Paper Sheets, Voiding Cups, and Mango Metamucil

July 28, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Tomorrow, I have my annual physical exam; for some reason, I thought you would want to know that. Gosh, now that I think about it, I hope I can muster up what it takes to pass it. The truth is I hope I can pass it with flying colors, which at my age, ain’t nearly as easy as it once was.
You think about it. At my age, I have to go into that small, freezing-cold, sterile-feeling office and take of all of my clothes, and put some flimsy paper sheet over my naked body, that is about half long enough to cover my important parts, and wait for the doctor to arrive. I already know his first question: How are you, today? I also know my answer: I am about to freeze to death; in fact, I have embalmed people who were warmer than I am.
Oh, I almost forgot! Before the experience in the “embalming room,” some cute nurse will have weighed me. For the life of me, I do not know why because I have weighed the same thing for the past 50 years, and she has it recorded on her chart. I tell her that every time, but she doesn’t listen. Just before I step on the scales, she will ask me, if I want to remove my shoes. I probably won’t say it, but, as always, I will wonder why in the wide-world it is so important not to wear shoes when weighing in. Maybe it is a Jewish custom or something.
Next, she will hand me a little cup and tell me to go into the bathroom, void in the cup, and leave it on the back of the toilet. It took me several years to figure out what “void in the cup” meant (in nursing language), so for most of my life, I just did the only thing that made any sense to me: I dipped a little of the toilet water into the cup and left it on the back of the toilet, and, inevitably, I would have to pee, thinking how glad I was that I had already dipped the water. Things are different, now that I know what “void” means.
Then comes the blood pressure thingy. I do not know why she has to pump that gizmo up so tight that my eyes bulge, but I guess it is necessary, even though I have never had particularly high blood pressure. When she finishes, she writes down what she learned, as if it is some kind of classified secret. Just to aggravate her, I always ask (tomorrow will be no exception!) if I have any blood pressure (most embalming room patients don’t), thinking she will laugh, but she never does.
You know what’s coming next! “When did you last have a bowel movement?” (I never have known why she wants to know that, but I will try to remember and tell her. Actually, I am sure it won’t have been all that long ago, so I should be able to remember, rather easily). Then, as if she hasn’t already been intrusive enough, she will want to know if I am constipated (Obviously, she doesn’t know me, so I tell her “yes,” which is a major lie, but I never tell her that, and, again, tomorrow will be no exception; instead, I will peep over her shoulder, as she very discretely writes in all caps—METAMUCIL; I have no idea what that means, or I would tell you).
As you can probably guess, she always asks me if I am sleeping at night (When else would she think I would sleep?), so I feel certain that I will get that question tomorrow. I usually tell her that I am on the night shift and sleep during the day, which is another huge lie, but I never tell her that either. Inevitably, she asks me where I work during the day? Of course, I reply with, “Did I say that I work?”). Somewhere, long about now, she says the Doctor will be in to see you in a little while. This is when I learn that she is a bigger liar than I, unless she measures minutes in hours.
Anyway, after some time, the Doc will come in and, as I said earlier, he will ask me how I am doing (I will wonder if he looked at the chart the nurse just filled out!) and I will tell him that I am about to freeze to death; in fact, I have embalmed people who were warmer than I am, albeit, covered with a similar sheet.
Thankfully, he won’t ask me when I last had a bowel movement, or if I am constipated, but before it is all over, he will want to know, if I prefer orange or grape Metamucil. Since, I have no preference, I will probably tell him that I prefer mango. To be honest with you, I have never been constipated in my entire life—far from it.
After a few probes in very interesting places, he will tell the nurse to do an EKG. To the untrained patient, those are just letters, but to an old experienced one like I, it almost creates panic. Before it is over, there will be very few hairs left on my chest, and all she will to say to console me is “Sorry; I know that hurt.” Truth is I know she enjoys it, otherwise, why does she always have that weird grin on her face? If Docs can install new vessels into our hearts, give us knee replacements, and remove our gall bladders through a laparoscope, why can’t they figure out to make those sticky things come off more easily?
You will have to be of the male sex to understand the rest of this but I will spare the details, other than to tell you that my youngest brother was having this particular test (you know, the one done with a digit) done by his doctor, a female, and in the process, he asked, “Does your mother know what you do for a living?”
I am not sure what all of this has to do with the intricacies of God's amazing grace, but I am sure you can make a connection, if you try hard enough.

“How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him, and keep him alive . . .” (Psalm 41:1-2a).

