Bells Across the Snow by Frances Ridley Havergal

 As I contemplate this, my first Christmas with both mom and dad in heaven, I find a bit of solace in the poem below. I hope it blesses you as well. Have a blessed Christmas! 

BELLS ACROSS THE SNOW

    O Christmas, merry Christmas,

      Is it really come again,

    With its memories and greetings,

      With its joy and with its pain!

    There’s a minor in the carol

      And a shadow in the light,

    And a spray of cypress twining

      With the holly wreath tonight.

    And the hush is never broken

      By laughter light and low,

    As we listen in the starlight

      To the “bells across the snow.”

    O Christmas, merry Christmas,

      ’Tis not so very long

    Since other voices blended

      With the carol and the song!

    If we could but hear them singing,

      As they are singing now,

    If we could but see the radiance

      Of the crown on each dear brow,

    There would be no sigh to smother,

      No hidden tear to flow,

    As we listen in the starlight

      To the “bells across the snow.”

    O Christmas, merry Christmas,

      This never more can be;

    We cannot bring again the days

      Of our unshadowed glee,

    But Christmas, happy Christmas,

      Sweet herald, of good will,

    With holy songs of glory

      Brings holy gladness still.

    For peace and hope may brighten,

      And patient love may glow,

    As we listen in the starlight

      To the “bells across the snow.”

Frances Ridley Havergal

Lettie B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert (Los Angeles, CA: The Oriental Missionary Society, 1925), 369.

Thanks for reading! 

Advent 2022: My Annual Christmas Post--The Mystery of Christmas

 Hello everyone:

I started this blog many years ago, and every year since I have posted a piece I wrote around Christmas in 2003. It kind of sums up for me what is the "Mystery of Christmas" as I meditate on the Incarnation and its implications for humanity (and perhaps for God as well!). The very idea of God becoming "one of us among us" (Immanuel) still fascinates and overwhelms me. 

God, the creator of all things, humbled himself, became of no reputation, and entered his own creation so as to renew and to redeem and to rescue us (and, ultimately, to do these things for all of creation as well). God, the Creator of all things, became flesh so that he might accomplish the plan to make his grace and glory known in humans and in all of creation. 

The One who had no beginning would now have a birthday. The creator would now be like the creature. The One who never knew death would die for sinners. The God who never knew sin would become sin for us. He would break the power of sin, condemn sin in his own flesh, and provide for all of us the rescue we need to become the people God always intended us to be. 

What amazing love! Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! As you celebrate the advent of our King, Jesus the Messiah, I hope you enjoy this rerun. Feel free to make comments if you'd like.

A little over 2000 years ago, a tiny child was born in some pretty bleak conditions. Oh, he wasn’t the only one born in less than optimal conditions. In fact, in some ways, he was one of the lucky ones. He and his mother actually survived childbirth. Still, this story is unique and amazing on several levels.

First, the life of this child would literally change the way time is reckoned in the world. His life and abilities would have such an impact on generations of others that a brand new movement would be created, one that would radically change the very face of the earth (sometimes for good, sometimes not). His name would become recognized among the names of the greatest of humans, yet he never forgot his own humble beginnings or lost a sense of who he was.

The second thing about this child is tied to the first in that this baby, this helpless lad full of spittle and mush, was born as the very Son of God. When Mary held his little head to her breast, he drank human milk. Yet, he was (and is) the God of the universe. Can you picture this simply ridiculous yet somehow poetic scene? God, who calls the stars by name, pressed to the human breast for sustenance. Humble yet awesome, this is how some folks would no doubt recall this child.

A little over 2000 years ago, God proposed that the only remedy for the human condition of sin would be if he humbled himself, stepped out of eternity and into human flesh, and suckled at Mary’s breast in preparation for the greatest, most impressive conversion of all. God, in Mary’s arms, toddling around Joseph’s home, learning to talk, learning to walk, tasting food, and touching things with human hands! As the Psalmist says in Psalm 139, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for us, we cannot attain to it!”

God knew that the only way to redeem us was if he did it himself. Haven’t you ever had that thought? You know, the one where you say, “If I want something done right, I’ll just have to do it myself?” Imagine God having that thought about bringing us to proper relationship with him. Imagine again that the only way he knew he could do that is if he came to earth as a baby. Think of it—-how vulnerable the almighty God was at that moment, how paradoxical that the God of all creation had to learn to walk! And why did he put himself in this situation? Out of his divine sense of justice and righteousness and mercy, out of his incredible love he acted in this manner.

