A Divine Contrast

     If you are like me (hopefully, you are not), you probably never cease to be amazed at just how easy it is, even though you are staring directly at the obvious, to miss it and to, thereby, miss some of the most panoramic and glorious pictures the Scriptures provide. I do not know whether it has to do with my tunnel vision, my myopia, my presbyopia, or my hyperopia; all I know is this: I miss more than I see, even when what I am missing is more obvious than the nose on your face.
     For example, I have been studying the Scriptures for more years than I care to mention; however, until this morning, I had never connected the contrasting messages of Isaiah 53 and Revelation 1. Yes, I know that you probably made this connection long ago but not me. Who knows why? I am just very thankful that the Holy Spirit opened my eyes (did that new fangled surgery—LASIK, I think it is called) and allowed me to see clearly what I had missed!
     Listen to these words: For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before it shearers, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away. (Isaiah 53:2-8a).
     Now listen to these words: Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “ Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw the seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire: and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feel as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Revelation 1:7-18).
     You see, on the one hand we see this Suffering Servant, who comes as a tender shoot (as a root) out of the parched ground, who comes presenting Himself as one having no stately form or majesty, one so unattractive that we turn our face from Him, having no desire to take even a second look at Him—stricken, smitten, pierced-through, despised, forsaken, grief-stricken, crushed, scourged, oppressed, afflicted—a man of sorrows; albeit, one in whose hand the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper. When Israel saw Him, she despised Him and rejected Him—completely forsaking Him.
     On the other hand, we see this Alpha and Omega, who comes with the clouds, who comes in such a manner that every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. He comes presenting Himself as a son of man, centered amongst seven golden lampstands and holding seven stars in His right hand; as one whose hair is white like white wool, like snow; as one whose eyes are like a flame of fire; as one whose feet are like burnished bronze when it has been made to glow in a furnace; as one whose voice is like the sound of many waters; and as one whose face shines like the sun shining in its strength! When John saw Him, he fell at His feet as a dead man in act of worship that has never before or since been equaled.
     In these two contrasting pictures, I sense the aroma of the two contrasting covenants—The Old Covenant and The New Covenant. Sadly, most believers have yet to realize that this guarantee of Jesus’ return for His Bride is our guarantee that the covenant of grace supersedes the covenant of law. He is no longer the stricken, smitten, pierced-through, despised, forsaken, grief-stricken, crushed, scourged, oppressed, afflicted, man of sorrows; instead, He is the reigning King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who has finished His work and sat down at the right hand of His Father, waiting on His signal to return and take His Bride Home. There is no wonder that, when John say Him, he fell as His feet as a dead man! But how thankful I am for the grand finale: He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of hell (Revelation 1:17b-18).     

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities;
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit;
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle
(Psalm 103:1-5).

     Just thought I would try to show you what I think He showed me, and I really do hope you can see it!

The Two Hats

     One would think that being a pastor would in and of itself bring enough ministry opportunities into his life to satisfy even the most insatiable of appetites; however, when a pastor adds the funeral profession to his résumé, the opportunities increase exponentially.
     It has been my observation throughout the years of my pastoral ministry that much of what is called “ministry” is nothing more or less than a good way for the pastor to fill his time with what his parishioners seem to desire and bless—busyness. It reminds me of the bumper sticker that each of you has seen by now, the one that reads: “Look busy! Jesus is coming soon!”
     Now don’t misunderstand me! I am not implying that hospital visitation, or nursing home visitation is a waste of time, nor am I implying that the pastor is wasting his time by visiting shut-ins. Heck; it suits me if he joins the local Garden Club and learns to plant daffodils! Why, I even believe it is beneficial for him to play golf with the guys, even smoke a few stogies and drink a few scotch drinks with them.  The truth is most of the ones I know would probably be much more productive, as far as ministry goes, if they learned to hang out in the bars with the drunks! Apparently, after Jesus left home (Joseph’s & Mary’s), He got pretty good at it! He wasn’t called a “wine-bibber” and a “glutton” for nothing and you know that is true!
     Anyway, I am merely pointing out that being able to wear both hats—the pastor’s hat and the funeral director’s hat—especially at the same time (though it might look a bit strange), opens doorways into incredible ministry opportunities, opportunities that would, otherwise, never be opened. There is, simply, something about being able to journey with a family through the gut-wrenching agony of planning the funeral service for someone they deeply love, guiding them through one of the darkest, most unfamiliar and difficult times of their lives, caring for the physical remains of that loved-one, and at the same time offering them the incredibly good news of the gospel, that is just so incredibly fulfilling and so uniquely worthwhile.
     Just yesterday the husband of a lady I have known for many years was killed in an automobile accident. On the morning of the accident, she left home for work at the Medical Center, where she is a nurse, and he left home to take her car to have the speedometer cable repaired, neither of them having any idea as to what was ahead. Not far from home, the accident occurred and his physical life abruptly ended—no warning, no signal, just death—the final enemy.
     Somewhere before the foundation of the world, our God had carefully orchestrated the entire series of events, for our good and for His glory (I do not fully understand that, just know it is true). In His providence, I served as pastor to this dear lady’s parents from 1979 until 1985 when they died, and during that time, they blessed my life in so many ways, and I learned to love and appreciate them.
     Well, as you might imagine, in His further providence, it fell my lot to once again don both hats and to meet with my friend to guide her through this very difficult time of her life. As we sat together, I listened as she shared her heart with me and as she began to tell me about her beloved husband. During this conversation, the various decisions that needed to be made were made; not the least of them was that she asked me to officiate at his funeral.
     This might not seem as awesome to you as it does to me but let me tell you that I was thrilled, even through my bones. Why? Because I knew that many years ago, when I was trying to do whatever I thought pastors were supposed to do, busying myself with ministry, trying to be the good and respected pastor, God was disregarding my foolishness and planting good seed, seed that would produce a crop, a crop that would continue to yield fruit, even 27 years later! It is the kind of fruit that is unspeakable and full of glory—fruit that remains!
     I am both humbled and honored to know that He will trust me one more time not only to journey with a bereaved family and to guide them through this very difficult and dark time, but also to preach the unspeakable, unsearchable, glorious riches of His grace to a group of His hurting children! WOW!!
          

Butterflies and Carrot Cake

Sometimes, I wonder if there is anything left in me to write about but my passion for writing (expressing myself)  seems to “rule and reign,” so I continue to attempt what oftentimes seems to be the impossible. In all probability, not many read this stuff anyway but at least it allows me to organize my thoughts, get them outside my mind, and allow them to flutter around in the vast “somewhere” like butterflies.
As you probably know by now (unless you have been out of town), we have already moved from January into the middle of February! Well, that wouldn’t be so noteworthy were it not for the fact that February has for me always been a different-than-the-rest month because it is the month of my birthday. Years ago, this fact made it take forever for Valentine’s Day to arrive because the next day was my birthday and I (for some reason) loved having birthdays. (Don’t tell anyone but I always liked my birthday much better than I liked Valentine’s Day and the reason should be obvious. Why there was a lady who always made me a money cake for my birthday! Instead of chocolate chips or orange peel, she put genuine money—coins—in the batter!) Anyway, as time has marched on and I have, therefore, experienced many birthdays, my perspective regarding birthdays has changed just a bit.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I really want to have many more but I also have to face the fact that I have already experienced many more than I have left, unless I am going to be really old when I cross on over, which I doubt. So, I am tickled pink (not really but almost) that I have almost made the #64 birthday. I mean that is not too bad for an old man! I have no idea how so much time has passed by so quickly but it has—very quickly! I don’t know who said it but tempus does fugit, or at least time does fly, especially when you are (1) having fun, which I do most of the time; and (2) when you are old, which means I must be very old, not compared to some folk but old nevertheless!
Are you with me? I hope so because I now want to tell you something very important: I have every intention of continuing to have fun, as I journey towards the finish line but I want to do it at a slower pace. It is kinda’ like when someone places a piece of Syd’s homemade carrot cake in front of me, when I am craving a piece of her carrot cake but I also know I probably won’t get anymore for a long time. I feel like scarfing (if that is a good word) the entire piece down but I know I must apply the brakes in order to slowly savor each bite, trying to make it last forever.
Well, that is kinda’ the way I see the rest of my journey. There are some experiences I really want to enjoy. Why I am even find myself tempted to “scarf them down” but I am realizing that I must apply the brakes, so I can slowly savor every moment, hopefully making them last forever.
Yes, I have already had some good times but I believe the best is yet to come and I really do not want it to pass by so quickly (like the rest of my life) that I miss most of it. I have the feeling that I am going to want to slowly savor each moment! You can bet that I will give it my best shot!
Anyway, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and I hope yours is the best yet AND the next day is my 64th birthday and I am planning on, well, I don’t think I will make any plans and wait to see just how the butterflies fly.