Our Addictions to People

July 24, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Yes, another quote from Anthony de Mello: “How many activities can you count in your life that you engage in simply because they delight you and grip your soul” [“The Way to Love” p. 89]? Take a few minutes, many, if necessary, and make an honest list; I think you will be surprised.
From what I have been able to see, most people’s list will be rather short; in fact, I am betting that some of you will have a hard time coming up with even one activity, much less a list of them.
It is my guess that many of you get up in the morning, wishing you could remain in bed, but having to spend most of the day doing something you don’t even like to do, much less something you delight in doing. In fact, I am going to raise my bet and say that many of you are so weary, that you are about ready to throw up your hands and say, “I quit!”
Now, listen up, as I share another quote from de Mello (same book, same chapter): “Look at your life and see how you have filled its emptiness with people. As a result they have a stranglehold on you. See how they control your behavior by their approval and dis-approval. They hold the power to ease your loneliness with their company, to send your spirits soaring with their praise, to bring you down to the depths with their criticism and rejection. Take a look at yourself spending almost every waking minute of your day placating and pleasing people, whether they are living or dead.
Is there any wonder that so few of us engage in activities that delight us, that grip our souls? How can we, when we spend every waking moment attempting to placate and please people, when in fact we have sold our souls to our addictions to people, even dead people? “What will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?”

Sulfuric Acid, Garlic, Tar, Mentholatum, and Dirty Socks

July 23, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
As we rode past the paper mill in Jesup, the odor was almost breath-taking. I wondered out loud how many of the employees had grown accustomed to it, no longer even noticing it. It brought back memories (not good ones!) from my growing-up days, when winds would carry the odor from the paper mill in Macon, some 40 miles to Reynolds, where I lived. The stench was terrible. It still is.
One of the members of my flock at GCF, Luke Wicker, invited me and my son, Michael, on a fishing trip to Morgan’s Lake, just off the Altamaha River, near Jesup, Georgia. Actually, there were four of us, as Luke picked up his brother, Pete, on his way down to Jesup. We were all very excited about fishing, especially after one look into the cooler of a couple of men, who had just returned to the fish camp. We quickly put our boats into the water, and got busy, not fishin’, but catchin‘! It soon became obvious that this was going to be a fisherman’s paradise.
We couldn’t help but notice, however, that the stench of the aforementioned paper mill was very prevalent. Interestingly, the longer we stayed, the more accustomed we be-came to the odor; the incredible scenery and the bountiful fishing were both powerful distracters!
At the end of the trip, we were all tired, so I iced-down the fish (some of the healthiest looking fish I have ever seen!) in one of my coolers and brought them home, where, motivated by the anticipation of a good fish fry, I would clean them. About two fish into the cleaning process, I said to Michael, “These fish smell just like that paper mill!” He brushed me off, thinking I was “imagining things.”
Well, sure enough, according to plan, I cooked a good mess of them, and lo and be-hold, they tasted just like that paper mill smelled and Michael agreed. (For those of you who do not know what a “mess” of fish is, listen up: it is about two more fish than the invited crowd can eat). Needless to say, this meant that I had more than a “mess,” because, well, I think you can understand why. I now have three gallon milk jugs of frozen fish in my freezer, that I can only discard. Trust me, not even the folks living under the bridge will eat these.
As of this afternoon, I have checked and that paper mill is permitted to dump, what-ever it is dumping, into the Altamaha River and is, therefore, meeting the EPA standards. Of course, it wouldn’t matter if they weren’t, as that company has plenty of money and enough political clout to get away with dumping toxic waste by the ton into the river, if it was so inclined.
A further check revealed that there is a lawsuit in the works, attempting to get this company to do something about this travesty; however, it is my guess that Jesus won’t live long enough to see any positive result.
Interestingly, whatever they are dumping must be good for the fish, as they are thriving (some of the largest bream I have ever seen!), but they are NOT for eating, unless you happen to like the combined taste of sulfuric acid, garlic, tar, mentholatum, and dirty socks.
So much for that. Now on to my point: substitute “religion” in the place of this paper mill and the resulting picture is much the same. Few have any idea what it is dumping into the river of their lives, and most are deceived, as to the significance of its affect upon their lives.
In contrast, taste and see that the Lord is good! “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:13 NASB).