God humbled himself, even to the point of death on a cross! The living God, incarnate as the Word, would know what it means to die. In one sense, he took on our insanity so that we may be sane. He became flesh so that we might walk in his Spirit. He took our sin so that we might be righteous. He became poor so that we might be rich. He who had the reputation of Creator became a humble servant with no reputation. He became a toddling, dribbling, helpless babe so that we could become mature humans in the image of the almighty Son of God. What wondrous love! What humility and service! How then can anything he asks of us be too difficult?

Father, during this Christmas season, remind us of your sacrifice and love so that we might be a light shining in darkness to others. Teach us to live a life of humble service like your Son did on our behalf so many years ago. As we celebrate the babe in the manger, may the glory he revealed in his life shine through us towards others that they may know God. May the grace of God and the peace of Christ rule in our families and our lives. Amen. 

Thanks for reading! Remember, God became one of us to reach us. He served humbly, what more can he ask of us? To love one another calls for humble service. It is enough.

Merry Christmas!  May you know the blessings of the God who humbled himself and served! 

Psalm 138: Some Reasons to be Thankful

 I was reading through my blog, and I found the following post from several years ago.  The list seemed rather appropriate for this month, so I thought I'd share it.  Here are some things to be thankful for according to David.

Psalm 138 

1 A Psalm of David. I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. 2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. 3 On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul. 4 All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth. 5 And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD. 6 For though the LORD is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the arrogant He knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. 8 The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. 

Since this is Thanksgiving season, and since I seem to hear some complaints lately (most of them coming from my own heart), I decided to post a list of things I am thankful for based off of some words from David. Psalm 138 above describes a Hymn of Thanksgiving. With David, I'd like to remind myself to be thankful for the following:

1. There is no God like the God of the Bible. The Triune God does not rely on his creation, nor is his subsistence dependent on it. He is above all things, and by him all things exist. In fact, Paul tells us (Colossians 1) that Jesus holds all things together and is the author of creation. Nothing exists outside of God's authority. His sovereignty is unending.

2. God's lovingkindness and truth are available to all of us. Jeremiah reminds us that God's mercy is new every morning. The Psalmist often reminds that God is patient and longsuffering, showing mercy and lovingkindness to many generations. His love is such that he gave his only Son (the only one of his kind), Jesus, the treasure of his heart. His lovingkindness not only gave us life, but it also provides us with all we need to live this life and to obey his ways. His mercy is amazing! His truth is convicting. God does not lie. He reveals truth inside humans, but he also makes truth known in nature itself. Even God's very attributes are observable in nature around us. God has made Truth known, and he is the very essence of Truth. All truth points to him, and he alone knows all truth exhaustively. His truth and lovingkindness lead to salvation and a proper relationship not only with this great God but with his creation as well.

3. God has given us a Word that will never fail. He has magnified, valued, advanced, enlarged, even exalted his Word. If the name of God is the name above all names, then his Word must be the Word above all words. He has revealed himself in Jesus who is the Logos, the Word of God in flesh, the exact representation of the image and character of God himself. The Word that God has provided for us is active, alive, and powerful. It can bring knowledge, life, and salvation. This Word explains, reveals, and interprets the very nature of God for us.  Jesus is the perfect revelation of God.  God has given us his Word!

4. God answers prayer. When we call on God, he is faithful to respond. And his response emboldens us and gives us courage. Conversation with God leads to conversion of our souls. His response to our requests shows his presence, his love, and his great kindness towards us. He hears when we call, and he responds.

5. God is friends with the humble, but he is an enemy to the proud. I am grateful that even though our God is high and exalted, he finds it satisfactory to dwell with those who are humble and lowly. He is not at home with those who think too highly of themselves, but he chooses to dwell with those who humble themselves to him. Arrogance is an offense to the Creator of all (since none are above him), but the humble person finds audience with God. He takes up residence among those who are humble and do not think too highly of themselves. (Isaiah 66) In fact, Paul tells us that God humbled himself and served us. (Philippians 2) If Jesus could humble himself, we should do so as well.

