Remembering the Needy

DateLine (12/20/06 – Green Pond, SC)

Christmas is a time to remember the needy. From bell ringers outside Wal-Mart to increased editorial coverage in the news, we’re reminded of the plight of the disadvantaged. To the credit of our country, the US responds and sets the standard for charitable contributions. According to the archives of the Washington Post, Americans gave ~$248.5 billion in 2004. Churches, mosques, synagogues and other religious entities received the largest share -- more than $88 billion.

For Southern Baptists, the Christmas season has been connected with missions as long as I can remember. For several generations an annual appeal has been made to the benefit of our International Missions work. In September of 1887 a woman with a funny sounding name, Lottie Moon, wrote a letter from her mission post in China suggesting a need for improvement in how Southern Baptist was funding missionaries. In December of that same year, the letter was printed in the Foreign Mission Journal. That single letter is credited with providing the impetus for the creation of a Southern Baptist offering to support international missions, which later became the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® for International Missions.

Unfortunately the Lottie Moon Christmas offering is becoming a generational thing. Many younger persons in the church are not as familiar with the offering or in fact Lottie Moon herself because we have been remiss in recent times of emphasizing this great cause. In the words of Lottie herself from the “letter that started it all,” “we shall continue to go on in our present ‘hand to mouth; system. We shall continue to see mission stations so poorly manned that missionaries break down from overwork, loneliness, and isolation; we shall continue to see promising mission fields unentered and old stations languishing; and we shall continue to see other denominations no richer and no better educated than ours, outstripping us in the race. I wonder how many of us really believe that ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’?

Need it be said, why the week before Christmas is chosen? Is not the festive season when families and friends exchange gifts in memory of The Gift laid on the altar of the world for the redemption of the human race, the most appropriate time to consecrate a portion from abounding riches and scant poverty to send forth the good tidings of great joy into all the earth?”

In 2005 we collected almost $140 millions dollars. Our collective goal for 2006 is $150 million. 100 percent of the offering is used in the overseas budget to support missionaries and their ministries. The offering is spent in support of over 5000 missionaries and special projects designed to share the gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide. I had a pastor years ago who challenged me to spend more on my gift to Jesus at Christmas than any other single gift to others. I can think of no better way to make that gift than to direct it toward the annual Christmas offering which bears the name of Lottie Moon. The greatest need is the need for Jesus.

For more information see http://www.Imb.org/lottiemoon.

The Angels Rejoiced

DateLine (12/13/06 – Nanuet, NY)

Ah, the Christmas season; countless cantatas, nativity scenes, carols, dramas; which thrust the essential elements of the first Christmas into the consciousness of harried patrons. The Virgin Mary, Joseph, the Christ child, shepherds, the manger, and Wise Men; the icons of the season. Why has this story persisted at the forefront of our culture for a couple thousand years? The inevitable conclusion is that this was a significant event in world history. God, who always had been involved in the events of mankind, inserted himself physically into the human experience via a tiny baby in a way unlike any other. History was altered. Nothing reflects this more than the fact that our present day calendar is hinged around the birth of Jesus (i.e. BC vs. AD). Regardless of one’s religious persuasion the Christmas story is a fascinating historical event. Even now, 2006, a first-run movie is in the headlines; yet another recounting of the story (i.e. The Nativity).

As I contemplated the first Christmas something struck me that I had never before considered. As a matter of fact, I’ve never heard it mentioned although as I now reflect upon it, it may be the most consequential aspects of the Christmas story. I’m not referring to the fact that the birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy. I ‘m not discounting that the birth of Christ was the formal beginning of a solution for the sin problem of mankind.

The fact is God had voluntarily reduced Himself to one of the most dependent and vulnerable states known to humanity; that of a newborn baby. God, who embodies the very creative and sustaining force of the universe, packaged Himself in such a way that He was physically dependent upon an uninitiated teenage mother. While this is an absolutely remarkable event; even this is not what energized my reflections. Think about this; at one time in history, man enjoyed a special relationship with God. In the beginning, God and man had a special relationship. The Bible says that God walked in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day (Gen. 3). That all changed when man disobeyed God.

The aspect of the Christmas story that caused the Angels to Rejoice, the shepherds to race to the manger, and the Wise men to travel from afar was the “touch of a mother.” You see, for the first time in thousands of years, mankind (i.e. Mary) physically embraced God. Mary held God in her hands. Intimacy was restored between man and his Creator. The purity of the moment, the innocence of the moment, and the significance of the moment is symbolized by a newborn being gently caressed by a new mother. Not long afterwards He was gone as abruptly as He entered; crucified on the cross.

This is not the end of the story. While we do enjoy the indwelling Helper (i.e. the Holy Spirit) to sustain the intimacy of the Christ child within us, we have the promise that one day He will return for us. There is no doubt in my mind that each of us will enjoy the same dynamic played out in touch between Mary and the baby Jesus; we will have the awesome privilege to physically embrace God.

Think about it . . . . then raise your hands toward heaven!

Never Give Up

DateLine (12/06/06 – Nanuet, NY)

When I began my college experience at a small liberal arts school there were two classes of Freshman General Chemistry. As I remember it about half of those students were declared Chemistry Majors (~ 20 students). Four years later only four of us walked across the stage at commencement as degreed Chemists. Over 30% of college students leave after the first year and almost 50% never graduate, according to the Department of Education as documented on http://www.youngmoney.com/. This statistic is consistent with my observation. Most of my peers did not flunk out, they dropped out or quit.

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States once said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Most long term human endeavors suffer from lack of persistence. Persistence is one of the most undervalued character traits. God saw fit to challenge us via the book of Hebrews to exhibit persistence in 12:1; “since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” It’s clear that a part of the human challenge is to press on even when we’d rather just drop by the wayside.

As a parent one of the some of the most important traits that I can model is persistence. My cue to model these traits is the Father. We don’t think of the Christmas story of one of persistence but it is. From the beginning, God planned a rescue of creation. Through thousands of years He stuck to the plan. About two thousand years ago the pace of the plan quickened; God became a man. The plan is still on track today. Christmas is a reminder of the persistence of God. There are no carols that echo the words; doggedness, perseverance, persistency, tenacity, tenaciousness, and pertinacity but there should be.

This Christmas as you see the lights, hear the carols, and prepare for family gatherings let it remind you of the persistence of the Father.

Ready For Worship

DateLine (11/29/06 – Nanuet, NY)

It was the Saturday night ritual; pull out the shoe shine box, shine the shoes; find the Sunday School quarterly, read the Sunday School lesson, and lay out the Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, offering and Bible ready for the next day. I suppose It was born out of necessity given that their were three children in the family; an attempt to diffuse the chaos that surrounds a normal Sunday morning by virtue of night before preparations. The practice too was formed by the era; a time when one was expected to wear “Sunday best” to church and to do your part so that your Sunday School class grade would be high. 100% didn’t just mean that you showed up; it meant that you were in Sunday School, intended to stay for preaching, brought your Bible, contributed an offering and made an outreach contact sometime during the week. When they said Sunday “School” they meant you got a grade. You did not want to be the one who prevented your class from being 100%. To this day I tend to check my shoes on Saturday night to see what kind of shape they’re in for Sunday. So the ritual consisted of one part appearance, one part spiritual, and one part practical.

What’s to be learned from the old fashioned way of Sunday School preparation? There is merit to the concept of preparing for church services prior to the event; especially worship. I can tell you from experience that when I reverently review the providential care afforded to me by the Father during the week just ending and I think ahead in anticipation of a day of worship on Sunday, the quality of my Sunday experience is enhanced. It is inevitable that reflecting on God’s reach to and provision for us reminds us of the sin that lurks within. When our personal evil is exposed, the only response is to bow our spirits in confession. When we confess we move close to God. When we are close to God our understanding of God’s revelation is magnified and gratefulness oozes from us. There is no doubt in my mind that our time together on Sunday morning is dulled because many of us are in recovery from the night before.

It is not my primary interest to simply encourage you to make better preparations for your Sunday worship. There is a greater need during the Holiday season that is before us. God began to prepare for Christmas from the beginning of time. Prophecy foretold of the Christ child to be Savior. Centuries of anticipation made ripe the reception of the Incarnate for those whose who were watching. The journey of the Wise Men was months in the making; gifts were procured in advance; culminating in worship of the new “King.” Even the humble parents; Mary and Joseph; anticipated the birth of Jesus for months. For me it is very easy to rush, heads down, right to the day of Christmas; pre-occupied with the routines of life. By experience I have found that this sacred season commemorating the birth of the Savior of mankind can be overshadowed by ritual, imposed expectations, commercialism, and my own lack of preparation.

What did my childhood Saturday night ritual teach me that can be applied during the Christmas season; prepare, anticipate, and participate. Time spent with family, exchange of gifts with the familiar and the needy, reflection leading to thankfulness and a recognition of blessedness; these are all preparations for the season of Christmas.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6.

Don’t let the self-absorption of “Saturday night” overshadow the celebration of “Christmas morning.”