Two Strange Stories

There are two stories in the Bible that have captured my attention over the past several days; the first one being the story of God’s calling Abraham to sacrifice his son, and the second one being the story of God’s calling Hosea to marry a whore. Anyway you cut this “pie,” the end result is the same—God is sometimes strange, even weird. To say the very least, He does not fit into the narrow parameters we use to define Christianity!
Suppose for a minute that you are a member of the First Local Church in Somewhere, Alabama, and you go to your pastor seeking his confirmation concerning what God has recently told you, namely, that He wants you to sacrifice your son in order that some folk over in Georgia and Mississippi might be blessed. What do you think his response might be?
Take another minute and pretend that you are the chairman of the Board of Deacons of the First Local Church in Macon, Georgia, and you go to your pastor to seek his confirmation concerning something God has recently told you, namely, that He wants you to marry a whore. What do you think his response might be?
Unless you opted out of church at age three and have had no more contact with it, I feel confident that you know the responses of both these pastors! The former would probably say something like this: Are you crazy? God did not tell you to sacrifice you son! The voice you are listening to is the voice of the devil! Surely you know that one of the Ten Commandments clearly forbids murder! You will not only wind up excommunicated from our church, but you will also land in jail, or maybe even in the death chamber!
The latter’s response would be something like this: God did not tell you to marry a whore and you know it! You are listening to the voice of the devil, and you know that, too. You do this and I will excommunicate you from our church.
Can you see what I am trying to open up for you? God does not fit into the narrow parameters we use to define Christianity! I recently read this in one of Preston Gillham’s newsletters: God created man in His own image, and man has returned the favor! Now, wasn’t that nice of us! I doubt, however, that He caters much to our fanciful notions! To be sure, He will not be defined, not by the likes of you and me—period.
By the way, I am very thankful that Abraham and Hosea put more confidence in God’s opinion for the way their lives should be lived, than they put in the thousand’s of opinions they probably received from their respective religious communities. Sometimes (probably often) it is better (much better) to be excommunicated from the local church than to be controlled by the opinions of those so foolish as to believe that they know God’s will for your life.
And one more thing: I have willingly excommunicated myself from this monstrous fiasco we call “Christianity” and have subjected myself to the freedom of pressing on to know Him, whom to know is eternal life. I choose to graze in His green pastures, drink from His still waters, and rest beneath His pinions, rather than beneath your opinions!
I just thought I would remind you that His ways really are bigger (much bigger) than our ways AND I also thought I would remind you that most of what we know about Him really isn’t about Him at all. It is about our efforts to fit Him into our pea-brained notions of who we think He should be.
I will conclude with this: I can only trust that He won’t ask most Christians I know to do something anywhere near as bizarre as what He asked Abraham and Hosea to do because it, simply, will not get done, not by them, anyway! Their “image” of Him will not allow it!

A Fresh Expression of Love

As you know, February is not only the month when loving, caring, compassionate, tender people are born, e.g., yours truly, it is also the month of love and romance, the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day.
As I have written in an earlier article, most (probably all) of the holidays we celebrate are merely a means to keep the economy running at full-speed ahead, and this one is certainly no exception. There is no telling just how much money will be spent on candy, cards, flowers, and jewelry by those who are attempting to express love to a lover (or, more probably, to stay out of the dog house).
What you might not know is this: my birthday, the day after Valentine’s Day, serves as the day when things return to the status quo. The candy will have been eaten, the cards will have been either discarded or carefully stored, the flowers will have already begun to wilt and fade, and the jewelry will have already begun to tarnish—a short-lived expression of love, at best.
Have you ever allowed your mind to wander just a bit outside the proverbial Valentine’s Day box, and to wonder what would happen if we decided to declare a moratorium on the giving of candy, mass-produced cards, flowers, and jewelry on Valentine’s Day, allowing only verbal or written-from-the-heart expressions of love? My guess is this: the stress and anxiety levels of most people would increase markedly (including of course the business owners who would miss the financial windfall) because it is one thing to buy a card that someone else has written, or a box of Whitman’s chocolates, or a dozen roses, or a piece of jewelry and give it to another as an expression of love, but it is quite another to come up with something on your own, especially something of lasting value (I feel confident that the candy-makers, card producers, florists, and jewelers need not worry about job security!).
Anyway, I love the Song of Songs and one of the reasons I so love it is that it is Jesus’ personal, verbal, God-breathed, expression of His love for you and for me. WOW! What an incredible love—no limits, no conditions, just pure unadulterated love—pure! Listen to these words: Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along. For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have already appeared in the land; the time has arrived for pruning the vines, and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. The fig tree has ripened it figs, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along! O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret place of the steep pathway, let me see your form, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your form is lovely (2:10-14). Now, you tell me, would you be willing to exchange this for a freight-car load of boxes of candy, or the entire card-rack at Hallmarks, or eighteen dozen roses, or a 10 caret diamond?
Oh well—I just thought I would see if I could make you think outside the proverbial Valentine’s Day box, AND I thought I would remind you that with Him there is no status quo!