6. God will be with us in trouble. There is no obstacle or problem that can separate us from God (Romans 8:28-39). His love for us is never ending and his reach cannot be blocked. No matter the circumstances in your life, God is faithful. He will walk with his child in the midst of problems and provide what is needed to live a life of godliness even in hard circumstances (Psalm 23). He does not always deliver us from trouble, but he never abandons us in it. Like the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, God is with us in the midst of our trials, troubles, or problems. He bears them with us, he walks with us, he gives us his joy in spite of our trouble, and he never fails.

7. God will complete the task he has begun (Phil. 1:6). He is faithful. He will not forsake the works of his hands. He will accomplish all those things that pertain to his people. He will not fail. He is constant, kind, considerate. He will finish what he starts and will bring to pass all that he has promised (Isaiah 66:9). His Word is true, and he is faithful to complete it. Not a single stray mark of his Scripture will fail to happen. (Isaiah 55) If God speaks it or if God begins it, it will be done in his time and by his outstretched hand. There is nothing too difficult for God, and he is worthy of our praise and our thanks!

Because of these things and so many others, I want to develop a grateful and thankful heart. May we all find comfort in God's character, Word, and love this season. May we give him the thanks and praise he deserves!

Thanks for reading!

And then the plate broke . . . Part two

 Many years ago (around 2009) I wrote the entry below. I wanted to post it again due to experiencing some of the same emotions recently, but I wanted to add to it too. Life has not been as hoped or expected in 2022. I'm not saying this to get sympathy, just trying to be honest. I no longer have the joy of doing a job I genuinely enjoyed, and (to be honest) I've been feeling a bit invisible lately. Lunch with some friends today reminded me that I am not really "invisible." It also reminded me that God never really leaves us completely alone. So, I return to grading papers feeling a bit melancholy, but I am reminded of God's faithfulness. This note came up in my memories at just the right time, and I hope it blesses you too! 

Hey y'all: Just a bit of rambling for you today because I'm in a bit of a introspective mood or something (yeah, I know I should be grading or writing or something "academic," but life is like that sometimes). Anyway, I started off the day with a pretty good mood, but it has been one of those days. I got in the car, the CD player wouldn't work. Drove down the road in my neighborhood, almost got run over by "neighbors" who apparently do not know what a "Stop" sign is. On the highway got tailgated by a police car (yep, tailgated, thought he wanted in my backseat or something). Got to work and felt completely invisible . . . and then . . . Some guys came into the office to hang pictures for a colleague.

Little did I realize that they would be relentlessly pounding on my wall from the other side. In a few minutes, a commemorative plate of a Russian lacquer painting was vibrated off my shelf and broke. Sigh.

Now, before you all think I'm beginning to feel too sorry for myself (or before you think I'm fishing for "recognition"), let me just say . . . It is really okay. Yeah, it smarts a bit, but it is okay. I may not be the newest shiny toy, or the most popular person, or even the most recognized "whatever", but I know one thing is still true . . . God has not forgotten me.

He has written me on the palms of his hands; he gave his only unique, one of a kind Son so that I could be his child; he created a whole universe so I could be born as one among many whom he would love; and he knows my name. As surely as God knows the stars by name, he knows each of us in his creation. None of us are overlooked.

Oh, we may have times where we "feel" as though the world would be better without us, but the reality is a bit different. Each of us have a role to play in God's grand story to end all stories. We all are a part of the greatest thing ever. Whether we choose to participate or not, we are all of us a part of what God is doing.

No, that information may not fix my mood, but those words sure make me smile a bit. I'm not alone . . . I haven't lost anything worth much . . . and God is still in control. I admit, it isn't much of a "fix," but then again God never promised us that nothing bad would ever happen.

So, here I am, introspective and all. It's a little cold outside and a bit gloomy, kind of matching my current emotional state. And yet. . . and yet . . . I'm smiling just a bit. Why? Because I am convinced of better things. Because I know God's character. Because his Word never fails.

How inexpressible is his great gift towards us! How surprising and overwhelming is his love! I know the end of the story . . . it will be "happily ever after." If a few plates or books get lost in the meanwhile, I'll figure out a way to deal with it. If you are having a day like mine, let me know. I want to pray for you. Life sucks sometimes, but God is still good.

Thanks for reading!

