sure. We can examine the "evidence" and ask ourselves the honest questions, "Is what I am doing good and right?"; "Does my course of action follow the Bible and the teaching of Jesus Christ?"; "Am I building up or tearing down?". But, even though we have evidence such as the Bible or historical records proving that much of what occurred in the Bible was true, we must use faith to complete the cycle of our belief in God. Similarly, we must have faith that, when we believe God has given us a message, answered a prayer or given us direction, He will guide us to the correct end for which His will intended it.

So, listen to the voice of God speaking to you. Be honest with yourself when the answer comes. Ask yourself the tough question: "Is it me or is it God?" If you don't know for sure, keep praying and, I promise you dear friends, eventually your heart will tell you when you have put yourself aside and brought God to the front, letting Him lead you on.

Apr 10 - "The Race"

2011-04-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

"Do you not know that in a race, the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So, I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified."

--- 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

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Maintaining discipline is a hard thing to do. By definition, the word discipline brings to mind control, unwavering focus and denial of things which don't contribute to the purpose for which the discipline is intended.

A few years ago, before I became a runner, "working out" was not something that was on my list of fun things to do. The thought of getting up and going to the gym to lift weights, ride a stationary bike or run on a treadmill seemed like complete drudgery. I was of the attitude which said "what's the point?!?". For those of you who knew me in that time period from about 2000 to 2004, the end result of that attitude, combined with plenty of Oreos, ice cream, french fries and Doritos, was a very unhealthy situation.

When I first decided to change my lifestyle, creating a discipline around eating better and getting some exercise was incredibly difficult. It felt like constant denial; denial of sleep, denial of "treats", denial of laying on the couch all day. But, with a bit of focused effort, it began to feel more like a challenge of the positive sort. I found myself saying, "I can do this...just stick with it." The first 50 lbs. or so came of pretty easy over the course of 6 months or so.

But then what? I had changed my lifestyle to some extent, but I also knew I still had a ways to go. For me, the thing that changed my approach and gave my discipline more focus was racing. Signing up for a race (5k, 10k, sprint triathlon...it does not matter) and telling people about it, making it "public" became the way for me to keep the discipline in place. When I had a day where I did not feel like going out to train or wanted to sleep more...or was just plain worn out, the fact that there was a race out there with a date and time kept me going. The fact that I did not want to have to tell people "Oh, I just didn't get that done." when they would ask me about how the race went, propelled me forward. The goal that was out there...the race...helped me keep the necessary discipline in place. By putting this goal in place and keeping the discipline, almost 100 lbs. disappeared over the course of time.

Paul is telling us, our life in Christ should be like this too. What is your goal? What are you wanting to accomplish? Is it a simple thing like reading the Bible every day? Or, could it be a more complex and difficult like setting up an outreach ministry or organizing a mission trip at your church? Set the goal, but understand the discipline necessary to accomplish it. If we just say, "I want to do this thing", but do not understand how we will get there or specifically what the target it, we will, as Paul says, "...box at the air...".

Lastly, a key thing to remember, as is the case with my running, we cannot do it alone. I am able to swim, bike, run and race because I have the support of my family. I have the time to participate in the prison ministry of Jehoshua House because they encourage me. They each play a role in allowing me to keep the discipline necessary in order to run the race. We must enlist others to our cause and find ways to give back the time and the effort they make in support of their goals.

So, run the race as though to win it. Don't allow yourself to wander aimlessly towards your goal. Make a plan. "Sign up" for the race. Make it public. Ask others to help you. Most of all, bring Christ to your cause. Pray for support in maintaining your discipline and you will most certainly receive that imperishable wreath.

Apr 9 - "The Plan"

2011-04-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

"So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, 'I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing My power in you, so that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth.' So then, He has mercy on whomever He chooses, and He hardens the heart of whomever He chooses. --- Romans 9:1-18

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This is a pretty tough message to hear. Could it be true that God sometimes chooses that some will suffer? It is possible that He purposefully hardens someone's heart against Him?

Although we would like it to be that God is universally and continually benevolent to all people everywhere at all times, we also have to realize that God's power is infinite and causes all things to happen. There is nothing which occurs that His hand is not in. Knowing this, we are faced with the painful truth that, yes, God is in the good and the bad, for all of these things are a part of His creation.

An easier message would be that the gift of Free Will which God has given to us is the cause of the bad things. The choices we make each day, often for the dark, the hurtful and the hateful, are what brings the sad and imperfect things into the world. With this message, at least we can believe that God wants good for us, but we are the cause of the bad.

But what about earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, crippling drought, tornadoes, dramatic climate change? Since it is not in our power to cause or prevent these things, we must face the fact that God's hand is behind these too. The question then becomes, why? For what good reason or result must these things occur?

When I was in college, a couple of key events caused me to turn away from God; to harden my heart (or to have it hardened?) against Him. The tragic death of my young cousin made me sad beyond belief. I remember saying to myself, weeping outside in the dark after his funeral, "If this is what God is, I don't want to be a part of it." I turned my back on Him and chose to walk away. This event, combined with the philosophy courses I was taking over the next year or so, seemed to give me plenty of evidence that God was just a myth, a being created out of a desire for we as humans to assign power to an entity greater than us. For me, at the time, Jehovah, Yahweh, the God of the ancient Israelites was no more real than Allah, Krishna or Shiva. Did God make this happen, did He harden my heart?

It is not easy to understand and, frankly, I don't have a good way to explain it. All I can say is that I believe God has a plan. Maybe it is as simple as recognizing the fact that there is pain in the world. A large part of what happens on a daily basis causes pain, hardship, loss. These, things, however, are only earthly things. When we shuffle off this mortal coil and leave to be with God in heaven, all of these things we experienced pass away. They are temporary. Yes, sometimes temporary can feel like a long, long time, but eventually, the pain does pass. The evil moves on. The sadness fades.

So, when the pain comes, remember that God has a plan. We must first look to ourselves and ask. "It is me that has turned away?". If not, we should accept that God's greater hand is and work and that something good always comes out of something bad. It is hard. But know that the sorrow is only one part of the Plan and that God has amazing things in store for each of us, if not in this world, then in the next.

Apr 8 - "Thank God. It's Friday!"

2011-04-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

"Come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; and raise a loud shout to him with psalms." --- Psalm 95 ********************

If you have a chance today, read the first 7 verses of Psalm 95 (below...the exclamation points are mine...except for the last one). I imagine the Psalmist must have written these verses on a Friday morning. The words are exploding with joy and praise for God...I can almost hear them being shouted from a mountain top!

When we praise God, it is almost impossible to not be filled with joy. We find ourselves smiling, at times on the verge of tears of happiness. That praise can be in song, dance, sport, hard work, a fervent hug, a passionate kiss...anything we do, that when we do it, we are recognizing the full potential of our being.

So, today, shout it out!!! Thank God!!! It's Friday!!!

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Psalm 95: 1-7

Come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation!!!

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;

and raise a loud shout to him with psalms!!!

For the Lord is a great God!!!

and a great King above all gods!!!

In his hand are the caverns of the earth;

and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,

and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

Apr 7 - "The Power of a Single Moment"

2011-04-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

"For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'" ---1 Corinthians 11:17-34 ******************************

Jesus sitting with His friends having a simple meal. Can you imagine yourself being at this quiet moment, this instant in time?

Broken down to its basic components, this event does not seem to be as dramatic as other moments during Christ's life on earth. Whether it is His baptism, with God's voice booming from heaven, Jesus walking on water to His disciples, or the miracle of water transformed to wine during the wedding at Cana, there are many moments where Jesus' holiness and power shouts to be recognized more than this one. At face value, it carries no more significance than a conversation we may have with family at the dinner table on any given evening. His request is simple; "I may not be with you much longer, so, when you are together sharing a meal, remember me."

Does this moment carry its weight for me because I have heard the story of the Last Supper easily more than 1000 times over the course of my life during communion on Sundays or at special holidays and celebrations? Or, is there something more? I am sure Jesus recognized the power of the moment in general as well as the power of this particular moment. He knew that His words would be repeated by His friends and later by those with whom they would share the Good News. The story of these short series of words would be handed down from generation to generation and retold again and again until He returned to earth as a triumphant king.

Life is an almost infinite series of single moments. In the multi-tasking rush of our days, weeks, months...lives...it is easy to miss the opportunity to have a positive impact each one of these smidgens of time presents. Equally as important, we often fail to recognize that these moments can sometimes be a force for negativity which ripples through time, not seeing their effects at that particular second. A kind word or a hateful one...a hug or a cold shoulder...a smile or a scowl...a helping hand or brush off; each of these actions have meaning to those around us.

When I think about the power of a single moment, I sometimes feel sad about the opportunities, the moments I have squandered. Even though I live without regret, because the good, the bad and the ugly have brought me to this moment in my life...and I would not change a thing about it because I am so richly blessed...it is hard not to think about the times when a different choice may have made the difference to someone close to me.

So, what will be your moment today? Will you seize the opportunity to make history, not necessarily in some dramatic, public event, but in the gift of a personal interaction with someone around you, the effect of which changes their life? Take the time to speak simple, loving words in every moment. For when we do this, we do this in remembrance of Him.

Apr 6 - "Childlike"

2011-04-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

"Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, 'What were you arguing about on the way?' But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.' Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.'” --- Mark 9:30-41 **************************

Jesus talked about children a lot. In addition to the passage above, He said: peacemakers are the children of God; we should become like children in order to enter Heaven; He commanded that His disciples should let the children come to Him.

What does it mean to me childlike? Having 3 daughters and 13 nieces and nephews...most of them being under age 10...I have had the opportunity to see lots of children in action over the past few years from the perspective of an adult, father and uncle.

Here's what I notice about children:

...children can make a plaything out of the most obscure items...a stick, a rock, or a discarded piece of plastic can be better than the hottest new toy or video game

...children love intensely...have you ever seen a child lose their favorite stuffed animal?

...children are often more fascinated by the packaging, bows and boxes than the gifts inside them...take bubble wrap, for example

...children run...not as a means of exercise, but as the most fun and efficient way to get anywhere fast

...children speak their minds openly...the things that come out of their mouths bring us great joy, laughter or inspire us to our core

...children accept new people into their lives with excitement and hope...anyone is a friend at the playground

...children smile more than they frown, laugh more than they cry, love more than they hate

I think Christ talks about children so much because, not only does He want us to take a childlike point of view in our faith and relationship with God...our Father...Abba..., but that He wants us to recognize the gifts that can come from a childlike point of view. As adults, we can complicate, caveat, couch, hedge, analyze, plan, rethink and strategize the pure joy and excitement out of any situation. We develop very complex points of view on myriad topics as well as the people we know or don't even know.

Christ calls us to be like children and embrace the childlike point of view because, if we discount the wisdom, value and joy a child or childlike person can bring to our lives, we are missing out on an important part of the total picture.

So, be childlike. Love fiercely. Run, jump and play with intensity and joy. Accept the view a child brings with openness and warmth. For when we welcome a child in the name of Christ, we welcome Christ Himself into our lives.

Apr 5 - "Temporary and Eternal"

2011-04-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. --- 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

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There is no doubt about it. We grow older each day, our bodies microscopically changing and degrading ever so slightly as we walk slowly towards the end of our days on earth. Our minds become a little less crisp, memories fade and physical activities we once used to enjoy without second thought become more difficult and leave us hurting after.

Should this stark reality weigh us down, depress and leave us without hope?

I have been blessed to know Bonnie Lucy Wilson my entire life. My Grandma Bonnie has been the steady rock of our family for as long as I can remember. Her deep love for family, her sharp wit and her vegetable soup have been mainstays in my extended family for all of my years. If you were to meet her today for the first time, you would see that her physical form is fading away. It is hard for her to get around and her short-term memory is not what it used to be.

But, in a beautiful way, she is getting younger every day. Whenever I see her, it seems she has a new perspective on the value of family and, most importantly, on the role God has played and continues to play in her family's life. She sits serenely watching all that is going on around her as children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren laugh, play and love in her midst. When I talk to her about the scene, the menagerie of activity, relishing with her the blessedness of the occasion, she often quotes Psalm 46, verse 10: "Be still and know that I am the Lord." It is now obvious to me that her sitting and watching is not a quiet disconnectedness, it is her way of praising God, letting Him "be".

Yes, the fact that we are growing older each day is right there in front of us. But what else is true? With each day we live, we come one day closer to that day, when we will stand with Christ, renewed and restored with the knowledge that the pain and trials we faced on Earth were only temporary. We will recognize that we are seasoned by this world. We are given the gifts of time and experience which wonderfully deepen our understanding.

So, rejoice in growing older. Know that we live in this strange yet beautiful way; growing older and closer to the end of our earthly lives, yet becoming newer and more childlike with each passing day. Love the hauntingly bittersweet dance of this world, for each moment, each temporary instance of joy and pain, bring us ever-closer to eternity of being in the loving arms of God.

Apr 4 - "First Communion"

2011-04-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorites…originally posted Mar 24, 2009.

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"Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated..." --- John 6:1-15

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Regardless of the gathering style, rituals or sacraments which are a part of the many faiths in the world today, almost all of them include a tradition of sharing a meal together. The Passover Seder, the feast after Ramadan, the simple supper on Shrove Tuesday, even the Friday night fish fry...all of these involve sitting down together and breaking bread.

In this section from John's Gospel, we can find a concept of infinite importance which says so much in so few words. That's one of the things I love about Scripture; the simplest concept can be communicated in mind-bending, excruciatingly long paths, or as we find today, in 19 words, communicate an amazing and wonderful concept. In the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, Jesus points us towards not only the eventual Last Supper, which we will celebrate in just over two weeks, but to the importance of sharing our burdens with God and with each other.

What is the purpose of the sacrament of Communion? Certainly, it is our symbolic remembrance of Christ breaking bread with his friends before He was taken in by the authorities of the time and eventually to His death. In the beliefs of the Catholic tradition, the bread and wine move from mere symbols to the actual Body and Blood of Christ. But, whatever the belief...symbol or substance...remember that God does not require this of us. The Sacraments, all important, are once again not for the benefit of God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit...They have no use for Communion or any of the Sacraments...they are not required for our salvation or a ticket to Heaven. They are for us.

Communion, therefore, must be something more than just a remembrance or a symbol, right? Of course, it is. We see Jesus taking the bread, blessing it by giving thanks to God, breaking it and sharing it among those who were with him. Communion is the opportunity for each of us to bring our burdens to the table; to offer them up, have them blessed, broken and shared. A burden is lighter when carried by many hands and many hearts.

It is simple...yet amazing and infinitely beautiful! When we come to the table during Communion, we have the opportunity to bring our prayers for ourselves, prayers for those we know and prayers for those we do not know...have them blessed, broken and shared among those who celebrate the Sacrament with us.

Why? Because we don't have to carry our burdens alone.

We have around us every day, every moment, friends who will pray for us. People who will take on our fears and hopes and desires and share in them, praying for their fulfillment or resolution.

So, be in communion with each other. Ask someone to pray for you or for someone you know is in pain or trouble. Offer up your burden and allow it to be blessed, broken and shared.

Apr 3 - "Signs Redux"

2011-04-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

Originally posted Mar 23, 2009 for the same scripture reading, I thought this was appropriate considering how acting on the sign I was given almost 3 years ago has blossomed into a wonderful new ministry with the men from my church. ******************

"The Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him." --- Mark 8:11-21

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Have you ever gotten a sign from God? Have you ever prayed for guidance, asking for a clear message on what to do, and you received a blatantly obvious and unequivocal answer to your prayer? Has there been an event that caused you to make a material course correction in your life?

This story in Mark's Gospel has two parts: one where the Pharisees ask Jesus to give them a sign that he is the Messiah, which he denies them, and another where Jesus reminds his disciples of the miracle of the loaves and fishes when they say they have no bread.

As an amateur triathlete and marathon runner, I find myself in some pretty interesting places at times when I am out for a ride or a run. My training has taken me through small neighborhoods in Truro, Nova Scotia; the towers of the Makati financial district in the Philippines; the immaculately clean streets of Singapore; the concrete jungle of Manhattan and...the fabulous Pendleton Pike outside of Indianapolis. When in each of these places and others, the signs abound. There is a constant influx of stimuli, where it seems that every car honking, every bird flying by, every person who steps in front of you can be taken as guidance...an answer to prayer...a sign.

The challenge with signs is that you don't really know if they are signs or not. There are events occurring around us continually. The question becomes, which ones are signs and which ones are just random events with no connection to the direction of our Walk?

Last summer, after moving to Indianapolis, I began using Pendleton Pike on the NE side from McCordsville up to Pendleton as a riding route. There is a big, wide shoulder on most of this route that keeps me out of traffic. Mid-summer, I was riding full speed and looked down at my odometer. When I looked up, the shoulder was coming to an abrupt end and was finished out with a cement curb. A moment later, I was skidding on my left side down the pavement, my bike in the ditch with a flat and my helmet cracked open. As I looked up, bloodied and bruised, I was sitting right in front of the Pendleton State Penitentiary. For years, I believe God has been calling me to become involved in prison ministry. Was this a sign? Did God stop me in my tracks, saying, "OK Scott, you haven't quite gotten the message yet. Got it now? Are we clear?" I got it...and am working with my men's group at church on setting up a prison ministry.

This past week, I was staying at a hotel for a few days, in a room on the 8th floor. Every time I went to the ground floor in the elevator, it mysteriously stopped on the 4th floor. No one was there, no one getting on or off at this floor. Was this a sign? I'll never know...I didn't get off to investigate. I believe there are times where we get very specific signs from God on the direction our lives are supposed to take. Other times, he just pokes away at us over many years until we finally get the message.

So today, be open to the signs that come at you. You've asked for them, right? Look at each thing, pray for guidance. Take advantage of the little signs God sends before He stops you cold in your tracks and puts you on the pavement, making sure you got the message.

Apr 2 - "Be Bold"

2011-04-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

"'It is my Father who glorifies me, He of whom you say, 'He is our God', though you do not know him. But I know Him; if I were to say I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad. Then the Jews said to Him, 'You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?'. Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.'" --- John 8:47-59 *****************

How bold are you in your faith, in your profession as Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

I have to admit, that besides this annual string of random musings on the Word, I don't really put myself "out there" when it comes to being bold in my faith. I certainly have had and continue to have opportunities to share my beliefs openly with others, even strangers. But, when it comes down to standing in front of someone and laying it on the line, I most often shirk away from the opportunity.

A part of this may be the way we have been discouraged from this type of open profession of faith in today's society. The burden of political correctness and social protocol can push our beliefs into the background, causing us to pause when the opportunity to step forward presents itself. But is this just a convenient excuse? Being politically incorrect does not have the same consequences as what Jesus, His disciples and the countless other martyrs of our faith experienced. Pain, torture, death...merely offending someone pales in comparison.