An Unusual Communion

To say the very least, the experience of those of us who worshipped at Grace Christian Fellowship today was, well, how can I describe it—different but wonderfully different. Per my usual modus operandi, I arrived earlier than everyone else to carry out my usual activities—turn on the heat and lights, check my email, prepare the communion table, and spend a while meditating on the morning’s message. As I walked into the kitchen to prepare the communion table, the Lord spoke to me and told me to do something so unique, that I wondered for a moment if I were not imagining things. This is what He said (I can say that with confidence now because I have seen the fruit of it): Do not put any wine into the cups and do not put any bread on the plates; instead, take empty trays to the table. (Now can you see why I thought I was imagining things?)
Anyway, I put both hands on the countertop (sort of propping myself up and looking toward my feet) and asked, “Lord, was that You? If I follow through with this, what in the wide-world will I tell the folk who come to worship, who come to celebrate the Eucharist? What about the visitors who might come; they will miss communion altogether, and have no clue as to what is happening. His response was clear: “Will you trust Me?”
Well, what do you tell the Sovereign God of the Universe, when He asks you that question? My response was clear and concise: “I will but I am scared to death.” Honestly, I had no idea what He was doing, other than making me nervous! I did, however, what I usually do when I sense that He is telling me to do something so weird; I shut every question out, looked neither to the left nor to the right, and marched forward. Have you ever tripped over a pothole and before your knees hit the ground found yourself looking around to see just who was watching? That is kinda’ how I felt, as I proceeded to the communion table with two wine trays filled with empty cups, and two bread trays, absent the bread! (I well-remember looking back, kinda’ like Lot’s wife looked back I think, and wondering what kind of “mess” I was about to create and witness right before my eyes.)
I really do love the way He encourages us on, once we take the initial step of obedience, especially when the initial step is kinda’ like jumping off the deck of a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean, or better yet, like jumping out of an airplane into the middle of the jungle, the part of the jungle where the cannibals live. Anyway, He did nudge (encourage) me to obey with this: Mac, surely you don’t want to miss seeing my Sovereign hand at work because you are afraid of making a mess! You do remember that I specialize in cleaning up “messes!” I swallowed hard and got the point!
Then He let up a little on me and said this: Now, bring one small piece of bread and a little bit of wine to the table. WOW! That made me feel better; at least, there would be something on the table. Well, by this time, people had begun to gather, so I got busy trying to greet them, while also (I must admit) keeping a watchful eye on those who passed by the table. (I am certain that some of them wondered if I was running late with preparing the table, or had I, simply, forgotten.) It wasn’t long before David was ready to begin the worship service and, as I walked to the front to speak to him, the passage I would read to open the service became evident—Habbakuk 3:17-19 (the “though the fig tree should not blossom” text)—and then I began to see a bit more clearly what He was up to!
As David led in worship, the Holy Spirit brought these two passages to my mind—the story of the widow, who because her late husband had left her with more debt than she could pay and, consequently, the creditor was on his way to take her two sons to work for him until the debt was paid, which of course, would prove to be forever, encountered Elisha (2 Kings 4); and the story of the widow, who because of a famine, was about to eat her last meal with her young son and die, encountered Elijah (1 Kings 17). If you are familiar with these stories, you know that God took the “basically nothing” that these two widows had to contribute to their respective situations and made it more than enough to meet their needs—forever! (If you aren’t familiar with these stories, please read them and spend some time with them; otherwise, I might have wasted all this time writing.)
Anyway, by this time, David had finished leading worship, so I came to the communion table to share the two aforementioned stories, hoping I was cooperating with what the Holy Spirit had in mind, but really for the most part still clueless. After my explanation, we took our usual “fellowship” and “potty” break.
The message was from 1 Corinthians 4:16, with emphasis on the part of verse six that says, “. . . learn not to exceed what is written . . .” Can you even imagine what it is like to attempt to preach, while being sooooo aware that there is only one small piece of bread and a very little wine on the communion table (certainly, not almost enough for everyone!) AND you are the one who is responsible for opening this table for your flock; (If you cannot imagine, try; it will do you good!).
Well, THANKFULLY, my mind can still think about more than one thing at the time (well, sometimes) and I was able, while preaching, to be reminded of the story of Jesus’ feeding the 5,000 (plus women and children) AND to relate that story to what was in front of me. As a result, I knew that we were about to be privileged to witness a miracle, or I was about to look like a fool. (I think for the first time in my life, I related to the twelve, when Jesus told them to feed the 5,000, when at first they thought they had nothing but soon learned that that had the grand total of 5 loaves and 2 pieces of fish ( a young lad’s long-since soggy lunch).  Their question was much like mine: “What are these among so many?”
I have always loved that story because Jesus let the twelve participate in what He was doing; it was a kind of “show and tell” experience, and I especially like the part where the little boy got to provide the “stuff” for the buffet, AND I really like the part after the party; you know, the part where so much was left over. Shucks, every disciple got a take-out carton and had food for lunch the next day!
This might be why I love the stories of the two widows—Jesus let them get in on what He was doing (yes, I said Jesus on purpose!); you know, provide the “nothing except stuff” for the grand buffets!
Well, I do want you to know this: I received a small portion of the elements and offered the rest to the congregation, asking them to share with another, rather than to eat and drink for themselves. Would you believe that when all was said and done—tears and love flowing all over everyone—there were leftovers (both wine and bread)!
You know, it really is better to risk making a mess than to miss-out on what He is doing because you are afraid you might make a mess.
I just thought I would tell you about our incredible day; besides, I think He wants you to know AND I also think he wants you (and me) to learn to trust Him, even when doing so makes no sense at all!

Learning to Dance

Having almost finished reading Brian McLaren’s book, “The Story We Find Ourselves In,” I highly recommend it—par excellent! Wow! I have been soooo blessed reading his fresh ways of telling the old, old story, the story that never grows stale. The following excerpt is just too good for those of you who won’t read the book to miss: “Kincaid, instead of talking about prayer, why don’t we just pray, right now. Would that be OK?” “Here in the garage? Well, OK, sure—but I feel kind of like a junior high kid at a dance. Like, I’ve never danced before, at least not in public, but maybe I should get out on the floor and try” (page 143).
      I wonder just how many of the blessings and thrills of being His Bride we have missed (and continue to miss) because, well, because we feel like the junior high kid who, having never danced before (at least not in public), finds himself at the prom, wanting so desperately to dance, but feeling so insecure and so self-conscious that he never even steps onto the floor.
        Just for the record, I was that kid. Oh, I wanted to dance, I really did but I had been convinced that “genuine” Christians do not dance, to do so, I was told, was to stir all kinds of sinful, ungodly emotions. Because I really wanted to be a “genuine” Christian (as if there were some other kind), I made it my business never to dance, or to let anyone know that I even wanted to dance. Consequently, to this day, I cannot dance, not the kind you do to waltz music, or jitterbug music, or rock and roll music—my brain and my feet simply will not connect! Some things are hard—very hard—to unlearn!
      Now, do not take this to mean that I will never learn to dance because I just might fool you! Sometimes old folks like me get a second wind, another chance at youthfulness, a new courage, so do not write me off as having two left feet! Actually, down deep inside, I think I would be good at it because I am such a romantic, anyway (if that has anything to do with dancing).  To tell you the truth, based on what I remember seeing, I think it would be a little bit (maybe a lot) on the fun side to have some of those “sinful, ungodly” dancing emotions that I, apparently, missed in my first “youth,” stirred up. Oh well . . .  
     Anyway, I said all of that, so I could say this: there is another kind of dancing that I really love (not to be bragging but I think I am pretty good at, at least much better at it than I am at the other). It is a kind of dancing that is not done to typical music but to the music of the gospel (and I am not referring to gospel music). I am referring to the music of the heartbeat of Jesus, the Jesus who danced with Peter, Thomas, Nicodemus, Lazarus, the thief who hung beside Him, and, especially, (really, especially) Mary Magdalene, in the early morning hours of the day of His Resurrection! He purposely met her there, alone, for that last dance, the dance that just might have precipitated the most exhilarating, spine-tingling moment of His life. You see, I think Jesus, the man, loved her and really wanted her to be his wife, probably more than we will ever know, but He also knew that in order to be her Savior, He could not have her as his wife, until, well, until first, He was her Savior and the most difficult part of that journey was over. It was Resurrection Morn! All He had left to complete His mission was one final step—the step Home, from whence He would call her unto Himself. This last dance is proof enough for me that Jesus could not take that final step without giving His beloved Mary an opportunity to taste what she had so longed for—to dance with Her Beloved, Precious, Husband! WOW! Some things are simply worth waiting for—period! I might add this, though it may make you nervous: I am convinced that Jesus walked away from that moment, dancing to the music of His own heart beat! Love will do that to you, you know, and there is no dancing like the dancing that is done to the music of His heartbeat!
                You see, it was seeing this dance, Jesus’ last dance with Mary, that stirred my heart, not to sinful, ungodly emotions, but to yearn to dance to the music of the gospel—the good news of Jesus—and as I yearned, He took the lead, led me out onto the floor, and taught me how to dance to the music of a new song.  Am I nervous? Hell, yes! But remember: I have never danced before, not to mention that I have always believed that doing so stirred up sinful and ungodly emotions! I am learning though, and it is so much fun!!

The Mysteries of God

To be honest, I had no idea that my message this past Sunday would precipitate the incredible response that it did, which is probably a good thing; otherwise, I would have the "big head" (not that I already don't), thinking I had eliminated some of the mystery of preaching and come up with something worth saying.

Anyway, Paul did encourage us to be stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1b) but somehow, we, apparently, failed to get the correct message and, instead, have purposed to clarify the mysteries of God to such a degree that there is no mystery left. In doing so, we have, to say the least, failed miserably as stewards (good managers) of those sacred mysteries.