An Honest Appraisal of Our Worth

 Today I am reminded that life isn’t a sprint, it isn’t even really a marathon. No, life is more of a journey, a wandering, if you will, through various places in search of the place where we belong. We travel, we sojourn in this world looking for that special place, that special task to which we are called. Like Hercules, we labor through our struggles, sometimes utilizing an almost superhuman power to accomplish the “trials” of our lives in an effort to prove somehow the worth of each breath we take, the value of each thought, even the inherent worth of our own existence. We labor, we travel, we worry, and yet we humans seldom seem to find that place of rest, that place of contentment where all things are in harmony, where we feel “at home.”

What is it about us that makes so many of us feel the need to travel, to labor incessantly in an effort to prove our own worth? At which point in our lives did we fall so far from the recognition of our value as God sees it? Let me put it this way—if you have a valuable piece of jewelry, to whom do you take it to have it appraised? The jeweler or the street peddler and huckster? Reasonable people will take their treasures to the jeweler for an honest or fair appraisal. Why? Simply because the jeweler is a professional, trained in his area of expertise to offer an honest appraisal. In other words, he knows his craft and knows the value of the otherwise insignificant trinkets presented to him. He looks through his glass and sees worth in what appears to us mere costume jewelry. He declares its worth, and we cling to our now treasured possession as though it were a king’s ransom.

Let me share a story from my own life—I read comics. That won’t surprise my friends out there who are aware that I haven’t outgrown this seemingly juvenile past time. In my years of reading comics, I have kept thousands of them in bags and boxes for future reading. As a youngster, I had no idea that some of those comics would one day be valuable. I simply kept them because I liked to read them. One day while in seminary, my mother informed me that a young man in my childhood neighborhood wanted to start a comic collection, and he wanted to look at and possibly purchase some of mine. I hadn’t read them in a while, and I figured I could use the money, so I agreed. The young fellow and I met at my mother’s house at the designated time and day. We agreed to some prices, and he began his shopping spree. When he left he seemed happy, and I had a few extra bucks in my pocket. But the story doesn’t end there.

A few years later I was in a comic shop in Bowling Green, KY. Behind the counter a comic was displayed, but it was an unusual comic in that it had a price tag of about $400 attached to it. It was an Incredible Hulk story in which the X-Men character Wolverine made his first appearance. I remembered that I owned that comic, and after verifying with the shop owner that he would indeed pay me $400 for the comic, I made plans to visit my mother soon. When I got home, I went straight to the comics and looked for my treasure. Did you guess yet? Yes, I sold that comic to the young man a few years prior. I think I may have gotten a couple of dollars for it! Two dollars compared to four hundred dollars! I almost cried.

Then I remembered, that comic had little value to me until an “expert” told me how valuable it was (after all, I only paid 25 cents for it originally!). To bring this back to our topic, I think that sometimes so many of us work so hard to “prove” our worth because we have been listening to the wrong “experts” regarding our value. The Jeweler who makes all humans sees our true value, and I am willing to bet that you are more valuable to him than you might think. Why do I say that? It is actually very simple—the great Cosmic Jeweler or Comic Expert loves you enough to exchange His own Son for you. He only has one Son, but He is willing to give that unique possession to purchase you, a pearl of great price. God’s view of our worth is so much better than our own. I know I need to check in with Him more often before I trade what I consider my “cheap comic book” life for a paltry sum instead of the invaluable amount it is worth in God’s eyes. It's worth thinking about, right?

Thanks for reading! 

DeGarmo and Key: "I'm Accepted"

 I've been listening to some contemporary Christian music from my youth, and the song by DeGarmo and Key entitled "I'm Accepted" has been especially important to me. The tune is simple, and the lyrics are pretty straightforward. Nonetheless, the reminder that I am accepted by God because of what Jesus has accomplished for fallen humanity is encouraging. 

Jesus always seemed to find himself in the presence of those who the world found "unacceptable." The downtrodden, the oppressed, the overlooked, the marginalized people of the first century were often the very individuals that Jesus engaged. Yes, he also hung out with sinners and what others may consider "the worst of society." 

He wasn't there to judge them, nor was he there to endorse their particular sins or wayward lifestyles. He was there to show them God's love and to point them to the life God desires for all of us. That life is a life of faithful loyalty to a God who has constantly been faithful and loyal to humanity. It is a life of love, compassion, grace, while also encompassing holiness, righteousness, and mercy. Jesus is the example of what God wants humans to be. 

John 1:12-13 says: "But to all who received him, he gave them the authority to become the children of God, to those who trust in his name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of human will, but of God." 