Look at Jesus in today's scripture. Up to this point, Christ has kind of avoided being this bold about who He is. There is no doubt left in anyone's mind after this conversation with these Jewish leaders. Not only does He tell them they don't know God, he says, "I am God." The one-two punch he delivers probably shook their vision of their own faith to the core; no wonder they wanted to kill Him. We can certainly find this example of Jesus' direct approach an intimidating one to try and emulate. He is, of course, God incarnate. There is no real risk for Him to speak in this way. Yes, He knows it will cause Him to suffer pain and death, but He also knows how the story ends; he is resurrected and ascends into heaven to continue His reign forever.

But, is our fate no less certain, should we similarly profess?

We also know that we will be with God forever, even if our evangelism causes us some discomfort or persecution. As always, we should look to Jesus as our perfect example, but maybe we don't always have to go as far as He did. Aren't there little things we can do every day to show that we follow Christ? It does not always have to be some major, grandstanding event. It can be in the little things. Offering kinds words, smiles, asking questions or engaging in a conversation that will eventually lead to an open and welcome discussion of how to experience the love of God. All of these things show what we are made of.

So, be bold. Find ways to show who you are as a Christian. Though they may be small things, they can still be done in a way that there is no doubt to those around you, what you believe.

Apr 1 - "The Truth"

2011-04-01T02:37:00.000-07:00

"Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'" --- John 8:21-32

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You have heard the comments: "There is no God"; "The Bible is just a bunch of stories written by men."; "Jesus was just a man who walked the earth and said lots of interesting things, but he was not God or the Messiah.".

We have plenty of opportunities every day to hear statements from people who would tell us what we believe is wrong. There are myriad efforts in our world to isolate, marginalize and discount those who profess that God is; Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was, is and is to come; that the Holy Spirit moves through the world and through us even today. Why do you think that, when Christians are portrayed, it is most often in the negative personification of the mindless drone, the revival tent healer, the fundamentalist racist or the the collection-plate-pilfering pseudo-saint? Are these images of Christians being used to build us up or to try and break us down, an attempt to deny the Truth?

Think about how much conflict has occurred over the course of the past two millenia which has been directly related to battles about the Christian faith. Granted, there are certainly a number of instances where people have pursued a perversion of the Truth and perpetrated horrible things. But overall, have not many good victories been won, with Christ as the focus? The creation of democratic societies, governments and countries...the abolishment of slavery and the civil rights movement itself...missions and ministries in the ghettos of Calucutta and in our own streets...all of these things came out of a belief in the Truth.

When we are approached by someone with facts, truth, undeniable evidence...and we don't want to hear or accept it...what do we do? We fight, we avoid, we persecute, we deny, we flee, we do everything possible to push that truth as far away from us as possible. It is easy to see why such a great Truth causes such great conflicts, wars, death and destruction...but also healing, progress and deliverance.

But, when we eventually accept the Truth, how do we feel? We become calm, at peace and most often at one with creation and all that is in it. The Truth flows through us like a soothing river, it surrounds us in a warming light and we are renewed.

So, believe the Truth. Do not let the world convince you it is a lie or a fantasy. Know the Truth and be free.

Mar 31 - "A Troubled Soul"

2011-03-31T02:46:00.000-07:00

"Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? And why are you so disquieted within me?" --- Psalm 42 *********************************

Our souls can feel empty at times. We feel out of sorts, restless, looking for something and we don't know why or what we are looking for. We all have these times, every once in awhile, that we just feel a bit lost and confused. Why do we experience this?

As my wife Greta can attest, I have these times. She always knows I have something bothering me well before I do. Over a period of days...sometimes longer...she'll lovingly ask me, "Is everything OK?". Of course, as a male of the species, my initial response is most often, "No, I'm fine." When this lost feeling takes the edge of irritability, I tend to follow this statement, in a not-very-nice tone, "It must be you. Is everything OK with you?!?". Certainly not my best and loving self and not a nice way to treat your best friend.

But, by merely having the question asked of me, I start to look within. "Is there something wrong?", I ask myself. As I begin the process of introspection and self-examination, I usually come up blank at first. If this lost feeling continues for too long, I can become grumpy, irritated, not too fun to be around. When I realize this is happening, I call out to God in prayer. Eventually, I remember to offer this up to Him and pray for guidance, assistance, answers.

If nothing else, this is one of the greatest pieces of evidence, to me, that we are more than just a bag of chemicals walking around. We have souls, a spiritual part of ourselves that is separate and distinct from the physical part. If we were just physical beings that evolved out of the sludge and into our current form over millions of years, we would not have these feelings, these internal struggles.

Over time, hopefully not too long, God delivers the answer too me. Most often, the answer was there all along. If I had just started with a simple prayer, asking for God to guide me through the situation, I never would have gotten to the point where my struggle was visible to others. But, I am still a work in progress...eventually I will learn...God isn't finished with me yet.

So, when you feel troubled, lost or empty, stop...dwell on this emptiness in prayer. Offer your lack of direction or confusion up to God. Ask Him, "Lord, what are you calling me to do?". Then...listen. When we quiet our minds, we are offering ourselves up to God and allowing Him to bring us the answers that can calm our troubled souls and bring us peace.

Mar 30 - "Forgive"

2011-03-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." --- Romans 5:1-11 *************************************

Do you ever have times when you give a gift to someone who is undeserving of that gift?

We certainly find ourselves in situations, especially with our children, where they may have misbehaved...but, it is their birthday; are we to hold back their gifts? There are also times when someone commits a minor offense against us and we are able to say "no big deal", let it go and continue offering our love or friendship to that person. It is important to not confuse forgiveness as a lack of discipline or punishment. If a child steals a toy from a playmate, or hits or throws a tantrum, we can't just say, "oh I forgive you little one". Doing this would result in some pretty nasty consequences with everyone running around stealing, hitting and throwing tantrums because they never learned it was wrong. Discipline teaches respect; punishment shows there are consequences to action. But, these can be combined with forgiveness, not sitting apart from it, as a way to complete the healing related to an offense.

In general, when we are wronged by a friend, loved one, parent, child or family member...even a stranger...we are conditioned to expect an apology or some other type of recompense. It feels like a pretty simple cycle, especially when the offense is accidental or the result of some minor negligence. We see that apology and our resulting forgiveness as completing the process or repairing the relationship. But what happens when the person does not apologize or ask for your forgiveness? What is the example given to us in Christ or in God's gift of His Son to us?

When we hold onto that forgiveness, not giving to the person whom we need to forgive, how does that make us feel? When we have been wronged and desire an apology from the offender, we keep anger, sometimes hate, inside of us. It brews, boils and can sometimes eat us up inside. It can be even worse when the person from whom you are expecting forgiveness does not think they owe you an apology. Or, even when they know you deserve an apology and won't give one!

Is it hard to forgive? Yes! But don't we feel better when we do it? Yes!

So, simply...forgive. Release the pain which you are holding onto. Know that when we offer forgiveness when it is not deserved, we are modeling ourselves after the One who gave us forgiveness when we did not deserve it...and aren't we thankful He did!

Mar 29 - "One On One"

2011-03-29T04:02:00.000-07:00

"Jesus said, 'Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?'. The crowd answered, 'You have a demon!'." --- John 7:14-36 **************************************

More often than not, the crowds do not like Jesus. Yes, He had did have situations where a group of people sat and listened faithfully to His words...even the Five Thousand. But, it seems that mostly, whenever a crowd was around, it was easy for people to be incited against Jesus.

My favorite stories about Jesus are when He is speaking to a very small group, or especially, with a person one on one. Christ's individual interactions with the woman at the well, Nicodemus and Peter all showed Jesus at His most powerful, yet in some ways, His most gentle. Could you imagine what it would have been like to have a conversation with Jesus? Just you and Him. To have Him minister to you individually in a setting where you were able to ask anything, tell anything, weep or be held and comforted. Now, granted, He might speak to you in the form of a parable or in some other way that is not abundantly clear at the time what He is trying to tell you. Nonetheless, it would be an amazing experience.

But, brothers and sisters, we have that opportunity every moment of every day! When you are in prayer, Jesus is sitting right next to you, listening and answering. When you show love or generosity in a way that only you and He know, He is standing next to you, smiling and saying, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.' When you weep and cry out, His arms are around you, giving comfort that only He can give, weeping along with you. When you spend time in the Gospels, reading about His life, seeing the things He said, He is speaking to you and only you.

So, take time to be one on one with Jesus. Just as your soul thirsts for this perfect companion and deliverer, this mighty counselor, this marvelous comforter, He also longs to be one on one with you.

Mar 28 - "Demons"

2011-03-28T02:49:00.000-07:00

"They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before Him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, 'What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me.', for He had said to him, 'Come out of the man you unclean spirit!'" --- Mark 5:1-20 ***************************** Here is Jesus again, as we saw yesterday, making no effort to hide who He is. This man who was tormented by demons comes to Him, and Jesus, with a few words, casts these evil spirits out of this wretched soul. Even the demons know who He is, addressing Him as "Son of the Most High God." What do most of us do today when we see someone "possessed" by unclean spirits? I am not talking about a pea-soup-spitting, head-rotating, evil-voiced possession, a la 'The Exorcist'. I'm talking about that person we see who is controlled by some addition or other self-imposed state; alcohol, drugs, crime...a homeless person on the street we pass by, as they beg for money. At best, we turn our head the other way and try to ignore the situation. At worst, we persecute the person, gossip about their affliction or ridicule them for their issues. Let's be honest; we all do it. But, what does Jesus do? He recognizes that it is the demons, not the man, who has caused him to stray from the flock. It is possible that the man lived a life that allowed or enabled these demons to possess him? Could it be that he even purposefully brought these evil spirits into his life? We don't know, by Christ sees that there is a lost sheep in front of Him, whose soul desires to be clean. He shows His love for this man by releasing him from the things that possessed him. How do the people who witnessed this exorcism react? They are scared...they are not sure what they just saw. They do not understand what has happened and are fearful. This Man controlled the demons; could He be one Himself? Could He be in partnership with this demonic legion who possessed the man? Instead of rejoicing in the miracle of a healing, they tell Jesus to leave. What would we do? How do we react when we see others ministering or associating with those we consider to be unclean? Do we invite Jesus in or send Him away? In spite of surely knowing how the people would react, Jesus still puts Himself and risk and saves this one lost sheep. We should be very glad that He was willing to do this...and will still do it today. Each of us is lost at some point. We may have the good fortune of not being possessed like this man was, by evil spirits and thoughts, addiction or affliction, but Jesus is willing to remove any of these things which possess us. So, call out to Jesus, Son of the Most High God. Ask Him to remove those things which possess and cause separation from the flock. Jesus can see the person you are underneath that which possesses you. Know that He is the Good Shepherd and He deeply desires that you, as one of His lost sheep, can be washed clean by His sacrifice and released.

Mar 27 - "God's Time"

2011-03-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

"Jesus said to them, 'My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify against it that its works are evil...'" --- John 7:1-13 ********************

"Patience is a virtue." How many times did I hear that while I was growing up?

We are an impatient people. Every day we are trying to find ways to make things faster, more efficient, happen sooner. Technology is a significant enabler and burden associated with this impatience. Remember when you would have to write (not type) a letter, put it in an envelope, stamp and address it, put it in the mail...then wait for a response from the other person days or weeks later? Today, when we send an email to someone, we can become frustrated when they don't respond that same hour or same day. "What's taking so long?!?", we ask ourselves.

Similarly, we not only want it faster, but we want more of it. We make plans on how to bring the things we want to us in abundance. We structure our lives around how we can achieve Our Plans. More money this year, not next. Lose weight in 2 weeks...not 2 months. The bigger house, nicer car, more extravagant vacations, now, now, now!

What's so amazing to me about this story from Jesus' life is that, even with something as seemingly trivial as having patience, He has it perfectly...as He did in all things. He has the power of the universe at His fingertips. All God's army of angels are at His disposal. He has to but speak the word and mountains would crumble, enemies would fall. But He knows that God has a plan. He knows that all things will come in the time which God has appointed and not one moment before. He tells His disciples "don't rush things". Although He is now a wanted man and He knows He will eventually go into Jerusalem for His trial and crucifixion; now is not yet the time.

When I think about all of the times in my life where I have wanted something to happen based on my calendar, based on when I think that thing should occur...and it did not occur as I wanted it to...I realize how blessed I am that God does not let me have my way. Think about all of the things we pray for, hope for and desire. We look at the world and our lives through the lens of this moment. God sees things through the lens of eternity. How can we think that our plans are better than His?

So, dear friends, let us have patience. The Lord says, "Be still and know that I am God!". Realize that we get "our way" when we align ourselves with God's plan for each of us and that His plan, the gifts and blessings He has in store for us, are greater than we can ask for or imagine.

Mar 26 - "A Cycle Broken"

2011-03-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

"They know no limits in deeds of wickedness; they do not judge with justice; the cause of the orphan to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. Shall I not punish them for these things, says the Lord, and shall I not bring retribution on a nation such as this?" --- Jeremiah 5:20-31

"For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by His blood, effective through faith. --- Romans 3:19-31

In my bible study at church on Sunday mornings, we have spent the past couple of months strolling from Genesis, through Joshua and Judges, then onto 1 Kings. One of the things each of us in the group has noted is the continual process the people of Israel went through during this time in history. God would deliver them from some great challenge or give them all they asked for, but after a seemingly short amount of time, they would stray. Often, they would start worshiping other Gods, or perpetrate sinful acts in great abundance with an apparent complete loss of memory related to the great deeds God had done or gifts He had given to them. No one seemed to be able to "stick with God"; not even great men of the Bible like David and Solomon, with whom God directly interacted, were immune from this pattern.

While observing this endless cycle of disregard for God's miracles, we say to each other, "How could they do this? They saw God's miracles directly...even spoke with God at times...and they still wandered away?!?" Yet, we see it again and again through the historical portions of the Old Testament. God delivers...we accept His gifts...we forget...we go astray...we return to Him...the cycle continues.

In Jeremiah, God seems to have reached His final breaking point. He promised after the Flood, never to destroy the world and all of humanity again. In order to get their attention this time, He decides to put them into captivity, taking them away from their Promised Land for a generation. Maybe this time His Chosen People will finally realize that He has control and can take things away permanently if they do not follow His laws and recognize the beauty, peace and wonder associated with a belief in the one true God. But, of course...even after Jeremiah's prophecy and the pain of Lamentations, the next book in the Old Testament, the cycle continues.

How is this cycle finally broken? God, as a part of His plan from the beginning of time, now takes a different approach. Can you see the contrast between the two scripture readings from the Daily Office today? In Jeremiah, He says, our sins will be punished. In the other, from Paul's letter to the Romans, His perfect grace and mercy is shown in the gift of His Son. We are forgiven. Yes...we all are still sinners and can never be perfect, but our debt is paid in full. How fortunate are we to be living on this side of Christ's redemptive sacrifice!

I used to think that the process God went through over time was that He finally figured out how to get through to us. The vengeful God and disciplinarian of the Old Testament "matured" into the loving Father of the New Testament. Just as I have become a wiser father over time, God did the same. But, that is not really the case. God's Plan for all of us for all of time was known by Him before the beginning of creation. He knows every step and choice we will make. The roller coaster process the ancient Israelites went through...sin, punishment, redemption...again and again served a divine purpose to show us that there are various ways for this relationship to work. Had Christ come at the beginning of time, we would not be able to fully appreciate the power of being forgiven...for everything...forever.

So, rejoice in the fact that we don't have to "learn the hard way", as those who lived before Jesus came into the world. Be thankful that the cycle was broken by a perfect sacrifice, of Christ crucified, dying and rising again in order that we will live forever.

Mar 25 - "Bad Days"

2011-03-25T02:50:00.000-07:00

"It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings." --- Hebrews 2:5-10
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Are you having a bad day? A bad week...month...year...years? Has your life seemingly been on one continuing string of hard times and bad luck?

We all have these times. They can come in the form of something small, such as that person who cuts you off in traffic, picking the wrong and very slow line at the grocery store or just one of those general "grumpy" times we have for apparently no reason. However, these times can also be major life changes and tragic events such as losing your job or other economic hardship, a chronically debilitating illness or even the death of a close friend of family member. All of these things cause us to suffer, bring us pain.

The topic of why we suffer and why we have to experience pain while in our human form has been debated and discussed for probably as long as we have existed. I won't try, in a short posting, to offer some explanation as to why this happens; why bad things sometimes happen to us. Some would say, "It builds character"; "No pain, no gain"; "The sweet ain't as sweet without the bitter". But all of these points of view don't really offer anything besides a way to deal with the suffering and endure it.

Let me offer, though, that even God is not beyond suffering. During Jesus' life, we see Him experience sadness, torment, loss and great pain as He went up to death. All of these things happened so that we would be able to see that these things are an unfortunate part of our life on earth. Yes, suffering often makes us better, as gold is refined in the crucible, but even though it is hard, we can see that God was also willing to suffer for us in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ.

So, when you suffer, look to Jesus as your companion. Recognize that He also suffered as a man while on the earth with us. He felt pain, loss and death, just as we have and we will. Know that our God loves us so much the He too was willing to suffer with us and for us...and along side us even today. But also be comforted that even though we have a partner in our suffering in Jesus, this too shall pass and we will certainly be with Him at the end of our days in a place where there is no pain and suffering will be a distant, faded memory.

Mar 24 - "The Jesus Requirement"

2011-03-24T03:11:00.000-07:00

"Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." --- John 5:19-29
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Why do we have to believe in Christ in order to have a life with God? I really find this message challenging to deal with, at times. A corollary to today's scripture is Matthew 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." If taken literally, these can be daunting and potentially exclusionary concepts.

The thing I probably struggle with the most is that I don't want anyone to be excluded from a relationship with God. When I think about going through our lives without the hope of something better, no Father whom we can rely upon for help in times of trouble, it feels scary and empty. Without Christ, what is the fate of the Muslim, the Hindu, the Shinto, the Buddhist...or even the Atheist? What about those who have never even had the opportunity to learn about Jesus...some indigenous tribe deep in the Amazonian rain forest or other similarly-isolated peoples? Are they automatically damned to an eternity outside of Heaven? There are many in the Christian faith who believe this to be true and it can be a key reason some people make the decision against believing in God and his Son Jesus Christ. It does feel quite exclusionary. In my belief, everyone goes to Heaven...no exceptions (I'll leave that topic for another day.)

But, as with many things written in different languages, historical contexts and a lack of direct knowledge as to the specific intent of the author, maybe the words "does not honor" and "no one comes...except" can have a alternate meaning. Is it possible that these phrases were intended to serve as words of guidance and facilitation as opposed to exclusion and restriction? How would theses phrases take on a different meaning if they were stated with more detail? What if Jesus said, "The most efficient, enriching and satisfying way of having a relationship with and understanding the Father is by recognizing the power of the sacrifice My life represented. By thinking about and living the messages I gave to you while I was with you on earth, the path to heaven which you walk while on earth will be easier and more fulfilling as you set a course for an eternal life with God."; would that mean something different?

When these messages are taken in the context of Jesus as the Great Facilitator, the Perfect Catalyst, the Holy Enabler (sorry if these sound a bit heretical), the appearance of exclusion is transformed to a message of absolute inclusion.