You see, we have come to believe that the mark of a good pastor/teacher is his/her ability to so clearly define the subject matter that there is no mystery left. For example, a good pastor/teacher should be able to so clearly explain Christian marriage that any believer, who follows the instructions, would be able to experience it to the fullest. Certainly, a good pastor/teacher should be able to so clearly explain the Eucharist, that any believer could completely and fully understand it. Furthermore, a good pastor/teacher should be able to teach the gospel so clearly that all the mystery is gone and anyone could understand it and accept it. In the same way, any pastor/teacher, who is worth his/her salt, should, certainly, be able to teach the theology of water baptism so clearly that even a child could comprehend it.

In my opinion, it is just this mindset that has caused so much of the division and unrest and mistrust that is so prevalent within the Body of Christ today. Just think about it for a moment and you will see (I think): the Presbyterians have so clearly defined predestination that anyone who cannot embrace and understand it, is probably not a Christian, after all (or so they think); the Lutherans have so clearly explained the Euchrist that anyone but the most unspiritual can understand it (or so they think); the Baptist have so clearly explained and defined water baptism, that those who do not agree cannot belong to one of their churches (or so they KNOW);and of course the Methodists have so clearly defined Christian marriage that only the spiritually illiterate would ever divorce, which means there must be many spiritually illiterate.

Let's take the matter of water baptism: on the one hand, for the typical Southern Baptist, water baptism is accomplished by immersion and only by immersion AND if you choose to join a SB church, it is required, regardless of what other mode you might have experienced. On the other hand, the Methodists are much more liberal, meaning that they allow for sprinkling, pouring, and immersion, thereby, declaring that the method doesn't really matter. The Church of Christ, however, takes the whole matter a step further--a gigantic step further--and declares that one's salvation lies within his water baptism! You see, each group has so clearly defined water baptism that there is no mystery left! However, in doing so we have precipitated much division, confusion, and unrest and, thereby, proven to be anything but good managers (stewards) of the mysteries of God. (Yes, I know that Jesus came to bring division! But not THAT kind!)

Christian marriage (as if there is another kind) serves as another good illustration. As you know, we (the church) have so clearly defined Christian marriage and the parameters for its existence, that a man or woman would be a fool to even think about divorce, much less, go through with it! We KNOW what the Scriptures teach and that is that--God hates divorce!! End of discussion! But wait a minute, there just might be more; after all, God never said that He hates the people who divorce! Mike Mason wrote a book that he entitled, "The Mystery of Marriage," a book I highly recommend, and he did so for the obvious reason--there is more mystery about marriage than clarity! One only has to be married for a brief time to figure that out; however, we continue to proclaim that there is but one way and that way is "my" way because I, finally, have clarity!

Now, you take your pick: water baptism; the Eucharist; marriage; the gospel; creation and any of the rest of the areas of theology. Which did you choose? Water baptism? OK. Good! Now, tell me, who is correct--the Baptist, the Methodist, Church of Christ, or the, well, you name it? You see, if we so clearly define water baptism, so as to remove its inherent and God-given mystery, we find ourselves separating from other sincere believers and, thereby, being very poor managers of this "mystery of God." When we tell someone that the method is more important than the mystery, we do them a disservice, a grave disservice!

In much the same way, when we tell a believer that divorce is always unacceptable, we are telling him that we have such clarity on the subject that "my way is the only way," which of course is foolish! Even so, we proclaim just that message, and in doing so, we imprison people to our own ideas of righteousness, rather than freeing them to walk in the freedom that Jesus died to provide for them.

Having said all of that, I will be the first to tell you that I not only believe in absolute truth, I also have an insatiable desire to know more truth and to understand more clearly the things of the Spirit. However, I have come to learn that Christianity is more about mystery (far more) than clarity. Have we forgotten that His ways are NOT our ways, that His ways are higher (much higher) than our ways? Have we ever known (really known) that He designed the entire Christian life somewhat (actually, gargantuanly) skewed in the direction of mystery, rather than clarity? He did so with purpose you know because He wants us not to understand Him but to trust Him, and He, apparently, knows quite well that clarity eliminates the need for trust!

I love the way He responded to the disciples following His "parable of the sower," when they asked Him why He spoke to them (the others in the crowd) in parables! These are His words: To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted (Matthew 13:11b). In other words, well, can you see it, or is it more mystery than clarity?

Maybe it is time for us to become what we really are, anyway--His children, who childishly jump into His arms and hang around in complete trust, enjoying His love! Who cares about all this "understanding stuff" anyway?

Searching for Home

For those of you who are yet to read Craig Barnes’ book, “Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls,” I highly recommend it. Admittedly, he might stretch you a bit, especially with his familiarity with Dante’s “The Divine Comedy” but in the end, it will be worth it. Craig is steeped not only in the doctrines of grace, but also (and more importantly) in the journey of grace—the journey Home.

There are so many quotes from this book that I want to share with you not only for the purpose of whetting your appetite for reading the book, but also to be sure you experience the thought-provoking moment, he stimulates. The following are a few selected quotes I want to offer to you (please take a moment to savor each of them): (1) "People choose eternity in hell for the same reason they created hell on earth—they prefer the misery they know to the mystery they do not" (p. 83); (2) "There is no greater pain than to remember in our present grief past happiness" (p. 30); (3) "Being in worship isn’t the same thing as being at home but it is our only way of calling home" (p. 35); (4) "You have to give yourself to a place before you can belong, and you have to belong before you can receive anything of eternal value from that place—things like the defining convictions for life" (p. 57); (5) "A community that is nothing more than a group of individuals, all with dreams for what they need it to be, isn’t community at all. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned in 'Life Together,' there is nothing more dangerous to authentic community that our dreams for it because we love those dreams more than the people around us. Community is not a human ideal, he says, but a divine reality" (p. 60); (6) "To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul" (p. 67).

Having shared those, I saved this one for a bit of discussion: "The people who have passed through the dark night of reorientation are the most free people I know. That is because they are no longer afraid of losing anything. It is all gone. All that is left is the only thing from which they can never be separated—the love of God. And with that clarity of desire it is not hard to find the way home" (p. 115). Now, I do not know about you but this really spoke to me. Barnes says that the “most free” people he knows are those who are no longer afraid of losing anything because it is all gone—everything; everything, that is, but the one thing from which they can never be separated—the love of God!

You have all heard this old, old, question but I want to remind you of it: What would you desperately attempt to save, if you were awakened in the middle of the night because your house was on fire? Yes, there are probably as many answers, as there are people to answer, but I will tell you this: you would attempt to get whatever was most valuable to you!

I actually witnessed this the other night when a tornado was, apparently, about to pass directly over our house. We were just turning into our subdivision, when the news came and, immediately, I began having second thoughts about continuing, thinking more about finding safety. My wife, however, was frantically convincing me to continue on toward our house, which I did; although, I must admit, doing so wasn’t very wise. She, however, wasn’t too concerned about “wisdom” in the moment; instead, she was concerned about her two poodles and our wedding pictures! Now, get this picture: a tornado is on the way to our house (or so the news and several friends and family were telling us) and I am driving as fast as I can toward the house—talk about crazy!

Well, we made it home, just in the nick of time, and she ran into the house, rounded up her two poodles, Buffy and Taffy, got the wedding pictures, and headed into the basement for safety! Where am I? Standing on the back deck, with hail falling like snow, trying to decide if the train I hear approaching is the “Baltimore and Ohio” or a real, live tornado!
Enough said? Do you get my drift? I hope so because you will never really be free until you are no longer afraid of losing anything, anything but the love of God, which you cannot lose, even if you try.