When Jesus is accepted into our lives, we find him giving us the authority to be accepted by God. God loved the world enough to give his one and only Son for our sins (i.e., for our very rebellion against the God who loved us in this manner), so that by trusting in Jesus and by being loyal to follow him we can receive the life God intended for humanity. Jesus loves sinners enough to die for them; Jesus loves the "unacceptable" enough to mingle with them; and Jesus loves us. In that sense we are accepted. 

God's ultimate desire is that we turn away from sin to trust in Jesus' gift to us and then to live loyally as a follower of Jesus. We need to leave a life of rebellion to become faithful followers of Jesus in order to live what God intends for humanity. Will that life always be upbeat, positive, and problem free? No, but it will always be accompanied with the presence of God in Jesus. 

Here is the song that has blessed me recently: 

I may not be rich
Don't wear fashion clothes
Don't live in a mansion
Don't have much that shows
Never won a contest in popularity
Don't have much to offer
But Jesus still loves me

I'm accepted, accepted
I'm accepted by the One who matters most

Never set a record in sports agility
Never was magnetic in personality
That don't really matter
I'll do the best I can
'Cause there's a God above me
Who loves me like I am

I'm accepted, accepted
I'm accepted by the One who matters most

If you think you're a loser
When you fail it seems at everything you do
Just remember there's a Savior
And you are worth enough
He gave His life for you

I'm accepted, accepted
I'm accepted by the One who matters most
I'm accepted, accepted
I'm accepted by the One who matters most
I'm accepted, I'm accepted
I'm accepted by the One who matters most

Thanks for reading! 

Outside Looking In

It wasn’t always this way, at one time you were accepted. You were the “go to” person that people called on for a variety of issues. Party? You were invited. Ministry? You were on the list. People needed help or counseling? You got the call. You were in demand. You were needed, even wanted.

Now, here you stand. Was it raining when you got here, or did it just start? The people inside look so warm and welcome. They seem happy, almost content. They are included.

And here you stand—outside, looking in.

You understand that you aren’t always going to fit. You recognize that you are not every person's “cup of tea.” That really isn’t the issue, is it? The issue is that you seem “left out” or “overlooked” or that you don’t belong.

Outside, looking in.

Are those tears mingling with the rain running down your face?

Where did it go wrong? When did you end up on the no fly list? How did it come to this?

The rain begins to slow down, but now your tears return in earnest. The dreams you had, the sense of a call to something bigger, something better, something more than . . . yet here you stand . . . outside, looking in.

Wiping your face, you turn to go. Loneliness overwhelms you for a moment. Then you see a familiar face.

Is that Jesus? Is He crying too? Why would He cry? Then you notice that His arms are open, reaching for you. Is He reaching to hug you or to receive a hug?

It doesn’t seem to matter as you embrace. You are home. Jesus is outside, looking in with you. No, the problems didn’t all fade away into oblivion, but all of a sudden they don’t seem to overwhelm. You have a friend, and for now that is sufficient.

Yes, sometimes life is hard. Sometimes we are really lonely. We could all get t-shirts that say “Been there, done that.” Finding out you are on the outside, looking in when you thought you were accepted and on the inside can be devastating. Regardless, Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is there, and he cares.

May His presence bring you joy even in turmoil. May His embrace remind you that you belong to Him.

I also want you to know that there are others that care. I am one of them. If I can help, please let me know. One step at a time, weary pilgrim, one step at a time. You really are not alone.

Thanks for reading! 

Missing my friend . . . Steve Huisman . . . again

 Hello friends:

Today (June 11) marks the day John Wayne passed away in 1979. As much as I like his movies, there is another man I'd like to honor today. You see, tomorrow will mark 16 years since one of my best friends passed away. Let me explain. My friend's name is Steve Huisman. I thank God for Steve and his memory, but I still miss him. Here is a little post about one of the best friends God ever allowed me to have. I hope it blesses you! 

Sixteen years ago on June 12, Steve Huisman went to be with his Lord. I don't know why his death is heavy on my heart this year, but it just is. I have so many things I want to share with him, so much to ask, and I need his honesty and I miss his advice. I miss Steve more than I can say. Many years ago (shortly after his death), I wrote the following note in memory of Steve. I read it again today and it brought tears to my eyes. I want to share it with you all again as a reminder of how important good friends are. If you have a friend like Steve, call that person today and thank them. If you don't, I pray that God will send you one soon. Here's the post in honor of my friend (written in 2006):

Steve Huisman.