So, honor the Son; come to the Father through Jesus. By making the choice to learn about and fall in love with Jesus Christ, we are allowing ourselves to realize the full potential, the maximum benefit of a life with God at the center.

Mar 23 - "Signs and Wonders"

2011-03-23T03:37:00.000-07:00

"Then Jesus said to him, 'Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.' The official said to Him, 'Come down before my little boy dies.' Jesus said to him, 'Go; your son will live.' The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, 'Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.' The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus said to him, 'Your son will live.' So, he himself believed, along with his whole household." --- John 4:43-54
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What does it take to believe?

It seems that I have always believed. Yes, there have been times when my faith was shaken and I was not sure God existed or, even if He did exist, I wanted no part of what He had to offer. But, besides those dry and questioning times that most of us experience, I have pretty much lived surrounded by a life in the church with faith in God being a central part of my existence. There was never, even after the period when I questioned my faith, a miracle moment, a "born again" experience or some other major event which caused me to shout out, "I believe!!".

In my Monday night sessions with the Jehoshua House team at Hamilton County Jail, we have the opportunity to hear from our team and from the inmates, experiences where, through some miracle, their life was turned around. We are witness to the testimony of their lives being at rock bottom, calling out to God and being saved. These men were shaken out of their painful existence and thrown into the flowing river of a life with God and Jesus Christ at the center of their lives.

But what about us who have continually been in this river of faith? Even though we haven't always drunk deeply of the Living Water which refreshes our souls, we've waded, swam against the current, hit a sand bar at times or flowed easily downstream. We've not necessarily experienced miracles which caused our faith to deepen; major events which turned us from our old lives to something new. But, does that mean these miracles don't exist? Is it OK to pray for "a sign", reaching out to God and asking Him to deliver something miraculous?

Miracles are funny things, I think. One of my favorite sayings comes from a song by Sheryl Crow, where she says, "Making miracles is hard work, some people give up before they happen." Miracles don't have to be these giant events like parting the Red Sea, water to wine, amazing healing from the brink of death or raising Lazarus. They can be little things like a hug from a child when you are feeling low; a beautiful sunset showing the majesty of God's creation, filling you with the Spirit; a kind word or simple act of charity you give to a stranger. All of these things are signs of God working in the world and the full realization of sacrifice Jesus made for all of us.

So, it's OK to pray for signs and wonders. Sometimes it's what it takes to strengthen our faith. But be on watch for the little things. If we open our eyes and our hearts to the miracles which occur around us every day, we will believe.

Mar 22 - "Patient Prayer"

2011-03-22T02:48:00.000-07:00

"Hear my cry, oh God, and listen to my prayer. I call upon you from the ends of the earth with heaviness in my heart; set me upon the rock that is higher than I." --- Psalm 61
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Waiting for God to answer your prayers is really hard sometimes. We are an impatient people. In today's fast-paced, text-messaging, status-updating, continually "connected" world, we struggle with being patient while an answer or response comes to one of our queries.

Last fall, Greta and I were questioning whether the church we attend was the right place for us to be. Even though we had been attending regularly and participating in various ministries here and there, for some reason after almost two years, were just not feeling connected. One of the challenges is that we have had two pretty amazing church experiences in our time together as a family. Our church when we lived in Florida, St. Andrew, as well as St. Lawrence, when we lived in Chicago, were wonderful communities where we felt enriched in ways which grew our faith materially during our time at each.

We prayed about this for quite some time, probably over a period of a few months. After talking to our daughters about it, we even tried another church one Sunday. As this continued, we decided to give our church one more shot. We "dug in", per se, to all that it had to offer; Maddy and I sang in the choir over Advent, Greta stepped into teaching Sunday school more often and we made special efforts to arrange our schedule, allowing us to participate in activities outside of the normal worship services. Of course, we continued to pray about it.

This past Sunday, I looked back on this time where we did not know if we were in the right place and realized, wow, God is great! Our prayers had been answered. Over the course of these past few months, we have felt wonderfully connected and enriched by the people of Holy Family Episcopal Church. It was as if God opened our eyes to the blessings which had been around us the whole time. We absolutely love our small but strong community of believers and see great things happening. All it took was time, patience and prayer...and God delivered!

So, be patient in your prayer. Allow God the time to work His miracles in your life. Do not assume that, just because your answer did not come immediately, God isn't putting things in place that will give you great blessings, if you only wait just a little bit.

Mar 21 - "Burning Embers"

2011-03-21T03:14:00.000-07:00

"For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gifts to strengthen you -- or rather, so that we may be mutually encouraged by each others' faith, both yours and mine." --- Romans 1:1-15
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Do you ever feel like you are in a dry time, spiritually? Are there points when you just don't feel as connected to God?

I recently heard a story, told by one of my new friends, Travis, who participates with me in the ministry of Jehoshua House. On Monday evenings a good-sized group of men and women head up to Hamilton County Jail and spend time with the inmates there, teaching a short course in Christianity. During these sessions, one of our group gets up to give a talk about one element of our Faith, also giving testimony to how this particular topic has played a part in their lives. We then break into small groups with the inmates and discuss the topic of that session. This past week, Travis told us the following story.

"A man was sitting with his friend next to a warm fire one evening, talking about how he was troubled at the current condition of his faith walk. He was telling his friend that he had started having this feeling of being a bit lost a few months back; work and family life was busy; Sunday mornings had changed from time spent in worship to time spent working or on the golf course.

As this conversation progressed and the fire they were sitting next to burned down to coals, the man's friend reached into the fireplace with metal tongs and pulled one of the bright embers from the fire and placed in alone on the stone hearth. While the man continued to share his story, the ember cooled and darkened, losing its heat and fire.

After a bit, while continuing to listen patiently, the man's friend placed the cold and dark ember back into the hot coals from which it had originally been taken. While the man finished telling his story to the friend, the ember which had been dark and without warmth, returned to its former brightness, as the other burning embers shared their heat and light.

The man saw this and realized what he needed to do."

Paul's letter to the Romans opens with a wonderful reminder of how we can refresh ourselves in those dry times. Not only does he want to be with his friends in order to encourage them and build up their faith, he also realizes that being with them will encourage, brighten and warm him too. Just as Paul knew that the source of his continuing spiritual renewal was to be in a community of believers, I have recognized the power of my family's weekly time at our church, but also the encouragement of spirit I receive each week when I spend time with the brothers of Jehoshua House and my new friends at Hamilton County Jail.

If you are not in a church community where you are feeling warmed, brightened and renewed, it's time to find a new church. But before making that choice, make sure you think about how you might need to be the burning ember in the fire to someone else. By sharing your heat and light, you also have the opportunity to be refreshed in the spirit. If you are not regularly attending worship with friends, I encourage you to find a place to do so.

So, return to the fire. Where two or three are gathered, Christ is also there. Allow yourself to be warmed and brightened by the spirit of those who are around you, worshiping and being in relationship with one another.

Mar 20 - "Our Temple"

2011-03-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you? --- 1 Corinthians 3:11-23
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Have you ever lived in a house or apartment that was built with shoddy materials or obviously not well-constructed to pass the test of time? Does this abode look good from the outside, maybe even has a strong foundation, but because the wood for the framing is of low quality or the shingles on the roof are carelessly placed, it is falling apart, year by year? Would you think that maybe the house was built with good materials, but there has been no maintenance or care given over time, or it was misused and not repaired?

The question today's scripture brings to mind for me is, what materials am I using to build my temple? With what am I surrounding and filling myself up on a daily basis that become the structure for which God dwells in my life? Let me tell you, I have certainly run the spectrum on this one. There have been times in my life where I placed myself, in body and mind, very far from an ideal temple. The Cardinal Sins come to mind: Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, Envy, Pride and Anger, to name a few. Spending too much time in each of these vices at various times in my life have caused (and continue to cause, at times) me to build a temple that was easily crumbled, breaking apart again and again.

I am a fan of Christian music. My satellite radio, much to my daughters' chagrin at times, is pretty much always tuned to the Message. Just as with popular/secular music, there is good, great and awesome songs as well as the fair, poor and terrible. But overall, I think listening to these songs is one way to surround myself with the positive...the uplifting...and, at times, the awesomely beautiful and holy. One the other hand, my satellite radio also offers at least two stations of Howard Stern, the Playboy channel and a comedy channel with jokes, stories and commentary that offer a continual stream trash (funny trash, but trash nonetheless). It is the same with what I am reading, watching, surfing...the people I surround myself with...there is the wonderful and the terrible at every turn.

If Lucifer exists (we'll leave that discussion for another day), don't you think that he cackles when we do things that degrade or destroy our bodies or our minds? When we fill our minds with gossip, profanity, hatred, are we not putting our very being at risk, the being through which we are compelled to preach the Good News? When we commit these sins, because Christ has written the Law on our hearts, we feel bad about ourselves, we feel unworthy, we hide ourselves from the presence of God in our shame. Satan smiles.

What are we doing to ourselves?!? How can we build up our temple in this way?!?

I realize that some of you, faithful readers, may be thinking that this is self-righteous, holier-than-thou, puritanical criticism which I am pontificating out to each of you. Please believe me, my fellow brothers and sisters in this journey, these thoughts and words are probably more about my own self-examination than trying to push some message of guilt onto you.

So, dear friends, think about what you are using to build your temple. With what do you surround yourself on a daily basis? Are you making it a worthy vessel, strong to fight the good fight on behalf of Jesus Christ? Or, are you setting up a leaning tower, ready to be tipped at the slightest pressure of responsibility? Start today with fresh materials, strong timbers, sturdy planks, clean fuel. Let us make our temples a reflection of our thanksgiving, a form of praise for the wonderful gift of life we have been given, in order that we might proclaim, His Word and march onward in strength.

Mar 19 - "Joseph's Call"

2011-03-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

"When Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife..." --- Matthew 1:18-25
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In general, when considering the men in the Bible, there seems to be two types: those who push back from God's call, and those who take action immediately without question when He asks them to act.

We see plenty of examples where men, when in the presence of God, seem to fight with Him a bit over the course He is asking them to take. Consider these: Moses, who questioned whether he was the right man for the job; Jonah, who ran in the other direction when told to go to Ninevah; even Jesus, acting as a man would who is in great fear, asked if God "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me..." . Of course, these men ended up doing great things on behalf of God, but it sometimes took them awhile to get with the program.

On the other hand, think about those who took immediate action: Noah, who took on the work of, what appeared at the time, to be a crazy man; Abraham, who was ready to sacrifice his son Isaac without question; Samuel, David and Daniel who, even as boys, stepped forward without question to heed God's call. Joseph falls into the category of great men who, with the simplest faith, acted. Can you imagine the pressure which would have been upon Joseph to take a different course of action? You can tell he was a man of utmost honor because he was going to allow things to end quietly and without embarrassment to Mary or his family. Many men in the same situation would have chosen to end up on Jerry Springer, publicly calling out his "unfaithful" wife.

How often do we we heed God's call without question? You may say, "But God has never asked me to do anything...how can I answer His call to me?". Joseph was spoken to in a dream; not by God directly. Maybe God is calling you in a way that is much less direct than a burning bush, a booming voice from heaven or even an angel in a dream. Maybe he is calling you via a tough request from a friend for help; a committee member at church, needing extra hands; or even, being witness to some form of injustice or wrong that occurs in the course of your daily life. We often find ourselves...I know I do...thinking of excuses as to why we cannot or do not want to help in these situations.

So, think about what God may be calling you to do. Are you open to the call? Will you act without question or delay? When the call comes, in whatever form, we can show our faith in a simple "yes, I will help". Is it a scary? Yes. But, God will not ask for something we cannot do.

Mar 18 - "One Thing"

2011-03-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

"So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and His decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being." --- Deuteronomy 10: 12-22
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We are busy people. It seems nowadays that whenever I talk to someone at work, friends, family...everyone is trying to balance the multitude of things brought into our lives, by choice or by circumstance, focusing on more than a few things at any given time. In consideration of our busy-ness, can you imagine what it would be like to only have to focus on one thing and one thing only?

In today's scripture, Moses is speaking to the the people of Israel, near the end of his life, after they have been wandering around in the desert for forty years. He is taking an opportunity to review with the Israelites, all of the things which have happened, all of the miracles they have seen as a part of their freedom from slavery and being led out of Egypt. Since Moses realizes that he is soon to leave this world and not enter into the Promised Land with his people, he sees it as important to make sure the Israelites are mindful especially of the commandments giving by God to Moses, which he then passed along to his people.

Moses here focuses in on the greatest commandment: I'll summarize it in the way Jesus did, which is, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37). It's all about love; nothing else.

Now, does Moses and eventually Jesus, intend to communicate that as long as we have that warm and fuzzy feeling for God, all will be fine and we won't have to worry about anything else? Not exactly. Remember that love is a choice; it is an active, not a passive approach. When we say we are making a decision to love a person in spite of their faults, to forgive this person and continue to love even when he or she hurts us and does not appear to be loving us back, this is the type of active love Moses and Jesus are compelling us to deliver. It is also important to note that Moses does not say we should love God because He demands it or needs it; he says we should do it for our own well-being.

If we are only then supposed to be focused on this one thing, how does that translate to the rest of our lives and the myriad decisions we have to make on a daily basis? How does simply loving God with all our hearts, souls and minds keep us on task at work so we can be employed and pay the bills, or transport the kids to their activities or make for a great relationship with our spouse? I think we simply have to ask ourselves the question in any situation, does our choice, our action, show love for God? By being honest and working hard in our jobs, do we show love to God by putting to good use the gifts He has given to us? Yes. By supporting our children, do we show love to God by encouraging them and the use of their gifts in a positive way? Yes. By opening our hearts to our spouses, loving them deeply and truly, do we show love to God by loving another? Yes.

Am I over simplifying things? Yes. But sometimes simple feels good.

So, dear friends, focus your efforts on the one thing which delivers all good things to you. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Rest assured that by loving God with our actions and our choices, we are nurturing our own well-being and, by the way, doesn't it feel good?!?

Mar 17 - "Baby Steps"

2011-03-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

"Jesus said, 'If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?'" --- John 2:23 - 3:15
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Having faith, turning over your life to God and putting your trust in Him, seems like such a big decision. Does making a transition from "owning" your life and "controlling" the outcomes, to giving things over to God and accepting His will for you, feel like taking a leap across the Grand Canyon?

The snippet above from today's scripture reading comes near the conclusion of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus. This man, a Pharisee and leader among the Jewish people living in Jerusalem at this time, is asking Jesus about His teachings. He proceeds with a line of inquiry where you can almost feel Nicodemus wanting to believe that Jesus is the Messiah who has come. We don't know for sure if Nicodemus ever fully believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but we can point to the fact that he helped bury Jesus in the tomb, an act which would imply that something in his heart had changed.

What a giant step it would have been for Nicodemus to go from a leader of his people who, eventually played a role in Jesus' crucifixion, to one who believed the Jesus was the Son of God. It may have been too much.

Sometimes, we are the same way...alike to Nicodemus. The decision to believe, to place your entire life and existence into the hands of the living God may be more than we can do. Maybe it is better to make small choices first; find little ways to turn our lives over to God. Almost no one decides to become a runner on a Monday and then runs a marathon on Saturday of that same week; the distance between those two points is too great. But, the decision comes with small steps; first walking, then running a few times each week; then a 5k...a 10k. Eventually, you have taken enough small steps, that when look back, you have covered a great distance. That distance, taken in one step, would have been to large to overcome, and failure would have likely been the result. But, attempted and achieved in small portions, our strength builds over time and we accomplish great things.

So, it is OK to take baby steps of faith. Find little ways to believe, to turn your life over to God. Offer up small decisions in prayer to Him; allow Him to work little miracles for you before asking for the big ones. For by bringing our faith along one step at a time, we are able to see God in these earthly things, open our heart to those heavenly things, and believe.

Mar 16 - "Jeshua ben Joseph"

2011-03-16T04:13:00.000-07:00

"The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple He found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, He drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, 'Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!' " --- John 2: 13-22
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Have you ever been in one of those situations where someone you know, who is usually cool, calm and collected, suddenly becomes unglued? Maybe you've been the one who has finally comes to your wit's end over a particular issue and completely lost it? When we experience these instances of sudden outrage, isn't it a bit uncomfortable?

Imagine you are one of the Disciples, strolling through the temple with your teacher, Jeshua ben Joseph (literally, in the Aramaic, "Jesus, son of Joseph"). All of the sudden, this person who you are coming to believe is the Messiah, the incarnation of God on the earth, starts ranting and raving about the money changers in the temple. He tips over tables, yells, chases people around. You would be thinking, "What is going on here?!?!?".

Although Jesus, Emmanuel, is the Son of God and fully God, He was also fully human. The reaction we see from Him in the temple is one of a man; a son of a carpenter who, filled with anger, takes action against the wrongs He is witnessing. Even Jesus is not immune from experiencing outrage at the gross misuse of our Father's house.

I actually find this comforting, this human side of Jesus. It helps me realize that, although I try hard every day to make good choices, do the right things and love openly without judgement, I fall short. And, as long as I recognize these shortcomings, strive to be better, repent and, with a sincere heart, ask for forgiveness, I am free to move on again to the next day to try again. Remember, even though we are called to "be like Jesus", there is no expectation that we can "be Jesus". He is the only perfect man who ever lived or will live.

One of my favorite quotes is from a great football coach, Vince Lombardi, who said, "We know we cannot achieve perfection. But, if we pursue perfection, we can catch excellence."

So, remember that it is OK to be Human. Our goal is to pursue Him, the Perfect One. But, also know, and accept, that we will always fall short...and that is OK. For our pursuit of Jesus will allow us to capture a life in this world that is excellent.

Mar 15 - "The Good Wine"

2011-03-15T02:05:00.000-07:00

"On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of His signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him." --- John 2: 1-12

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This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible (hence, posting the whole reading today instead of just a snippet.) The story of Jesus' first miracle; changing water to wine at the Wedding at Cana is such a simple and beautiful depiction of the first of many wonderful and marvelous acts Jesus will deliver during His life on earth.

A wedding is such a joyous time. I think back to almost a year ago when we were all together as a family celebtrating the marriage of my sister Abbi to her husband, Ben. All of us were filled with the happiness brought by a new life together; two lives made into one. God is good!

There are two parts to this story from John's gospel which always strike me. First, Jesus' mother Mary has to prompt Jesus to act. Of course, since Jesus was fully Man, he reacts as a son might in a similar situation when a mother has pride around a son's special gifts and wants him to reach his full potential. He basically says, "C'mon Mom...not now. Don't make me do this in front of all these people". It's as if she were asking him to put on his tap shoes and show off some new steps. He almost seems embarrassed and relucatant to "perform". But, don't all of us need a little push every once in awhile from that person who can see our full potential, yet unrealized?

The second, and most poignant message behind this story from Jesus' life is what happens to a situation when you bring God into the equation. Remember, Jesus, although fully Man, was also fully God. The miracle He performed was about taking a good situation and making in better by adding God. When I reflect upon my own marriage, I realize that, even though Greta and I had a wonderful relationship the first few years of our marriage, it got even better once we brought God into our relationship. When we added Him into our lives as a defining element of how we related to each other and those around us, recognizing the power of prayer...praying for each other and those in our lives...how much better it became, and continues to be! The first "wine" of our life together was wonderful, but how much sweeter the "wine" is now, once it has been blessed by the active presence of God.