Would you be honest for a moment and answer this question: What are you really afraid of losing? Is it possible that the fear of losing it, is keeping you imprisoned to those all-too-familiar feelings of hopelessness, despair, and futility, as you attempt to journey Home? If your answer is “yes,” then I have this suggestion: release whatever it might be to the Lover of your soul, to the One who died for you, and, then, you will be free—among the “most free” people I know! I really do hope that you will “take the risk.” You will be glad you did because finding Home will be so much easier.

Remember When?

Do you remember when things weren't quite so complicated, when life was easy because someone else took care of all the important stuff? Whatever happened to those days? In many ways it seems like only yesterday, when I was free to be a child and didn't have to solve such complicated problems, as how to pay the taxes, and deal with such frustrating issues, as how to enjoy relationships; yet, I can barely remember, even the feeling, much less the reality. This picture of me took me back to those days when life was simple; when complicated was trying to tie my shoe; when problems were things we solved in arithmetic, that really weren't too problematic; when eating my grandmother's chicken and dumplins were the highlight of my day; when Santa Clause really came; when I lived the moment I was in, to the fullest; and when the present was so much fun and the future was something so far away, that I saw no use in considering it.
Well, that was then and this is now, but for some reason I am having the old, familiar yearning to be a child again--to run and play and live, really live, without all the clutter and frustration of adulthood!
Maybe I am just getting old and senile, but I really think not (though I probably am); even so, I believe there is more life to be lived and I have a hankering to get to it! Anyone care to join me?

God's Idea of A Good Creation

Today (actually Wednesday night), I started reading Craig Barnes book, “Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls.” Yes, I am already reading two other books, “The Story We Find Ourselves In” and “A Generous Orthodoxy,” both by a guy named, Brian McLaren, and both rather difficult reading. Even so, I made the mistake of opening Barnes’ book last night and, as he usually does, he captured my attention (actually, I think I have ADHD, especially in light of the fact that I attempt to read three books at once but no one has diagnosed it, so I’ll pretend to be focused) and he did so with this statement: It is striking that the creation narratives make a point of telling us that this forbidden fruit was in the midst of the garden and not off in some forgettable corner. This means we were created to live with an unavoidable reminder that home was never meant to be perfect, whole, or complete. That’s God’s idea of a good creation. What was missing from the good garden was meant to serve as our altar of prayer, where we could bend our knees and confess that we were mere creatures who were never meant to have it all, but were dependent on our Creator, who alone is whole and complete. That pristine, sacred communion was precisely what made the garden so good (page 13-14).
     Let’s think about this for a minute or two: God, purposely, placed the forbidden fruit right smack-kadab in the middle of the Good Garden, right where we would stumble over it every day, just exactly in the place where we would see it all day, every day—an unavoidable and perpetual reminder that we are dependent upon Him—a good thing, indeed! Yet, to the untrained eye, it appears that this “forbidden fruit” made this Good Garden anything but good—imperfect and incomplete. The mindset goes something like this: there is something more, something better, and God is keeping it from us, but we desperately want it! Now, hold on a minute and take a more careful look: this “forbidden fruit” is exactly what made this Good Garden perfect. You see, there is no perfection where there is no awareness of our dependence upon Him. Surely, Adam’s and Eve’s choice to pursue the route of the “knowledge of good and evil” evidences this.
     As you remember, this “forbidden” fruit was not an “apple of gold” that God was hiding from them (us), the eating of which would make us like God and, thereby, complete what is missing; instead, it was a system of rules that would generate a lifestyle of independence from God, a lifestyle that said, “We can not only know what is good, as well as what is evil, but we can also perfectly perform the good and altogether avoid the evil and, thereby, please You by our works”—legalism at its finest hour! Yes, most of us know, now, that God was not trying to hide some good thing from us by placing this forbidden fruit tree in the middle of this Good Garden; instead, He was giving us an opportunity to avoid the most tragic of mistakes—attempting to live life independently of Him. As things were, the greatest, most glorious gift of all—righteousness in Jesus, which is what our souls really long for, was ours by default, had we, merely, left this damnable tree alone and damnable it is!
     HOWEVER (and I really want you to see this) [since I wrote that parenthesis, I have had 5 interruptions, so I am about to forget it myself!), as long as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil stood in the Good Garden, the garden was imperfect by God’s design, or so it seems; after all, He purposely placed it there. However, that piece of imperfection is the very thing that drives us to that which is perfect; namely, Jesus—the Tree of Life (the Other Tree)—which, by the way, paradoxically, tells us that the garden was, well, perfect, after all because it accomplished God’s purpose—the driving of His elect to a life of utter dependence upon Him, and this is a very good thing—a perfect thing!
     It is kinda’ funny how God places the very things we try so hard to hide from other Christians—things that cause them to stumble—right out in the middle of everywhere, so they will stumble, yet, not so as to fall headlong but into His embrace and security.
     Well, I thought I would tell you what He told me (or at least what I think He told me), so chew on it and please send me your comments!

                                   

Preaching

     The longer I do it, the more I wonder if people really want to hear it—preaching, that is. I was just a kid, when the Holy Spirit made my calling—to preach the Gospel—clear, and I have never, ever doubted it. I must admit that, even though it seems that most really have no passion for the Gospel, I still love to preach it. I suppose if I had no audience, I would preach to the trees or to the birds, but I would preach, and you can take that to the bank! There is something deep within my soul, maybe it is called “passion,” that stirs me to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, and I have the feeling that this “passion” will live in me forever.
     Having said that, it seems reasonable to me that you can see why I am concerned about the apathy I see, the indifference I witness day after day and week after week. Oh sure, a “dog and pony show” will, probably, always attract the masses but the preaching of the Gospel only attracts a few—a precious few. Now, I am not surprised at this because the Scriptures make it clear that the Gospel is offensive—very offensive—until, well until, He decides to make it attractive. What concerns me is this: there are many who have found it attractive, who have embraced it whole-heartedly, and who have enjoyed it to the fullest, BUT for some reason their “passion” has waned (decreased, diminished) severely, as is evidenced by their lack of enthusiasm.
     This lack of enthusiasm is so obvious that I wonder how anyone could miss it! Sadly, most believers regularly choose, almost, anything, even a “dog and pony show,” over the hearing of the preached Gospel. All it takes to create an excuse is a football game, a family reunion, a hard week at the office, the grass needing to be cut, guests coming to visit, or a late Saturday night party. Maybe, I am just different (strange, weird) but I think most folk would be surprised, if they should keep a record of just how often in one year they choose something else over the preaching of the Gospel.
     Now, I want you to know that I try really hard NOT to look to others for affirmation, especially regarding preaching, because I know that that will only lead to disappointment, even major depression! Somehow, I know (really know) that His calling and His affirmation are enough—more than enough—and I want to keep it that way. EVEN SO, the emotions I have to deal with, when I see people, whom I dearly love, choose to place such little value on the preaching of the Gospel, are very difficult—disappointment, hurt, anger, frustration, weariness, bewilderment, and futility, to name a few.  I wish I could get past them but, so far, I have been unable to do so!
     There is another side, however, and it is this: the thrill I get from watching those, who have a genuine hunger and thirst (even passion) for the Gospel, faithfully come and eagerly listen, wanting one-more-time to hear that old, old, story, is far greater than any other thrill I have ever experienced. Roller coaster rides, quail-rises, catching a huge salmon, hitting a home run—nothing compares to it.
     Maybe, all I am trying to say is this: to those of you who continue to love to hear that glorious story of Jesus and His love, let me say, “Thank You!” from the bottom of my heart! Trees and birds would have to do but how thankful I am for those living, breathing, human beings, who cannot wait until the next “preaching day!”