Free to be Free

July 18, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
As I hope you know, tomorrow is Sunday, which means that in roughly 14 hours, I will be privileged to preach again. Preaching is my passion. With few exceptions, I have preached the Good News every Sunday (and many times between Sundays) for the last 30 years, and I have done so, passionately.
For as long as I can remember, that passion has burned at “white-heat” within the sanctuary of my soul; to be sure, the passing years have not diminished the passion. I must admit that for quite a few of those years, I was passionate about error. Oh, I thought the message I was preaching was truth, but when one is deceived he does not know it, and I was deceived—big time and on several fronts.
How were my eyes opened? Actually, I had to face the fact that my belief system, most of which was unquestioned, was not producing freedom—not in me, not in others. Jesus, however, was very clear: you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. To be sure, I was anything but free; in fact, I was a slave to religion. Obviously, I did not know the truth!
Even after all the years of living in the freedom that Christ died to give to me, I still ask myself this question: Are those who listen to my sermons experiencing the freedom that Christ died to give to them, or are they still imprisoned to religion.
Surely, the folk, who attend the church I pastor, have heard the gospel enough times to be preaching it themselves, so my mission is not to continue to pound the gospel into their heads; instead, my mission is to see the fruit of the gospel—FREEDOM—in their lives. It continues to be true: you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free!
Tomorrow my text is this: “For through the Law I died to the Law, that I might live to God” (Galatians 2:19 NASB). In other words, one cannot live to (for) God, i.e. one cannot live in freedom, until he dies to the Law.
I wish each of you could be present and, even more, I wish for each of you FREEDOM—the freedom that Jesus died to give to you.

Worried and Bothered

July 17, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This is what Jesus said to Martha in response to her being upset because Mary was sitting at His feet, “leaving her to do all the serving”: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41 NASB).
For some reason, the story doesn’t continue far enough for us to find out how Martha responded to what Jesus said to her; instead, we are left to use our imaginations, and mine says, that after Jesus’ rebuke, she neither enjoyed His visit or the supper she had prepared. I am imagining that she probably sulked through the entire evening, wondering why she ever agreed to have Him over for supper, in the first place. [Yes, I could be wrong!]
I am also imagining that she didn’t speak to Mary for a couple of days, at the very least, because she was convinced that the entire fray was her fault, and nothing Mary could say would change her mind. To be fair, however, I am rather certain that Jesus’ words pre-vailed in her heart, and she came to her senses in a few days. I hope I’m correct!
Has you imagination caused you to wonder what Jesus was referring to, when He told her that she was worried and bothered about so many things? Was she worried that the bathroom hadn’t been cleaned? Was she bothered by the fact that Mary wasn’t bothered by her having to “do all the serving?” Was she worried that the bills weren’t paid? Was she bothered by having to live with her sister and not a husband? Had she just received news that her grandmother had stepped in a hole and broken her left leg? Had she just heard about the new tax increase that was going to be levied, so everyone could have health care? Was she worried that the Stalagmites were going to defeat the Amalakites?
Heavens, I have no idea what was controlling her thinking but I do know this: it was preventing her from sitting at Jesus’ feet and enjoying His Person.
I have a question: What has you so “worried and bothered” that you haven’t been sitting at His feet and enjoying His Presence?
Just thought I would ask—

A Road Less Traveled

July 10, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
One of my readers informed me that she had begun reading Anthony de Mello’s book, “The Way to Love,” so, as you might imagine, I ordered it myself, and all I know to say is “Wow!”
The following is a quote from the book (p. 13-14): “If you take a look at the way you have been put together and the way you function you will find that inside your head there is a whole program, a set of demands about how the world should be, how you should be and what you should want. Who is responsible for the programming? Not you. It isn’t really you who decided even such basics as your wants and desires and so-called needs; your values, your tastes, your attitudes. It was your parents, your society, your culture, your religion, your past experiences who fed the operating instructions into your computer. Now, however old you are or wherever you go, your computer goes along with you and is active and operating at each conscious moment of the day, imperiously insisting that its demands be met by life, by people and by you. If the demands are met, the computer allows you to be peaceful and happy. If they are not met, even though it be through no fault of yours, the computer generates negative emotions that cause you to suffer. For instance, when other people don’t live up to your computer’s expectations, it torments you with frustration or anger or bitterness. Another instance: When things are not under your control or the future is uncertain, your computer insists that you experience anxiety, tension, worry. Then you ex-pend a lot of energy coping with these negative emotions. And you generally cope by spending more energy trying to rearrange the world around you so that the demands of your computer will be met. If this happens you will be granted a measure of precarious peace; precarious because at any moment some trifle (a delayed train, a tape recorder that doesn’t work, a letter that doesn’t arrive—anything) is going to be out of conformity with your computer’s programming and the computer will insist that you become upset again. And so you live a pathetic existence, constantly at the mercy of things and people, . . .” (italics added).
Whether or not you believe what de Mello says, the fact remains that we are con-trolled by the paradigm out of which we view life, and that paradigm was developed from what we learned from the significant others in our lives. Sadly, it determines our perceptions, and our perceptions determine our “reality.”
Is there a way out? Sure, but it is not an easy way; indeed, it is “a road less traveled.” Step one is to realize that your perception of reality is in all probability incorrect, which is no easy task. Step two is to realize that your “computer” is relentlessly insisting that reality be reshaped to conform to your perception of reality, i.e. to its programming. Once you “see” this, then you can begin refusing to conform to its demands.
You give this some thought—