So, allow the good wine to flow. Whatever you think is good today can become great and amazing when you add God and a relationship with Jesus Christ to the equation. Allow the gift you have been given to reach its full potential, being wonderfully magnified and blessed by Him.

Mar 14 - "Wanting Jesus"

2011-03-14T02:47:00.000-07:00

"For the One who sactifies and those who are sactified all have one Father. For this reason, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters..." -- Hebrews 2: 11-18
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One of the functions of my job is to negotiate contracts with customers and suppliers. These contracts are rarely less than 10 pages long, covering all sorts of concepts, but in general, they are meant to protect each party from harming the other in some way. Even those these contracts contain thousands of words, I often find myself making arguements over a few single words. One of the ways I win these arguements is to go into detail about what a particular word can imply if read the wrong way, and negate the other's position.

Unfortunately, at times, I forget to turn this mode off when I step away from work for the day. Greta may make a comment to me about something and I go to work on her, breaking down her point by arguing over a single word. She may start her point by saying "You always...". Of course, my comeback is "Always? You mean 100% of time? You are telling me that there is never an occassion when this is not true?" The trouble with that approach is that I choose to battle the issue unfairly by picking on a poorly chosen word, even though I understand her point and...as always...she is right.

It is sometimes easy to get caught up in the words chosen to describe a certain idea or point of view and, by picking on the word, chose to negate the whole intent of the idea. I find this the case when we think about the things we are "supposed" to do as it relates to our faith and our relationship with God. We hear our religious leaders telling us things like, the only way to the Father is through Jesus, or, we must repent our sins and foresake our evil ways or we are going to Hell. When we hear these direct commands, these directions which seem to obligate us to a certain path, we can often choose to pick certain words and go to battle with them. We say, "The only way to the Father...really? I must repent?".

I believe that a key concept sometimes missing from the messages we hear about the "obligations" of our faith, is the acknowledgement of the importance of choice. When we as humans feel forced into a situation, our natural instinct is to push back. But when we feel like we are given a choice, when we realize that the decision is our own, we take a different point of view. We are able to move from "we have to" to, "we want to".

In today's reading, the author of this letter to the Hebrews is appealing to the logic of the Jewish people at the time who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. The goal was to convince the reader with evidence that Jesus was aligned with and fulfilled the law. The author intended that once the Hebrews recognized these facts, they would want to believe in Jesus Christ.

So, do you need Jesus? I do. But what is really important is to want to need Jesus. When we want something, when we desire it and choose it, the thing becomes our own and not a forced march. The gift of free will we have received from our Father allows us to open ourselves to all that a life in Christ has to offer; peace, love, hope...which are wonderful things to want.

Mar 13 - "Thirsty"

2011-03-13T04:27:00.000-07:00

"O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you as in a barren and dry land where there is no water." --- Psalm 63: 1-8
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As many of you know (my wife painfully so, especially during the last few weeks of marathon training), I am a runner. A part of having a good run, meaning, you don't die somewhere along the way or pass out after, is making sure you are properly hydrated. Before I head out on my almost daily runs, I am sipping water or some type of electrolyte drink; for those long runs of 12 miles plus, I take some along with me for when I get thirsty.

Thirst is such an interesting concept. Think about the marvel of physical being that you are and the perfect design God created in each one of us. Our body needs water and fuel in order for it to function properly. Since we are such a forgetful spieces, God created a physical yearning for water in order to make sure we did not forget to drink, shrivel up and die. He created the feeling of thirst, a feeling that is so powerful at times, we can become consumed by it...we would do almost anything to quench it.

But, we are not just physical beings, we are also spiritual beings. And, just as our physical beings require fuel to function, our spiritual beings require the equivalent, a spiritual "Gatorade", per se. What is this spiritual fuel we need? I believe it is moments spent in communion and in relationship with God. Do you not thirst for this relationship? If you dig deep down into your heart of hearts, the place where all things are the brutal truth, which you may never share with anyone else, don't you thirst and feel an emptiness longing to be quenched?

One of my favorite songs from Christian radio is "God-shaped Hole" by Plumb. The chorus of the song speaks to our thirst: "There's a God-shaped hole in all of us, and the restless soul is searching. There's a God-shaped hole in all of us, and it's a void only he can fill." When we came into our human existence at birth, each of us is born with this God-shaped hole. Unfortunately, many of us spend a good portion of our lives...I most certainly have and still often do...trying to fill that hole with something besides God. This effort to fill the "hole" is so consuming and compelling that we find ourselves in an addictive state: additicted to food, alcohol, drugs, lust, anger, hate, work or some other thing which causes us to pour greater and greater amounts of the addiction into a hole that can never be filled in such a way. We continue this unquenching behavior to complete our spiritual beings to a point where we are able to destroy our physical beings.

How do we quench this thrist? How do we fill this God-shaped hole? There is no cost to pay, no prerequisite for entry, no act we can perform or goal we can achieve which will allow us to drink from the bottomless chalice of grace and love He gives to us. All we have to do is ask Him for it; seek it; knock on the door. By opening ourselves up to the gift He has already given to us, by allowing ourselves to be filled up, our great and unending thirst is sweetly quenched.

So, partake, dear friends, from the cup that has already been filled and offered to you. Quench your thirst by seeking that relationship with God that is unique and defined only by you and God, not by the world. Drink deeply and thirst no more.

Mar 12 - "How can we forget?"

2011-03-12T05:46:00.000-08:00

"If you say to yourself, 'These nations are more numerous than I; how can I dispossess them?', do not be afraid of them. Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharoah and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out." --- Deuteronomy 7: 17-26
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What are you struggling with? Do you have an issue which has been persistently troubling you for the last day...week...month...year?

Your problem may or may not be as big as the challenge faced by Moses and his people who were held in captivity in Egypt, but to you, it may seem just as daunting because you are living in the midst of it. During this time, you have probably tried all sorts of ways to resolve the issue, trying to work through it and bring it to closure. But, brothers and sisters, have you prayed for God to help? Have you put your need before Him and sincerely asked for His mighty hand to save?

You may say, "I have been praying...I have been asking for help, but help has not come!" But, don't forget that God works in mysterious ways. The simple act of offering up your problem to God in prayer may also help you to realize that the problem is not a big as you thought...or that there is a deeper problem at hand which, when resolved, will take the current problem away. The process of prayer and supplication to God sometimes allows the problem to "work itself out". Is that a coincidence, or is it God's hand at work?

It is amazing to me how forgetful we are, this human species. We can look to the Bible and see wonders and miracles abounding. Not a week goes by that, somewhere in the news, we don't hear about the person who was thought lost, but was found; the family whose house was destroyed by fire or storm, but somehow they were saved. I am sure that in the aftermath of the horrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan this week, we will hear wonderful stories of rescue and healing.

All of these things we are witness to, and yet we forget that if we merely offer our problems in prayer to God, He will deliver. Sometimes, the answer to our prayers come in a way we don't expect, but the solution, in accordance with His will and plan for each of us, will most certainly come.

So, don't forget...God can help. Put your troubles in His hands. Remember all that He has done, all of the amazing works and wonders He has delivered for us over time. Pray for His help in the knowledge that there is nothing beyond His power to resolve and that by putting our troubles in His hands we bring ourselves in line with His will and allow Him to show His love for each of us.

Mar 11 - "Why it Feels Good to Be Good"

2011-03-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to us all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." -- Titus 2: 1-15
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After spending this week in "Sin City", where there is an abundance of ways to be "bad" instead of good, I find today's scripture from the oft forgotten book of Titus to be a refreshing reminder of why it feels good to be good.

As is the case with scripture, on occassion, you have to remember the time in history during which it was written and not get caught up in all of the words, but in the intent of the words. Some people find this chapter of Titus a bit off-putting because it also recommends that "slaves" be submissive to their masters and show fidelity to them. However, within this obscure epistle of Paul, buried deep in the back of the New Testament, there is a wonderful section of verse which, after listing many ways we can be good people, says, "...so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior."

I believe that our sole purpose, the reason we are in this world and exist in our human condition, is to glorify God. Now, when we think about the word "glorify", we can sometimes think it means that we are here to "serve" God or be in some perpetual state of worship and praise. We may also find ourselves thinking that God somehow "needs" our praise and our glory. But, think for a moment about how the word "glory" or "glorify" can also mean to put a thing to its best use and by doing so, presents a perfect realization of the full potential of that thing. When we sing...we glorify God by using the gift of our voice. When we run or swim or otherwise go break a sweat for a good purpose...we glorify God by using the gift of our body. When we pray, when we love...we glorify God by using the gift of our heart.

Glorifying God in the little things...and the big things...that we do every day allows us to put into action the gift of our sheer existence. The feelings each of us have when we know we have been good or done a good thing is when we become Holy and are closest to God.

So, glorify God by doing that good thing. Whether it is a kind word, a smile, a helping hand or that unselfish act which is only known by you and by God, all of these things fulfill your purpose and, dear friends, it feels good!

Mar 10 - "Don't Worry...Be Happy"

2011-03-10T05:17:00.000-08:00

"Do not fret because of evildoers; do not be jealous of those who do wrong. For they shall soon wither like the grass, and like the green grass, fade away. Put your trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on its riches. Take delight in the Lord and He shall give you your heart's desire." -- Psalm 37: 1-18
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Do you ever find yourself spending time fretting over people who are obviously doing wrong and yet are still prospering?

Given the constant flow of information we receive from 24-hour news channels or the Web, we certainly are not at a loss for numerous examples of people doing the wrong things on a daily basis. One microcosm of this is what seems to happen in Hollywood almost every day; some celebrity dragged back into court for breaking the law, then released or receiving a hand-slap sentence, pretty much walking out the door without material consequences to their actions. Doesn't this drive you crazy? Similarly, we often see associates at work or in our other social and volunteer activities, where someone continues to move ahead or receives accolades for their work, even though you and others know they are not doing their fair share.

I certainly find myself in this spot every once in awhile. There are times when I get too focused on those people in my work life who seem to be getting ahead or at least, not being held to account, while continually doing the wrong things. This can be a pretty negative way to spend my time and mental energy, but yet, I go there and find myself getting incredibly frustrated. But, what good does this serve? Have I improved the situation at all by binding myself in this fabric of worry?

Now, I am not advocating that we should just let evil run its course and lazily allow bad things to happen. There are plenty of ways we can take action to help those who are being wronged or support those who do battle with hatred or oppression in the world. This is really more about the wasted time we spend on petty jealousies. I do believe God wants us to take a different approach to the mental anguish we can put ourselves through, unproductively worrying about these minor things. The fretting and focus can take us away from the things we should be spending our thoughts and efforts on.

This Psalm, written with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, does not tell us to take action against those who do wrong or give us guidance on the steps we should put in place to resolve their nefarious acts. The Psalmist simply says that we should put our trust in the Lord. Let Him handle it. Find joy in the fact that He will take care of all things and bring us to a place of joy and peace.

The words of the Bobby McFerrin song come to mind. My apologies if you now have that song stuck in your head the rest of the day. But the advice it gives is good when it comes to these times when we can find ourselves overly-focused on others' acts.

S0, don't worry. Let the Lord take care of those things which are out of our control and cause us unproductive mental anguish. Be happy in knowing that God has got it covered.

Mar 9 - "Good for the Soul"

2011-03-09T05:20:00.000-08:00

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12: 1-14
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Does God require us to confess our sins? Is there something holy or spiritual that happens when we bow ours heads and come face to face with our actions which have hurt ourselves or others?

This season of Lent is a time of reflection and preparation for what we know is to come; the conviction, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the time when we orient ourselves towards the recognition, praise and thanksgiving of this most gracious gift. One death in a perfect sacrifice which paid the debt of our sins...past, present and future...and saved all of us from death.

This time of preparation causes me to think about other ways we prepare for various events and occasions. In my extended family, we are in the process of preparing for yet another baby coming into our lives! Niece or nephew #15 for Greta and me; grandchild #10 for my parents and child #3 for my sister...will be born into our family sometime before we celebrate the first day of May. How is my sister and her family preparing for this arrival? They are moving furniture around, painting, cleaning up, removing any obstacles which would not allow their new baby to be easily and wonderfully received into their family and household.

Through confession of our sins, we prepare our hearts and souls in this same way. When we confess and repent, we remove the obstacles that can get in the way of having a relationship with God. How many times have you said to yourself, "I don't deserve His grace...I don't deserve His love. I have sinned too much and am not worthy of His forgiveness." Let me tell you, brothers and sisters, you ARE good enough because God made you as His perfect creation. Christ died on the cross so that you might be fully forgiven...not because of things you do or going to church or being a good person...but because He already paid your debt in full.

When we are angry or feel hate for someone because of an offense, don't we feel that burden, that obstacle which prohibits us from a relationship with that person? When we do something wrong, can we not feel the wall which is put up between us and others or us and God?

God does not "require" us to confess our sins. God does, however, want, us to confess our sins because, by dealing honestly with our transgressions and putting them aside, we clear the way for receiving the full measure of grace and love which has already been given to us via our relationship with Christ Jesus. God wants us to confess our sins because he wants to be in relationship with us. Confession removes that wall and prepares our hearts for being filled with the love he brings to us. All we have to do is push our sin aside by the simple act of confession and repentance.

So, be good to your soul. Confess the thing you have done; do not be owned by it...but own up to it. For by tearing down the wall of guilt, anger or hurt, you open yourself up to the gift already given, a perfect love and grace which refreshes, renews and brings you peace.

Mar 7 - "The Journey Continues..."

2011-03-07T04:44:00.000-08:00

"Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song." -- Psalm 100
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Hello again Dear Friends!

Almost a whole year has passed since we were last together in this way. Many of us are better than a year before; a few of us may be struggling with something new; all of us are changed. We have the ability each year in Lent to reflect upon our lives and upon our Walk as new and different people than we were the last time we set out on this path together from Ash Wednesday until Easter.

I invite you, once again, to join me on this Lenten journey. When I first began this effort 2 years ago, I took the approach of "giving something out" instead of "giving something up" for Lent. I had no idea how abundant the gifts would be, which have come, and continue to come back to me each day, as a result of this daily sojourn through The Word. God is good!

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and in you always.

Apr 4: Easter - "Alleluia!"

2010-04-04T03:41:00.000-07:00

John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

1 Cor. 5:7-8
Alleluia! Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia!

Rom. 6:9-11
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin, and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia!
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Alleluia! Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

It has been a long, almost 50 days, my friends, since we have been able to say this word: Alleluia! Saying it brings a smile to my face, a freshness to my mouth. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Think of the pain and emptiness of the crucifixion and the tomb; it is gone!

Think of the waiting for Messiah; He is come!

Think of the fear we had of death; it is wiped away!

Think of the doubt, wondering if we would live with God in heaven for eternity; it is assured!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

The celebration of Easter is a time of renewal. Our sins are washed clean by the blood of Christ's sacrifice for us. Today, each of us is reminded of this renewal. Celebrate this newness as each of us are reborn. The happiness we feel today with our rebirth is no less than the same abundant joy we feel when a new baby arrives into the world.

What does this new birth, this cleansing arrival bring?

You can no longer be in darkness.

You can no longer be in a place which separates you from God.

You can no longer be without a Companion who is always with you.

Alleluia!

So, brothers and sisters, I leave you for a time, until we meet again. If you found peace or joy or love or inspiration from the words that were written here, words that were not mine, but which came through me to you as a gift from God, send the link along. The Living Water that is the Holy Spirit is most refreshing and renewing when it flows freely and does not sit, becoming stale. I send blessings in the name of the Risen Christ to you on this day. May you encourage each other in faith, and be encouraged. May you give love greatly, and reside in love. May you rejoice in the knowledge of your salvation, and live in peace. Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!!!!

Apr 3: Holy Saturday - "Darkness"

2010-04-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

Mark 15: 42-47
When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
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Today is a day filled with abject despair and empty of hope. A terrible darkness, matching the inky black of the tomb, fills your heart.

It is almost impossible to have faith on this day It is so hard to keep believing. Your teacher, Rabbi, Son, friend...is lying dead in a cold grave. He is now no different than any other man. Even though the past three years have been filled with days of wonderful words, quiet moments of peace and awesome miracles, right now, it is all gone.

You wander around without direction, stumbling through menial tasks. Your purpose seems to have evaporated in the bright heat of this day. The sun is hot and stark. It does not bring warmth, but only a painful, false brightness. There is a ringing in your ears, the voices of the crowd and the streets from yesterday's macabre parade to Golgotha resound mercilessly in your head.

How can you go on? What will you do?

But, there is still hope. The scriptures foretold of this moment. He would be broken; His side would be pierced. He would rise up triumphant over death. Will it happen? Will the darkness turn to beautiful light?

You decide you can make it through another day. You will pray. You will keep up hope. You will sit with your friends in joyful remembrance of His miracles and words. You will comfort His Mother.

Maybe tomorrow will be better...

Apr 2: Good Friday - "Were You There?"

2010-04-02T02:38:00.000-07:00

Mark 15: 1-47
And they brought Him unto the place called Golgotha (which is, being interpreted, The Place of a Skull). And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh, but He received it not. And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots for them to see what every man should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified Him.
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Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

You are a merchant, living in Jerusalem. You celebrated the Passover this week with friends. You are a peaceful person, not wanting conflict around you. You hear about some men going on public trial today and that Pilate, as is the tradition, will let one prisoner go free. You stand in the crowd, caught up in the brutal mentality of the mob. For one man, you shout "Free him!". For another, one you have heard causes trouble in the Temple, you shout, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

You are a young Roman solider. You are far from your home, having been assigned to this dusty city full people whose language and traditions you don't understand. You have been assigned, on this day, to push a man along in the streets, forcing Him to carry the cross on which He will be crucified. He must have done something terrible to deserve this. When you reach the top of the barren hill outside of town, you press Him onto the rough-hewn wood. He does not seem to resist. Why? You hold the sharp iron spikes against His hands, then feet, while your fellow soldier pounds them mercilessly through His flesh. He does not make a sound as you raise the cross to a standing position. His blood drips onto your shoulder as you drop the base of the cross into the hole in the ground, assuring pain, torture and eventual death for this man. What did he do?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

You are Mary. As much as you did not want it, you knew deep in your heart that this day might come. The brilliant memory of the angel's visit, the excitement of that moment rings hollow on this day. You have watched your Son grow and come to be the Man that He is; speaking words of beauty and peace; healing; loving. Now, He is gone. You are broken beyond measure.

Oh, sometimes, it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Yes, we were all there. We stand there yet today every time we do not show mercy; every time we allow ourselves to play a role in something unkind; every time when we should show love but we deliver anger or hate; every time we watch a friend, a loved one or a child in pain. We were there.