Incomplete by God's Design 2

     This morning, as I was reading John McLaren's book, "The Story We Find Ourselves In," I came across something that, at least for me, was fresh—so fresh, that I had never even had the thought. Here is the line: What a crazy thing! In the Genesis story, the rib is taken out of Adam—by God! God seems to want Adam to feel incomplete on purpose: God nicks a part of him on purpose! That means that Adam is—meaning we are too—incomplete by God's design! The story is telling us that we were designed to be incomplete and unfulfilled in ourselves as monads, as isolated individuals. We feel an ache in our side, like some part of us is missing, so that we'll always be looking outside ourselves for belonging and connection, for it is not good for a person to be alone--not in this story! And so in this story we live in a garden, with all the creatures around us, and we walk with God in the cool of the day. WOW! (That's from me!)
     Yes, I am aware that we are incomplete without Jesus—very aware; however, I had never made the connection of this "incompleteness" and "Adam's rib." From the very beginning, God set us up to be needy and to be needy, not just for something, but for what is missing—the part of us that that makes us incomplete! As a result, we feel an ache in our side, actually an ache that radiates across our entire body and soul (especially our soul), an ache that tells us that something is missing. Quite naturally (by God's design), we spend our lives looking, always looking, outside (beyond) ourselves, trying, desperately, to put an end to the relentless, God-given, ache, the ache that constantly reminds us that something (something very significant and critical) is missing. The symptoms are obvious (or so it appears to me): we do not feel loved; we do not feel valued; we do not feel accepted, nor do we feel that we belong (connected), AND all by God’s design!
     Those of you who know me are aware that I have known for some time that marriage is imperfect by God's design. When this dawned on me, I was just minutes from assisting a couple renew their marriage vows, after 25 years of marriage. Having never had the thought, the thought of speaking this newly-discovered truth nearly scared me to death. Even so, I spoke it, having no idea how I would navigate through it in such a brief time. Well, I did but I have never forgotten the experience or the truth!  
     Now, I am confronted with this newly-discovered truth: In removing Adam’s rib, God purposefully made him feel incomplete and, thereby, declared (though it was much later before we could realize it), “The Christian life is incomplete by God’s design!” (Now, I know this might precipitate a reaction from you but that is OK, as long as you continue on with me.)
     Have you ever stopped to consider just how many versions of the “Christian life” exist? Well, if you haven’t, let me, simply, tell you that there are many, even more than that! There is the Baptist, the Methodist, the Presbyterian, the Lutheran, the Greek Orthodox, the Pentecostal, the Church of God, the Church of God of Prophecy, the Primitive Baptist, the, oh heavens, I cannot begin to name all of them.  So let me repeat what I just said: THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS INCOMPLETE BY GOD’S DESIGN! (I seriously doubt, in fact, I am certain, that Jesus could not be talked into being a “Christian” today because doing so would place Him far outside everything He is!)
     So, now, I have two very interesting truths, with which I must deal: (1) Marriage is imperfect by God’s design; and, (2) the Christian life is incomplete by God’s design. Obviously (well, maybe not), these two truths are very closely related because one shadows the other, which is material for another article.
     Anyway, God set Adam up to spend his life feeling (and acutely so) incomplete—unloved, unaccepted, undervalued, and with no place to belong. Try as he might, there was, simply, no relief for the ache, other than brief moments, the kind that are necessary for surviving intense pain—the drinking-dirty-water-kind. Sure, Eve was, at least in theory, the rest of him—his completer—but she was never able to ease his pain (nor could he ease hers, for that matter). Their “marriage,” like most of ours, was, well, it wasn’t what they probably thought it would be; especially, in light of their knowing that God arranged it! How could the Good God, who has infinite resources, create or establish anything that proved to be less than perfect?
     Here is where I think we miss the point: although Eve was “the rest of Him,” his “completer,” she was never intended to be the “fix” for his ache.  Much to the contrary, she would be the one whom God would use to keep him aware of what the “missing rib” announced—“Adam, you are incomplete by My design!” And, guess what? It worked and it still works! (Again, I feel sure that this will stir a reaction from you but, again, that is OK, as long as you continue with me.)
     What becomes obvious, at least to me, is this: both the Christian life and Christian marriage have become for us something that God never intended—the salve that heals the “ache.” Actually, we have done the same thing with the Law; we have allowed it to become the same kind of salve—the salve that heals the “ache” that sin produced.
     Now for my point: As you well-know, unless and until we look to Jesus to be the One who satisfies the deepest longing of our hearts, the One who heals the “ache” that, simply, will not go away, we will never feel complete and whole. However, we will NEVER look to Him, until we rid our minds of the “Jesus” we have conjured up in our minds. Our looking to this “Jesus” is no different than Adam’s looking to Eve, or your looking to your mate, or the church’s looking to the Law. It is all religious legalism—conjuring up our own ways to find what only the true Jesus can provide.
     Somehow, we must realize that the Jesus we need to look to is the Jesus who said, “To hell with religion!” He is the Jesus who always colored outside—way outside—the lines of religion; the Jesus who refused to blend in with the status quo of His day; the Jesus who refused to allow the expectations of others to control his life; the Jesus who refused to spend His life trying to appease those, who disagreed with Him; the Jesus who seemed to do everything possible to discourage folk from becoming His followers; the Jesus who never compromised in order to entice someone to follow Him; the Jesus who would allow someone to walk away from Him, rather than make them false promises; the Jesus who said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you love one another”; the Jesus who not only gave us a new commandment (not an 11th commandment), but also provided us with the example—Abba, Abba, not My will but Thine be done!
     In my opinion, we need to take a careful look at the “Jesus” we say we follow because I have the strong feeling that he is the fruit of our own frantic religious efforts to find a way to have our “ache” healed.
     The Jesus of the Cross, the Christ of God, the Messiah of Israel, the Gentile’s Redeemer, the Son of God, really is all we need, and He really does satisfy our thirst, and, thereby, eliminate or eagerness to drink the “dirty water” of legalism and self-righteousness. He is the water of Life that heals forever our God-given “ache!”
     You know, I really am glad that He set up both the Christian life and Christian marriage to fail; otherwise, I would be merrily (well, not so merrily) traveling along in the deception that held me captive for so long.  
     

Incomplete by God's Design!

This morning, as I was reading John McLaren's book, "The Story We Find Ourselves In," I came across something that, at least for me, was fresh--so fresh, that I had never even had the thought. Here is the line: What a crazy thing! In the Genesis story, the rib is taken out of Adam--by God! God seems to want Adam to feel incomplete on purpose. God nicks a part of him on purpose! That means that Adam is--meaning we are too--incomplete by God's design! The story is telling us that we were designed to be incomplete and unfulfilled in ourselves as monads, as isolated individuals. We feel an ache in our side, like some part of us is missing, so that we'll always be looking outside ourselves for belonging and connection, for it is not good for a person to be alone--not in this story! And so in this story we live in a garden, with all the creatures around us, and we walk with God in the cool of the day. WOW! (That's from me!)

Yes, I am aware that we are incomplete without Jesus, very aware; however, I had never made the connection of this "imcompleteness" and "Adam's rib." From the very beginning, God set us up to be needy and to be needy, not just for something, but for what is missing--the part of us that that makes us incomplete! As a result, we feel an ache in our side, actually an ache that radiates across our entire body and soul (especially our soul), an ache that tells us that something is missing. Quite naturally (by God's design), we spend our lives looking, always looking, outside (beyond) ourselves, trying, desperately, to put an end to the relentless, God-given, ache, the ache that constantly reminds us that something (something very significant and critical) is missing. The symptoms are obvious (or so it appears to me): we do not feel loved; we do not feel valued; nor do we feel that we belong (connected) AND all by God's design!

Those of you who know me are aware that I have known for some time that marriage is imperfect by God's design. When this dawned on me, I was within seconds of assisting a couple on their 25th wedding anniversary, to renew their marriage vows, and I knew I was supposed to incorporate it into what I would say to them but goodness, gracious--how would I ever get out of what I was about to say, especially in such a short period of time? Well, I said it and I have never forgotten it.