Asleep Sitting Up

DateLine (11/22/06 – Green Pond, SC)

The Thanksgiving Holiday news is filled with the travails of travelers. Seems as if almost 30 million persons in the US are expected to travel at least 50 miles or greater to visit family this holiday season. Almost 3 million are expected to travel by airplane. This fact alone is the primary reason why I am not traveling this week. This is the week of the “infrequent” traveler.

One of the requirements of traveling as I do is the need to catch a few winks whenever the situation presents. 6:00 AM flights become an opportunity to make up sleep lost during the short night. Delayed, missed or canceled late night flights force one to create “beds” in busy public airports. It’s a survival skill for the road warrior although travel sleep is never as good as sleeping in your bed. As a matter of fact, it’s hardly ever horizontal. I am here to declare that I have perfected the art of sleeping sitting up. I’m not sure if it’s an acquired skill or a result of chronic sleep fatigue; I simply drop my head and in an instant I’m counting sheep. I have slept in many an airplane seat. I have slept during morning flights, mid-day flights, and evening flights. I have spent the night in airport waiting areas with strangers. I can tell you from first-hand experience that spending the night in the Philadelphia airport is a scary event.

Church statisticians tell us that almost 70% of churches in the US are plateaued or declining; this at a time when the enemy is aggressively pursuing his agenda in the culture. Near the end of Jesus’ life, as His humanity was struggling with the prospects of His impending death and alienation from the Father, He invited His two closest friends to hang by His side in the Garden of Gethsemane. At His greatest point of need, the persons that He had personally chosen to spend His most intimate time with on earth wilted; they fell asleep.

The parallels between the scene from Gethsemane and the condition of the contemporary church are striking. Jesus had a simple request for the disciples; pray with me. Likewise the request for today’s church is simple; tell others about me. In a time that requires vigilance from the church; “she” snoozes away much like the disciples during Jesus’ last hours. Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Matthew 26:40.

Sleep is necessary and no one or institution is to be begrudged their rest. No doubt the church is as busy as it ever has been. With so many churches in decline the facts would seem to indicate that we have lost our effectiveness. When it comes to the work of the church we should all make sure that we’re not “asleep sitting up!"

Traditions

DateLine (11/15/06 – Nanuet, NY)

The Thanksgiving season will be received with mixed emotions in the Neal household this year; a tradition will die. For as many years as Harriett and I have had children and then grandchildren, the day after Thanksgiving was a given. To an outsider it may seem trivial. In fact, in the overall scheme of things, it is trivial. But to us it was a cherished tradition. The tradition has nothing to do with Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year; it has nothing to do with eating leftover turkey from the previous day’s Thanksgiving celebration.

The day after Thanksgiving for us was a trip to the Spartanburg Christmas parade and a trip to the Beacon drive-in. For almost 30 years, we parked in the same place, stood in the same place, bought the same “pop balls” to throw on the pavement at the feet of anyone who came near, and enjoyed a cherished tradition. We did not set out to establish a tradition years ago when we first decided to take our young children to one of the first regional celebrations of the Christmas season; it just happened. It wasn’t just the parade. For the first 20 years or so it was the chance to rub elbows and shake the hand of a living legend, Strom Thurmond. Every parade day, he and his entourage would make their way to the Beacon for lunch and he’d work the bulging lines with the zest of a rookie politician even as he slipped into his 90s.

Traditions are comfortable. They usually remind us of good times. They are predictable. They are safe. To break a tradition, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, reminds us of the uncertainty of life. The parade organizers in Spartanburg, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to move the day of the parade to a weeknight closer to Christmas. For us it will not be the same. So this season, our family has a dilemma. Our choices are to spend the day in mourning over a lost tradition, ignore the passing altogether, or seize the opportunity to start a new tradition. It is not yet clear to us what it will be; hence the mixed emotion of the season.

Christians have traditions as well; so do churches. There is nothing wrong with traditions per se, but there is a certainty. At some point the tradition will be no longer. For some we will tire of it. For others it will be wrestled from them as it was for us due to actions and decisions of others. For some we shared the tradition with others who no longer wishes to be a part or perhaps has passed on to eternal life. On occasion we will decide that the tradition is no longer desirable, relevant or healthy.

Jesus spent a lot of time during His earthly ministry combating religious tradition; the tradition of the Pharisees and Sadducees. We should take a clue from Him and have a healthy distrust of religious traditions. The problem with religious traditions is that they tend to become our “servants” instead of God’s “vehicles.” We should do everything humanly possible to insure that traditions do not become impediments to the advancement of God’s kingdom. We should be prepared on occasion to sacrifice traditions that are comfortable to us for the overall benefit of the body of Christ and all of humanity. The warning is sounded from the very mouth of Jesus when he stated, “Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that." Mark 7:13

A tradition lost for whatever reason is an opportunity to begin anew.

Cleaning Out

DateLine (11/8/06 – Simpsonville, SC)
Guest Contributor for Reference Point (Libby Janik)

This week, I began the ever so fun task of CLEANING OUT---closets, kitchen drawers, the pantry, under the bed (eeek!). My entire house had been overtaken by the "junk" and clutter that had accumulated in the two years since I moved in. So I decided to take action. My bedroom closet was unspeakable--- I couldn't even close the door due to the piles of clothes, linens, towels, and lots of other things that covered the floor. I began by following the tradition of those AWESOME clean-up shows on HGTV. I made three piles: things to throw away, things to donate, and things to keep. Two hours later I had thrown away old ratty shoes, torn and tattered jeans, and lots of trash; I had 4 bags of clothes and shoes in good condition to donate; and I had organized the "keepers" into a neat closet where I can actually find what I'm looking for and (wow) even close the door! I even found clothes I had forgotten about.

All this cleaning out really made me think: doesn't my heart sometimes become a cluttered mess? Don't I hold onto so much trash that it's hard for me to keep the door closed? (and by "door" I mean "mouth") Consider as I did that every now and again, or as often as it takes, maybe we need to look at our hearts with an objective eye and begin to clean out and start over.
What should we donate, or give away, to others? Hebrews 13:16 says, "Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." How often do we run across hurting people and keep our encouragement to ourselves when we should be giving it away to others? I know my schedule is sometimes packed (whose isn't?) and giving of my time is certainly something I need to work on. What do you need to donate from your heart? Money, encouragement, time, a hug, a phone call?

What do we need to trash? How many times do we enter God's presence, at church, in our prayers, during communion, with unconfessed sin in our lives? How often do we hold onto bitter words someone said or mean things people did in our past? What are we allowing to enter our hearts via television, radio, gossip, bad language that has embedded itself into our souls? We as Christians are called to be holy as Jesus is holy (1 Peter 1:15). Maybe it's time we threw away our bitterness, our envy, our anger. Maybe it's time we threw away our unconfessed sin, or our ongoing sin, by confessing to God and turning things in a new direction with His help.

And then that leaves us with the things in our hearts we should keep. Maybe (like I did in my closet) we'll find things we didn't even remember we had. Remember those Bible verses we learned in Vacation Bible School so long ago? Now that the trash is gone, we can find those again. What about the characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control---all keepers! What else can we keep at the forefronts of our souls, minds, and hearts when all the clutter is in its place? The Holy Spirit wants to speak to us, and it's a lot easier for us to hear His voice with our hearts if our hearts are free of "clutter".

I know that life is hard, and that life "gets in the way". Satan and his armies are very real and very scary. This world is evil. Let's do our part to combat Satan and be devoted to God by doing a "clean out" of our hearts, our homes, our relationships, and our church. And while you're at it, you might even find time for your closet!

Facing “Goliath” With Confidence

DateLine (11/1/06 – Naas, County Kildare, Ireland)

Consider three situations. Imagine a shepherd boy entrusted with a portion of the family fortune; a herd of sheep. A lonely profession; hours of solitude watching the sheep lazily graze away. The calm occasionally punctured by the predatory lion or bear making its way toward a straying sheep. Either learn to deal with the challenge or succumb to the loss.

The next situation. A seemingly undefeatable challenger stands for forty straight days delivering demeaning taunts to the opposing army. A courageous young lad steps up when even the hardened veteran is not willing to face the foe. The pride and survival of a nation rides on the shoulders of the least likely citizen; who had not even received training as a soldier.

Now finally consider the obstacles that you and I face every day. I don’t know about you but each day I’m presented with something that I feel as if I’m not qualified to do; a public presentation, a stretch for a goal if not met will lay your “soul” bare for examination, you substitute your challenge here.

Now’s let’s tie all three situations together. You may have already considered that the shepherd is David of Bible fame. This same shepherd lad is the improbable hero against the giant Philistine, Goliath. We all know the outcome of that story in 1 Samuel 17. What does that have to do with you and me? We all face our “Goliaths.” Not only is this story ripped from the pages of Jewish history its rich allegory inspires us all to persevere against the obstacles that stands in our way. But I want to focus on a little detail of the story that is almost never emphasized; at least as it should be in my opinion.

The uncommon courage of David is unquestionable. That David’s courage was fueled by prior deliveries from harm’s way during his time as a shepherd is demonstrated by his own words; “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." 1 Sam. 17:37. Summoning the strength to move forward against obstacles requires a supernatural boost.

