Alert to the Dangers

It seems much more difficult to adjust to the “spring forward” change to Daylight Saving Time than to the “fall back” one. In large part that is because the idea of getting up an hour earlier is extremely unpleasant to most people. On top of that, most folks are already sleep-deprived. Nearly half of Americans say they rarely or never get a good night's sleep during the week.

That may not seem like such a big deal, but consider this. There is research that indicates the number of car accidents increases on the Monday after daylight saving time begins. Workers report more injuries on the job the Monday after the beginning of daylight saving time. In the days after the shift, heart attacks are also more common. When people are tired they are in danger.

The truth is sleepiness contributes to human error in variety of settings. When people are depleted physically, emotionally or spiritually they are at risk; and life is full of challenges, distractions, and interruptions that make it difficult to reach our intended destination.

A lot of people look for a quick fix. You can hardly get to the register in most gas stations without knocking over a bottle of “energy.” Others look for their rush by scratching numbers off a lottery ticket. A few experiment with drugs. Still others turn to pornography or extramarital affairs. It seems that people will try all kinds of ways to short-circuit the thrill of being alive.

When you tire on the journey to hope, you are most susceptible to temptation. It is so tempting to choose something that promises momentary pleasure; but that leads to long-term pain. That is one of the reasons the season of Lent is a time to consider the resources available to believers, especially when they meet resistance. There are so many things that interfere with your reaching your intended destination. Do you know where to turn when you need to refuel?

Let me encourage you to remember where Jesus found the strength to continue his journey to the end. He gathered his closest friends around him. He spent time in earnest prayer. He affirmed his total commitment to God’s purpose for his life. These are things you can do to faithfully continue your journey to hope.

To Serve, Not To Be Served

Should every American go to college? That’s a question that has stirred quite a bit of public debate over the past few weeks. Some have suggested that a college education is the path to job security and economic success. Others have openly questioned the value of the college experience and warned that the lessons learned in an institution of higher learning are irrelevant, if not destructive.

Andrew Delbanco entered the debate this week with an op-ed piece that was published in The New York Times. Mr. Delbanco is the director of American studies at Columbia University and also the author of the forthcoming book, “College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be.” He admits that there may be some merit to the argument “that elite college culture encourages smugness and self-satisfaction.” He continues:

Our oldest and most prestigious colleges are losing touch with the spirit in which they were founded. To the stringent Protestants who founded Harvard, Yale and Princeton, the mark of salvation was not high self-esteem but humbling awareness of one’s lowliness in the eyes of God. With such awareness came the recognition that those whom God favors are granted grace not for any worthiness of their own, but by God’s unmerited mercy — as a gift to be converted into working and living on behalf of others. That lesson should always be part of the curriculum.

In this respect . . . our leading colleges could use a little more of their own old-time religion — not in any doctrinal sense, but in the sense of taking seriously the Christian virtues of humility and charity. In secular terms, this means recognizing that people with good prospects owe much to their good fortune — and to fellow citizens less fortunate than themselves. . . .

Perhaps if our leading colleges encouraged more humility and less hubris, college-bashing would go out of style and we could get on with the urgent business of providing the best education for as many Americans as possible.

Like James and John, most people want some assurance that they will eventually receive the honor they deserve (see Mark 10:35-45). Jesus lets them know clearly that’s not the way it is going to be in the community he is creating. Instead, the greatest will be the one who serves.

“Working and living on behalf of others” is the most faithful way to follow Christ on our journey to hope.

Take a Look in the Mirror

Early in the movie, Six Days Seven Nights, the crusty charter pilot, Quinn Harris, shares an important insight with Robin Monroe—the young professional who has recently arrived with her fiancé:

Quinn: They come here looking for the magic, hoping to find romance, when they can't find it anywhere else.
Robin: Maybe they will.
Quinn: It's an island, babe! If you didn't bring it here, you won't find it here!

That’s important to remember whenever you are embarking on a journey. It’s the reason you want to travel with trusted companions; but it is also a reminder that it is worthwhile to reflect on the person who is always with you. As Confucius said, “And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.”

That’s good news for some folks, but more than a few folks spend huge amounts of time, energy and money trying to reinvent themselves. Perhaps they recall the pronouncement of that wise swamp ‘possum, Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

In the introduction to Pogo Papers Walt Kelly tried to explain what he meant by this:

...Specializations and markings of individuals everywhere abound in such profusion that major idiosyncrasies can be properly ascribed to the mass. Traces of nobility, gentleness and courage persist in all people, do what we will to stamp out the trend. So, too, do those characteristics which are ugly. It is just unfortunate that in the clumsy hands of the cartoonist all traits become ridiculous, leading to a certain amount of self conscious expostulation and the desire to join battle.

There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.

So as we make this journey of hope, don’t be discouraged that you can’t get away from who you are. What Walt Kelly said may be true, “We are all of us responsible for our myriad pollutions, public, private and political.” That’s our call to confession.

Just remember this journey also serves as an opportunity to recall that God created you in his image. God’s nature is within you; and by God’s grace, that nature can become a greater and greater source of the basis for your hope.

Traveling Together

The emotions you feel when you are preparing to go on a trip may vary greatly depending on whom you are traveling with. There are some people who are fun to travel with. They seem to know all of the best places to find a special treat, where to go for the best views, and even seem to happen upon the most peaceful spots at just the time you need to take a break.

Then there are other folks who seem especially adept at raising the anxiety of everyone who travels with them. They are constantly reminding their fellow travelers how many calories are in everything they eat. They notice and point out the flaws—a broken window, a piece of trash, or a dead tree—as the group stands before a magnificent vista. Perhaps most annoying, they never seem to know when to stop talking.