Apr 1: Maundy Thursday - "Break Bread Together"

2010-04-01T03:08:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 11:27-32
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. *****************************************************
As I was sitting down to write this morning, I looked back on last year's posting for this day. I remember it was one of my favorites (not sure if it was anyone else's or not). The sharing of a meal together, as Christ did with His disciples on this day, is such a wonderful and important part of any family's life.

Looking back on this writing, the only thing that struck me differently than last year was the importance of the sacrament of Communion, which is a celebration of this meal between Christ and His friends.

For me, taking the bread and the wine each Sunday not only reminds me of the beauty of breaking bread with friends and family, but the nature of what we are actually doing during this sacrament. We start with prayer. We walk up to accept the bread and the wine which has been blessed. We take it in, recognizing that it is the representation of the sacrifice of Christ's body and blood. We end with prayer. The symbolic nature of the blessing, breaking and sharing is the way we take our prayers of trouble and concern, of thanksgiving or of simple praise and bless them. A burden, when shared, is lightened; a blessing, when shared, is multiplied.

So, faithful reader, I hope you don't see me posting a repeat as being lazy. If you enjoyed it before, I hope you enjoy it again. Blessings to each of you on this special day.
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Today is a special day (aren't they all?). On this day of Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the Last Supper. We remember the simple meal Christ shared with His friends. We experience the words He gave to them and to us which encourage us, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, breaking bread and partaking in wine, to remember Him and His example to us.

Could you imagine being there? How would it have be to be sitting with Christ around a humble table? I have to believe at this meal, there was not a lot of laughing. If anything, it was probably a solemn occasion. The air must have been thick with tension and fear. The Disciples knew that their Rabbi, Yeshua, was about to be taken into custody. They had to know it would not end well. Could it be any less comfortable? It becomes so. Jesus, the Christ, God incarnate, kneels to the floor and removes the sandals from each of His friends and washes the dust of Jerusalem off their tired feet. Is there a better example of servant leadership? Could there be a better way to show humility and sincere care for your friends?

When we think about the wonderful times with family we have had around a table, sharing a meal why are they so often such happy and joyous memories? I remember many times as I was growing up...and still today...sitting around a big table with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles cousins, nieces and nephews...all of us laughing and truly loving being with one another at that moment. Some of my most fond memories are of meals at Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, weddings and, yes, funerals. I smile just thinking about these times!

As a race, we humans most often celebrate special occasions by breaking bread with one another. Even in the business world, lunches, dinners, breakfast meetings...all of these represent times when we can be together in fellowship. But why do they seem so special? Is this because of the shared memories each of us have around these meal times? It is merely the celebration of holidays and special occasions, the joy of which just overflows to the meals at these events? Or, is it something else? Christ said, "where two or three are gathered together, I will be with them." Could this be the reason? When we sit around the table and give thanks for the food and the fellowship, is He not with us? I think so. I believe Jesus is sitting right there at our table. He laughs with us...cries with us...shares our joy and our love for one another.

So, on this day, Maundy Thursday, celebrate the sharing of a meal with friends, as Jesus did with His. If your church offers it, participate in the ceremony of foot washing. For in all of these things...breaking bread, sharing wine, serving each other humbly...we remember Him who died for each of us in the ultimate gift of love.

Mar 31 - "Fading Away"

2010-03-31T01:37:00.000-07:00

Mark 11:27-33
Again Jesus and the disciples came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.” They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?” – they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
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Imagine living near Jerusalem during Jesus' earthly We have seen miracles of healing and of power. Christ has fed thousands, walked on water, healed dozens and dozens of people. He has done all of these things in a servant-like manner. At no point has He come out and said to the crowds or priests, "I am the Son of God. Worship Me. I am the One you have been praying for over the centuries. I am Messiah."

Wouldn't it have been so much more simple if He had just come out and said who He was? Jesus has been building a case, compiling proof after proof that He is the Son of God, the Mighty Redeemer, Messiah. He has set everything up, so why doesn't He close the deal?

Of course, the answer is obvious. If He had stated these things, He may have been worshiped during all of His earthly life. He would have been marked among the great Prophets and compared to Abraham or Moses...Gandhi or Mother Theresa...Martin Luther King. But unless He continued to perform miracles time and time again, the memory of the three years of His ministry on earth would likely have faded over time.

During my teens years, I went to "church camp" every summer. I remember these times being not only a week of fun with friends, but a time when I felt very close to God. Some of my dearest and longest-lasting friendships came from those times at camp. Close to the end of each of these weeks, summer after summer, there would be a gathering one evening during which we would attend a worship service. During this service, each of us was asked to make a covenant with God. There was no pressure to promise any certain thing. Each of us were simply encouraged to pray, to talk to God and determine what He might be calling us to do.

I remember these worship services at the end of camp to be incredibly spiritual and emotional events. There was hardly ever a dry eye in the house, as each of us came to terms with our relationship with God.

But, the other thing I remember just as vividly, is how the feelings from that worship service faded in the weeks following camp. As each of us came back out into the world and the daily grind of our lives took over once again, the power of that moment, that evening seem to grow dim. The way we campers were able to keep that memory alive was to spend time with each other, encouraging each other in our faith as the months, the years passed along. However, even with this fellowship, the sharpness and clarity of that evening never quite regained its luster.

Why did Christ not proclaim Himself as God incarnate? Because He did not have to use words for this to be true. He put Himself below all, allowing Himself to be sacrificed for each of us. His death and resurrection spoke more than any words could tell. The ministry of the Apostles after He left this world showed more to us than Christ's attestation of His being could ever have done.

So, as we enter into the crescendo that is the last part of Holy Week, do not let the memories of the Last Supper, the Garden at Gethsemane, Golgotha or the Tomb fade as you continue with your lives after this season. Remember the sheer humility of washing the feet of a friend; remember the tears shed on Good Friday; remember the emptiness of the time when all hope seems lost. But most importantly, remember and rejoice in the power of the Resurrection! Recognize that the finality of His sacrifice is far greater than mere words could ever profess and that His conquering of Death will continue forever and never fade away.

Mar 30 - "Had Enough?"

2010-03-30T01:45:00.000-07:00

Mark 11:12-25
Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
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Was there a time recently when you completely lost your cool? Are there days when you are in a crabby mood for no apparent reason?

I find this passage both interesting and confusing. Right before Jesus goes to the temple and shakes things up a bit, He is walking along, spies a fig tree and decides He would like one. He comes to the fig tree and finds none. Even though figs are not in season at this time, He curses the tree, soon after which it withers and dies. It seems a strange story to tell. But as always, we later see the divine purpose of the fig tree's undoing is to show the power of prayer. Jesus tells His disciples that nothing is impossible; whatever they ask for in the deep belief of their prayer will come to pass.

After sending the fig tree to an untimely demise, Jesus wreaks havoc at the temple. He turns over tables, chases people out and starts barking orders, telling people what they can and cannot do in the temple. This seems so uncharacteristic of Jesus. It was likely not a planned or staged event...nothing Jesus did had that false flavor. He must have simply been fed up and witnessed a scene which pushed Him over the edge. Even though we see times when Jesus rebuked or seemed angry, this is the first and only time we see Him really take action, lashing out in response to His anger or perhaps frustration.

How could He do this? Wasn't He perfect and beyond sin? Even though Jesus was fully God, He was also fully Man. Things angered and frustrated Him; He wept; He was tempted; He asked that this cup be passed from Him; Jesus even asked God why He was forsaking Him on the cross.

At the end of this chapter, Jesus returns to His old self. He is back in the temple talking to the priests, telling the parable of the caretakers in the vineyard and how they mistreat the vineyard's owner. This is the Jesus we know. Even though He is still pushing the envelope, rebuking the priests and elders by means of the story He tells, He does it in a way that is non-violent, scholastic and almost meek.

So, we all lose our cool every once in awhile. It's OK, even Jesus did. Just make sure you return to your former self, loving peace and working towards harmony.

Mar 29 - "Beauty For Ashes"

2010-03-29T01:38:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 1:1-7
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.
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It hurts to hurt. There are times when we struggle, are in pain, suffer. We wonder, what good can come of this?

Over the past couple of years, my Mom has been down quite a tough road. In the later months of 2006, her husband Mark started to exhibit behavior which pointed towards something not being right. Fast forward to February of 2007 when he is diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. This crippling and often terminal disorder took what was a strong, assured man and reduced him to a shell of his former self. Mark left this world and went into the loving arms of God on January 24, 2008.

For the period of over one year, my Mom was faced with the daily struggle of not only caring for her ill husband, but the prospect of gradually losing the man she loved for many years. How hard it must have been, dealing with caring for another who eventually could no longer care for himself and to have to do it without your best friend, your confidant to guide and support you through. She suffered greatly. The pain of this suffering has still not fully faded, nor may it ever. I am in awe of the courage she showed during this time.

But, good things can come from bad. During the past year, a dear friend of my Mom's went through a similar situation. Her husband also became ill, failing and falling towards what was to be his eventual passing late last year. Over the course of a few months, my Mom was able to give comfort to her. Because she had experienced what this woman was now experiencing, she was able to give words of support and show a caring love which had come out of her own trials. She was now able to relate in a way which she may have been unable to do, unless she had experienced the passing of her own husband.

My Mom also now volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House, helping families who have children with devastating, chronic or terminal illnesses. She is able to support them in a far richer and more meaningful way because she too has suffered their pain. By no means, do I want to imply that the Mark's illness and death occurred just so my Mom would now have the words to comfort those who are in pain. But, she has taken her pain and turned it into something magnificent.

There is a beautiful song by Crystal Lewis, based on Isaiah 61:3 ("To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."). The chorus of the song has a poignant message, putting into contrast the highs and lows we all experience:

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

So, brothers and sisters, know that when you suffer, you are not alone. Lean on those around you who have also suffered; allow beauty to come forth from their ashes. Remember that you have a Great Comforter in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is able to bring peace and solace to you because He also was persecuted and in pain. Gain peace with the recognition that you do not have to bear the burden of pain, sorrow or heartache by yourself.

Mar 28 - "The Sweet Ain't as Sweet without the Bitter"

2010-03-28T02:49:00.000-07:00

Zechariah 9:9-12
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
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What a wonderful image we have today! Christ enters Jerusalem today as a king. He ministry has reached its crescendo and thousands rejoice at His magnificent yet humble entry through the city gates. The question is, to what event has He so triumphantly arrived?

As I have grown older, the feelings I have on this day have changed. I used to look at Palm Sunday as this big, exciting event where Jesus comes into Jerusalem like a king. I loved getting the palms at church, waving them around in the air. As we left church on this day, I knew we were only one week away from the Easter Bunny's arrival with baskets of goodies and a fun day spent with family.

For me now, it is the beginning of a week filled with a melancholic rise and fall. In the coming days, we will watch Jesus humbly serve His friends, washing their feet. We will sit with Jesus at a simple meal, creating a ceremony of remembrance. He will go to the Garden at Gethsemane, be taken in and beaten. We will stand in a crowd and shout "Crucify Him!!". Our Lord will trudge these same streets through which He rides in glory today, bearing a crushing cross, His body bleeding and broken. Even though I know how the story ends next Sunday, I still know the pain of the coming week.

I imagine Jesus felt the same way. He knew this entry into Jerusalem was a celebration based on Man's standards, not on God's. The waving palms were beckoning Him to His temporary demise. He could likely see the Pharisees standing in the back of the crowd, talking with the Roman authorities, convincing them that this man of no account from the backwater town of Nazareth was putting Himself above Caesar. Maybe He caught a glimpse of His friend Judas down a dark alley, accepting a bag of silver. He sees all of this and knows what is to come over the next week. Yet, perhaps there is gleam in His eye, the corner of one side of His mouth upturned into a slight knowing smile. He knows how the story will end.

But, dear friends, just because we know there is pain ahead it does not mean we can't enjoy the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on this day. Place yourself in the crowd, just inside one of Jerusalem's imposing gates. You are surrounded by the blind who can now see, the lame who can now walk, the diseased who are now clean. On your left and right are those who drank the sweet wine at the wedding of Cana; those who broke bread with the 5,000. Everyone is filled with great joy seeing the Man we have come to know and love being praised as a king.

So, sing with joy today! Praise the arrival of your King into the ancient city. Celebrate with those He has healed and made whole. Emmanuel...God with us...Messiah has come!

Mar 27 - "Temporary and Eternal"

2010-03-27T04:59:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 4:13-18
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
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There is no doubt about it. We grow older each day, our bodies microscopically changing and degrading every so slightly as we walk slowly towards the end of our days on earth. Our minds become a little less crisp, memories fade and physical activities we once used to enjoy without second thought become more difficult and leave us hurting after.

Should this stark reality weigh us down, depress and leave us without hope?

I have been blessed to know Bonnie Lucy Wilson my entire life. My Grandma Bonnie has been the steady rock of our family for as long as I can remember. Her deep love for family, her sharp wit and her vegetable soup have been mainstays in my extended family for all of my years. If you were to meet her today for the first time, you would see that her physical form is fading away. It is hard for her to get around and her short-term memory is not what it used to be.

But, in a beautiful way, she is getting younger every day. Whenever I see her, it seems she has a new perspective on the value of family and, most importantly, on the role God has played and continues to play in her family's life. She sits serenely watching all that is going on around her as children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren laugh, play and love in her midst. When I talk to her about the scene, the menagerie of activity, relishing with her the blessedness of the occasion, she often quotes Psalm 46, verse 10: "Be still and know that I am the Lord." It is now obvious to me that her sitting and watching is not a quiet disconnectedness, it is her way of praising God, letting Him "be".

Yes, the fact that we are growing older each day is right there in front of us. But what else is true? With each day we live, we come one day closer to that day, when we will stand with Christ, renewed and restored with the knowledge that the pain and trials we faced on Earth were only temporary. We will recognize that we are seasoned by this world. We are given the gifts of time and experience which wonderfully deepen our understanding.

So, rejoice in growing older. Know that we live in this strange yet beautiful way; growing older and closer to the end of our earthly lives, yet becoming newer and more childlike with each passing day. Love the hauntingly bittersweet dance of this world, for each moment, each temporary instance of joy and pain, bring us ever-closer to eternity of being in the loving arms of God.

Mar 26 - "Conflicted"

2010-03-26T01:43:00.000-07:00

Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; by night as well, but I find no rest. Yet you are the Holy One, enthroned upon the praises of Israel. Our forefathers put their trust in you; they trusted, and you delivered them. They cried out to you and were delivered; they trusted in you and were not put to shame. But as for me, I am a worm and no man, scorned by all and despised by the people.
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Have you ever felt forsaken by God? Has there been a time in your life when you wondered if He was with you, if He was still watching over you?

Whenever I read the 22nd Psalm, I am struck by the spectrum of feelings it represents on behalf of the Psalmist who wrote it. I encourage you to get the Bible you have on a shelf somewhere in your house, or the one you keep close by at all times (you can just Google it too, of course), and read through the whole thing. It is such an interesting piece of scripture because of its constant turns between despair and praise. You can almost see the giant pendulum of the Psalmist's mind and heart, swinging over its long course...back and forth...back and forth.

The picture the Psalmist paints is that of a man who has lost everything. What comes to mind, for me is Smeagol, the scrawny bag of bones, half-naked character from the Lord of the Rings movies. Not only is the first part of Psalm 22 reminiscent of the constant dialogue Smeagol has with evil alter-ego, Gollum, but the physical appearance the Psalmist describes, "I am poured out like water, all my bones are out of joint...I can count all of my bones..." seems to match this character too. This is a man who is likely standing alone out in a dusty street, walking around in half-crazed circles, shouting at the sky, then weeping in a curled mass in the dirt.

The opening to the Psalm also represents one of the "Last Seven Words of Christ", which he spoke while hanging on the cross. As we all do at times, Christ looks to Heaven and pleads with God on His seemingly forsaken status. Yes, even Christ, who although was fully God was also fully Man, and therefore had a conflicted spirit.

It is also ironic that this Psalm is immediately followed by the 23rd Psalm, arguably the most famous of all the Psalms. The 23rd Psalm sits in stark juxtaposition to the prevalent theme of questioning woven throughout Psalm 22. It is almost a palate-cleansing response, standing assured, saying "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."; and, "Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil." I encourage you to read this one too.

Dear friends, all of us have dry times. Each of us wonders if God is with us. We waffle between the sure knowledge of God's work in our lives and the questioning spirit of the seemingly abandoned. God created each of us and His creation is perfect. Do not fear that your spiritual conflict somehow puts you out of favor with God, because you, even in your time of fear and doubt, are a part of that perfect creation.

Read Psalm 22 all the way to the end. You will see the Psalmist rising from the dusty and dry ground. He stands up, straightening his appearance, the countenance of peace crossing his face. He is filled with the spirit of the Lord and stands firmly, praising the power, majesty and grace of the one true God. He has come full circle and is at peace.

So, even in times of great despair, praise the Lord. We all feel conflicted. Remember that words have power, and that by praising God even in your times of doubt, your spirit will once again swing slowly back into the assured faith of His presence, love, care and mercy.

Mar 25 - "This Woman's Work"

2010-03-25T01:44:00.000-07:00

Collect of the Day: The Annunciation of Our Lord to the Virgin Mary
"Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."
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Today is the celebration of Mary being visited by an angel, giving her the news that she was to bear the Son of God. (only 9 months until Christmas...start shopping now!)

Can you imagine what it must have been like to be Mary? A young girl, likely not even 20 years old at the time, being told that she would carry this Gift, this Precious Child. She would be responsible for raising Him and caring for Him. As if the news of being with child is not challenge enough for any woman, but to have the Son of God in your womb. Wow...that's some pressure!

There are times in our lives when we receive really big news, good and bad. What often measures us is how we respond to that news. How does Mary respond? Well, here is when we see the strength of a woman, when put in a tough situation. She says, beginning in Luke, chapter 1, verse 46:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for He has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name."

Now that is grace under pressure. She does not run away or ask that someone else be chosen. She must have known how hard things were going to be, explaining to her family and her soon-to-be husband Joseph, what she had been asked to do. Mary glorifies God and gives thanks for the gift she has been given, relishing in the great responsibility which has been thrust upon her.

In comparison, what do some of the more famous men of the bible do when called by the Lord or similarly challenged? Moses asks God to pick someone else; Jonah takes a boat in the opposite direction of where God told him to go; Zechariah discounts God's power to make him a Father; Joseph initially wants to ditch Mary; Peter denies knowing Christ three times. We men are such goofballs, most of the time. We strut around thinking we are "all that". But when the rubber hits the road, we sometimes fall short and it is a woman who brings us around and points us in the right direction.

Some of you faithful readers who are men and are reading this may say, "Wait a minute, I work hard...I do good things...I help with things!" All of this is true. But, guys, if we are being honest with ourselves, we know that the reason many of us are as "successful" in life as we are, is because at least one woman has or had a hand in it. Was it your Mom or Grandma? Maybe a teacher or a good friend? Your wife? Certainly, my wife Greta makes me a better man every day. My daughters inspire me to be more than I would be if they were not in my life.