One More Bit More on Forgiveness

July 9, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Before I temporarily leave the subject of forgiveness, there is one other passage that I want to bring before your remembrance: “But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34 NASB). OK. I want all of you who believe they did not know what they were doing to raise your hands. Hmmm. That’s what I thought. I didn’t see a single hand. Oh, they knew what they were doing, and for the most part they were convinced that they were doing the “right” thing. They were, really!
There is another side of this coin, however, and it is this: they really did not know what they were doing! They had no idea that they were fully cooperating with God’s plan of redemption. They had no idea that they were merely carrying out a piece of the plan of redemption that God set in motion before the foundation of the world. These criminals were in this designated place, at this appointed time, to carry out God’s rearranged plan.
These men were the scum of the earth, murderers, having no conscience, no sense of compassion, eager to torture and, even to watch with glee the suffering servant’s life’s blood flow from His battered body. If anyone ever needed forgiveness, they did; however, they did NOT deserve it—no way! It was His gracious gift to them. Jesus and His Father agreed to mark their debt paid in full—no contingencies whatsoever. Talk about grace!!
Now, listen up because this is really a three-sided coin (well, I guess I should call it a three-legged stool) and most NEVER realize it. This is the third leg of the stool: we forget that we were the “scum-of-the-earth, the murdering with no conscience and no sense of compassion” sinners; we were the “if anyone ever needed forgiveness we did” sinners, whose sins brought Him to this terrible cross, and, sadly, we, like they, thought we were doing the “right thing.” We did, really!
Did we deserve to be forgiven? Absolutely not! We weren’t even asking for forgiveness, primarily because we didn’t think we needed to be forgiven! But He ignored that, and without even asking for our permission, He forgave us. His words still ring clearly—“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” At the time, we really didn’t; in fact, we didn’t even have a clue.
If you are His, then you are forgiven—forever forgiven. He paid you debt in full!

A Bit More on Forgiveness

July 8, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
[Yes, I know I made a typo yesterday; looser should have been loser! Sorry but I ain’t perfect and I am old, not to mention that I wear trifocals, so be patient with me!]
Jesus said some things about forgiveness that for the life of me I have never been able to fully understand. I want to offer a few of them, so you can explain them to me:
1. “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Mat-thew 6:12 NASB). Hmmm. As we also have . . .? Careful!
2. “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions” (Mark 11:25-26 NASB). Oh my! If we do not, neither will He?
3. “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4 NASB). Do we really?
4. “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4 NASB). A piece of cake!
You know, this notion of forgiveness just might be a bit more important than we think! Maybe we have been too busy focusing on keeping the Sabbath holy, instead of focusing on forgiving one another. Maybe we have been too busy judging one another, instead of forgiving one another. Maybe we have been too busy keeping an account of wrongs suffered, instead of forgiving one another. Maybe we are all so sick that we enjoy being en-slaved to those who offend us. As I said yesterday, there is but one way out; yep, just one way. Fight it all you wish, but you will lose—I promise.
There is no cancer as aggressive and deadly as the cancer of “unforgiveness,” and, I might add, there is but one cure; yep, just one.

What If We Forgive?

July 7, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Your responses to yesterday’ perspective let me know in no uncertain terms that most of us need a regular reminder of the importance of forgiveness, especially our forgiving others. In my opinion, that says lots about the whole lot of us.
How can those of us who have been forgiven of so much, love so little, as to have a difficult time forgiving others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. How can we with integrity receive God’s forgiveness, when we refuse to forgive those who offend us? How can we lay claim to personally trusting the efficacy of Jesus and His vicarious sacrifice, when we do not trust it’s effectiveness in the lives of others?
Yes, I know that some of you have been hurt—really hurt—by the actions (or lack thereof) of others, and I know that anyone, who would have to go through what you have experienced, would also have a difficult time releasing that enormous debt. I also know this: none of us have been hurt nearly as much as He was hurt by our rejection, our sinfulness—there is simply no comparison; the debts are incomparable. Furthermore, I know this: in spite of the depth of His hurt, in spite of the enormous debt we created (one we could never, ever repay!), He has forgiven us—forever—and He has chosen to call us His friend. The truth is this: He reconciled us to Himself while we were yet sinners (you can check that out in Romans 5, if you like)!
There is a bit of irony in this notion of forgiveness: we are slaves of the people we refuse to forgive. Really, we are! How foolish is that? Just for the record, there is only one way to freedom—F-O-R-G-I-V-E-N-E-S-S. You can live in your deception for as long as you wish, but you are the looser, not the offender.
I wonder what would happen in the Body of Christ if everyone who is refusing to for-give, did? I wonder what would happen in the Body of Christ if everyone who is holding another in his/her debt would mark that debt “Paid in Full”?
Maybe, just maybe, this is more important than we think.
You think about that—