Most of my readers will not recognize that name, although a few may think they know it. 

Steve was a very good friend of mine. In fact, he was one of the best friends I ever had. 

Steve died on June 12, 2006 in a plane crash. He was flying a plane in Florida that encountered some mechanical problems and crash landed on Davis Island. Steve died when the plane hit a home and caught fire. His co-pilot and the one person in the home survived. 

I don't want to dwell on how Steve died. I want to describe how he lived. 

Steve was a man that seemed at times to operate on an almost visceral level of honesty. He was unafraid to admit exactly how he was feeling and what he thought, especially when those thoughts and feelings pertained to his own spiritual status. 

Don't misunderstand me, he was not a negative person. He was just quick to recognize his own fallenness and struggles. And by his honest admission of his fallenness, he elicited from others a confession that often bordered on sacramental. 

Steve was my hero. 

I would never have completed my PhD if not for Steve Huisman. He was working on a correspondence course when he called me one day. He asked how the dissertation was going, and I confessed that I was struggling and didn't think I'd finished. Oh, my lovely wife was gently prodding me, the members of the dissertation committee were doing their part to help me out, but I just was not motivated. 

Steve had a great thought--"Leo, how about we call each other at 6:00 a.m. to update each other on our projects. It will be good for us and provide a source of accountability." 

Promptly at 6:00 the next morning, he called me. 

For about two years after that my early morning conversations with Steve were opportunities to admit my fears and my failures as well as times to rejoice in milestones and accomplishments. He never judged me when I had a bad day or week. He gently encouraged me to press on. He laughed with me when something funny happened, he celebrated with me when things got done. He walked with me, and by being there he pushed me to finish. 

When I graduated with my PhD, I neglected to tell him how much his encouragement had meant to me. Two weeks ago he called me here in VA. He was in FL and just wanted to talk. We talked about an hour about our families, our lives, our Lord. We laughed, we kidded each other, we prayed for each other. He told me that he wanted my wife to speak to his wife. As we were passing the phones, I cleared my throat and said, "Steve, I wanted to tell you how much your friendship means to me. You were God's instrument to help me finish my dissertation. I never adequately thanked you for that." I told him all the great things I loved about him--his acceptance, his honesty, his gentleness even when he corrected me or pushed me to discipline, his gut level love for other people that was evident in my life. I sang his praises, I think I embarrassed him. 

I told him I loved him. 

Little did I know it would be the last time we would talk on this earth. 

Steve went to be with the Lord in that plane crash, but he left an awful lot of good stuff behind. His life is still having an impact on others even though it has ended. His diligence to serve God and others has left the world a better place. His love for his wife and children have instituted a legacy that will no doubt bear great fruit. His ongoing desire to be the best he could be for God's sake continues to motivate those who knew him to a deeper intimacy with God through Christ. 

Steve was not a Bible scholar, but his life exemplified a clear understanding of the biblical call to follow Christ. He was a friend. He was a godly man. I miss him. 

God, how I miss him! 

I hate this fallen world of ours, but I know that it isn't home. Not completely. It is a way station. None of us are on this earth forever. 

I still miss Steve. 41 years is not enough. I only knew him about 13 or so of those years. 

He was a tall drink of water, a missionary kid with a love bigger than the world. He was the kind of guy you could trust to watch your most prized possessions. He had my back, he was my mighty and marvelous comrade. He helped me slay dragons and rescue the oppressed. Now I have to contemplate life without one of my wing men. Steve loved flying only slightly less than he loved God and his family. He loved to be in the air. Someday, I'll look up in the air and see him coming with Christ. It will be the ultimate flight, and it won't surprise me to see Steve enjoying every minute of the flight. 

Death invaded my life again. I can't imagine how his wife and children feel. I feel like I've been punched in the stomach, like I've lost something that cannot be replaced. I can almost hear Steve saying "I'll call you in the morning. You're going to make it! Hang in there!" 

Thanks Steve, for all you gave us. Thanks to God for sharing Steve with us for 41 years. I'm crying now and feeling like I'm rambling, so maybe I better stop. 

Live today like you have no tomorrow. Hug someone special and tell them you love them. Life is fragile, my friends, but God is strong. God is still in control, even though the world seems to spin crazily out of orbit. 