Here’s where I would like to emphasize an oft ignored part of the story. As David moved toward what many viewed as an insurmountable challenge, what many viewed as a guaranteed defeat, he stooped at the brook that separated himself from his obstacle. As he dipped his arm in the cool refreshing water of the gently flowing brook to retrieve five stones he immediately found comfort. You see, for a brief moment, right in the midst of the struggle I can imagine that he was transported in mind to the cool refreshing stream in the valley where God had delivered him from the lion and the bear which sought to steal his sheep. If God could deliver David from the unmatched battle between man and beast surely God is faithful to deliver him from the hands of his immediate enemy, Goliath.

Here’s something for us all to remember. David did not defeat his Goliath based on learned skills of soldiering. He could not even hold-up the armor and traditional weapons of soldiering. David gained the “skills” required to defeat Goliath in the solitude of fellowship with God during the many hours of shepherding.

The same young man, who defeated the undefeatable, was the same man who later wrote of his relationship with God by taking us back to the shepherd’s “pasture”.

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23.

When you look up to find the “unscalable mountain” before you follow David’s example; stop, dip your hand into the cool stream of God’s fellowship, and pick up the “weapons” that you need to defeat your “foe.”

It Ain't Natural

DateLine (10/26/06 – Naas, County Kildare, Ireland)

Back when Lou Holtz was still Football Coach at Carolina it became known that he had a list of 100 things that he wanted to do before he died. He had maintained the list over a period of time and at every opportunity was clicking them off. I wonder how many he has left? I have never formalized a list but I do have some things that I’d like to do before I die. As a matter of fact this week I did one and am still doing it. I’m back in Ireland on business this week. Heretofore I have taken advantage of a car service to cart me back and forth. I’ve never driven in Ireland; that is until this trip. Expecting this to be my last trip to Ireland, I decided to rent a car. The reason this merits clicking off a life goal is they drive on the wrong side of the road. Yes in Ireland you steer from the right hand side of the car and you drive on the left hand side of the road; “It ain’t natural.”

I can tell you that it’s been almost forty years since I have had to concentrate so much on my driving. Every driving instinct has to become a conscious thought. I didn’t realize how much my driving had become instinctual until this week. Some people might comment in my case driving is a case of bad instincts but that’s another story. To begin with you find yourself constantly approaching the car from the passenger side (left hand side.) The seat belt is not over your left shoulder it’s over your right shoulder. The rearview mirror is not to your right; it’s to your left. Cars pass you from your right, not your left. The manual shift is on the left, not your right. And just to throw a little curve at you, the accelerator is on the right and the turn signal is on the left like it is in a “normal” left hand driven car.

When you approach an intersection to turn, the cars don’t come from the direction your instinct tells you they should be. If I don’t keep my hand on the shift knob, I forget where to find the shifter. Yes that means I’ve typically driving with only one hand. I constantly have to look for the road markings and signs. And to make matters worse, those markings are not like US markings. One more twist; the country is full of roundabouts (i.e. traffic circles). You guessed it; traffic flows counterclockwise in a roundabout. OK, it’s not as bad as perhaps I’ve made it sound, but “it ain’t natural.” Don’t worry, I’m surviving. It’s actually kind of fun.

The Christian life is a lot like driving on the wrong side of the road. Our every instinct tells us to cross that center line. That’s because our instincts are born of the natural mind. Our intellect has to constantly remind us to stay left. Our knowledge of the rules of “driving” keeps us safe. We must know the rules and consciously follow them. Any lapse into instinct has the potential to cause us great harm. God directs our way through “roadside markings” and marks the hazards, sometimes going so far as to send a flagman to wave us off from danger. It takes our commitment, our concentration, and our discipline. To add an extra dimension of both danger and isolation, in the Christian life, a lot of people really are driving on the wrong side of the road; not the side that we drive on. It’s chaos.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For ‘who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” I Corinthians 2:12-16

Moral of this story: Trust God, it ain’t natural, but it will save your life.

Frustrated Fan

DateLine (10/18/06 – Nanuet, NY)

I’m a frustrated football fan. There is not a single sport that I’ve dedicated more time to watching than football. As I’ve shared before I grew in a football town. On Friday night they rolled up the sidewalks downtown and the majority of the populace was at the stadium supporting the team. I’ve seen my share of college games in Death Valley, dating back to the time when there were no upper decks. I’ve spent many a Sunday afternoon lounging on the couch watching the pro game; equally frustrated. By the way, lounging on the couch is my favorite football watching posture. The only thing missing right now is that big plasma screen with ESPN 360 in HDTV.

A few weeks back, Kyle and I attended the Tiger massacre foisted on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Sitting next to us was a middle-aged couple. The gentlemen I suspect was a High School football coach. I couldn’t help but overhear his running commentary on the game with his wife. It was amazing. As soon as the defense would show their formation, he’d call out how the Tigers would most likely respond by a check-off at the line. 90% of the time he was correct. As soon as the play was over, he’d call the next play. It’s as if he was listening in on the conversation between Tiger Offensive coordinator Rob Spence and the Tiger sideline. An uncanny percentage of the time he would call the next Tiger play before the Tigers broke huddle. Whereas the “coach” sitting next to me was always one or two steps ahead of what was happening on the field, I’m normally one or two steps behind what was happening. I’m straining to watch the “jumbotron” to see the replay or to hear the referee or PA announcer describe to me what just occurred whereas he was describing to his wife in real-time what was happening even before the play was complete. He was seeing things unfold on the field that I just don’t see; not without someone pointing them out to me.

What’s the point? My frustration emanates from the fact that I do not have an insider view of the game. The last time that I participated in a football game as a player, I was in the 3rd grade. I can’t “see” the action on the field today as a fan because I don’t have the nuanced feel for the game that only comes from having been a player or a coach; a first hand participant. I’ve never “played” the game.

Unfortunately there are folks in the church who can’t “see” what’s going on. They always seem to be a step or two behind. Sometimes they “delay the game" because they constantly require someone to announce on the “PA” what just occurred or they’re spending their time straining to see the “replay” on the “jumbotron.” They’re so pre-occupied looking backwards they can’t move forward.

This is where the football fan analogy breaks down. There really is no such thing as a spectator in the Christian “arena.” God expects each of us to be a “player.” The only time it’s OK for us to be out of the game is if we are on injured reserve. And if you’ve checked out His track record in the Bible, it’s very difficult for one of His “players” to stay on injured reserve for long. If you don’t believe me, ask the “lame” man. God’s “players” have a sixth sense for the game which only comes from playing the game and having been coached by the best staff (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) that has ever been assembled.

Out of this world coaches, unbeatable game-plan, fantastic team! Spectator Christian? Get in the game.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us [play] with perseverance the [game] marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

The Power of Innocence

DateLine (10/12/06 – Nanuet, NY)

I’m sure many of you as I did followed the turn of events that took place in American schools over the past few weeks. For a brief moment last week our own community (i.e. Mauldin High and surrounding schools) joined the national story of violence in schools. While it is tragic anytime some deranged gunmen shatters the innocence of one of our schools, the events that played out in the Amish country of Pennsylvania were especially disturbing. Whether we agree with their lifestyle or their theology, the Amish are respected as a hard working, committed, well-intended, and peaceful community. One lone gunman took advantage of their simplicity to storm a one room schoolhouse and foist unimaginable atrocities on the lives of 10 young girls. The story is told that the oldest Amish girl volunteered to be shot first; perhaps motivated to buy time for some of the younger girls. All 10 girls were shot, 5 dead, one not expected to live, and the other four attempting to recover physically but facing a much longer psychological healing. For some reason the images of the solemn processionals of horse and buggies remind Americans of a time in our history not long ago when we all were cocooned in innocence.

If there is a silver lining surrounding the incident, it’s the response of the Amish community to the man who committed the crimes and to his family. One news account struck me as especially poignant. Seems as if a friend and neighbor of the Amish was visiting in the home of one of the families who had been touched by death. The Amish custom is to prepare their love ones in the home for the funeral which is also held in the home. The friend shared that as the mother of the victim was preparing her daughter’s body for burial, “the grandfather was tutoring the young boys, he was making a point, just saying to the family, 'We must not think evil of this man,' " the Rev. Robert Schenck told CNN. "It was one of the most touching things I have seen in 25 years of Christian ministry."

To be honest I cannot imagine being in the place of that family, that grandfather. I will admit that my faith in God and His influence in my life may not be to the level of the grandfather; it should be; I pray that it will be. The elements of this story are incredibly moving. Violence and innocence juxtaposed; delivering maximum impact; all the more significant because this is real people reacting to real evil; not some Hollywood fabrication. If the perpetrator had not taken his own life, I believe that a large majority of Americans would gladly turn their back while the grieving families exacted a measure of revenge; that is the natural reaction.

There is another story told of a similar incident years ago. A corrupt government, egged on by an inflamed crowd, brought an innocent man into a public arena and accused Him falsely, humiliated Him, tortured Him, and finally killed Him in one of the cruelest forms of execution that has ever been devised in a depraved mind. One aspect of this story that makes it even more tragic than the Amish schoolhouse is that His Father had to watch. As life ebbed from His body, the words that revealed the attitude of this Victim was, “Father forgive them.” The forgiveness of the grandfather in the Amish story is powerful, but the young girls were victims of random violence. In the other story, the Victim was a volunteer; He voluntarily took the place of the real culprits.