So, today, celebrate the glory of all that is being a woman! Gives thanks for grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters, nieces and granddaughters...all women. Women, spend today rejoicing in the essence of being a woman. Men, tell a woman today how much you value the gifts she brings to your life. Thank you, Lord, for the beauty and grace you have given to the world in the gift of women. Praise to you, Heavenly Father, for making women distinct and special in a way that glorifies your wisdom and power.

Mar 24 - "The Power In You"

2010-03-24T01:42:00.000-07:00

Exodus 7:8-24
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a wonder,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.’ ” So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same by their secret arts. Each one threw down his staff, and they became snakes; but Aaron’s staff swallowed up theirs. Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
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God is all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present. He created the earth and the heavens. He has the power to do anything...literally, no miracle is too large, no task is too great. Nothing is beyond Him.

If this is the case, why can't God change the heart of one man? How is this possible?

Pharaoh is just one example of many throughout the Bible, as well as in the times up to and including today, where people have been able to temporarily deny the will of God. Look around us. There are certainly people in our lives who, when considering God, range from a mild interest, to indifference, to an agnostic chill, to ardent disbelief, even to militant atheism. All of them are denying God in varying degrees. They are, looking at it one way, more powerful than God.

I have denied God. I have had a time in my life where I no longer believed in Him. Because of a tragedy in my extended family many years ago, I decided that God did not exist. Looking back on this, I realize this choice I made was my way of exercising my power over God. I was lashing out at Him. Fortunately for me, this relationship has long since been restored.

In our human forms, each of us has the ability, the power, to deny God. God noes not require our faith. God wants us to be in relationship with Him, leaning on Him for help and support, giving Him thanks for the many blessings in our lives. Not because He needs it, but because we need it. But we sin and fall short, missing the mark of the ideals He has set before us. Would it be better if we had no power? Would our lives be easier if we did not have the ability to choose or deny God? Is this a trick, this ability to deny Him? No, it is the free will He has given us to chose. By choosing Him, we become fully invested in the relationship. If we had no choice, we would see our relationship with God as a given, something easily obtained and grasped. Would we value it as much as a relationship for which we have had to work? Easy come, easy go.

So, recognize the power that is in you. In a way, you have a power that is greater than God's; use it wisely. But, the good news is,that even if we deny God while we are in this world, when we stand before Him and His Son at the end of our days on earth, we will no longer have human eyes, seeing through the glass darkly. We will know that God had the power...has the power to do more for us than we can ask or imagine. Each of us will walk towards Him, ready to accept His love and the authority of His power. And the best news? He will stand there will open and loving arms, forgetting and forgiving our denial, welcoming us in.

Mar 23 - "Childlike"

2010-03-23T01:40:00.000-07:00

Mark 9:30-41
"Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, 'What were you arguing about on the way?' But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.' Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.'”
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Jesus talked about children a lot. In addition to the passage above, He said: peacemakers are the children of God; we should become like children in order to enter Heaven; He commanded that His disciples should let the children come to Him.

What does it mean to me childlike? Having 3 daughters and 13 nieces and nephews...most of them being under age 10...I have had the opportunity to see lots of children in action over the past few years from the perspective of an adult, father and uncle.

Here's what I notice about children:

...children can make a plaything out of the most obscure items...a stick, a rock, or a discarded piece of plastic can be better than the hottest new toy or video game

...children love intensely...have you ever seen a child lose their favorite stuffed animal?

...children are often more fascinated by the packaging, bows and boxes than the gifts inside them...take bubble wrap, for example

...children run...not as a means of exercise, but as the most fun and efficient way to get anywhere fast

...children speak their minds openly...the things that come out of their mouths bring us great joy, laughter or inspire us to our core

...children accept new people into their lives with excitement and hope...anyone is a friend at the playground

...children smile more than they frown, laugh more than they cry, love more than they hate

I think Christ talks about children so much because, not only does He want us to take a childlike point of view in our faith and relationship with God...our Father...Abba..., but that He wants us to recognize the gifts that can come from a childlike point of view. As adults, we can complicate, caveat, couch, hedge, analyze, plan, rethink and strategize the pure joy and excitement out of any situation. We develop very complex points of view on myriad topics as well as the people we know or don't even know.

Christ calls us to be like children and embrace the childlike point of view because, if we discount the wisdom, value and joy a child or childlike person can bring to our lives, we are missing out on an important part of the total picture.

So, be childlike. Love fiercely. Run, jump and play with intensity and joy. Accept the view a child brings with openness and warmth. For when we welcome a child in the name of Christ, we welcome Christ Himself into our lives.

Mar 22 - "Doubt in the Face of Proof"

2010-03-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

Exodus 4:10-20, 27-31
"But Moses said to the LORD, 'O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.' Then the LORD said to him, 'Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.' But he said, “O my Lord, please send someone else.' Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, 'What of your brother Aaron, the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him. Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.'”
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Sometimes, it is hard for us to believe. We see God's work in our lives. We see the beauty of the world around us, the miracle of creation; but still, we have doubt.

Do you fear that God will think less of you, abandon you because you have trouble believing? Every once in awhile, I look at a task that is set before me, or the schedule of my week ahead, and I think, "How am I going to get through this?" Even though every time I ask God for His help, each time I pray for guidance, strength, or support, He delivers without fail. Yet, I still have doubt.

But, don't worry. This challenge of reconciling our faith to the events around has been going on for thousands of years. Look at Moses. He had just seen a burning bush. God has just spoken directly to him in a voice coming straight from heaven. What does Moses say? He tells God that he is the wrong guy because he is not the most eloquent speaker. How can he doubt? Doesn't he realize that if God can bring fire to a bush and not let it be consumed by the flames, that He can give Moses the right words to say?

Fortunately, God is patient. He figures out a way to make it work by offering up Moses' brother Aaron to speak for Moses on his behalf. This helps build Moses' confidence in getting the Word to Pharaoh.

So, don't let your doubt make you feel like you are giving up on God. Ask for His help; let Him know your fears and trepidation. He will provide.

Mar 21 - "Proof"

2010-03-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

Mark 9:2-13
"Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!' Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus."
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What proof do you have the God exists? Do you have evidence that Christ walked on the Earth over 2000 years ago? Can you unequivocally prove that the Holy Spirit works in the world yet today?

Throughout the Bible, we see many occasions where God takes a visible role in situations where He was executing against His divine plan. Countless times, we see Him talking with people directly; Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses and many others all had a direct connection to God. During these times, there is no doubt in their minds that He exists and is all He says He is. In today's reading, we see that direct connection once again. Even though Christ was performing miracles on a seemingly daily basis in full view of His disciples, this is the first evidence they have proof that He is really who He says He is. God's voice booms down from heaven, telling them flat out that Jesus is His son and that they should listen to Him.

I think all of us want proof. We live in a cynical time with so much information and misinformation surrounding us, is it easier when we can see direct, incontrovertible evidence that the thing we are supposed to believe is actually true. When it comes to God, I am sure there are moments when it would be much easier if God would just come right out and show us that He is the Lord and that He is in control.

There have been many times in my life where I asked God to please, please show me that He is there; I have pleaded, "Lord, give me a sign. Show me that You are real. I feel so weak in my faith. Knowing that You are there will secure my belief." The good news is that when we ask, God delivers. When these times of dryness have come, the usual issue is that I am not looking in the right place for the proof. Have I seen proof today, yesterday that God exists?

Absolutely.

Last night, my sister started the next part of her life as Mrs. Rosen. The love which permeated the entire day yesterday is proof. I know God exists and He is with us. Hugs, kisses, laughter, tears of great and profound joy. I know God exists and He is with us. Dancing with my wife, my daughters, my nieces and nephews is proof. I know God exists and He is with us. Sharing words with family, commenting on the joy which surrounded us is proof. I know God exists and He is with us.

So, realize it is OK to ask for proof. Our souls thirst after God and part of this thirst is quenched when we know in our hearts that He is real. But, dear friends, be open to the way this proof may come. The evidence of His existence is around us all the time. We may just need to change our perspective or look in a different direction in order to see it.

Mar 20 - "Wedding Day"

2010-03-20T04:09:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."
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As I sit here and write, I am smiling and rejoicing in the Lord's plan, His work in the world and the way He times things out...just perfectly. Lord, You are marvelous and glorious! Heavenly Father, I love how you make things come together, bringing joy to our lives!

Because today is a special and joyous occasion (my baby sister Abbi is getting married!!), I was going to step aside from my normal process of writing a meditation from one of the readings in the Daily Office. My plan was to meditate on the passage about the miracle of water to wine at the wedding in Cana, Jesus' first miracle. Right before I was ready to search for it, I thought I should at least check to see what the readings today were. What if God had delivered something better? And...what do you know...I scan down through the text and there, right in front of me, is 1 Corinthians 3:1-13! Probably the most-read scripture at wedding ceremonies around the world. How God must be smiling down upon the Wilson and Rosen families today!

This is one of those passages in which Paul packed so much into a a short section of verses. Paul obviously knew love. He captures every essence of it; patience, kindness...bearing, believing, hoping and enduring. There are those who would say the feeling of love is just a set of chemicals in our body, reacting to external stimuli. Some have even said the chemical processes which occur in the body when a person "feels love" is basically the same as when we eat chocolate.

But love is so much more!

God brought Christ to the world to live with us because He loves us. Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross because He loves us. God sent the Holy Spirit to be a companion for us after Christ left the world because He loves us. We do so many things because of the love we have for friends and family. We make sacrifices, we give, we put others' needs in front of our own. Would we do all of these things as a result of a chemical reaction? I don't think so.

Today is a day that will be overflowing with love. At the dinner we shared together last night, celebrating the joining today of Abbi and Ben, I could see that God , in His divine purpose, was bringing together two families who abound in love. There were smiles, laughter, hugs, tears of joy...all coming out because of one thing: the love between Abbi and Ben.

I say it again: Lord, you are marvelous and glorious! Today, my cup overflows, my soul is bursting with joy!!!!

So, brothers and sisters, love, love, love, love, love!!!!! Unlike anything else in God's marvelous creation, Love is the thing that, when given, does not diminish you. Its giving away does not leave you with something less or smaller, the giving of Love...the living in Love...builds you up and comes back to you ten-fold.

Mar 19 - "Open Mouth and Insert Foot"

2010-03-19T01:43:00.000-07:00

Mark 8:27 – 9:1
"Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that I am?' And they answered him, 'John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.' He asked them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered him, 'You are the Messiah.' And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, 'Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.'"
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Do you have times when feel like you just can't say the right thing? Do you find yourself in situations where you have a chance to make a great statement or pass wisdom along to another, but you end up tasting shoe leather because you have inserted your foot squarely into your mouth? How about times you were concerned about saying something the wrong way, so you kept silent?

You gotta love this guy, Peter. He is all about trying to do and say the right thing. Of all the disciples, he comes across as the most human, down-to-earth bloke of the whole bunch. I picture Peter as someone who tries really hard, but just can't seem to get it right some of the time...just like me and you. In this conversation with Jesus, he thinks he answers Jesus' question correctly of who He is: "You are the Messiah!". Peter is probably thinking, "Yahoo! I know I got this one right!". But then Jesus comes back with a warning about Peter's answer. I imagine Peter slapping his hand against his forehead in a "coulda had a V-8" moment, realizing he got the answer only partly right.

After this dialogue, it seems that Peter pulls Jesus to the side for a private conversation. We don't know what he said to Jesus, but it was probably something about what could be done to avoid the pain and death Jesus has just foretold. Once again, his heart is in the right place. He may have said, "Jesus, look...why don't we go off to another part of the country, avoiding this local group of Pharisees who seem to have it out for you? Or maybe, let's just lie low for awhile, stop all the miracles for a bit? The local bakers are really upset about all the bread you've been creating and giving away lately. Maybe all of this can blow over if we keep it cool for awhile?"

How does Jesus respond? He basically tells Peter that he is the devil. He rebukes Peter for putting his mind on short term goals...things of this world...not on things eternal. Poor Peter. He probably slunked away from the group, saying to himself, "I am SO stupid!! Why do I say those things?!? Arrggh!" Haven't we all felt this way?

But look at Peter, he was right there in the thick of it. He gave everything up to follow Jesus. He did not get caught up in wondering if what he was doing was right. He was no Hamlet; he said what he thought, wore his heart on his sleeve and took action. Although he ends up denying Christ at one point when he wanted to stand beside Him, he was also the guy who jumped out with his sword, ready for a fight, when the authorities came to take Jesus away.

I love praying. I believe one of my spiritual gifts is gathering a group of people together and leading them prayer. I don't know where the words come from, but I seem to find them when needed. I do know that the gift came from my Dad, because he is a great prayer leader. When I am in situations where asked to say a prayer for a group, his words, which I have heard spoken countless times, always come to mind. I find myself fashioning these prayers in the form of the words he has spoken, picturing my Dad with head bowed in reverent gratitude. (Yes, sometimes I opened my eyes and peeked when he was praying.)

When we pray, it can be hard to find the right words. Even though I love praying, I have had many times where I felt like Peter after I had led a group in prayer. I think, "That was the worst ever! Man, that prayer stunk. What was I thinking, imagining I could lead these people in a solemn, heart-felt prayer?!?"

But the truth is, there are no "bad" prayers. Prayer represents an opening up. It is a way for each of us to recognize that God is the one who can make it happen. We can work hard, try hard, focus on doing and saying the right things in order to move forward in our lives. But when we ask for help, give thanks or offer praise in prayer, we are showing there is something more than our own efforts at play. We don't have to worry about saying the right thing. We just have to say it.

So, don't let your fear of saying the wrong thing keep your voice silent. Put your words, your thoughts, your dreams out there with love and sincerity. Be Peter. For although Peter put his foot in his mouth every once in awhile, Jesus smiled upon him; he was Jesus' most beloved disciple and Jesus loved him to the very end.

Mar 18 - "One Body"

2010-03-18T01:43:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 12:12-26
"Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'”
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Do you believe you have value in the world? Are you important in the grand scheme of things?

I was always the last guy to get picked for the kickball teams at school recess. The girl I asked to the prom had a better offer. There have been lots of times in my life where I felt like it did not really matter if I was around or not. Just so we're clear, because of the abounding love I received from my family, I've never gone to the depth of a George Baily, It's A Wonderful Life, moment. But, just like you, every once in awhile I have had times when I felt pushed aside, discounted. When I think about how I felt in those moments, it is not a fun place. When made to feel less than we are, less than our potential, we shrink and often compound the insult by criticizing ourselves.

But, turn the table. When have you pushed someone aside, discounted the value of another?

As I sit here and write this, I feel like a hypocrite. I am about to pontificate on how we should all recognize the value of those around us, yet I can think of at least a few times each week...maybe even daily...when I discount some person's role or impact in my life and the world. I have instances where I avoid contact because a person annoys me; I say critical things about people to others; I literally shut a person down when they are trying to make a point, a request or give input, just because I think it will have no value.

Where does this cynicism come from? At what point do we as individuals decide that we are judges, making decisions on who has value and who does not? How do we get that way? When you see toddlers playing in a sandbox together, even if complete strangers, they don't judge. Sure, they may throw things at each other every once in awhile, but they do not assess and criticize; they just play and get along because innately they know it it more fun playing with someone than sitting by themselves.

The question: what do we do? How do each of us resolve this conflict of knowing what we should do and doing what we should do? It is tough to change overnight, to make an immediate U-turn on our approach, but it can be done over time. Maybe we just need to go ultra-simple and start with the recognition that each one of us plays a vital role in creation. I know it may sound strange to think that the homeless guy begging for change on the street corner plays a role, but he does. How about the guy who cut you off in traffic yesterday? Or the person who shoved their way ahead of you in line? The bank robber? The sycophant? The person who is always complaining? The liar? The cheat? Oddly enough, each of these people play a role in creation. Each of them is loved by God and has been given the same redemption through Christ which you have received. No more, no less.

Christ talked about the importance of going after the one lamb who was lost. He tells the story of how shepherd's care for the flock, but if one of the sheep go astray, he leaves the others to go bring back the one. Every single one of them has value. No one is expendable.

Can I turn around today and change, repent, renew my outlook on those around me? I can. I know I will fall short at times, many times. But I will move forward in the faith that God smiles upon those who try and fail, but try again. His steady hand guides those, who with sincere hearts, work toward peace and harmony, showing love, recognizing the gifts that each person brings.

So, brothers and sisters, do you have value in the world? You absolutely do. Does the person sitting next to you, in front of you, walking beside or behind you have value in the world? They absolutely do. Look for that value; don't discount; don't judge. For when we find the shining gem of value in another, we are also, in a way, found.

Mar 17 - "St. Patrick's Lemonade"

2010-03-17T01:39:00.000-07:00

Genesis 50:15-26
"But Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.' In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them."
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Are you in a bad spot today? Are you having one of those times when you feel like everything is working against you?

Today, we celebrate the life and work of St. Patrick. We participate in this remembrance, honoring Irish heritage in a variety of ways; wearing green so we don't get pinched; eating corned beef and cabbage; drinking green beer (or just drinking), or; driving around town all day with Irish dancers in tow, dancing at schools and marching in the parade (our day today).

Although St. Patrick is famous for supposedly banishing snakes from Ireland, many are not aware of how he got to Ireland in the first place and why he ended up bringing Christianity to this beautiful land. Patrick was born in Roman Britain. His father, was a deacon, his grandfather a priest. When he was about sixteen, he was captured and carried off as a slave to Ireland. Patrick worked as a herdsman, remaining a captive for six years. His faith grew in captivity and he prayed daily. After six years he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home, and then that his ship was ready. Fleeing his master, he travelled to a port, two hundred miles away where he found a ship and, after various adventures, returned home to his family, now in his early twenties.

Patrick recounts that he had a vision a few years after returning home:

"I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: 'The Voice of the Irish'. As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea—and they cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us."

Patrick then returned to Ireland to bring the good news of Christ to these people. He, of course, could not have done this unless he had know Gaelic, the language of Ireland. Being taken into captivity in Ireland and toiling there for six years was the thing that facilitated this future ministry, which we celebrate today. He he definitely took the lemons he was given and made lemonade (it was probably green, though).

St. Patrick's life reminds me of the story of Joseph and his brothers, which has been one element of the reading in the Daily Office for the past couple of weeks. Joseph was also taken into slavery in a strange land. He struggled for many years, was even in and out of prison, before the full glory of his purpose was revealed, bringing his family to Egypt, where they were able to prosper in a dry time.

We all have times when things do not seem to be going our way. It is really hard, when living in these moments, to see some potential greater purpose. Many times, we are not able to see what God was doing in our life until much later. But when we look back, we can often see the work God was doing at that time.

So, what are your lemons? Are you slave to something today that is making your life a moment-by-moment struggle? As strange as it sounds, give thanks to God for this time. Praise Him in the storm, in your frustration, in your toil. Although it may be hard to see today, God is working in you for His divine purpose and the result of this tough time will be something more beautiful, more peaceful and more glorious than you can even imagine.

Mar 16 - "The Power Of A Single Moment"

2010-03-16T01:55:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 11:17-34
"For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'"
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Jesus sitting with His friends having a simple meal. Can you imagine yourself being at this quiet moment, this instant in time?