Now, I have both of these truths, with which I must deal: (1) God removed Adam's rib to make him feel incomplete--all God's purposeful design; (2) God, purposefully, brought Eve to Adam to complete him (replace the missing rib that made him incomplete) and to, therefore, live with him in what I must now call an imperfect-by-God's-design-relationship, aka, marriage. Now, that is interesting, especially, in light of the fact that we are led to believe that, done correctly, marriage leads to eternal bliss.

Well, this is my point: God did remove Adam's rib to make him (and, therefore, the rest of us) keenly aware of his incompleteness, and He did bring Eve to him to be the rest of him, to complete him, BUT He never intended for her to eliminate his awareness of his neediness! Instead, God gave Eve to Adam to make him even more acutely aware of his neediness and, I might add, He gave Adam to Eve for the same reason, and guess what--it worked!! It really worked, and it is still working!! Something, however, is, yet, missing and this is quite the mystery to me: after all of this, we have still not caught on. Our longing is NOT for our felt needs to be met (love, belonging, acceptance, value) through another "Eve" or "Adam." No! No! Much to the contrary, our longing is for for Jesus, but be careful now because it is not for the "jesus" we have conjured up in our minds (the legalistic, fairy tale, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, plastic "jesus")! Our longing is for the Jesus, who colored outside the lines of religion--way outside the lines; the Jesus, who was THE renegade of all renegades; the Jesus, who never typed with caps, never used commas correctly, never spelled correctly, never figured out what a split infinitive is, never put semi-colons where they belonged--the Jesus, who irritated the hell out of the religious (those who attempt to fill their imcompleteness and repair their imperfectness by using caps, correctly placing commas and semi-colons! Our longing is for the Jesus, who effectively said, "To hell with religion!" Our longing is for the Jesus, who said, "Come follow Me and I will make you fishers of men," meaning, not what we think but this: Come follow Me and I will so drastically change what you think you know how to do and love doing (fish, for Peter, Andrew, Jame, and John) that the object of your affection will forever change!

Impulsiveness

As you can probably tell, I enjoy an occasional cigar--good cigar, and one of my temptations is going onto JR Cigar's web site, specifically to the auction department, to bid on a box of my favorites--Nat Sherman's Host Selection. Well, last night after a long day, and while I was waiting on the Wednesday night Bible Study group to gather, I succumbed to the temptation and, amazingly, found a $100 box of my favorites on the bidding block, with the highest bid at only $55 and only 19 minutes left for bidding! Now the temptation really increased, almost to the lusting department! I tried my best NOT to place a bid but I got the "couldn't-help-its" and made my bid--$56! (I must admit that I cut my odds a bit by waiting until about five seconds before the bidding time was up.) Anyway, I won (or lost, depending on how you look at it) and will soon be receiving a full box of 25 Nat Sherman cigars (36 X 8)! To tell you the truth, it will take me forever to smoke that many cigars, so I will have to give some to my stogey smoking buddy, Bobby Olsen and my favorite grave digger, Jack.

There is another side of this story that you should know. Our medical insurance provider (State Health Benefit Plan) adds a $40 per month surcharge to the premium of those who have used any tobacco product in the past twelve months, so guess what: we get to pay that premium! Now the way I figure it (if my math is correct and it usually is) by the time I give some of the cigars away, leaving a few for me to smoke over the next year, each cigar will have cost me about $45! Now that is a deal!

Now that I have your attention, allow me to make my point: how many times in your life have you on impulse "closed a deal" that looked good (really good) on the surface but proved to be about as foolish (if not much more) than the one I just described? Take marriage, for example: almost everyone I know (everyone, in fact) "closed the deal" on marriage thinking they had just made the deal of a lifetime but . . . but someone failed to tell them about the surcharges that come with the deal. Oh, it doesn't take long before reality sets in and when it does--WOW!

I think Jacob knew something about this when he first saw Rachael and thought he was about to make the deal of his lifetime, only to learn that the surcharges were extremely high. Even so, she was worth the cost to him because he loved her, so he plowed ahead eagerly waiting for the "bidding time" to end, so he could have the "girl of his dreams." As you remember, things got worse (actually, much worse) because when he was finally able to "close the deal of his lifetime" and marry Rachael, he woke up the next morning wondering, "Who is this woman?" Rather than marrying Rachael, he had been deceived and wound up with Leah, and for him there was a major difference, a difference that upped the surcharges considerably!

Christianity is, surely, the deal of a lifetime; nothing can compare or compete with it. However, I must tell you that no one ever told me about the surcharges that accompany the deal. (I am not trying to be irreverent, just honest.) I honestly think that had I known what I now know, I would not have been quite as eager to "join the ranks" of God's army.

You see, no one ever told me how the system really works (die in order to live; give in order to receive; forgive in order to be forgiven; broken in order to be healed; poured out in order to pour out; shipwrecked before smoothe sailing, rods before obedience, crosses before life) so I assumed that once I "got it all right" my life would be, well, "hunky dorey" and "getting it all right" did not appear to be that big of a deal. Why there were only ten rules and, surely, I could obey them.

When I "became a Christian," I honestly thought I had closed on the deal of a lifetime, and I had but it takes a whole lot of living and even more sinning before the "Polaroid" print develops and you, actually, see the true picture. Even then, you sometimes wonder if it is really worth it?

Of this I am convinced: the Christian life, as it is presented today, is a far cry from what it was in Jesus mind, when He walked the dusty roads of Israel, among the "apples of His Father's eyes." It is now obvious, at least to me, that God has one thing in mind and only one thing and it has nothing to do with my (or your) happiness or pleasure; instead, it has to do with His being glorified in and through our weaknesses because it is our weaknesses that drive us to Jesus. I know: this sounds like God has a "sick" personality but when YOU see (really see) the truth, what is now so hard and so distasteful, will in the end prove to be "a land flowing with milk and honey!" His deals really are the deals of a lifetime!

Oh well, I just thought I would tell you what He told me~

Telling One's Story

For the past several weeks, I have been inviting various people to share their "story" during our Wednesday night meetings at Grace Christian Fellowship, the church where I serve as pastor. To be honest, each "story" has had an incredible impact on each of us, as listeners. Sure, the "story teller" has benefitted the most; however, the rest of us have certainly not been left out in the "cold."
It has been interesting for me to watch the expressions on the faces of the listeners as they enter into each story. Emotions range from "belly" laughter to almost uncontrolled tears. Attention levels are at an all-time high, as each story unfolds. There is something within each of us that connects with and is drawn to the one who is willing to be vulnerable and share his or her life's story. Ironically, the more honestly the storyteller shares, the more openly he exposes his true story, the more intensly we are drawn to him. Strangely, however, rarely does anyone volunteer to tell his story.
Most of us readily admit our desire for true relationships but few of us are willing to take the perceived risk of removing our "fig leaves" and allowing others to see our "private parts." This is true because we have been convinced that others would shun us, if they knew the real truth about us. It is very difficult for us to believe that another would be drawn to us, if he found out the truth about us. Yet, over and over, it proves to be true: people are drawn to the transparent and honest, not to those who hide behind self-righteousness and pretense.
As the people who make up this part of the Body of Christ continue to tell their stories, I am confident that a depth of relationship will ensue, the likes of which most of us have never seen. Furthermore, I am also confident that a level of respect is being generated that will weather any storm.
Finally, there is a level of trust that is being exhibited both by the story-teller and the listener that far surpasses what most have ever known, so much so that it has the "air" of holiness, of sacredness, about it!
I have no idea what church, if any, you might be attending but, regardless, find someone you trust and ask him/her to listen to your story. If you cannot find a person, find a dog or cat but tell your story! Be honest and transparent and you might just be surprised at the result.
Just for the record: the entire Bible from Genesis to the Revelation is Jesus' telling us His story and, surely, it goes without saying, that it has made quite a positive impact on the lives of untold thousands. Remember this: it is not the kind of story that most would tell in order to attract others; instead, it is the kind of story that most of us would not want to tell because we believe it would cause others to shun us.
Anyway, you have a story to tell and someone needs to hear it; therefore, you need to tell it!