10 innocent schools girls slaughtered. The innocent Lamb of God slaughtered. Many persons equate innocence with weakness. A gripping aspect of both stories is the power welded by the testimony of the participants.

Pray for the “power of innocence” to indwell your life.

Workers, Critics, Visionaries, and Leaders

DateLine (10/5/06 – Nanuet, NY)

Have you heard the one about the Worker, the Critic, The Visionary, and the Leader? Wait a minute; this is a serious blog, what’s with the joke. OK, let’s get back on track here. An unavoidable fact is that the Church of Jesus Christ is comprised of fallible human beings. For some reason unknown to me, God has tapped humans for the most important job in the Kingdom, that of sharing the Good News of the Gospel, the message of salvation to an entire planet in need. It literally is a life or death responsibility. Let’s focus for just a few minutes on four generalized fallible “persons” normally found in the typical church body. These are not specific people but roles that people sometimes slip into in the church.

The first role is Worker. The church could not survive without the legions of members who selflessly devote themselves to the hard work of helping, sharing, singing, teaching, cleaning, cooking, and many more mundane tasks. The worker is the backbone of the congregation. The local work would grind to a halt should all workers lay off for a week. Matt. 9:37, “. . . he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’”

The next role is Critic. Unfortunately the unbridled critic is a drag on the church. Fortunately they’re normally in the minority but the decibel level of their pronouncements would leave the casual listener to believe that they speak on behalf of the majority. Nothing is more disruptive in the church than the insensitive Critic. While on occasion the Critic is a valuable asset to the church, the wisdom to know how and when to “share” their criticism is illusive. The Apostle Paul speaks of criticism as a positive motivator when he states in II Corinthians 8:20, “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer.”

The third role is Visionary. The ability to look past the reality of the present to see the possibility of the future is a valuable capability. My suspicion is that there are more visionaries than we realize. People may not have the courage to share future visions for various reasons. The church is a dynamic growing organism; change is inevitable. A clear vision is the path to the future; an embracing of change. God given discernment is required to interpret visions. A vision is a glimpse of the omniscient heart of God and is a powerful force drawing people to God. Visions are how God coaxes the faithful to keep moving forward. “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions”, Joel 2:38.

The final role is the Leader. The Church often suffers for lack of leadership. Leaders are a rare breed. As I contemplate characteristics of leadership I realize that an effective leader is an amalgam of worker, critic, and visionary; that’s right all three. A leader sets the example of work. A leader inspires others to follow by demonstrating commitment and first hand knowledge of the work at hand. A Leader earns the right to criticize but delivers the criticism in a constructive and sensitive fashion. A leader must be a visionary; one cannot lead without having a vision of the end state of the journey. In God’s kingdom leaders sometimes are not immediately recognized, because God has an “upside-down” economy. “[Jesus] sat down, and called the twelve, and said unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all”, Mark 9:35.

Shoot high, go for last.

Imitators?

DateLine (9/27/06 – Naas, County Kildare, Ireland)

Do you ever think back across the expanse of your life to consider the many influences that have inspired you to be who you are? A significant amount of who we are is learned from those that we observe. Early on in my life my role models were carpenters, mechanics, electricians, plumbers, and the like. Simple honest hard-working folks, who I might add were quite handy when the routine troubles of life came your way.

Each time I crossed paths with someone and as I had the opportunity to observe them at their craft I was motivated to give it a shot myself. As I watched the carpenter, I’d go home and build a clubhouse from scrap lumber or a downhill racer from 2 X 4’s and old Radio-Flyer wagon wheels. When I watched a mechanic, I’d find an abandoned lawn mower and tear a part the engine. When I’d observe an electrician I’d go home and . . . well let’s don’t go there.

The point is, watching a craftsman de-mystifies the craft. It gives encouragement to the observer to imitate the craftsman. The same held true later in life when I started my first job. I had the opportunity to observe a computer programmer. It didn’t look so hard I thought; why not give it a try? As I remember back, many life skills that I’ve accumulated have come from watching people as they demonstrated the skills that they possessed. I guess when it comes down to it I’ve been an imitator all my life.

For me as I tried the role of homebuilder, electrician, plumber, gardener, computer programmer, church vocalist, even husband, parent and Sunday School teacher; all are imitations. At one point the thought of being a mere imitator may have depressed me. Such is the case for most of us. Then I realized that there is something worse; an impersonator. There’s a big difference between imitator and impersonator. An imitator does acquire something of value from those they observe. An imitator borrows from the “original” and hones the craft or gift as their own. The impersonator allows others to believe in the illusion of their capabilities.

At one point along the way something radical happened. I met an original; the one and only. You see, when I met Jesus I did not imitate, I worshipped. It was only later as I matured in Christ that I learned that although in the purest sense God is above imitation, He does encourage us to attempt. “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

God does not expect us to be God, that is impossible. God does expect us to give it our best imitation. God does not want impersonators, where there is no substance, only illusion. So how do we measure up as imitators of God? There is only one way. The unique thing about this Original – imitator relationship is that God is ever present. A “little-bit” of God indwells each of us. With constant help from the Original we can become “imitators of God.” We may fall short but it’s fun trying - beats taking apart lawn mower engines.

Living Like There’s No Tomorrow

DateLine (9/20/06 – Nanuet, NY)

“You only go around once in life, so reach for the gusto.” “It doesn’t get any better than this.” “You deserve a break today.” Madison Avenue and their sponsors routinely build the case for living in the present. Last weekend I attended a festival of present day living; a college football game in Tallahassee, Florida, pitting the Florida State Seminoles against the Clemson Tigers. Over 83,000 fans gathered to cheer on their team, the majority of them aligned with the Seminoles. I’m sure that on Sunday morning a throbbing headache reminded a significant number of them that they had not only reached for the “gusto,” but had consumed it. Unfortunately many Americans are caught in a lifestyle of living like there’s no tomorrow.

So what’s wrong with living in the present? Doesn’t the bible tell us to “take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matt. 6:34. Let’s take one story out of the Old Testament to demonstrate the problem with living in the present. Beginning in Genesis 37 a story unfolds that leads to the placement of Joseph, son of Jacob, forefather of Jesus, sold into slavery by His brothers at the right hand of the Pharaoh of Egypt, one of the most powerful men on the face of the earth. God had placed Joseph in the position because God needed a person of faith to lead the Egyptians to store provisions for the future to overcome an impending famine. The stored provisions feed the fledging Israelites in a time of want and preserved the seed of Jesus. Joseph was a type of “savior” not only to the children of Israel but ultimately to ourselves, who claim the name of Christ today.

Now Joseph was living in the present. He heard God in the present and he obeyed God in the present. But Joseph was not living like there was no tomorrow. Some Biblical scholars would say that Joseph’s entire life was committed to the task of the future salvation of his family; even though for most of the time he had no sense of the purpose of his predicament and his ascension to power.

God does expect us to live in the present, take one day at a time, and follow His purpose for our life. Only He knows if this is all we have. The neat thing is that God has future foresight; i.e. omniscience, and if we submit to His purpose for our life, while we’re living in the present, we’re preparing for the future.

There was another Madison Avenue ad campaign a few years back that promised to “Double your Pleasure.” I’ll tell you there is no gum that can “Double Your Pleasure” like the joy of “Living Today Because There is a Tomorrow.”

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. James 4: 13-17.

Sunshine

DateLine (9/13/06 – King of Prussia, PA)

A few weeks ago I sat glued to the weather reports for a few days as Hurricane Ernesto come ashore in Florida and worked its way up the East Coast. It threatened ominous weather for the entire eastern part of the country for the next few days. I happened to be working in New York that week and was scheduled to fly home on Friday. According to the forecast the storm would not quite be at my departure point by Friday noon but would already be past home by the time I arrived. Timing seemed to be right for me to take off before it impacted the Newark, NJ airport and hopefully things would be clear for an uneventful landing in Charlotte. While the timing looked encouraging the thoughts of having to fly over or around the storm did not excite me.

The plan worked with only a minor hitch, my departing flight from NJ was only about 1.5 hours late. I felt fortunate that it was not worse. The climb out of Newark was bumpy but once we cleared 20,000 feet the most beautiful sunshine that you could imagine streamed through the aircraft windows. The storm clouds below were a fluffy white when viewed from above. If I had not known what lay below the clouds I would have thought that it was a gorgeous sunny summer day.

Many times we are preoccupied with the storms of life. The possibilities or the probabilities of future misfortune and calamity dictate our present actions. Expert opinion and past history conspire to convince us that trouble is eminent. We’re ineffective in the present as we’re preoccupied with the future. The truth is we will experience storms. All we can do is make every attempt to prepare for the inevitable to improve our odds for minimal impact. It was not the inevitability of troubles that that impressed me with my Ernesto experience; it was the provision of God.

As I basked in the high altitude sunshine I realized that God has the capability and the desire to take us above the storm. While the storm below was a stark reminder of the fingerprints of sin in the fallen world, the clear skies above was a both a clear picture of the providential care of God and a predictor of the salvation that He has made available for mankind. At some point I knew that I would descend through the clouds to possible trouble still lurking below but that brief respite from the storm somehow made it easier to bear. There will be a time for the Christian that God will reach down and lift us above the storm for all of eternity, but until that fateful time it does our souls well to remember that the sun is always shining somewhere.

