Joy to the World

Joy can seem astonishingly elusive—even during these days leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The announcement of the angel—“Behold, I bring you good news of great joy…”—echoes in your ears; but you struggle to force a smile when anyone wishes you, “Merry Christmas.” If there is any word that comes close to describing your state of mind, it is “anxious.”

The flood of catalogs filling your mailbox and sales inserts spilling from your newspaper, remind you of all the things you don’t have (but wish you did). Still you know you won’t get much sympathy as you sort through all the letters asking you to respond to the great need of the “less fortunate” in the community and around the world.

Bombings and beheadings overseas, riots and demonstrations across the country, and shootings in the streets you drive every day, leave you feeling hopeless when the carolers sing of “peace on earth.” Even the relationships with the people you’ve shared your life with for years seem strained and unsettled.

You move slowly as you start your day—going though an inventory of your aches and pains. You listen carefully to the ads that punctuate the morning news with the promise of some new drug that will alleviate your ailments. As the announcer continues to list all the possible side effects and contraindications of the cure he is promoting, doubt that there is any possibility of healing adds to your distress.

Nevertheless, as a community of faith, we gather excitedly, stand expectantly, and wait patiently for the one who proclaimed, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

May you discover indescribable joy as you affirm the great gift God has given you—the gift of life through faith in Jesus who was born in Bethlehem and is coming again.

The Way of the Cross

For most of the time I have been serving as a pastor in the United Methodist Church I have heard conversations, read books and attended conferences addressing the decline of the church in general and the denomination in particular. I have been asked to consider myriad causes, scores of diagnoses, and more remedies than I can recall. Much of what I have seen and heard has been helpful. Most of it is heartfelt. Still there are times when I wonder if most of those doing the assessment of our current condition are failing to acknowledge the primary source of our malaise.

Soon after Peter proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; he scolds Jesus for explaining what that will mean for him: opposition, suffering, death. In spite of Peter’s well-meaning expression of concern, Jesus is unwavering—and even extends the implications of his identity and the mission to which has been appointed to include all who would choose to follow him: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

Years before his death in 1963, A. W. Tozer identified “a notable heresy [which] has come into being throughout our evangelical Christian circles—the widely accepted concept that we humans can choose to accept Christ only because we need Him as Savior and we have the right to postpone our obedience to Him as Lord as long as we want to!

“I think the following is a fair statement of what I was taught in my early Christian experience….

“‘We are saved by accepting Christ as our Savior; we are sanctified by accepting Christ as our Lord; we may do the first without doing the second!’”

“The truth is that salvation apart from obedience is unknown in the sacred Scriptures. Peter makes it plain that we are ‘chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit for obedience’” (1 Peter 1:2).

If you are concerned about the decline of the church, let me ask you to pray that more people will not only accept Jesus as their savior; but will also allow Jesus to be their Lord and resolve to take up their cross and follow where Jesus leads.

Learning to Relax

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States.”

That’s really unfortunate, but the CDC goes further to report, “For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.” Factors that contribute to the risk of death by drowning include a lack of close supervision and a lack of barriers around pools and other bodies of water.

Still the number one factor the CDC lists is the “lack of swimming ability.” They also are quick to point out, “Research has shown that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4 years.”

I don’t know if my mother knew all of this when we were growing up or not. She was a public health nurse, so I suspect that she did. Nevertheless, she enrolled us in swimming classes at the YMCA when we were very young. I don’t even remember learning to swim. I just remember loving to swim. And I still love it.

As a former American Red Cross certified Water Safety Instructor I loved teaching kids to swim. They were so excited as they learned one skill, which led to mastering another, which led to undeniable proficiency in moving through the water from one side of the pool to the other.

One the first things I had to teach my students was that the water would hold them up. They could float. One at a time I would take a student from the side of the pool, ask them to roll on their back while I held them loosely by the shoulders. I would tell them to relax, and pretty soon I could show them my hands were no longer holding them up. They were floating.