Happy New Year!

It is my conservative guess that Happy New Year has been expressed a zillion times over the past 36 or so hours to both friend and stranger, and I believe that most of the expressions have been sincere. Strangely, however, most of them will prove to be futile, as will be evidenced by the fact that most will live this entire year in a perpetual state of depression--a far cry from happiness.

What is happiness? It seems that most of us think it is the fruit of having enough money, enjoying good health, experiencing loving marriages, raising obedient children, working at good jobs, sharing healthy relationships, and being involved in growing, caring churches; however, I know plenty of folk who experience all of the above (at least most) but have not found happiness, not even close. What makes it so illusive?

Larry Crabb in his book, Shattered Dreams, said that God has a much higher purpose for our lives than our mere happiness and that purpose is for us to find ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. Well, if this is true (and I think it is), then we must realize that we are seeking for God's second best (if not third or fourth), when finding happiness is our primary pursuit.

On the surface, this sounds great; however, notice the title of Larry's book! Unless our dreams (having enough money, experiencing loving marriages, raising obedient children, working at good jobs, sharing healthy relationships, and being involved in growing, caring churches) are shattered, we will never find ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. What we will do is continue to seek for happiness and, I might add, at tremendous cost. Surely, we all know that nothing (and I do mean nothing) compares to the joy of finding ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. When we settle for less, we lose--BIGTIME!

I wonder what would happen, if we changed the proverbial Happy New Year to May Your Dreams be Shattered? Yes, I know that I am a bit of a renegade but I thought I would ask you, anyway. If you are like me, many of your dreams have already shattered and you do NOT care for more "shattering" but we all know that God is quite determined to accomplish His purpose in our lives and to the best of my knowledge, He never asks for our permission.

It is so good to know that in spite of us all, God has our best interests at heart, He loves us without any condition, He forgives us eternally, and He continuously lavishes His grace upon our lives!

May your dreams be shattered! (If you missed my point, that will anger you, so I hope you got it!) If you didn't, send me a comment or question and I will be happy to dialogue with you!

And by the way, I do pray that you have a wonderful 2006!

The After Christmas Syndrome

Dear Fellow Travelers,

We have all done so much in anticipation of Christmas; however, the Day has now come and gone and we are left with many and varied emotions, not the least of which is depression. Hopefully, it will prove to be a mere "adjustment reaction depression" due to overspending, family leaving, decorations that have to be "taken down" and put back into the attic, and of course, overeating. Whether it be adjustment reaction or clinical, I find it tragic that our celebrating the birth of Jesus takes such a toll on our lives! How is it possible that our celebrating the birth of our Savior leaves us with the same kind of feelings we have when a family member dies? Unfortunately, most believers will spend the next several weeks recovering, hopefully in time to celebrate Easter.

If you think about it, you will realize that we were "set up" for this "let down" by the very society in which we live, the society that worships the almighty dollar. To be sure, the economic system is well-aware of our deception and it takes every advantage it can to profit from it. As you remember, most, if not all, major stores were decorated for Christmas before Halloween! Since then, it has carried out its major campaign of the year, in an effort to lure us away from the real meaning of the season--the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and towards its purpose and goal--the gathering of profits. From what I have been able to see, we fell prey and, consequently, we find ourselves struggling to find a sunshiny day.

It has become increasingly clear to me that our economic system is designed around luring us from one holiday to another and for the express purpose of getting us to spend money. Think about it: there is New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, The Fifth of May, Veteran's Day, Columbus Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, just to name a few. I remember when Valentine's Day was about love--sweethearts and lovers--but that has changed, and, although it is still about love, it is , unfortunatley, about the love of money. Why the Starbucks in Macon was busy on Christmas Day (maybe the day after) transforming the store into its Valentine's Day decor and for the obvious reason--its love of profit! I also remember when Easter was about the resurrection of Jesus but now it is about the resurrection of the almighty dollar. You can rest assured that as soon as Valentine's Day is over, the stores will be decorated for Easter sales!

Anyway, enough of that but I do wonder what it would be like to return to those days when Christmas was really about celebrating the birth of Jesus, when He was the reason for the season. I even wonder what it would be like to return to those days when Valentine's Day was about love and it was really demonstrated. Would it be too novel an idea to think that we could return to those days when Easter was really about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, rather than new clothes, dyed eggs, rabbits and et al?

Oh well, there is no wonder that we are so depressed, especially in light of the fact that we are so easily deceived! Having said that, I do not want to be misunderstood because I still believe in Santa Clause, I still love hard boiled eggs, I still love Valentine candy, especially the little hearts with the brief love comments imprinted on them, and I still love turkey and dressing! But, damnit, I am tired of this "system" trying to lure us away from the real meaning of life. All I can say is this: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The One who coined that statement was very wise and I trust His judgment above all.

Anyway, you think about it~

So Be Good for Goodness Sake!

As I begin to collect my thoughts for this article, I am struggling to come up with something different to say about Christmas--something that hasn't already been said--or at least a different way of saying the things that are always said. After all, there are only so many ways one can say that this is the time of the year we have set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

We all already know that He was born in the obscure city of Bethlehem of Judea. Wow! How else can one say that? It kinda' reminds me of what I say about myself: I was born in the obscure city of Butler, Georgia! How good can it get?

We also know that he was born of a virgin (Mary) because God had already predestined for His conception to be immaculate. For some reason, however, He didn't seem to be quite so concerned about His birth because He arranged (prearranged) for it to take place in a not-so-immaculate; albeit, well-perfumed barn, amongst cow manure and horse urine because there was no room for Him to be born in the nice, clean, Holiday (pun intended) Inn, amongst freshly laundered, jasmine-smelling sheets.

Furthermore, we all know that God ordered one of His favorite and brightest stars to conveniently present herself just above Jesus' delivery room, and, surely, we all know that Mary had Joseph scurrying to place hundreds of green and red and white flashing lights around the barn windows, on the roof, even hanging from the eves, not to mention, all around the yard and in the shrubbery. Probably the funniest sight of all was Joseph's trying to attach the huge, inflatable Santa Clause on the top of the barn chimney, so as to make him appear to be "on his way down," with a sack filled with toys for the New Born!

To be sure, the three Wise Men couldn't possibly have missed their cue to see Him, so off they went in a cloud of dust, twelve camel-legs a flying in every direction, and bringing of all things more smelly perfumes (as if there were not already enough with the omnipresent "Eau de Barn Toilett'), which probably did a better job of stopping up His nose than elimating the various odors. (Have you noticed that the Bible never mentions Jesus wearing perfume? Now you know why--He couldn't stand the stuff!) I am guessing that Mary offered most of this smelly stuff back to the Wise Men, hoping they would take the hint and wear it themselves!

Everyone knows that Joseph was probably more-than-a-bit embarassed by this entire thing, expecially, in de-light of the fact that he and mary had not yet "known" each other, except, of course, for the few times he persuaded her to do a little "petting" on the back of some smelly camel in the dark of night, where no one could see them, probably at the local outdoor movie house, pretending to be watching "The Exodus." There is not wonder that His birth was "virgin!"

Anyway, somewhere, off in the distance, God stood with His pipe frimly held between His teeth and His huge arms folded upon His gigantic chest, watching what He had already previewed and approved from the foundation of the world; when, unable to stand it any longer, He removed his pipe and laughed and laughed and laughed, not because what He saw was funny, but because He is just that kind of God! He gets so much pleasure out of watching His children celebrate the birth of His Son, and the more childish, the better, at least for Him!

I thought I would remind you of what you already know: He really does love YOU! And by the way and for all the world to hear--MERRY CHRISTMAS!