“ . . . but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31.

The brief respite from troubles below as we soar with God above provides rest for the present and preparation for the future.

Straight Walk - Clean Talk

DateLine (9/6/06 – Ponce, Puerto Rico)

I use to work for an engineering company whose marketing tagline was “We Do What We Say.” It’s important in the Consulting Engineering business to present yourself as an honest and dependable service provider. We used to joke internally that the slogan was the reason that we didn’t say very much. The point being if you don’t say much you don’t have to do much. The truth is that the secular business world places a high value on being a person of your word.

Though normally not formally codified, there is a certain way of speaking that is understood to be a part of the Christian life. There is no “list” of words that are forbidden to be uttered by Christians but the expectation is that Christians do talk different. I heard a preacher onetime make the statement that Christians should “walk right, talk right, look right, and spit white.” The “spit white” part was an admonition to refrain from the use of chewing tobacco.

Jesus himself taught us the value of “straight-talk” in the Sermon on the Mount in Matt. 5, “. . .let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” The implication is that it should not be necessary for the Christian to add force to our verbal commitments or statement s by the addition of expletives or vulgarities. Our history with people should be that when we say something it can be in a manner that is straight forward and simple because our reputation is the force behind the statement.

In a similar way the Apostle Paul emphasized the importance of the Christian walk, "you [should] walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10. It is relatively easy to clean up the “exterior” of our lives and for all appearances to those that we come in contact with things appear to be in order. Jesus warns the Pharisees in Matt. 23:27 about cleanup of the exteriors with no corresponding cleanup of the interior, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.” It is a powerful dynamic when a “straight walk” converges with “clean talk.”

Remember, you are what you say, you say what you are.

Counter-Intuitive Solutions

DateLine (8/30/06 – Nanuet, New York)

This past weekend someone in the family discovered that a hummingbird had entered our garage through an open door and obviously could not figure out how to escape. We ignored the bird for a short while hoping that eventually it would discover the big open door and extract itself, a seemingly simple exercise. Much to our disappointment, this beautiful little bird could not on its own discover the solution to its dilemma. It was not for lack of effort; with energy characteristic of the species the hummingbird sought escape.

After assessing the situation I determined that we would have to intervene and assist the bird. As I observed the bird I noticed that it never got below about 6” from the ceiling. It obviously was driven by a deep rooted instinct that it needed to go up (to the sky) to escape. It could not observe the door which was literally big enough to drive a car through which was only about 2 foot below where it was frantically searching for an escape upward. From my vantage point the solution was easy; the bird could not “see” it. I grabbed a broom from the closet to see if I could gently coax the bird toward the open door.

Soon Kyle joined the effort with a butterfly net. The frantic darting about of the bird was not conducive to the use of the net. All that we accomplished was to further stress the bird. Soon something occurred that I had never before witnessed; the hummingbird lit on top of the garage door. I had never observed a hummingbird with their wings totally stilled. It was obvious that the bird was in a struggle for its very existence. After a short rest the bird resumed its efforts to escape.

During the episode it had begun to get dark in the garage so I had secured a very bright work light to help us keep track of the bird. Soon we observed that the bird appeared to be attracted to the light and in fact I could guide the bird across the ceiling by slowly moving the light in front of the bird in the direction I wished for it to travel. Once we learned this trick, I maneuvered the bird in Kyle’s direction and in a short time he was able to net the bird and release it to the outside. Mission accomplished.

Now what’s the point? Every instinct in the bird told it to escape by traveling skyward. The bird found itself in a position where instinct was flat wrong. In spite of the fact that it was working feverishly it was doomed by its own actions. As a matter of fact its instinctive driven actions were escalating the danger. An external influence had to guide it to a solution. I’m convinced that had we not intervened we would have found a dead bird in the garage the next morning.

What can we learn from this experience? Many times in the human experience we find ourselves facing intractable situations which are in fact are a reflection of the fallen state of mankind. Left to our own intellect and resources we fail to find solutions to our predicament. Often the solution runs counter to our instincts. From God’s perspective the solution is obvious and simple. God guides us to the counter-intuitive solution. We must trust the guidance of God to lead us to solutions. God’s work in our lives is a living testimony to His grace and mercy.

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him”, II Corinthians 2:14

The easiest route to escape the human predicament is to follow the light of God’s revelation.

Sugar Babe

DateLine (8/23/06 – San Juan, Puerto Rico)

When I was a kid there was a program on TV called The Real McCoys. The program ran in prime time from 1957 to 1963 and in reruns forever. Even though the program is old as dirt you might find it today in reruns on TV Land or the Nashville Network. The premise of the program was a family that picks up stakes from West Virginia and seeks their fortune in the rich farming country of California. Google “The Real McCoys” for additional trivia if you’re interested.

The storylines revolved around the patriarch of the family, Grandpa Amos and his son Luke, Luke’s wife Kate, their two children Hassie and Little Luke, and their hired hand Pepino. It was classic late 50’s early 60’s television comedy; good clean family oriented entertainment. One of the aspects of the show that still sticks in my mind was the term of affection that Luke had for his wife Kate; Sugar Babe. This show emanated from a time in history when monogamous marriage was still celebrated in the culture, and the pet name Sugar Babe captured the essence of this fact. The manner in which the nick name rolled off of Luke’s lips and the twinkle in his eye left no doubt that Kate was the love of his life.

There is a real (as compared to television) affectionate community that I’ve been exposed to from an early age; the Church. The church is encouraged to greet each other with a holy kiss, refer to each other as brothers and sisters, refer to God as our Father and Jesus as our brother. There was and is this strange phenomenon in the church such that some people who claim an intimate relationship with God do not give evidence of such a relationship in their manner of speaking. I have heard God referred to as “the Man upstairs”, “the Good Lord, “the Man in charge,” and many more. I have witnessed people who claim a personal relationship with God who struggle just to mention His name; appearing to scramble to know how to refer to God, and the chosen name haltingly slipping from their lips as they make reference to their Savior.

Now let’s compare the two situations. The fictional Luke in The Real McCoys” convincingly and effortlessly uses the term of endearment for his wife. He revels in the moment to express his inward feelings for his mate and the moment reeks of genuiness. On the other hand my observation of some Christians who do not seem practiced in making reference to the Lord of the Universe leaves one unconvinced that they know God or have an intimate relationship with Him. Now my intent here is not to imply that we should use disrespectful terms for God, after all He is God. But I am insinuating that people should get a sense from our speech that we know Him personally and that God is approachable. Intimacy with God is a powerful dynamic in our life and one of the most effective means for us to introduce others to Him. I’m convinced that our manner of speaking to and about Him is a reflection of the quality of the relationship.

There’s no doubt in my mind that that “world” will look to us to have the question answered that was posed to Moses by the Children of Israel in Exodus 3:13, “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?”

His name is Yahweh, but you can call Him Daddy.

Making Tracks

DateLine (8/16/06 – Naas, County Kildare, Ireland)

A few weeks back I decided that it was time for Kyle to learn how to operate the lawnmower. After all, he’s 14 years old, soon to be 15. Now you may be thinking that at his age it was past time for him to be supporting the family in this fashion, but it’s not your “normal” lawnmower. You see it’s a 54” 23 HP zero-turn commercial mower. There is no steering wheel; one “drives” the mower via two levers. With both levers pressed forward one glides across the lawn at a clip that will bounce you from the seat if the terrain is bumpy. With the levers in full opposing direction the mower will literally turn in its tracks, spinning like a dog chasing its tail. But it was time.

I went over the fundamentals of operation and turned it over to him. The first few trips across the lawn were not a pretty site. Whereas I pride myself in the ability to mow a perfectly straight line, Kyle’s lines looked like crooked cow paths as he learned to maneuver the temperamental machine. I waved him down and pointed out that he should be focusing on the leftover tracks leftover from the previous mowing a week earlier. After a few more trips he became more comfortable with the machine and matured in his ability to follow in the old tracks. There was promise.

As I reflected upon the series of events I realized that whether we realize it or not we are all making tracks. My grass cutting adventures serves to illustrate an important life principal. When I was mowing the lawn the week before I did not imagine that I was investing in the future. I had not considered that my present actions would have value to someone who would follow behind me. I was not conscious of the impact of my routine task in someone’s future. My son would be using my tracks to guide his actions the following week. My tracks would be a guidepost to the future.

Not only are we working out our own salvation in this life we are also leaving tracks for those who follow. Perhaps one of our greatest contributions in life is the example that we set for others; a gift with eternal consequence. We can relieve the load of the next generation by our legacy; we can advance the kingdom by encouraging others. The generations that follow will start their journey with confidence when they contemplate the history of faith laid down in the lives of acquaintances. My prayer is that others will deem my tracks valuable as a trail to the Father. I pray for the confidence to say with Paul, “brothers,. . live according to the pattern we gave you.” Phil 3:17.