Sometimes this didn’t last too long. They would become anxious, tense up, and start fighting the water. I would step in, lift them to the side of the pool, and let them catch their breath so we could try it again in a few minutes.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:29). Makes me wonder how many people would feel less like they are drowning if they quit struggling so hard and received the rest Jesus has offered to give.

A Cup of Cold Water

For some people the summer offers an opportunity to ease off on the throttle, slow down a little, and enjoy the scenery. Still there are many people who continue to live life wide open, hurrying from one place to another, overwhelmed by the feeling of being constantly behind.

The stress can take its toll. Pretty soon, in addition to feeling exhausted, you begin to see other people as an interruption, if not a threat. You begin to question yourself—your motives—your values. Even if you are certain the things you are doing are helping make the world a better place for you and your family, you begin to wonder if it’s worth all the effort.

When you begin to doubt whether you have the strength to take another step, you are also in the position to appreciate the value of even the smallest gesture of encouragement.

A cup of cold water doesn’t mean much when you’ve been sitting on the couch for an hour or so; but if you’ve been out weeding the garden in the hot sun, it is refreshing nectar and you are delighted to receive such a gift.

I wonder how our world would be transformed if more of us looked for those people who need a cup of cold water—a word of encouragement—a sign of appreciation for the work they are doing to make the world a better place. I know it is much more effective to reward good behavior, than it is to punish bad behavior. More importantly, it is a much more gracious way to live.

As he comes to the close of his message to the Hebrews, the writer reminds each of us: “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (13:1-2).  

Let me encourage you to encourage others, welcome them, and look for ways to show them hospitality; and I’ll be praying that others will offer you that cup of cold water at just the right time.

Getting Noticed

Fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead—and ten days after the disciples watched him ascend into heaven—the band of believers who had followed Jesus throughout his public ministry experienced a transformation that could not be ignored.

Luke tells us a lot about the sequence of events of that day: they were all gathered in one place; the sound of a great wind; tongues of fire; and a newfound ability to speak in other languages. It is a remarkable scene and it is not uncommon to spend time imagining what it must have been like to be in that room when the Holy Spirit showed up. Were they praying or singing or sitting silently staring into space?

After a few moments spent wondering about the circumstances, you might find yourself wishing you could recreate them. I wonder how many worship planners secretly hope they can devise the right sequence of prayers and songs and silence to get the Holy Spirit to show up in their worship space. They may feel successful when they witness a few tears, people hold up their hands, and sway from side to side. I fear they may be missing the real significance of the day, though.

What happened outside that room is what really matters. People who thought this group of uneducated rabble should slink back to the countryside were bewildered and amazed. People who thought they had a pretty good handle on what it meant to worship God were astonished and perplexed. People who had already dismissed Jesus’ ministry—his teaching, his healing, his work of reconciliation—were cut to the heart by the proclamation of Peter and the others.

When the Holy Spirit descended on the believers it attracted the attention of the people in the street. Peter and the others did not linger in their special moment. They rushed into the world—and the world noticed.

The Holy Spirit is still calling, equipping, and empowering believers to go into the world with the proclamation of the good news of all that God has done to show his love to those who are hurt, lonely, lost, and afraid. Pentecost is our opportunity to remember and celebrate this reality even as we ask God to prepare us to join him in this mission that bewilders, astonishes, and amazes the world. 

A Vision of Holiness

John Wesley taught that there were four primary resources available to the community of faith as they sought to help one another grow in loving God, loving neighbors, and loving one another as Christ loves us: scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. These four resources have become known as “Wesley’s Quadrilateral.” Wesley believed these four resources guide the church as it seeks to faithfully live out its mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ who seek to grow in holiness of heart and life.

Unfortunately, the church (at least, “The United Methodist Church”) is not doing a very good job of making disciples or of leading people to seek to grow in holiness of heart and life. Year after year we receive reports of declining numbers in membership, attendance, and giving. There is increasing evidence within the church of accommodation to the values of the culture. The impact and influence of the church is relegated to the margins of society. How has this happened?