Broken down to its basic components, this event does not seem to be as dramatic as other moments during Christ's life on earth. Whether it is His baptism, with God's voice booming from heaven, Jesus walking on water to His disciples, or the miracle of water transformed to wine during the wedding at Cana, there are many moments where Jesus' holiness and power shouts to be recognized more than this one. At face value, it carries no more significance than a conversation we may have with family at the dinner table on any given evening. His request is simple; "I may not be with you much longer, so, when you are together sharing a meal, remember me."

Does this moment carry its weight for me because I have heard the story of the Last Supper easily more than 1000 times over the course of my life during communion on Sundays or at special holidays and celebrations? Or, is there something more? I am sure Jesus recognized the power of the moment in general as well as the power of this particular moment. He knew that His words would be repeated by His friends and later by those with whom they would share the Good News. The story of these short series of words would be handed down from generation to generation and retold again and again until He returned to earth as a triumphant king.

Life is an almost infinite series of single moments. In the multi-tasking rush of our days, weeks, months...lives...it is easy to miss the opportunity to have a positive impact each one of these smidgens of time presents. Equally as important, we often fail to recognize that these moments can sometimes be a force for negativity which ripples through time, not seeing their effects at that particular second. A kind word or a hateful one...a hug or a cold shoulder...a smile or a scowl...a helping hand or brush off; each of these actions have meaning to those around us.

When I think about the power of a single moment, I sometimes feel sad about the opportunities, the moments I have squandered. Even though I live without regret, because the good, the bad and the ugly have brought me to this moment in my life...and I would not change a thing about it because I am so richly blessed...it is hard not to think about the times when a different choice may have made the difference to someone close to me.

So, what will be your moment today? Will you seize the opportunity to make history, not necessarily in some dramatic, public event, but in the gift of a personal interaction with someone around you, the effect of which changes their life? Take the time to speak simple, loving words in every moment. For when we do this, we do this in rememberance of Him.

Mar 15 - "You Are What You Eat"

2010-03-15T02:08:00.000-07:00

John 6:27-40
"Then Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' They said to Him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'"

1 Corinthians 10:14 - 11:1
"The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."
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In the first few books of the Bible, there are a lot of rules about food. There are many chapters dedicated, based on early Judaic Law, to how food should be prepared, what should and should not be eaten, as well as various cleansing practices which must occur before and after eating.

I have often wondered why so much time and effort was spent laying out all of these rules on something so seemingly unimportant. But, you've got to love how God works; there is always some process, some stage of growth set before us.

My sometimes demented sense of humor thinks of it this way: I imagine God up in heaven during the early days of humans on earth. He looks down on His creation and thinks about all the things that His chosen people could eat, all of the wonderful elements of creation, many of which are delicious when properly prepared, but which can also be deadly. He realizes that most likely, many people will die if they eat lobster which is not cooked the right way; or that pigs sometimes carry a dangerous bacteria which, if not destroyed through the cooking process, can be fatal to humans. To make up for this, knowing that eventually cooking "technology" will allow these things to be enjoyed, He sets ideas on the hearts of Moses and the early faithful, driving them to put rules in place which say "don't eat these things", or, "only eat after washing your hands".

Later, the prophesy of old comes treu and Christ is in the world with us. He says, "I am the bread of life". He tells us that He is all we need to be sustained.

Eventually, Paul comes along, professing that the original Law was fulfilled by Christ and that the rules established by Judaism are no longer needed. Paul says, "eat whatever you like...don't worry about the old rules". He tells the people of the early Christian churches that it's really all about glorifying God in whatever you do and since Christ fulfilled the Law, they no longer need be bound by it.

I think our faith is like this.

When we are young, our parents tell us what to do and what not to do. We go to church with them, learn to stand up, sit down and kneel at certain times. When the priest or minister says certain phrases, we respond in a specific way. We learn the liturgical calendar, relishing in the excitement of anticipating Christmas after Advent and Easter after Lent.

As we grow, we develop a personal knowledge that Christ came to earth and died for us so that we will have eternal life with God. He is the bread which sates our hunger. We recognize the importance of the rules, rituals and calendar associated with our faith and we make these a part of our life, but they become just one element of our faith. Our belief develops a personal flavor because we are building an individual recognition of what we need to thrive and survive.

Eventually, as our faith matures, we are able to put the rules aside and realize that it's all about Jesus. The rituals and order of worship which were the foundation of our early faith remain, but they are not the focus of our journey. We can look at Paul's words and recognize that when he tells us to discard the old ways and not to worry what we take in, but in what we put out, we are truly partaking in the bread of life and all that it has to offer.

So, feast on Him. Use His story to quench your thirst, His love to feed your hunger and His peace to keep you strong. Know that the glorious banquet set before us is all we need for our strength and sustenance.

Mar 14 - "Your Inheritance"

2010-03-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

Genesis 48:8-22
"When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, 'Who are these?' Joseph said to his father, 'They are my sons, whom God has given me here.' And he said, 'Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.'”
Romans 8:11-25
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him."
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How many of us are hoping for that long-lost, unknown, great-Aunt who is going to leave us a million dollars in her will? Or maybe that eccentric 3rd cousin-in-law twice removed who bought ten thousand shares of a funny company called Apple in 1980 and stuck it under his mattress, only to leave it to you because you gave him a plate of jello with pears floating in it at a family reunion 20 years ago.

I suppose some of us have dreams, at times, of a rich inheritance that will set our lives on easy street. For others, maybe its the Powerball, Lotto or Hoosier Millionaire. ;-)

My brother, sisters and I joke around with our mom and dad every once in awhile at how much they are going to leave us in their wills, as well as what we do or don't do at times that will keep us "in" or "out" of these anarchic documents. The discussion always ends in the same way; we want them to spend every penny and enjoy all the blessings their hard work has brought them. Each of us are fine and aren't counting on anything, except for maybe family heirlooms such as the Beatles lunchbox, Barney's head, the front porch hammock or our famous giant beach innertube.

But the truth of the matter is that we have already been given a rich inheritance; one that we don't have to wait for, but that we can enjoy right now. We have been given the opportunity to live in the light; to walk with God and with Christ in every moment of our lives. And the most wonderful news about this inheritance? We can never do anything that, at the end of our lives, will separate us from this gift. The debt has been paid in full. The will has already been written in the blood shed on the Cross, and it cannot ever be changed.

The question often comes up, how will will we spend our inheritance? Will we squander it or will we put it to good use? And most importantly, will we also hand along a share of this inheritance to our children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren? Should we also not ensure that those small and growing lives in which we have been entrusted also become aware of and are enabled to redeem the gift of this inheritance?

So, rejoice in your inheritance. Use it as it was intended...to be enjoyed fully while we are here in this world. Take a share of it and hand it down. For, when properly nourished, the portion we pass along takes root, grows and flowers into something more beautiful, rich and greater than if we had kept that portion to ourselves.

Mar 13 - "Passing Tests"

2010-03-13T03:29:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 10:1-13
"No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it."
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Do you ever feel like you are being tested? Are there times when you have been put in a tough situation where your strength, your sanity or your faith have been pushed to the brink?

I think we all have times when we say, "Lord, what is going on? Why are things so hard right now? Why does it feel like everything is against me?". During these times, it can take every ounce of our spirit to persevere and keep pushing through, until the rocky time has come to an end and we can look back, seeing with clear eyes what was to be learned or how we were strengthened.

One of my favorite movie quotes is from a couple of years back in the film Evan Almighty, the sequel to Bruce Almighty. In one scene, the wife of Steve Carell's character is having a tough time. Her husband has taken on the likeness of Noah and started building an Ark in the back yard. It has pushed her and her family to the brink and she is thinking about leaving her husband. She meets God, played by Morgan Freeman, as a waiter in a restaurant (I think) . She is sharing her troubles with him and he replies with what I believe is one of the wisest statements to ever come out of a Hollywood screenplay. He says:

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does He give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for their family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does He give them opportunities to love each other?"

Brilliant!

So, dear friend, what fruit is your current struggle going to bear at the end of its time? Could it be that your "test" is actually an answer to a prayer? Recognize that even though you may feel like you are trying to past some test, have faith that these tests are only passing times which we sometimes go through, being refined in a crucible, coming out shining like gold.

Mar 12 - "A Little Goes A Long Way"

2010-03-12T03:35:00.000-08:00

Mark 6:30-46
"Taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and He divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men."
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I got a call yesterday from a contact I have in the Dominican Republic, where my company recently started operations. After updating each other on various things, he asked me if I was ready to think about how my company was going to give back to the local community. Although we certainly have an interest in doing this, as we do for all of our locations, my mind immediately went to wondering what the expense would be, how much time and money it would take to have a positive impact.

It would have been very easy for me to tell my contact that we had to wait until later, when we were more established, due to the expense associated with it. However, after talking through a couple of options, I was amazed at how little it would take to have a big impact. The need for basic things like books for children, food staples or clean water is so great in certain parts of the country, that a little goes a long way. This is certainly something we will do right away.

In the story of Christ's miracle with the Loaves and Fishes, the disciples wonder how they will be able to feed so many people with what little they have. But Jesus takes action. He gathers the meager amount of food, offers thanks to God (that's the important part) and the small portion becomes something great, more than they could have imagined, with much left over.

Many times, we think that in order to have a positive effect on a situation, it will take a lot of time, talent or treasure. But I am continually amazed at how big an impact the little things can make. A smile, a please, a thank you, a helping hand. All of these things, though seemingly small and insignificant, can make a difference. My wife Greta is a big fan of "random acts of kindness". She has paid fares for people behind us at toll plazas, handed extra coupons or tickets to total strangers because we had more than we needed...she is a master of the little things that make a difference. It is one of the infinite list of things I love about her.

So, do the little thing. Do not be fearful that you do not have enough and are unable to make an impact on the world around you. For when offered up, blessed, broken and shared, even the smallest gift, the tiniest amount of time, talent or treasure can make a big difference.

Mar 11 - "Struggling With God"

2010-03-11T01:54:00.000-08:00

Genesis 46:1-7, 28-34
"When Israel set out on his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, 'Jacob, Jacob.' And he said, 'Here I am.' Then he said, 'I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes.'".
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When you think about your relationship with God, is it easy or hard? Do you feel like you are working against Him, or Him against you, at times? Or, as you assess this partnership, do you rest peaceful with the knowledge that He is working right along side you?

My journey with God has been a long and winding road. Along this road, I have strayed off into the woods every once in awhile. I have even come to a point where I thought the road ended and I had been abandoned. But fortunately, there was always something which brought me back to the journey or allowed me to clear away the debris blocking the road which seemed to be a dead end.

Have you ever felt this way?

The word "Israel" is a funny one. It first appears in Genesis 32:28 after the angel, with whom Jacob had wrestled, told him that his name would no longer be Jacob, but now it would be Israel, because he had struggled with God. The Hebrew word "Israel" (I am by no means an expert in Biblical Hebrew, so might have this wrong) can be broken into two parts; the first part, "isra" is related to the verb meaning "to struggle or toil"; the second part "el" is a very ancient name for the word "God". Putting them together, you get "struggle with God".

When I first learned about the Hebraic origins of this word, it struck me as interesting because, if you think about it, you can say this phrase in two different ways, with two completely different meanings. The first can be meant to imply that there is a daily struggle, a constant work which must be done because we are, in a way, battling with God; "struggling with", then "God". Read this way, it is the literal interpretation of the situation Jacob experienced; wrestling against the angel, who was a manifestation of God on Earth at that moment.

However, as with almost everything, there is another way to look at it.

You can also think of this, breaking the phrase in a different way: "struggling", then "with God". Read in this way, we recognize that we are all struggling every day. We face a daily grind that is the world around us. At times, we seem beset on all sides by things working against us, we have to fight it out every day to keep our sanity, our peace, our faith. But, we are not alone in our struggle. We have a partner, an advocate, the best bodyguard ever working with us in our struggle. God jumps right into the ditch next to us, shovel in hand, and starts digging. He brings the sharp axe to the brush and bramble in which we are often tangled, hacking away and clearing a path for us.

So, struggle...with God. Do battle every day knowing that He is right beside you, behind and above you, in front of you...tackling the scrap in our lives right along with us. Brothers and Sisters, you do not have to do it alone. Call on Him and He will struggle...with You.

Mar 10 - "Knowing or Loving?"

2010-03-10T01:36:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 8:1-13
"Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him."
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When you spend time reading the Bible every day, as I have been this past couple weeks of Lent, every once in awhile you run across some strange things. For the past week, one of the lessons each day has come from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. I enjoy reading these letters from Paul because, although an Apostle and Saint, you see a very human side of him. You see the things he may have been struggling with at the time he wrote the letter.

This section of 1 Corinthians deals with a multitude of topics ranging from marriage and divorce to sex and man-woman relations as well as foods to eat or not eat. At times, it seems to be a random stream of consciousness as he tries to address either questions the people of Corinth had for him, issues they were dealing with or just things Paul had on his heart at the time. However, within these sets of rules and thoughts which seem to run on and on, there are sparkling jewels of wisdom.

Knowledge and Love.

When we say we "know" something or someone, how does that statement differ from when we say we "love" something or someone? Do you know ice cream or do you love ice cream (I love ice cream!). When you stand in awe of a beautiful spring morning, bursting with promise (those days are coming soon, my friends!), do you say "I know Spring" or do you say "I LOVE Spring!"? These are very different statements.

Knowledge of a thing or of a person is important. Saying "I know David" makes a statement to others that you likely (1) recognize him when he walks in the room, (2) understand in some small way how he relates to the world around him, and (3) that you maybe even have an idea of what he thinks about certain topics or issues. Knowledge almost becomes a possession, of sorts. As Paul said, it "puffs you up"; your knowledge makes you full, in some way (many would say, full of "it").

To say you love something is obviously very different. Now, I know people today throw around the word love in many ways and often without thought, but I am talking about the way we use it when we are deeply appreciative, in awe or fully connected to the joy that is the essence of that thing we love. Love is a sign of weakness, of sorts. It is why, I think, being in love is described at times as "weak in the knees" or "faint of heart". It represents a "giving over" of yourself to that thing or that person. By saying we love something or someone, we are in essence taking a piece of ourselves and handing it over to be cared for. We are, as they say, "putting it out there". When we say "I love...", we are assigning a value that is above all else.

Do you know God or do you love God?

I will admit, as I have moved through the daily walk of my Faith over many years, there are times I have said to myself, "OK. I think I get it. I know God. I know what He is doing. I know what He wants from me. I know what His work in the world is accomplishing." This 'knowing' has made me feel very secure of my place in creation, of my relationship with God. I felt that by 'knowing' God, I was in some way residing in a deeper form of faith. But, by saying "I know God", I have made Him a possession, of sorts. By saying this, I am almost putting myself as an equal to Him...and this is a very dangerous place to be.

When I change my point of view to "I love God", I become a part of Him in a very different way. Love does not pretend to represent an understanding, a knowledge or some empirical awareness of all things that are of God. By loving God, I am saying to Him, "here is my heart, I trust You with its care and comfort".

So, stated very simply....Love. Love your friends, love your children, love your family, love Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Love God. Give yourself over to the weakness that represents your trust in that relationship. For in the weakness of this love, we are built up and made immeasurably strong.

Mar 9 - "The Power of Believing"

2010-03-09T01:30:00.000-08:00

Mark 5:21-43
"Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, 'If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.' Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, 'Who touched my clothes?' And his disciples said to him, 'You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ' He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.'"
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What do you believe in?

I ask this question, not necessarily about your faith tradition and whether you are Jew, Muslim, Christian or Buddhist. I am asking, what do you truly, strongly, deeply know to be true...know that beyond a shadow of a doubt, is solid as a rock.

There is a great video on YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAMLOnSNwza) of a young man named Dalton Sherman. He gave a speech at the kickoff meeting for the Dallas Independent School District that, even if it were not delivered by a boy this age, tells a wonderful story. He asks questions throughout this amazing message, challenging the audience to believe in him, to believe in each other and to believe in themselves.

Belief can be many things and do many things.

Unfortunately, belief can be a poisonous deliverer of evil. Belief can...

...send millions to their deaths in the gas chambers of eastern Europe

...drive men to think that flying jumbo jets into skyscrapers in the work of God

...cause a generation of hatred manifested in white-hooded lynch mobs burning crosses

But, Belief can be amazingly powerful force for good. Belief can...

....cause the sick to be healed

...bring a woman to reject the notion that, because of the color of her skin, she has to sit at the back of the bus

...be a quiet voice that says "try one more time" and brings forth a miracle performance in music, science, sport or literature

Every Sunday, in almost every denomination of Christian church, after the sermon, homily or message is delivered by the minister, priest or pastor, a Creed is said by the congregation. It is timed perfectly, as one priest jokingly told me, to affirm, "regardless of what this guy (or gal) just said, here's what we believe." I grew up in the Methodist Church, reciting the Apostle's creed. In my current tradition as an Episcopalian, we read the Nicene Creed, which I have come to embrace as my statement of faith, my belief:

"We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen."

So, recognize the power of believing. Believe in the good and you will do good things. Believe in yourself, and you will become something greater than you are today. Believe in someone close to you and you will lift them up. Believe in God, whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

Mar 8 - "Sacrifice"

2010-03-08T01:19:00.000-08:00

Genesis 44:18-34
"Now therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord in place of the boy; and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the suffering that would come upon my father."
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Throughout the hundreds of stories told in the Bible, we see examples of sacrifice. Situations where one thing or one person is exchanged in place of another in order to achieve the greater good is a thread which winds its way throughout the lives of the people we have come to know in these stories. From Abraham, Isaac and the lamb, to Ruth and Naomi, to Esther, to Job, we see a multitude of people we can uphold as models of sacrifice.

The reading above from Genesis is near the end of the story when Joseph, "disguised" as the chief assistant to Pharaoh, finally reveals himself to his brothers. When a stolen cup is found in the grain sack of Jacob's youngest son, Benjamin, Judah offers himself to be a slave in place of Benjamin. Judah has such a deep love for his father Jacob and a grave concern that he will no longer be able to live if Benjamin does not return home, he sacrifices his own freedom so that another can be free. Certainly, Judah is not without sin as he took part in the "loss" of Jacob's other dear son, Joseph, by selling him into slavery years before. But, regardless of his past transgressions, Judah's sacrifice is pure of heart.

Have you ever made a sacrifice?

Throughout our daily lives, we all certainly make sacrifices. Small things here and there which may not cause us terrible hardship, but by making the choice, eases another's burden in some way. But, have any of us been faced with a choice to put ourselves in a truly precarious position, risking perhaps even life and limb in order that another can live? I certainly have not been faced with anything this dramatic. On the other hand, have you ever been the beneficiary of someone else's sacrifice?

Yes. We all have.

I love my family. The depth of this love goes even to the point where I would willingly put my life on the line in exchange for one of theirs. If faced with a situation where one of them were in mortal danger and I had the opportunity to put my own life down as a sacrifice so that they could live, I would do it without a second thought. I think many of you reading this would do the same, without question.

But there is even a greater sacrifice.