The Power

DateLine (8/9/06 – Ponce, PR)

A few months ago Harriett and I were in WalMart for our weekly compulsory visits. I love to hate WalMart, but that’s another topic. I had worn out my “traveling” toothbrush that I carry with me on business trips and needed a replacement. I commenced to examine the myriad of options presented on the “tooth care” aisle. I was immediately struck with the number of toothbrush choices. I had to look at each model, make note of the features and do a mental comparison analysis with every other toothbrush that I had examined on the aisle.

During this exercise I ran across a fascinating model that on first glance was a little larger in the handle and had several different types of bristles. This was it, the large handle would make it easy to manipulate at 6 o’clock in the morning when necessity is in front of dexterity and the bristle design had to be more efficient than the old toothbrushes that the dentist used to give you if you survived your checkup. One final feature sealed the deal, it was an electric toothbrush. Embedded in the sculpted handle were two buttons; one off and one on. Upon closer examination the larger handle served to conceal a battery. There, it’s done, analysis complete, put it in the buggy,

Fast forward a few hours to the arrival home. I was unpacking my new gem of a brush when something caught my eye. The new brush was similar to the brush I keep in the bathroom cabinet for home use; no it was the exact same model. Now here’s the kicker. I had been using exactly the same style brush at home for months and had never even noticed that it was an electric toothbrush. I had faithfully used it every day with good old fashioned elbow grease. Wait a minute – get the irony of this. Here is a person who prides himself on technical competence – I’m a technology consultant for crying out loud – and I had just proven that I could not conquer toothbrush technology. I had totally overlooked one of the essential benefits of owning the toothbrush

Many people treat their relationship with God like I did my toothbrush. There is a radical power that indwells every Christian, the very presence of God. This presence can be ignored or we can tap into it for life transforming power. Some of us have never spent the time examining our relationship with God to realize that we have it. That must have been my problem with the toothbrush; a casual inspection then a quick toss into the cabinet.

I’m very sad to say based on my observation over the years that many people who taste of God via salvation never really mature into a power-packed servant of God. They never punch the “on” button. They languish underutilized on God’s shelf for years as immature Christians. You know something else that happened with my toothbrush. As soon as I “discovered” that it had additional capabilities I started to use the power. To my dismay after just a few weeks, the power had left – the battery had lost its power over time even though I never received the benefit.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12.

With all that is within me, to you the child of God, discover the power within.

Mountaintop Reflections

DateLine (8/2/06 – Ponce, PR)

The steep rocky trail narrowed as we approached the summit. The cool dry air delighted the lungs as we anticipated what lay around the next bend. As we crested the last knoll the basin below unfurled like an artist canvas. The Grand Tetons to our back, Jenny Lake below us, and the valley that is Jackson’s Hole stretched out as far as the eye could see. For a brief moment Inspiration Point had vanquished the burdens of life. Two weeks ago Harriett, Kyle and I experienced the “mountain top” on our vacation in Wyoming.

The mountaintop inspires and transforms. Some of the most significant events recorded in the bible, occurred on the mountaintop; the receiving of the Ten Commandments, the Transfiguration, the Sermon on the Mount, John’s vision of the New Jerusalem. The gaze from the top can be intoxicating. While contemplating our own vacation experience the reality became apparent.

It’s cold on top. There are no provisions for the sustenance of life up there; we have to carry it with us. The top is small by definition essentially rendering the experience a personal experience or at best only to be experienced by a small group. The air is thin at the top to the degree that supplemental oxygen is required for the extreme altitudes. The mountaintop by definition is a short term experience. Consider the contrast. Life is sustained by the produce of the valley. Water reserves are stored in the valley. The valley is designed for life; that is where people live.

The intoxicating effect of the mountaintop high has the power to create an unhealthy lifelong obsession with returning to or camping out at the top. If we’re not careful we can find ourselves so fixated on securing the proverbial “mountaintop experience” that we render ourselves of no consequence in the valley. Our purpose is fulfilled in the valley where people live. There’s nothing wrong with the occasional trek to “inspiration point,” God does not begrudge us the refreshment. He created the mountains and the reflection of His majesty in the creation is the dynamic that we instinctively are drawn to.

Our life’s work is in the valley. The hearts of those who toil in the valley long for the mountaintop. The purpose of the mountaintop is to refresh us for the work of the valley.

Let the people of [the valley] sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. Isa. 42:11

Linger, pray, shout, absorb; and then to the work.

Labels

DateLine (7/27/06 – Pearl River, NY)

I attended a high school football factory in a sports crazed small town. From the 1950s through the 1990s there were very few high schools in the entire country that could match the winning record of Woodruff High School. As successful as the present day Byrnes High School Rebels are they have only equaled the four consecutive state high school championships that Woodruff earned in the late 1970s. The coach, “Willie” Varner, was a legend locally, regionally, and nationally. He is known for setting high expectations and motivating student athletics to over achieve. There’s where I pick up the story.

I was not athletically inclined when I entered high school in 1969, hence I was not involved in one of the favorite pastimes of the city. But I was subjected to the high standards and motivational tactics of Coach Varner. This was back in the day when Physical Education was a required component of the school curriculum. I was surprised to find during the first day of PE that we would not immediately purchase the mandatory PE uniform, which was a common practice at most “normal” school.

We would first complete a series of personal assessment events, based on the President’s Physical Fitness Standard, and be given a grade level score based on our performance. Some would receive A’s, some B’s, some C’s, some D’s, some E’s and some F’s. Now here’s the Woodruff twist. At the conclusion of this evaluation we would procure a PE uniform which prominently displayed our letter grade on the shorts. And oh by the way, each letter grade had a uniquely colored pair of shorts.

Let me cut to the chase. The best that my late blooming physique could earn for me was a D on my evaluation. I was “privileged” to be able to purchase a brand new PE uniform with gorgeous muddy brown shorts with a huge letter D emblazoned on the leg. Can you imagine my joy? Not only was I an athletic underachiever in a land of over achievers I had the joy of being publicly labeled as such. Unfortunately I “lost” my cherished brown shorts after just a few weeks and happened to “find” a more acceptable pair of maroon C shorts. That wasn’t so bad, there were lots of C shorts; average you know.

What does this have to do with Christianity? Labels are hard to shake, crippling caricatures, often reinforcing negative stereotypes. Labels can be undeserved or over used, and often reflect narrow characterizations of people, who are complex creations and reflections of God’s glory. God has only two labels; P for potential child and C for child. We are not assessed before acquiring our label, it is our choice. Our label is not dependent upon our performance but His performance and it is already complete; He passed with flying colors. He could have applied S for sinner, or L for lost, but He didn’t. In God’s economy we don’t get what we deserved we get what he earned.

I never had the privilege of celebrating a state championship on the revered football field at Woodruff, but I have experienced the joy of being welcomed into the family of God. And one day I will enter the gates of the biggest, loudest, arena of champions that has ever been prepared. I will run through the glorious gates and I won’t be wearing no muddy brown shorts. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1. Now that’s a label I won’t mind wearing.

Love

DateLine (7/19/06 – Greenville, SC)
Guest Contributor for Reference Point – Libby Darnell

Love grows out of a sincere and fervent devotion to God. Without it, the rest of the glorious fruit of the Spirit is nothing, and of no meaning to us. It is the charitable heart, not the eloquent tongue that is acceptable to God. It’s not great knowledge that God sets value on, but true devotion and love.

The most wonder-working faith, to which nothing is impossible, is nothing without love. Even if we sacrifice our lives for the faith of the gospel, and be burnt in the preservation of its truth, it is all to no avail unless we have love in our heart. Vindicating religion at the cost of our life profits nothing.

Love, is the first fruit of the Spirit. Chapter 12 of I Corinthians lists the gifts of the Spirit. When we get to heaven all these gifts will no longer be necessary or required. Prophecy must fail and will be useless in heaven. Tongues will be unnecessary as there will be one language. No confusion, perfect peace and tranquility will prevail. In other words, the supernatural gifts will be of no use in heaven.

Love is long suffering and can endure evil, injury, provocation without resentment or revenge. It will put up with slights and neglects from those we love and admire. Love is kind and courteous. It has a large, giving heart and is ready to do good to everyone, and wants to be useful. It searches for opportunities to serve.

Love does not envy and is not jealous of the good of others. If we love our neighbors, we will not envy or be displeased with their possessions or welfare. Their happiness and success will add to ours. Envy is the effect of ill-will. The prosperity of those we wish well can never grieve us. The mind that is purposed to do good to all, can never wish ill to any.

Love subdues pride and vainglory. It is not concerned with self, and does not gloat when recognized. It is not arrogant or insolent. It does not despise others or trample on them or treat them with contempt. Genuine love esteems others over themselves. Love is not forward or stubborn, cross or contradictory. Some misinterpret a person with a loving spirit as flattery. Love hates falsehood, gossip, and flattery.

Love is careful not to pass the bounds of decency. It does nothing out of character and behaves with respect toward everyone. Love does not break ranks, but acts decently, minding its own business.

Love is the enemy of selfishness and doesn't seek its own praise, honor, profit or pleasure. There’s a reasonable love of self, as Jesus said, "We are to love our neighbor as our self." But charity never seeks its own way to the hurt and pain of others. Love tempers and restrains passions. It corrects a sharp tongue. Anger cannot dwell in the heart where love reigns. It is hard to stay angry with someone we love.