I believe it is because we are misusing our resources.

Scripture is the primary source for Christian theology. It is where God reveals himself to the world. It is the foundation for understanding and interpreting Christian faith and life. It is meant to be read, studied, and interpreted as a whole as we seek to know more about God’s mystery, presence, and power. For many, scripture has become a collection of texts they rely on to support their particular agenda.

Tradition has come to mean “what we are comfortable doing.” In some churches if they do anything the same way twice, you’ll hear, “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” For Wesley, tradition was the record of the faithfulness of the people of God across the centuries. He valued those practices that had sustained God’s people from generation to generation.

God gives us the freedom to question, think, and teach in order to watch over one another in love. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Today reason has been reduced to whatever makes sense to me.

For Wesley experience meant a personal encounter with the divine presence and power. Today many point to what works as proof of its value and efficacy.

 Fifteen hundred years ago, a young Benedict wanted to know how best to live for God within a hostile environment. He emerged from his retreat convinced that the spiritual life is countercultural, counterintuitive, and counterproductive.  I pray that God may focus our vision so that we may find the power and wisdom in the resources we have to live such lives.

Which Way

One of the more significant insights from Lewis Carroll's novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, comes in a conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat:

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.

"I don't much care where –" said Alice.

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

"– so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.

"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

The situation seems rather humorous at first; but when you stop to consider how many people are facing a quandary quite similar to the one Alice is confronting, you realize these circumstances are disturbing—if not tragic. There is no telling how many people, who claim to be looking for direction in their life, have never stopped to consider the destination they want to reach. They have never sorted through the many competing desires that pass through their life to identify the few longings that are most important to them. They have never settled the matter of which values are worth standing for. They have never connected to a cause that claimed their full allegiance. They are merely headed “somewhere.”

In his book, The Principle of the Path, Andy Stanley writes, “The direction you are currently traveling—relationally, financially, spiritually, and the list goes on and on—will determine where you end up in each of those respective arenas.”

The question remains: “Where [do] you want to get to?” If you want to move toward a destination where you can experience deep and satisfying relationships, where you can express your gifts and talents in ways that enrich the lives of others, and where you can begin to sense the delight of God; I invite you to focus on the longings and yearnings of your heart and mind. Ask God to help you identify those passions which lead to life and joy and peace. And then it will be much clearer “which way [you] ought to go from here.”

Building Relationships

Ask anyone who has ever run a business, and they will tell you taking care of your customer is one of the most important factors in achieving success. There are a lot of people who will give you at least one chance to impress them; but even if you have a superior product, supported by excellent service, offered at a competitive price, if you don’t let people know you appreciate them, you may not get a second chance to make a sale. And you certainly won’t get their vote in any “Best of” competition.

Successful businesses—whether they are retail, service, or manufacturing—whether they are brick-and-mortar or on-line—invest time and money in developing good relationships with their customers; because they know that it is an investment that pays great dividends. In fact, a whole category of software has been created to help companies manage their interactions with current and future customers. CRM (customer relationship management) software helps companies organize information about their customers so they can provide more appropriate support, offer more targeted special sales, and even suggest future purchases. They do it all because they know it is essential to their bottom line. It is the key to their existence.

I have to admit that I find it rather ironic (but mainly sad) that companies that are in business to sell widgets, maintain machines, or serve sandwiches value relationships more than some people who say they believe that everyone is created in the image of God. More than people who affirm the call to “love one another.” More than people who claim God has transformed them into a community that represents Christ to the world.

Still the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ give me confidence that God’s Spirit can empower those who trust in God to form, repair, redeem, and sustain relationships with others that are deeply satisfying. Relationships that exceed all our expectations. Relationships that give life. Relationships that communicate God’s great good news to all the world.