Forgiveness

July 6, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
In my message yesterday, I intended on pointing out some of the characteristics of Jesus’ life that separated Him from the world of religious folks; characteristics that, once seen, help to remove the scales of legalism. There were ten that I intended to share, but on my way home, I realized that I had omitted one of them, a very significant one of them.
These are the nine I shared: (1) Jesus was a man of relentless tenderness; (2) Jesus was a man of incredible courage; (3) By His own admission, He did not come to condemn the world but to save it; (4) Jesus’ weapons were mercy, grace, and love, not swords, guns, and muscles; (5) Jesus was a man of humility, not arrogance and pride; (6) He hated sin, but loved sinners; (7) Jesus was a man of few words, but when He spoke, the trees clapped their hands, the sea roared, and the heavens thundered; (8) Jesus was a man with few true friends, but He, nevertheless, calls each of us “friend”; (9) In Jesus’ eyes the Sabbath was made for Him, not the other way around.
This is the one I unintentionally omitted: Jesus was a man of instant forgiveness, never keeping a record of wrongs suffered. The truth is, He took the “record of wrongs committed against Him” and nailed it to the cross not only for His good, but especially for our good. That “certificate of debt” no longer exists—period!
I find it interesting that we can so quickly and eagerly accept His forgiveness of our sins, but we often find it very difficult, seemingly impossible, to forgive others, when they sin against us.
Just for the record: forgiveness in NOT what most think! It is not pushing feelings aside and pretending that all is well; instead, it is releasing another from a legitimate debt. Forgiveness can be accomplished only after the debt, that was created by the offense, is paid in full. The problem with that is this: not one of us has the resources to pay the debt, even a portion of it, much less the entire debt, which is why we so desperately need a Savior, especially One who never keeps a record of wrongs suffered—instant forgiveness.
It is very difficult for me to understand how anyone can receive His forgiveness with-out readily forgiving others. It is very difficult for me to understand how those, who have been forgiven so much, can be so diligent in keeping a record of wrongs suffered.
Remember this: YOU are a slave to the one you refuse to forgive. THAT person controls more of your life than you probably realize—what you think about, where you go, your sleep, your attitude, your relationships, et al.
For the life of me, I do not understand why He did not remind me of this yesterday, during my message. Oh well-

Just As I Am!

June 28, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Realizing that you probably think I am stuck on de Mello’s books, I am, nevertheless, going to offer another quote from “The Song of the Bird” (p. 67-68): “I was a neurotic for years. I was anxious and depressed and selfish. Everyone kept telling me to change. I resented them, and I agreed with them, and I wanted to change, but simply couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. What hurt the most was that, like the others, my best friend kept insisting that I change. So I felt powerless and trapped. Then, one day, he said to me, ‘Don’t change. I love you just as you are.’ Those words were music to my ears: ‘Don’t change. Don’t change. Don’t change. . . I love you as you are.’ I relaxed. I came alive. And suddenly I changed! Now, I know that I couldn’t really change until I found someone who would love me whether I changed or not.”
If I am not mistaken (and in this instance, I am not!), this is the way God loves us! Thankfully, we do not have to change in order to gain His love; He loves us because He is love and that is what love does.
Anyone who takes ownership of this incredible truth, anyone who believes that God is not requiring him/her to change in order to gain His love, does, indeed, change, so much so, as to come alive and really live.
Stop trying to be someone you are not. Stop trying to change to accommodate someone’s desires, to earn their love and acceptance. Accept the fact that those who really love you, love you as you are—whether you change or not.
God does and you can count on it!
That is good news—really good news!

The Fox & the Tiger

June 26, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This quote is also from de Mello’s book, “The Song of the Bird” (p. 79): “A man walking through the forest saw a fox that had lost its legs and wondered how it lived. Then he saw a tiger come in with game in its mouth. The tiger had its fill and left the rest of the meat for the fox. The next day God fed the fox by means of the same tiger. The man began to wonder at God’s greatness and said to himself, ‘I too shall just rest in a corner with full trust in the Lord and He will provide me with all I need.’ He did this for many days but nothing happened, and he was almost at death’s door when he heard a voice say, ‘O you who are in the path of error, open your eyes to the truth! Follow the example of the tiger and stop imitating the disabled fox.’”
Recognizing that this is merely my not-so-humble opinion, I am offering it, nonetheless: From what I can see, we are living in a society that has been (for the most part) well-trained to imitate the disabled fox, not the tiger, and, I might add, it has been and continues to be a path of error.
Yes, I do know what Jesus said about “looking at the birds of the sky,” and about “not being anxious about our provisions,” and about “observing the lilies of the field,” but I also know what He said about our “seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness” and how this is a prerequisite to these “things” being added to us.
It is very difficult for me to imagine how anyone could have, as his priority, the seeking of God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, while imitating this disabled fox.
Which are you imitating, the tiger or the fox?