It seems horrible to think about, but, if you have a child or children, would you allow one of them to be sacrificed so that someone else might live? How about someone who maybe didn't even deserve to live? Even writing these words brings pain to my heart, thinking about losing one of my children. I cannot imagine anything more terrible. When I think about how much I love my family and love each one of my beautiful daughters, I cannot imagine a greater love. It consumes me, fills me up, makes me better than I could be, had I never loved so deeply.

But, there is even a greater love.

God loves each of us so much, He made the choice to send His Son as a sacrifice for us. He took that which was dearest to Him and put Him into the world to experience sadness, pain and death. He did this not because we had obeyed His laws and commandments, not because we fulfilled our own obligations of sacrifice and repentance. He did this when we did not deserve to live. Can you imagine how great this love is which God has for us? Can you see it? It seems beyond comprehension, yet, we can see a shadow, a glimpse of it every time we have our children or our loved ones in our arms.

So, rejoice in the love and the sacrifice which was made for you. Know that there is nothing you can do to negate this gift; nothing which will separate you from eternal life with Him. For when each of us makes a small sacrifice for another, when we love, when we freely give and rejoice in these things, we are honoring that which is given to us and we become a part of God's glorious and ongoing work in the world.

Mar 7 - "Begin Again"

2010-03-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

Romans 8:1-10
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
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Today is the 3rd Sunday in the season of Lent. Many of us made a commitment, as is the tradition, to "give something up" during the time from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The question of the day is, "how are things going?".

On Ash Wednesday, we thought about a thing which we would set aside during this time. For some, it may have been a simple pleasure such as chocolate, soft drinks, snacks or the occasional glass of wine. For others, it may have been something more focused on forcing oneself into a penitential frame of mind. One friend of mine committed to giving up escalators and elevators and taking the stairs everywhere. This person, whenever she was trudging up or down stairs, committed to set her mind on the sacrifice Christ made for 40 days in the desert.

If you did make the choice to sacrifice something for Lent, have you been able to stick with it? Are you still fulfilling the commitment, or have you forgotten, or perhaps purposefully set aside the task after missing your goal early on.

We all fall short of the rules, the "law" at times; even the ones we place on ourselves. We each have a litany of things we have committed to do and failed. If we look back on those things, is there a common element to what we chose to pursue and then put aside? Did we set the bar too high? Did we hold ourselves to a standard which was unreasonable?

When you set the goal, did you tell anyone about it? Maybe the goal was achievable, but because you made the deal with yourself in quiet, there was no external accountability or support to make it happen. I wrote in a previous post about my belief in the power of words. A goal, when spoken aloud, when said to others besides yourself, becomes more real. You enable those around you to provide encouragement, helping you achieve your target as opposed to unintentionally abetting its downfall.

So, begin again. Say it out loud and renew your commitment. If you have fallen short of your original target, whether for Lent or something larger, it's OK to start over and try again. We live in Christ. He died once for all of us to forgive all of our sins and our shortcoming. Forgive yourself and be new again, for God's power to forgive and renew us over and over again is greater than our ability to deny ourselves His grace.

Mar 6 - "Shelter From The Storm"

2010-03-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

Mark 4:35-41
"On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side.' And leaving the crowd behind, they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. Other boats were with Him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him up and said to Him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, 'Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?' And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?'"
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Are you a morning person? When the alarm goes off or you open your eyes at first light, do you say, "Good MORNING world! I am so excited to be awake and starting my day!!" Or, are you like our middle daughter Rachel, who takes most of the morning to find her cheery self. Jesus seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed in this part of scripture. "Rebuking" is not usually the first thing you do if you wake up in a peaceful manner.

There are times when we all feel like we are in the middle of a giant storm. The waves are crashing around us, the wind howls deafeningly in our ears and there is no peace or calm to be found. The cause of the storm can range from things outside of our control...the economy, conflict among those around us...to the self imposed chaos we bring as we try to cram more and more into our lives.

When I read these stories about Christ in the world, I often wonder what else was going on or what led up to the events. Perhaps in this story, the sea was calm when Jesus and His friends left the shore. Jesus, being tired after a day of sharing the Word, laid down in the back of the boat to rest. The disciples, huddled in a quiet discussion away from Him as not to disturb, may have begun to see the storm coming up. Thinking it might pass or not turn something dangerous, they probably waited. As the storm raised into its full fury, they may have talked about waking up the sleeping Christ to ask for His help, but thought they could just hunker down and suffer it out without bothering Jesus.

But finally, they reached the point where their fear overtook them. They called out to Jesus, asking their rabbi for help. Jesus, in His full glory, immediately takes control of the situation and commands peace. After doing this, He asks His friends about why they were worried. You could imagine this as an angry rebuke, Jesus scolding them for their lack of faith. But I see it as a peaceful, calming smile of love, giving them assurance that they were never in danger.

The good news is that we don't have to wait for it to get bad before we talk to Jesus about it. Do you see a storm on the horizon? Are you able to look at the events around you and reasonably surmise that things will quickly get worse if you don't do something about it? Then make the decision now to ask for help. Don't wait for the storm to start.

So, call on Jesus. Allow Him to show you His power to calm the waves and quiet the gale. Don't worry about waking Him up, or about whether He will recognize you if you have not called on Him for a long time...or ever. He will deliver you to peace and, after bringing quiet out of the chaos, He will say to you lovingly, with a smiling countenance "Peace, My child. Do not fear, for I am always with you."

Mar 5 - "Gifts"

2010-03-05T04:44:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 7:6 and Mark 4:21-34
"But each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind."

"Jesus said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light."
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What is your gift? What is the thing that God has given you, which He intends for you to use and show His glory by passing on to others?

The world is full of variety of people. With that variety comes a rich assortment of talents which each person brings to any situation. As a part of my daily life, I come into contact with people whose brilliance and intelligence blows me away, but I also see those who make me wonder how they got both legs into their pants that morning. Regardless of how I feel about the relative sharpness of any individual, I recognize that everyone brings something to the table. We all have different talents and every person has something to offer.

Do you know what your gift is? What thing do you have inside that God has blessed you with? Are you hiding it or letting it flow, like the Living Water, refreshing others while you too become refreshed? Right now, you may be saying to yourself,"I don't think I really have anything that is worth sharing with others...". But let me tell you dear friends, it is there. I promise. Don't over complicate it because it may be something very simple.

Are you a good listener to friends who are troubled or in need? Do you have a skill in helping people sort through their problems, giving clarity? Maybe you can sing, or dance, or play an instrument. Are you handy? Perhaps you have a green thumb or have a talent for preparing the food someone else has grown. Can you sew simple fabrics into quilts, creating beautiful tapestries of love? Or, maybe you just have a smile that lights up a room. It is there...in every single one of us.

If you think about it, all of these things and the thousands of things I did not list are gifts which can be used for the glory of God. They were given not for the purpose of wasting away, but for being passed along, enriching others who are a part of God's amazing and varied creation.

So, give your gift. Take that which God has blessed you with and use it as He intended. Do not hide it but make it known, let your light shine. For in showing forth the light God has placed in you, your joy will be multiplied, and the gift you are giving will also give back to you.

Mar 4 - "Fertile Soil"

2010-03-04T04:44:00.000-08:00

Mark 4:1-20
"Again Jesus began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 'Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.' "
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If you have not yet figured it out, faithful reader, I am amazed and deeply thankful for how much God has blessed my life.

The simple beauty of God's blessings, is that they are all around us, all the time. But sometimes, because we are too busy, to wrapped up in the things of this world, we don't allow ourselves to be open to the blessings that come our way. When we look down at the ground, scowling because we are frustrated, angry or discouraged, our eyes are not looking up and around, giving us the ability to become aware of the good things that can come our way. It is also easy to be so focused on what is going wrong in our lives at a particular moment, we are unable to see the good things.

I have a friend who, almost every time I talk to him, tells me about all the bad things that are going on in his life. This thing he owns is broken...traffic was bad and it took him an hour to get home from work...some person in his life said a hurtful thing to him...he lives with regret and sadness over the ways things could have been, or should have been. I try to be encouraging to this friend, but at times our conversations can be dominated by doom and gloom. Some days, it feels like he has closed himself off to receiving and recognizing the blessings which are all around him.

We humans are funny creatures. Our mood and attitude is such a powerful thing, it can affect our physical being. When we allow ourselves to descend into that spiral of despair, the feelings of doubt, fear and sadness abound. We can become physically ill due to anger, hatred or pain which has permeated our soul. When we do this, our nature can become almost poisonous and the blessings which could grow and flourish, wither and die, or never even take root. I believe this is the true pain of sin; not that, when unconfessed and unrepented, it keeps us from entering Heaven, but that it closes us off to the grace of God, because we simmer in our self-perceived unworthiness.

Every once in awhile, I find myself in this state. I can become so caught up with how busy my schedule is, how much work is set before me, I walk around in a constant state of stress, unable to enjoy simple pleasures...a laugh...a smile...a sunrise. But, every single time I take a moment to turn my eyes to heaven, thank God for the work He is doing in my life, peace sooths me like a warm, gentle, spring rain. I am refreshed and renewed, my heart becoming a rich ground in which the multitude of God's blessings can grow and bear fruit.

So, are you fertile soil? Is your heart, your soul and your mind prepared to receive the blessings God showers down upon you? Open up your being to the potential of His gifts, allow them to take root and permit yourself to taste and enjoy the sweet fruit of His work in your life

Mar 3 - "Brothers and Sisters"

2010-03-03T04:46:00.001-08:00

Mark 3:19b-35
"Then His mother and His brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, 'Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.'. And He replied, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?'. And looking at those who sat around Him, He said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.'."
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The Wilson family is a pretty tight bunch.

As I was growing up, my brother, sisters and I spent a lot of time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. For many people, unfortunately, this time with family is at best, a penance. At worst, it is a gathering filled with conflict and discord. But for us...now more than Wilson, but also called Clark and Finnity and Elliott and Cantine (and soon to be Rosen)...it was, and continues to be, some of the most joyful moments in our lives.

When I think about growing up in a very closely knit family, I realize the power which exists when you have a large group of people around you who will do anything for you. When you are surrounded by people who you know, so deeply in your heart because you have seen it so many times, love you and support you and genuinely care about what is going on in your life, how can you fail?

The thing that is most interesting to me about all of the people who have descended from Al and Bonnie Wilson, and the people they have brought into our family as spouses (I am going to brag a little here), is the love they so freely give. Each of them...every single one...seems to possess this abounding love, not only for each other, but for the people in their lives who are outside of our family. Even though, I believe, they each possess a fervent love for their brothers and sisters to whom they are joined by blood, they are also passionate about showing love to those outside our family. They have each taken the gift of love and support which was shown to them and carried it outside of this unit, making brothers and sisters of those around them.

In just over two weeks, my baby sister Abbi is getting married! As if this special event was not already joyful enough, its magnificence is compounded with the fact that I will get to spend a couple of days with some of the people I love most in my life. My parents; my aunts and uncles; Grandma Bonnie; my cousins; my nieces and nephews...my brother and sisters and their husbands and wives. What great joy!

Now, the mantle has been past. The responsibility of supporting the development of close relationships between each of our children has come to us. The brothers and sisters and cousins of my generation were given an amazing gift. It is our joy and our duty to ensure that the children of the next generation have the same love, the same generosity of spirit, the same power of a supporting family given to them. And, that they take it into the world.

So, be brothers and sisters to one another. Abound in love, build each other up give support to those around you. Know that when you call a man "brother" and woman "sister", you create a special relationship which, when joined with Christ's love, becomes something greater than the two of you as individuals could ever be alone.

Mar 2 - "The Tooth Fairy"

2010-03-02T01:56:00.000-08:00

Mark 3:7-19a
"Jesus parted with His disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed Him; hearing all that He was doing, they came to Him in great numbers... He told His disciples to have a boat ready for Him because of the crowd, so they would not crush Him; for He had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon Him to touch Him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and shouted, 'You are the Son of God!'. But He sternly ordered them not to make Him known."
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Yesterday afternoon, our youngest daughter Eliza lost a tooth. Well...she didn't actually lose it. She came into my office and pointed out how much it was dangling from its spot in the front of her mouth and asked me to finish the job. I, of course, obliged, being the only one in our household with the stomach for the task.

As soon as the tooth had been removed from its precarious position, her thoughts immediately turned to the Tooth Fairy. Not the really bad movie we saw a few weeks, back, but the wily sprite who would bring her a dollar coin that night while she slept, in exchange for the tooth. As silly as it may sound that a dainty pixie would somehow get into our house last night, hauling a bag of coins and an arrangement of teeth from previous stops, her faith in this sequence of events is unwavering. She believes.

Why does she believe? Probably a few simple reasons. One, Greta and I have told her that it will happen. Two, she has seen evidence that it is true via her older sisters' similar de-dentification and receipt of coin, as well as her own previous experience. Three, even while her ever-evolving awareness of the realities of the world push her toward the unlikelihood that this magic is real, there is something inside her which is beyond the telling, beyond the evidence; Faith.

Why do we believe?

We all have our times when our faith feels very strong, unwavering. Other times, it is shaken to the core and we feel alone, wondering if God really exists, if Christ truly walked this Earth. Yes, we have evidence. We have heard of and seen miracles; we feel the presence of God in a shockingly gorgeous Autumn day; our prayers answered. But, wouldn't it be easier if God just showed up on our doorstep one day, with Christ standing beside Him?

Why would Christ tell the demons who had no faith, but had a clear knowledge of His role in Eternity, to keep quiet and not disclose His true being? Wouldn't it have been easier for Him and for all of us if He allowed the Heavenly Host to come down and provide clear evidence of His nature and who He was?

But, alas, that easy road. It's always the same. Easy is not special; easy is not meaningful; easy does not refine or improve; easy is...just...easy.

Faith is a hard thing. But it is the thing that adds the final layer of confirmation onto the foundation of what we are told and what we have been able to see as slim peeks at evidence of existence. Faith is the thing that makes us more than a bag of bones, more than a loose and random assembly of atoms and molecules. Faith distinguishes us from the rest of Creation.

So, believe in that which you cannot see. Have Faith. For in that faith, the impossible becomes possible and the unreal becomes real. Faith allows us to know a secret which, when woven deeply into the fabric of our existence, gives us the power to become ones who lay the foundations for others' faith. We become a part of that which is Holy and by increasing the ability for others to have faith, our own faith grows.

Mar 1 - "Be Nice"

2010-03-01T01:54:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 4:8-21
"Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Quite apart from us you have become kings!"
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If you are reading this post, it is most likely that you have a few "comforts" in the world; you have the means to purchase or access a computer, you are able to afford some type of wireless or broadband connect to the internet and you have at least a few free moments each day to spend time updating or getting updates on the world and your friends via email, web sites or Facebook.

We live lives of luxury, when compared to a significantly large portion of the world's population. Now...don't worry...I'm not going to get all populist on you and make you feel guilty about the things in your life for which you have worked very hard. I am a free market capitalist tried an true, but, I also think we should take time to step back and recognize our position in the world every once in awhile and take stock.

There are times in our days, weeks, months...where we feel like there is so much to do. If you are the member of a household who has the lion share of the responsibility to take care of all things family, you are a busy person, for sure. You likely spend your week taking kids to and from school or activities; you will shop for food and then have to cook it; you will wash, fold and put away clothes and maybe make a run to the dry cleaners; you will gas up the car; you will plan family outings or vacations. There is plenty to keep you very busy.

If you are one of the "breadwinners" of the household, you also work hard. You trek to and from work in your car; you may travel for your job, spending time in airports, hotels, taxis and restaurants; you work early and late to get the job done, relying on your spouse to pick up the slack when the demands of work run high. You have a lot to do.

But in the fullness of our lives, there are dozens, if not hundreds or thousands of people out there who, because of the work they do, enable us to work and play. They work in stores, gas stations, restaurants, dry cleaners, hotels and airports. They deliver our mail, collect our trash and keep the power on. If we are being honest with ourselves, how do we interact and treat the people who are critical to our lives each day?

Sometimes, it's the little things that can make a difference. Whenever I travel, on business or with my family, and end up staying in a hotel, I clean up after myself. This sounds strange to say, but, how many of us think of a hotel room as a place where we can live out the dreams of childhood and jump on the bed, leave things lying around, trash the place...and someone else will clean up the mess without you getting yelled at or grounded? When I leave a hotel room, the towels are all in the bathtub, there is no trash lying around, whatever I used...water bottles, soap, shampoo, etc...is all in the wastebasket, not strewn around the place.

Now, I know the housekeeping staff still has to clean the room, change the linens and make the bed, but, how nice is it to step into a room that is not a train wreck? Maybe this person has been having a tough day. This past weekend we were at a hotel with a water park...I have to imagine that, with all of the kids at this place, some of the rooms get pretty trashed. Hopefully, when the staff came to our room after we checked out, they thought, "Phew...finally, an easy one."

We have all we want. We are rich. We are kings.

Although each of us may be deeply thankful for the way God has blessed our lives and we may have worked incredibly hard to attain the position in life we currently occupy, are we not obliged to still be conscious of those who toil endlessly in order to support our enjoyment of these blessings?

So, be nice. Give a smile...a please...a sincere thank you to those who support your life each day. Recognize that so many of their jobs are thankless and harder than we can imagine. Be aware that your actions, your decisions on how you treat them can lift their day up, or, even if done unwittingly, destroy it.

Feb 28 - "Do The Right Thing"

2010-02-28T05:07:00.000-08:00

Mark 2:23 - 3:6
"Again He entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched Him to see if He would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, 'Come forward.'. Then He said to them, 'Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?'. But they went silent. He looked around at them with anger; He was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.'. He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him."
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We are faced with difficult choices every day.

In the course of our lives, throughout every week, we make decisions about whether to do what we know is right, or to die a little death and succumb to that which is wrong.

I find myself on a regular basis, not faced with major decisions between right and wrong (should I return the wallet that guy just dropped or keep it for myself?), but with ones of much less dramatic impact. There can be situations where I know something can be changed for the better by stepping up and making my opinion known, but I keep silent because I fear the consequences. Many times, the simplest choice of doing a little good can make a big difference.

Why do we struggle with this? Even though we know something is right, we are fearful at times of upsetting the proverbial apple cart.

Throughout the Gospel of Mark, we have been watching the wonderful miracles of Jesus in the world. His actions and works have turned the lives of the Pharisees upside down. For Jesus, up to this point, doing the "right thing" has been without material consequence. However, we can see what is to come. The verse at the end of this reading is a terrible foreshadowing of what will happen when a group of people have decided to do the wrong thing. It is a bit scary.

Fortunately, we know how the story ends, though. We know about the triumphant resurrection. But, there is certainly some pain to come before good ultimately wins.

So, do the the right thing. You know what it is. Although this choice may, at the least, make for an uncomfortable situation, or at the worst, put some part of your life in peril, you have to do what you know to be right and good. Pray for guidance to know what is right. Pray for support and protection from harm once you take action. But when your prayers are answered, move forward. For we know that when we do what is right and good, helpful and not harmful, we are standing beside Christ and He is beside us.