Not by Chance

Bread. It is basic. You mix flour, water, and salt; let the resulting dough sit for a while, heat it in an oven or over a fire, and the resulting product is one of the oldest and most popular foods around the world. In spite of its few simple basic ingredients; bread comes in an amazing variety of shapes, sizes, textures, colors, and flavors.

Fresh bread is prized for its aroma, texture, and taste. James Beard—American chef and father of American gastronomy—wrote, “Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods.” If you have had the privilege of tasting a slice of bread fresh from the oven, you know what he means.

Unfortunately, most people think of those slices of soft, gummy, pale, tasteless squares when they hear the word, “bread.” It is a chemically engineered product that has been designed to be produced as quickly and as uniformly as possible—and to stay “fresh” on the shelf for weeks. A leading artisanal baker has said, “I don’t think there’s any reason to make bread fast. I don’t think it’s healthy.”

Instead he is exploring ways to produce loaves with a dark crust and a deep flavor. His process brings out “nuances that otherwise would not be obtainable if you don’t take the time.” He is pursuing a craft which calls for the best ingredients, natural leavening, and radical freshness.

My grandfather was a baker. He owned his own bakery when my mother was a child. She told us stories of time she spent in the bakery while she was growing up.

While I was still in my teens, I became fascinated with baking bread. What I learned early on was that in order to produce that “fundamentally satisfying” loaf of bread, you have to pay attention to the process. It does not happen by accident. There are many different ways and a variety of ingredients you can use to produce a loaf you are proud to share with others; but they all require a measure of care and attention.

Paul urges the community of believers in Rome to allow God to transform them into the kind of people who live lives that please God. It is process that requires care and attention. It is a process that takes time.  But if you will commit yourself to the process, you will find there is nothing more satisfying. God is inviting you to begin the process.

Shining Light on the Solution

While similar maxims may have developed independently and some attribute it to U.S. presidents from Lincoln to Reagan: a Jesuit Priest named Father Strickland probably deserves primary credit for coining this aphorism: “I have observed, throughout life, that a man may do an immense deal of good, if he does not care who gets the credit for it.”

This claim is based on a diary entry dated September 21, 1863 written by Sir Mountstuart E. Grant Duff and multiple attributions thereafter. Duff recorded the quote after an evening spent at the house of the Rev. C.K. Paul where Father Strickland was also a guest. The diary of Duff—who was a Scottish politician and held important administrative posts in India—was published in 1897.

No matter who came up with this maxim, I do appreciate the variation which has been associated with President Harry Truman: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” However it is expressed, it is a powerful reminder that the key to great accomplishments is not focusing on yourself—and especially not trying to make sure everyone else is focusing on you; but to focus on the task at hand and the resources available to get the job done.

It is tempting to let your personality, your pride, your position, and your particular predilections distract you from seeing the powerful potential for making significant progress when it comes to many of the problems you face. You can fail to see the potential in the people who share the problems with you. You can even begin to believe others are the cause of your difficulties and begin to treat them like enemies. I guess that is the reason I am also fond of another proverb: “Fix the problem, not the blame.”

Where do you focus when you face a challenging situation—when things don’t go the way you think they should? As a believer you have the power to focus your attention on what pleases God—on what is good and right and true. Commit yourself to clearing the distractions and to seeing the power God provides to accomplish great things in partnership with his people.

Searching for Satisfaction

It was a dreary morning in Phenix City when I called on Tuesday to wish him a “Happy Birthday.” He was in a pretty good mood, though. Several customers were in his store browsing his extensive selection of fishing lures. If it had been warm and clear, they might have been out on the water. Instead, they were inside looking for the latest and greatest artificial bait.

If you have never wandered down the fishing aisle of the sporting goods section of a department store, you might be surprised by the sheer volume and variety of the options available. If you are a regular customer, then you know not only about the range of options; but also how quickly some products can rise and fall in popularity. The avid sportsman is always looking for an edge over his prey.