A Handful of Wheat

June 20, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This quote is also from de Mello’s book, “The Song of the Bird” (p. 47): A handful of wheat, five thousand years old, was found in the tomb of one of the kings of ancient Egypt. Someone planted the grains and, to the amazement of all, the grains came to life.”
This is his comment: “I used to think the words of Scripture were dead and dry. I know now that they are full of energy and life. But it was my heart that was stony and dead, so how could anything grow there?”
This is my thought: there have been many times in the life of every believer, when the Scriptures seemed to be void of life, but inevitably He would plant them into our hearts and, lo and behold, they would come to life within us and for us.
Things really are not what they seem! Regardless of how they might appear on any given day, or in any given circumstance, His words are always full of energy and life—His life!
You think about that-

An Illusion

June 18, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This is another quote from de Mello’s book, “Awareness” (p. 51): “Anytime you have a negative feeling toward anyone, you’re living in an illusion. There’s something seriously wrong with you. You’re not seeing reality. Something inside of you has to change. But what do we generally do when we have a negative feeling? ‘He is to blame, she is to blame. She’s got to change.’ No! The world’s all right. The one who has to change is you.”
de Mello went on to point out that he was not suggesting that we should do nothing when an obvious wrong has been committed; instead, he was suggesting that we should act, but with objectivity, which negative emotions prevent.
Again, whether or not you agree with de Mello is not my concern, but I do trust that you will take a moment to evaluate how your own negative emotions cloud your objectivity, and in the end, cause negative reactions, rather than positive responses.
I do think it is time for us to stop blaming others for the things that produce negative feelings, and I, certainly, think it is time for us to realize that the only person we can change is, well, I think you know. If you do not, look into the mirror.
Of this I am convinced: neither God nor man is too concerned about my or your happiness, so it would behoove each of us to get over ourselves. God is not concerned about our happiness because He has a much higher dream for us; namely, that we find ultimate fulfillment in His Son. Man is not concerned about our happiness because he is too busy trying to adjust his own circumstances, so he will be happy.
May we get past the illusion-

Dependence

June 17, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
When we finally come to the place where we no longer see others as a means of satisfying our addictions, we are, then and only then, able to love. Prior to this, we see others through the lenses of fear—the paralyzing fear that they will fail to provide us with what we believe we desperately need—their love and acceptance and approval. When you no longer give others the power to make you happy (or miserable, for that matter), you are finally free to love.
Anthony de Mello, in his book, “Awareness” (p. 172-173), asked this question: “Can you imagine a life in which you refuse to enjoy or take pleasure in a single word of appreciation or to rest your head on anyone’s shoulder for support?” He went on to add this: “Think of a life in which you depend on no one emotionally, so that no one has the power to make you happy or miserable anymore. You refuse to need any particular person or to be special to anyone or to call anyone your own.”
Please take a few minutes and consider what de Mello has said, and whether or not you agree, I do hope it will remind you of just how much our unhealthy need for others, causes us to sap the life out of them, to sabotage relationships with them, and to leave us in a perpetual state of dependence.
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1; NASB).

Alexis & Allison

June 16, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
In my church bulletin for yesterday, I wrote an article (with a particular motive in mind), telling my congregants that later in the evening I would be officiating at the wedding of Alexis and Allison. I emphasized the fact, that although I have married many couples over the past 30 years, this was my first time for an “Alexis & Allison” couple. I took the time to be sure that everyone had read the article, and, then, I asked if there were any comments. The looks on their faces and the whispers from their mouths were a dead giveaway—they minds were in gear and they were (for the most part) all thinking the same thing.
Have you noticed how quick we are to jump to conclusions? Have you noticed how easily our minds can be manipulated? Have you noticed how quick we are to make judgments based upon our perceptions, rather than on facts? Have you noticed how often what seems to be true is not true at all? Have you ever stopped to think about the number of rumors, false rumors, that you have initiated, as the result of your jumping to conclusions be-fore getting the facts? Have you ever considered the number of lives you have trashed be-cause of your making judgments based upon your perception of truth, rather than on actual truth? Have you ever stopped to consider the fact that much of what you perceive to be truth is not truth at all?
Of this I am confident: Had I not taken the time to clarify their perceptions of truth, the news would have somehow leaked out that I had married a gay couple, and, to be sure, the rumors would have been flying (Just for the record, that would not have bothered me in the least; in fact, I would have probably enjoyed it, even though I am quite convinced that God has made His position on the subject of gay marriage quite clear—He is against it. Yes, I am aware that my perception of God’s opinion on this subject could be very erroneous).
For this article, however, the subject is not about gay marriage; instead, it is about our tendency to jump to conclusions before we have the facts; it is about our tendency to believe that our perceptions of truth are actually truth; it is about our tendency to trash others based upon our perceptions of who they are, rather than who they really are.
Just for the record (in case you haven’t already figured it out), Alexis is a full-blooded, able-bodied male, and Allison is a beautiful female. The wedding was beautiful and it presented me with an incredible opportunity to love others because He loves me.