If you have made a few trips with a poor traveling companion, you may be tempted to think that it is best to travel alone. It is true that you can cover more distance when you are unencumbered by the companionship of others; but you miss so much when you experience things alone.

As you continue to prepare for this journey through Lent, let me encourage you to befriend someone. Invite them to join you on this journey to hope. Ask them to be your traveling companion. You may want to make a point of speaking to them each Sunday before or after worship. You may send them notes or e-mails of encouragement along the way. This can be a wonderful opportunity to deepen your spiritual relationship with one another and with Christ.

Your journey through life is not supposed to be a solo experience. As God has adopted you as his child and invited you to join his family, God has given you brothers and sisters to travel alongside you. The people with whom we travel can make good times better and hard times less difficult. You can do the same thing for others.

Let me encourage you to consider who is with you on your journey to hope. How are you helping one another discover the blessings God has prepared for you along the way? Let no one get in the way of anyone experiencing the life-giving power of Jesus.

Journey to Hope

A journey can be a long and difficult trip if you make it alone. When you travel with others it may still call for a large measure of perseverance and resolve; but the whole experience can be much more rich and meaningful.

The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday—February 22. It marks the beginning of a time when the followers of Christ consider the journey Jesus took as he traveled to Jerusalem and the cross. It is a journey Jesus invites you to take with him. If it were a journey that ended with the death of an innocent man, it might seem to be a journey of despair. As a community of believers shaped by the resurrection, we claim it as a journey of hope.

Beginning with the Service of the Imposition of Ashes (7:00 pm, Wednesday, February 22) you are invited to join with the other members of this congregation as we travel with Jesus to the cross and discover the hope that can be found in the midst of life’s most difficult circumstances.

Our Journey to Hope will inspire you to reflect in new ways on Jesus’ experiences on the path to the cross. It will encourage you to see real life situations with fresh eyes. It will challenge you to interact with God with integrity—no matter what “mile marker” you have reached in life. By addressing some of commonplace issues that tend to trip us up—like relationships, self-esteem, work, temptation, money problems, suffering and death—travelers on the journey will discover how faith in Christ is relevant to everyday life and how having a faith community can make all the difference.

Let me encourage you to be intentional about going on this journey. God has the power to turn even your most hopeless situation into a story of new life and rebirth—and Christ is at work in the midst of the community of faith. That is the good news of the resurrection.

Open a new door this Lent and find the hope that changes everything.

A Compassionate Heart

If you haven’t noticed the increased frequency of jewelry ads on the television, perhaps you have observed the growing prevalence of pink and red everywhere you go. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and there are lots of people who are trying to suggest ways you might touch the heart of someone special to you. If it’s not a new necklace, perhaps it’s a bouquet of flowers. If it’s not a box of chocolates, maybe it’s a new pair of pajamas. Then again, it could be a stuffed animal or a romantic, candlelit dinner.

Lots of people have been—and will be—searching for just the right gesture to show someone else that they care about them. In some ways it is a commendable endeavor. It is good to let others know you care for them. It is good to express your hope that they know how much they mean to you. It is right to profess your undying love and earnest devotion—to give them your heart.

It is also worth remembering that the person for whom this holiday is named did not only want his “sweetheart” to know about his love. While the practice of Christianity was illegal during the Roman Empire, Valentine persisted in performing Christian marriages for couples who came to him. After he was arrested, he sent notes from prison to the Emperor Claudius II telling him about God’s great love that had been shown to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Even after beatings and other abuses, Valentine persisted in showing the love of Christ to his jailers and the officials who ordered his torture. Tradition holds that the Emperor ordered his execution on February 14.

It is good to remember that Jesus called his followers to a different kind of love than they expected:

“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate”
(Luke 6:32-36).

Let me encourage you to let at least one of your “enemies” know how much you love them—because you know the love of God. Find a way to touch their heart.

Fixing What’s Broken

A friend of mine shared this story last week. He was planning on going for a bike ride. He got dressed, put on his helmet, and headed out the door. When he pulled his bike off the rack, he noticed that one of the tires needed some air. He keeps his pump nearby. “No problem,” he thought. Unfortunately, after a few pumps he realized his pump was not working. It was broken. No pump…flat tire…no ride. He went back inside, plopped down on the couch and stewed while he watched another rerun.

There are very few people who have not had a similar experience. You had your heart set on accomplishing some task, making some trip, or preparing some meal; only to discover that something essential to your endeavor was not up for the task. It was broken.

Sometimes it seems brokenness is everywhere you look. Cars on the side of the road on your way to work. Computer equipment piled up in a corner of the supply closet. A drawer full of dead cell phones. It’s so bad that most people are not surprised when a new device doesn’t work when they first pull it out of the box.

There is another brokenness that is much more troubling—it’s the growing number of people who are broken. Children who are labeled as problems. Youth who have abandoned their dreams. Young adults who have been betrayed. Young couples who have been ensnared in deceptive schemes. Adults who have been cast aside by employers who accept no responsibility for their own bad choices. Older adults who feel abandoned by their families as they face their challenges alone. There is brokenness everywhere you look.

As Jesus begins his ministry, you should notice that he spends much of his time with broken people. You should also notice his response. He doesn’t spend much time analyzing the conditions that have led to their brokenness. He doesn’t try to identify who is to blame for their brokenness. He doesn’t make excuses for them and ask others to give them the benefit of the doubt. What Jesus does is act decisively to restore them to wholeness. Jesus heals the sick. Jesus casts out demons. Jesus teaches the truth. And Jesus does it everywhere he goes.

As followers of Jesus we face the challenge of how to respond to the brokenness we encounter. God is working to restore all of creation. The question is whether the community of faith will accept its role in being the place where people experience the restoring power of God’s Holy Spirit.

May God work among the followers of Jesus that wherever they gather, it may be a place of restoration.