Some folks don’t want to wear last year’s fashions. My brother is glad there are lots of folks who don’t want to go fishing with last year’s lures.

The push to stay up to date is not limited to fashion and fishing, though. Somebody is releasing a new phone (or should I say, “mobile device”) every week. The smart phone I own asks me if I want to update some software application several times a month. We have grown accustomed to constant innovations in consumer electronics.

It’s happening at the grocery store, too. More than 10,000 new products are introduced each year. (Now you know why they have to keep rearranging the store.) Most new products are not revolutionary. They are only slight changes to the original—a new flavor, size or package; but they are changes the manufacturer hopes the consumer will believe are better.

Indeed, that is what drives much of our behavior. We are always looking for something better. Better food. Better phones. Better fashions. Better fishing lures. We seem to believe that once we find something better, we will be satisfied.

Consider that all this searching for what will satisfy may be a distraction from finding the one who has promised to supply all we need. Let me invite you to spend some time this week focusing on the one who is truly the Savior of the world.

Follow Me

Learn a new language.

Prepare for a career in an emerging industry.

Look your best.

Indulge your senses.

Your picture perfect vacation awaits.

Join us for a lavish evening of food and fun.

Discover a natural way to unwind.

Secure your future with investments in silver and gold.

So many opportunities. So little time. The invitations keep coming even though your calendar is already full. You think you have it all figured out and then someone shows you something that makes you question it all. It becomes a challenge not to feel overwhelmed.

How do you decide what is important? How do you decide where to invest your time, your money, your self? How do you decide how to live your life?

These are the decisions that define who you are and the legacy that you will leave; but when you are honest with yourself, you have to admit that most of these decisions are made on a whim, at the spur of the moment, based on how you are feeling at the time. Unfortunately, that combination leads to choices that you often come to regret.

When Matthew describes the Jesus’ life in Galilee (Matthew 3:23), he says that Jesus spent his time doing three things: teaching, preaching, and healing. Jesus’ teaching shows his concern for understanding. Jesus’ preaching shows his concern for commitment to the values of God’s kingdom.  Jesus’ healing shows his concern for wholeness.

I wonder how our lives would change if we based our decisions about the things we do on whether they led to greater understanding, deeper commitment, and authentic wholeness. My hunch is that our world would come to look much more like the kingdom of heaven.

You Are Mine

A few days ago you were sitting with your friends and family around a stack of gifts waiting for someone to read your name and hand a brightly wrapped package to you. As you tore through the paper to see what was inside, perhaps you were thinking, “I hope this is something I want to keep.” If it was something that you really wanted or needed—and something that you now hoped you could use for a long time; your next thought may have been, “How can I make sure other people know it is mine?”

Some gifts may already be marked with your name or initials. They may be stitched through, engraved in, or written on. You may belong to a family where everyone has their own color; so even if everyone in the family got the same item, you know which one is yours because it’s your color.

If it’s not already marked, then you may just pull out a permanent marker and write your name on it. You may scratch your initials in some inconspicuous place. Some folks put their most cherished gifts in a case made especially for them. I make a practice of pulling the label off the package and sticking inside the gift so there is no question that it is mine.

Campers write their names in their clothes. Workers write their names on their tools. Travelers write their names on their luggage. Students write their names in their books. When you value the things you have, you find a way to make sure the world knows they are yours.

God sent Jesus into the world to let you know that he loves and values you. Consider these ways God reveals this love across the ages: “The Lord your God chose you to be his own treasured people” (Deuteronomy 7:6). “The Lord treasures the people who honor him, the people who wait for his faithful love” (Psalm 147:11). “You are precious in my eyes, you are honored, and I love you” (Isaiah 43:4).

When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan, “A voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him’” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize new believers so they would know whose they are; and, that God finds happiness in them, delights in them,  cherishes them, values them, treasures them, loves them, too.

Remember your baptism and be thankful!