Some Thoughts from a book . . .

June 11, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Last night I finished a book that might be of interest to some of you (it is not for everyone!)—“Awareness” by Anthony de Mello. One of the many things that intrigued me about the book is the way he makes the reader (in this case, yours truly) rethink things he believes. I know this turns some people off, but I actually enjoy it. Anyway, I thought I would share with you a few quotes from the book. I would love to read your comments.
1. “Your beliefs give you a lot of security, but faith is insecurity” (p.18).
2. “We see people and things not as they are, but as we are” (p.88).
3. “No one has the power to put pressure on you” (p89).
4. “You are responsible for the negative feeling, not the other person” (p.90).
5. “I have no right to make any demands on you” (p.90).
6. “The selfish thing is to demand that someone else live their life as YOU see fit” (p. 93).
7. “It is not selfish to life your life as you see fit” (p-.93).
8. “You can’t imitate Christ by imitating His external behavior” (p. 96).
9. “Nobody was mean to you. Somebody was mean to what he or she thought was you, but not to you” (p. 97).
10. “Nobody ever rejects you; they’re only rejecting what they think you are” (p. 97).
11. “The final barrier to the vision of God is your God concept” (p. 102).
12. “. . . most people spend all their energies trying to rearrange their exterior world to suit their tastes” (p. 110).
13. “Not even the greatest guru in the world can take a single step for you” (p. 112).
14. “Life is something that happens to us while we are busy making other plans” (p.114).
15. “We always hate what we fear” (p. 117).
16. “We think we know, that is our tragedy; so we never discover” (p. 129).
17. “You always empower the demons you fight” (p. 147).
18. “You don’t chase darkness out of the room with a broom, you turn on a light” (p. 147)
19. “Loneliness is when you are missing people, aloneness is when you’re enjoying your-self” (p. 149).
20. “Dying is wonderful; it’s only horrible to people who have never understood life” (p.150).
21. “Wisdom occurs when you drop barriers you have erected through your concepts and conditioning” (p. 160).
22. “One cannot make a slave of a free person, for a free person is free even in prison” (p. 161).
23. “You were given a taste of the drug called approval, appreciation, attention” (p. 162).
24. “Learn to enjoy the solid food of life. Good food, good wine, good water. Taste them. Lose your mind and come to your senses” (p. 164).
25. “Unfortunately, people have gone crazy, and they’re getting more and more addicted because they do not know how to enjoy the lovely things of life” (p. 165).

Sight to the Blind!

Mac's Perspective on the Intricacies of God’s Amazing Grace

June 5, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This is Jesus’ response to the two blind men, who were crying out to Him to have mercy on them: “Do you believe that I am able to do this” (Matthew 9:28)? This is their response: “Yes, Lord” (vs. 28). Sounds simple enough to me.
These two men were blind—physically blind! Obviously, they really wanted Jesus to give them sight. The incident went off without a single hitch. A beautiful story! An incredibly beautiful story! Dramatic and undeniable proof that Jesus is able to do the impossible. For the life of me, I cannot imagine why every blind person in Israel didn’t run to Him and ask for the same thing. In any case, I am confident that these two men served as very effective advertising agents.
Did you notice, however, that Jesus told them (very emphatically, I might add) not to let anyone know what had happened. These are His words: “See here, let no one know about this” (vs. 30)! Talking about being a “party pooper!” How in the wide-world did Jesus expect them to obey His directive? They were blind, but now they could see! How would they hide that? Did He expect them to continue walking around with a black and white cane, wearing shades and tapping the pavement? Did He really expect them to hide their excitement? Did He really expect them to remain calm the first time they saw the sunset? Did He really expect them to remain unaffected the first time they saw the rain? Whatever He expected, this is what happened: “But they went out, and spread the news about Him in all the land” (vs. 31).
This is the truth: When anyone, who is blind to the truth, experiences the freedom that comes from having been given sight, the kind of sight that allows him to see truth, there is no putting that light under a bushel!
Do you believe that He is able to open your eyes to truth? Good! Now, do you believe that He will? Hmmmm . . . that’s what I thought you would say. Go figure-