Love thinks no evil and does not seek retribution. It does not suspect evil of others. Love will hide faults and will never indulge suspicion or keep score. Love takes no pleasure in doing hurt to anyone and doesn't wish evil, harm or mischief. It does not rejoice at the faults or failings of others, but grieves at sin and doesn't judge anyone.

Love will cover a multitude of sins. It will not publish the faults of a brother until duty demands it. It puts up with personal injuries without indulging in anger or revenge. Love endures curses, slanders, prison, exile, torments and even death for the sake of others, without striking back.

Love is full of openness, honesty and truthfulness, quick to make the best of everything. And when love cannot believe well of others, it will hope well. Love never fails. It is permanent and perpetual grace lasting throughout eternity.

Love keeps no record or wrongs. It always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres; and will never fail. Prophecies will fail, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass away, but love will abide forever…… for God is Love.

How does God know that we love Him…. we keep His commandments! Now abides faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

"Wondering" in the Wilderness

DateLine (7/12/06 – Ponce, PR)

One night earlier this week my mind woke up before my body, it was 3:30 AM. I don’t know about you but I don’t like it when that happens. Try as hard as I may, my body can never convince my mind to go back to sleep. So there I lay a fully conscious mind captive to a comatose body. I’ve been told that this condition is a precursor to old age, it must be true because it’s starting to happen to me with more frequency. The only thing that you can do is lay there and think. Come to think of it some of my more lucid and creative thoughts come to me while lying in the dark. I guess all that energy that is being conserved by the body is being funneled to the brain. So keep a pad and pencil on the nightstand just in case my mind can convince my hand to reach over and chronicle the thoughts.

While in this state the irony of this past weeks’ Sunday School experience hit me like brick. We’re in the process of taking a virtual tour of the “Land of the Bible” via an internet site call BiblePlaces.com. Our area of focus this past week was the Negev and the wilderness area of southern Israel. This area is famous for being the majority of the space where the Hebrew “wilderness wanderings” occurred. The Hebrews were led from bondage to the Egyptians only to be thrust into one of the most barren and odd landscapes in all of the world.

Much of this area sees less than 6” annual rain. Raleigh, NC saw 6” of rain in one afternoon recently when a tropical storm came over. Imagine the difficulty of feeding and hydrating what has been estimated to be close to 3 million Hebrews as they wandered for 40 years. No wonder Moses struck the rock to produce water. No wonder God had to make extraordinary provision for His people (fire by night, cloud by day, manna, etc.) No wonder that the Hebrews began to grumble that it all may have been a mistake. Itinerants; totally dependent on God for their sustenance, without the prospects for short term relief. Enslavement behind them; motivated forward by God’s promise of a new life; discouraged by the military might of those who occupied their dream.

I know that this will sound over-dramatic but hang with me, here’s where the irony comes in. Some of us wandered down the hall last week toward a new home (i.e. Sunday School classroom). We were uncomfortable for a few moments as we were wrenched from our normal Sunday routines. We had to find a new place to sit because the room configuration was different. We had some technical snafus as we tried to make our “teaching technology” work. All for the promise of a bigger more effective Sunday School class. Nothing on the scale of what the Hebrews experienced mind you but it does drive home a point. We’re all dependent on God. He gives provisions for the journey. He’s promised a better place; our final destination. We must trust His leadership even if it appears to go in circles sometimes. We operate on His timetable. We will occupy the promise, eventually.

What’s God got in store for our new Sunday School venture? I can’t say with certainty, but I do know that just as Joshua and the Hebrew faithful discovered several thousand years ago, the land will flow with milk and honey. And I do know that “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” Matt. 18:20. If God is in our midst what more could we possibly need, even in a wilderness?

Predictable Success

DateLine (7/5/06 – Green Pond, SC)
A call to heaven from Green Pond is a local call, anywhere else it’s long distance.

July 4th is a week when we honor the birth of our country and our forefathers who in their wisdom laid the political and moral foundations that have served us so well for 230 years. Wow, seems like yesterday that we had our bicentennial celebration. This is the season when we need to be reminded that the outcome that we enjoy was not a foregone conclusion for the brave men and women who carved this country from the wilderness and wrenched it from the arms of tyranny. We’re also rightly reminded of the brave contemporaries who are sacrificing time, relationships, and perhaps lives to maintain our hard fought freedoms. Nothing in life is cheap. Everything has a price tag.

When I contemplate our past my hope for the future is invigorated. The reason is simple: I have a historical example. I’ve related the story before that when I was “playing” carpenter during the construction of our home, it was a long difficult struggle. Most every task brought a challenge because I had never done it before. I tell people that I learned to lay brick in my great room; literally on the hearth where the wood stove now sits. I was grateful for the experience that my Dad and Harriett’s Dad brought to the task; the “been there and done that” perspective.

Some persons reject the wisdom of prior generations, thinking that if it’s not new and original thought then it’s somehow adulterated. From my view the shortest route to success and progress is not having to personally sort through all the failures of previous generations but innovating off of the platform of the successes. I’m often emboldened to try my hand when I have the ability to observe someone else doing something that I aspire to or knowing through history that it is doable. It gives me confidence in the possibilities.

One of the strengths of the Christian church as an institution is that by design it is multi-generational. Young and old, experienced and novices, strong and weak, all thrown together in common pursuit of God’s will. Paul acknowledged that the church in Thessalonica had become imitators of himself, the church fathers in Judea, and of God (see Eph. 5, I Thess. 1 & 2.) and they were the better for it. Your testimony (i.e. matter of living) is just as important inside the church as it is outside of the church; maybe for different reasons.

As we wind down from July 4, 2006 let us never forget nor allow our respect to wane for the foundation that has been laid by our political forefathers. Let us also never forget the foundations of the Christian church. Our country and the freedoms it affords are important. Our church and its contributions are eternal.

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” I Cor 3:10-15

Quality materials, time tested techniques, and a solid foundation; now’s that predictable success.

Leave It Better Than You Found It

DateLine (6/28/06 – Ponce, PR)

I grew up on a farm. Farmers are known for their interdependence, often borrowing and loaning items of necessity to aide the neighbors in getting by. Accommodation and neighborliness are hallmarks of rural living. Out of my own necessity I’ve continued this practice, borrowing items from friends and family. There is an inviolate rule to this practice as far as I’m concerned; leave it better than you found it. I consider it the “code of the borrowing”, not absolutely required but a matter of gratitude and respect for others’ property.

I’ve not always lived up to this charitable code, but it is a goal for every material loan; sharpen the blade before you return it, grease the implement, replace the light bulb, buff the sheet metal, blow off accumulated dirt with the blower – you see what I mean. Stay in the good graces of the loaner, develop a good reputation for taking care of others’ property, and you’ll never be short of neighbors and friends willing to help you out. Be slow to take it home, refuse to replace broken parts; don’t compensate for wear and tear and you might find it hard to get your neighbor to the door the next time you knock.

Now the “code” that I’ve described is not overtly Christian. I’ve known many a good neighbor who was not church going folk who would give you the shirt off their back. But the nobility of taking care of other people’s possession is not what I want to focus on. It should be expected that we at least match good behaviors in the culture. The horizons for a Christian are much broader. It is our privilege to “leave it better than you found it” with purpose. In 25-30 years nobody will ever remember that sharp, greased, clean borrowed item that you returned to the loaner. It was important at the time but the importance faded with time. As a Christian we have the privilege of having an eternal significance.

Your church is an opportunity, your job is an opportunity, your family is an opportunity, your relationships are opportunities, and your chance encounters are opportunities. You will be remembered for the quality of what you do in a few things rather than the mediocrity of lots of things. Every place that we go, every person that we meet, every thing that we do, every organization that we join, every job that we do; “Leave it better than you found it,” now that’s “salt and light.”

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matt. 5:13-16

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” I Cor. 10:31

Welcome Home

DateLine (6/21/06 – Ponce, PR)

One consequence of hanging out in the airport is the opportunity to witness a lot of homecomings. Almost every return flight that I’m on these days has a serviceman coming home. Since my flights into Greenville-Spartanburg are typically only 20-30 minutes flights from either Atlanta or Charlotte, these travel weary soldiers are often flushed with renewed energy as the anticipate the short remaining wait for their homecoming. I’ve overheard many an anxious soldier during the flight recount a grueling ordeal; 16, 18, 24, 32 hours of extended travel on the trip home from Afghanistan or Iraq. The travel weariness dissipates as the reality of what awaits draws near. This is the first clue; talkative anxious solders.

The next clue is the peering faces in the terminal as they strain to catch that first glimpse of their loved one. First the kids, then the spouse, followed by parents, brothers, sisters, and I suspect aunts and uncles and family friends. In the old days family reunions use to occur right at the exit of the Jetway in the concourse, now that is not permitted by the TSA. I witnessed an exception to this rule a few weeks ago when the entire family was waiting right at the Jetway exit, just like in the old days. Obviously some local TSA agent fell victim to sympathy with the family and granted permission for their presence past the security station.

