Apr 4 - "First Communion"

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"

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"

"'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"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"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.