The Nuts & Bolts of the Matter

June 4, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
This Sunday, my sermon topic is this: “The Nuts & Bolts of the Gospel.” I am afraid there will be more “nuts” than “bolts” but that will not hinder my pursuing the subject in the least. For some reason, I have the feeling that, when we all of us who teach the Scriptures get to Heaven, we will have to face the fact that we were all “nuts”! I am certain that none of us are as knowledgeable about the Scriptures, as we would like for others to think. Actually, our biggest hindrance to knowing God is our concept of God. Our perceptions of Him determine what we believe about Him, and the truth be known, our perceptions of Him are all probably way off the mark of truth.
I know of no other subject where it is advantageous for the teacher to know that he/she knows little, if anything, about the subject matter. A mathematics teacher must have an excellent working knowledge of mathematics; otherwise, he will fail as a teacher. In the same way, a language teacher must have a excellent working knowledge of the language he is teaching; otherwise, he will fail as a teacher. Interestingly, however, the opposite is true for the teacher of theology; the more he realizes just how little he knows, the more effective he is as a teacher. Don’t panic, as God’s ways never have been our ways, nor will they ever be, at least not this side of Heaven. You see, knowing God has little, if anything, to do with facts and figures, with principles and formulas, with permutations and combinations; instead, knowing God has to do with love, and, well, I think you know what I was about to say about that.
Anyway, nuts & bolts have a neat function; they hold things together! I will never forget the Christmas that Santa brought Amy her first swing set. When I opened the box to put the set together, and realized how many nuts & bolts were necessary for the proper function of the swing set, I nearly fainted. I counted them! There were exactly 4,219 bolts and exactly 4,218 nuts! It was that one missing bolt that kept me up all night, as without it, the set simply would not hold together. I think it was the king pin! (I really didn’t count them, but I didn’t have to, because it became obvious toward the end that a major nut was missing!) Anyway, I finally found it, neatly tucked away in one of the corners of the box.
Just for the record, there are several “nuts & bolts” that actually hold the gospel to-gether, without which the “good news” becomes “very bad news.” Sadly, they have been long-since lost, or so it seems, as is evidenced by the many perversions of the gospel that run rampant throughout the church.
Gosh, I wish all of you could be present this Sunday, as I really would like for you to get your “nuts & bolts” together! (-:

Blessings,
Mac

Enough faith?

June 2, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Yes, I took a month’s Sabbatical from writing my perspectives; sometimes, one needs to regroup, to clear his mind, to refocus, to rid himself of the cobwebs, to rethink his perspective. Since several of you have contacted me, wondering why you weren’t receiving my ramblings, I am back, at least for a while. Hopefully, this “season” of my ramblings will be meaningful to you.
Anyway, this is what Jesus said to the woman with the “issue of blood”: “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well” (Matthew 9:22). This is what the woman was thinking before Jesus said those words: “If I only touch His garment, I shall get well” (Mat-thew 9:21).
Have you noticed how often we place the emphasis on faith, rather than of Jesus? For some reason, the message has been, “If you have enough faith, you can get anything you want.” In other words, the more faith one has, the greater the possibility of his receiving want he wants from God. Ironically, however, Jesus said this in response to the disciples asking Him why they could not cast the demon out of the young boy (see Matthew 17:14-19): “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there, and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).
Notice that Jesus made it clear that faith is necessary. The “littleness of their faith” was apparently the problem, but His following comment indicates that their “littleness of faith” was no faith at all! If faith as a mustard would have been sufficient, then obviously, their “littleness of faith” was really no faith (the last time I checked, a mustard seed is SMALL!). In other words, Jesus was not diminishing the importance of faith; instead, He was making it very clear that apart from faith, we are in heaps of trouble. Keep in mind that the though a mustard seed is SMALL, it is powerful—very powerful—as is evidenced by its fruit.
From my perspective, if faith as a mustard seed is sufficient to move mountains, then quantity is not the issue; the issue is the object of one’s faith. For example, you might have faith the size of a mountain in Allah’s ability to heal the sick, but you can rest assured that the sick will remain sick. However, you can have faith the size of a mustard seed in Jesus’ ability to raise the dead, and, if He desires to raise the dead—up they will come!
In my opinion, this was the secret of the woman’s healing—her mind was centered on Jesus, not on how much faith she had or didn’t have. The truth is this: she was tired and weary from having done everything she knew to do, even spent all of her money on doctors, and all to no avail. In other words, her faith was definitely of the “mustard seed” variety. It was sufficient, however, because her focus was on Jesus, not on her faith, or the lack thereof.
This should be quite a relief for those of us who have been convinced that Jesus’ response to our requests is directly related to our having much faith. Actually, much faith is only the size of a mustard seed, and even that is His gift to us! Why, if He should give us faith the size of a golf ball, there is no telling the chaos we would produce.
Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Blessings,
Mac