The first sighting produces a shriek of joy; as all of the fears and emotions of the separation are released in the first look, the first touch, the first hug. I have witnessed luggage and bags dropped to the floor, the race to embrace just like the movies, and prolonged affection in the middle of a public place as if no one else existed. I have not witnessed one yet without a huge lump appearing in my throat.

As wonderful as these military homecomings are they are a mere shadow of a homecoming that every Christian will experience. One of the most eagerly anticipated benefits of Christianity is the day we will be reunited with loved ones in our permanent home. The longer we live on this earth the more we will long for that day of homecoming. I can imagine that the first to greet us will be our Brother; Jesus. The next face that we’ll see is our Father, Yahweh. There is no doubt in my mind that peering over their shoulders will be that wife, husband, mother, father, brother, sister, grandparent that has gone on before us. As we acclimate to the intimacy of our new found relationship with God there will be no sadness as we realize that the nature of the relationships that we had on earth have been transformed (see Matt 22:23-33.)

As blessed as my life has been here on this earth, I long for the day when I hear the heavenly greeting; Welcome Home! Never to be separated again.

The Three-Legged Race

DateLine (6/14/06 – Nanuet, NY)

What a spectacle, people sprawled on the ground struggling to regain their upright posture, people stopped in their tracks arguing about how to proceed, persons giving up after taking only a few strides, and mismatched persons struggling against each other only to fall further behind. What am I talking about? A competition that used to be a staple of church picnics, July 4th celebrations or Sadie Hawkins day; the three-legged race. For the uninitiated the three-legged race consisted of two people who would voluntarily lash their adjacent legs together and attempt to race to the finish line as one contestant (i.e. participant 1’s right leg lashed to participant 2’s left leg.) The winner of the race was often quite surprising. Now let’s look at a some scenarios.

Take the church that is totally ineffective because members spend more time quarreling than ministering. How about the church that is consumed by politics as members vie for positions of authority and influence as compared to positions of humility and service? Consider the church that is so preoccupied with the methods of management that they cannot get past bylaws, procedures, and committees. Don’t forget the church that is so bound by tradition that many with a vision for the future are so constrained that they give up in despair. Or finally observe the church that stopped in its tracks trying to develop the ultimate strategy, all the while, the world literally goes “to hell in a hand basket” as they plan.

How about a marriage where there is a constant struggle for control? Have you witnessed marriages that no longer work because one of the partners gave up, in effect rendering the union dysfunctional? How about the marriage that is stuck in a rut because there is no communication. Consider the out-of-balance marriage where one partner is “paddling” as fast as possible while the other partner “lags behind;” effectively undermining the accomplishments of the marriage.

I’m proposing that we resurrect the three-legged race as a staple of church functions. In fact I’m proposing that this event should be included as a part of pre-marriage counseling. Yes you heard me right, pre-marriage counseling. The value of this event is to teach the principles of teamwork; communication, cooperation, coordination, consistency, and commitment. Whether we’re talking church membership or marriage we voluntarily lash ourselves together for the purpose of achieving an objective, to win the race or at least to do our best to finish the race. We must apply all the elements of teamwork to have a chance for success. It typically never was not the most athletic couple but the more cooperative couple that won the three-legged race.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Cor. 9:24

The “three legged race;” a great laboratory for teaching teamwork. Without teamwork we will not finish the race. We voluntarily lash ourselves to our brothers and sisters in Christ and our marriage partners. Never give up, don’t race ahead, keep on talking, keep on listening, stay in sync, respect your partners. Run the race to win.

Eating Vomit

DateLine (6/7/06 – King of Prussia, PA)

How repulsive! How utterly repulsive - but I witnessed it and maybe you have too. A few weeks ago I was working in my yard when I almost stepped into something. After “careful” examination I realized that our family dog had thrown up her last meal. I found out that Harriett had thrown some dated food into the woods behind our house and the dog had helped herself. A few minutes later I observed the dog eating the food for the second time (you know what I mean.) I couldn’t believe that she actually ate every bit of it again. Well it wasn’t long until I discovered that she had lost it again. And then a little later I observed that she was eating the food for the third time. For the life of me I couldn’t understand why the dog could not make the connection between eating that food and the regurgitation. Obviously she was “enjoying” the food again and again and again even though there was no way that food was going to be beneficial to her because she couldn’t keep it down.

After witnessing the disgusting events of the afternoon it dawned on me that I have observed equally revolting events being acted out in the human species. No I have never witnessed a human eating vomit, but I have observed persons who seemed to be caught in self-destructive cycles of behavior. Persons who have yielded to base temptations, reaped the self-destructive benefit, only to yield to the same temptation again; once, twice, three times, many times, sometimes a lifetime - victims of inextricable bondage.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. Proverbs 26:11.

So back to the dog. As I contemplated the behavior in the dog I realized that this is to be expected. It is in the dog’s nature to do such things. Perhaps I could train it out of the dog, but given the right set of circumstances I suspect that the dog would quickly revert back to its nature. The only way to prevent the dog from such a disgusting practice is to transform its nature.

The Bible tells us that the nature of man is bankrupt, burdened down by sin. It is no wonder that some people are not able to resist temptation even when they fully realize the harm to self. As soon as they recover they stumble toward the very behavior that knocked them down, seemingly unable to break the cycle; helpless, suffering, yes, sometimes repulsive behavior. People are no different than the dog, in need of a spiritual transformation. A transformed nature is exactly what God offers through salvation. Want to break out to a new life?

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2.

Time For The Master

DateLine (5/31/06 – Five Forks, SC)
Guest Contributor for Reference Point – Vickie Maxwell – The Songbird

On Wednesday night last week I stopped by my sister’s house for a moment while she was watching the final moments of season five of American Idol. I heard the overwhelming tally of votes taken for the finale – some sixty-four million voters from devoted listeners for this season’s finale, “….more voters than had ever voted for a President of the United States in an election,” one reporter stated.

I reflected immediately on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How He would love to have sixty-four million devoted, don’t-miss-a-week fans! To not want to miss one single session with Him, and to spend a dedicated hour at that! I was very humbled by the thought and sorry for my sometimes lack of attention to time with Him. You know, maybe it’s not American Idol for me (or you), but possibly there are other “idols” with which I have replaced Jesus with. In Exodus the Lord relayed the message to Moses for the people of Israel: “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” Oh goodness, and I wonder sometimes why my days and life seem so out of order. Could it be that the order of my priorities have gone awry? Have I reconciled myself to some self-serving, preconceived idea of what “no other gods” means? It couldn’t possibly refer to anything that I may have replaced God with in my schedule of activities, right?

Let’s think about our daily schedules. Have we made allowance for that so-important time for Him? God forgive us! Do you know what always amazes me about God? That even when I’m having difficulty managing my life so that I can diligently seek His face – that disciplined effort that is so difficult – He is willing to help me with that as well. Isn’t He great? Are we having difficulty in that area of our lives? Let’s ask Him for help.

I read an anecdote recently from an email that referred to a conversation that God was having with a young woman who could not understand why her prayers were not being answered. The ending of their discussion came with the voice from God saying “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was you; I didn’t recognize your voice.” John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” Does He know mine?

The High Cost of Friendship

DateLine (5/24/06 – Ponce, Puerto Rico)

I don’t have a lot of major regrets as I survey the landscape of my life, but one thing I do regret is that some friendships have slipped into the cold distance of time. Friends are hard to come by, and their loss is not to be celebrated. I’m had countless friends in the past that were closer than brothers at the time, but if I were to encounter them today they would be virtual strangers. So what happened?

Friendships are formed around shared experiences, communication, kindred spirits and proximity. Distance, lost communication and time apart can dull even the closest friendships. It’s a sad day when the realization dawns that a friendship is ebbing away. To be honest when that it occurs, one can adjust to rescue the relationship - but there is a cost; a relationship requires maintenance. We can choose to make the time, create the experiences, or pick up the phone. Unfortunately sometimes I’ve considered the facts, counted the cost, and decided that the cost was too high. The truth is we are faced with the reality of changing priorities, compressed schedules, insurmountable separations and evolving interests. Often it’s not a conscious decision at all; it’s simply neglect. Other times, it’s not our choice, the friend walked away.

I met him when I was very young, as a matter of fact I don’t ever remember a time when he wasn’t there. My parents introduced us. He lived in our home. Honestly, there was a time when I resented his presence; he crimped my style when I was attempting to find my place. On the way back from a summer camp as a teenager some mutual friends helped me to realize how special he was. He became my best friend when I was 16 years old. Of course I’m talking about Jesus.

Jesus acknowledges our friendship; it doesn’t detract from his divinity. Jesus said, “I have called you friends.” When you talk about the friendship of Jesus, the normal rules don’t apply. He’s the most unique friend that I’ve ever had. There is maintenance involved in the relationship but it’s interesting when I reengage it’s as it he never left. As a matter of fact, he promised that he would never leave. I’ve never gotten the impression he’s not listening, he doesn’t say much sometimes, but he always listens. Sometimes he’s blunt, but that’s OK because he’s always right and never ill intended and I’ve learned to trust his judgment. He’s been by my side during some of my most memorable moments, as a matter of fact, he’s been by my side during some of my darkest times.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from my friend Jesus, it’s the true value of friendship. The high cost of a friendship is the cross, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. Lord teach me to be a friend like you.