Hang in there! With God's help, we're all going to make it! 

Thanks for reading!

Annual Easter Post: What Did We Expect?

 A few years ago I wrote the note below as I contemplated the days leading up to Easter Sunday. As I read the note earlier this week, I thought it might be worth posting again. I hope it is a blessing to you!

The week before Easter is commonly called "Holy Week" by Christians. During this week we celebrate (is that the right word?) the last week of Jesus' life on earth. People sometimes make pilgrimages to Israel and retrace Jesus' final steps (the Via Dolorosa), they may pause at the "rock of agony" and cry where Jesus cried out to God in Gethsemane, they may go to the pit where Jesus was interrogated, they could pause where Jesus supposedly stumbled under the load of his cross, they could visit and contemplate Golgotha, they may visit the empty tomb, and they will most likely weep and cry and mourn.

Rightfully so . . . this was THE WEEK for which Jesus lived his entire human life, and it was a rough one for him. On Sunday before his crucifixion he entered Jerusalem with cheers ringing in his ears. The (usually fickle) populace embraced him for all the great miracles he performed, and they hailed his coming as though a conquering warrior had entered the city. Like paparazzi following a Hollywood star, they trailed behind this carpenter from Nazareth and looked for ways to become part of his entourage or to at least get a "piece of the action" as Jesus came to town.

Some of these same folks will probably yell "Crucify him!" in just a few days, by the way.

When Jesus offered them something tangible to grab, they wanted to be a team player, they wanted the fishes and loaves, the healings, the wonders, the mighty signs.

How soon their tune would change . . . how quickly they would turn on the one who was innocent of any sin except the failure to live up to THEIR expectations.

How like them we are today . . .

When things are going our way, we look to heaven and sing God's praises. We celebrate and sing and run to join the band as God rides triumphantly over all our "enemies." But as soon as Jesus fails to live up to OUR expectations, what do we do?

I know the spiritual answer--"though he slay me yet I will praise him."

Do we really? Will we? Will I?

I'm struck with how Jesus routinely challenged the popular expectations of the crowds who showed up hoping for another demonstration of heavenly power and flash. In John 12, just after the people have celebrated his "triumphal entry," Jesus tells them that the way to jump on his bandwagon is for his followers to hate their lives in this world. Just think how that must have sounded to the celebrants rejoicing in the coming of their conquering hero!

"You want to be a part of my movement, a part of my thing?" Jesus asks, "Then you will have to regard your life in this world as a dead man would. You have to become the least, the slave, the dead one, in order to get in on my movement."

Come and die.

What an invitation!

Of course, Jesus knew that in just a few days he would literally fulfill that invitation. The innocent would die for the unquestionably guilty . . . and he would die horribly.

I can just imagine how this conversation must have put a damper on the celebration in Jerusalem. Jesus took a party and turned it into a wake. The next thing we know he is engaged in theological discussions with the people and with the Jewish leaders. He created a controversy that caused folks to take sides. All he had to do was accept the adulation and promise to "win the war that must be won," but Jesus decided to go against expectations again. He decided to allow God to get the glory through humility and death.

Hasn't this happened to us? Just when we think we have God's agenda all spelled out like it ought to be, He throws us a curve ball that reminds us we aren't in charge! We have a hard time "boxing Jesus" into a neat package.

What's the point then? The point is that we should reverse the procedure. Instead of putting expectations on God, we should look for HIS expectations for us. What has He required of us? What does He want? How should we respond to His voice?

The week of Easter we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the process maybe we should participate in a funeral of our own. Maybe we should let die our selfish expectations about how God "ought" to act towards us. Bury them, and let God resurrect them in His image.

As we contemplate the price of our salvation, let us willingly become slaves to the one who has paid such a price to purchase our freedom. Like Jesus, let our prayer be "Father glorify your name." Remember, if a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it will yield much fruit. It is, however, pretty useless in a bag with other seeds. Let's allow God to plant us where he wants so that our service can produce fruit for his glory. Let's follow our crucified Lord by living cruciform lives.

What would the world look like if we did?

I'd really like to find out!

Thanks for reading!

A Meditation for the Week of the Resurrection: The Sacrament of Life

 I don't have a lot to say today, and I'd rather let two authors whose writings I respect speak for me. I want to say, however, that I have been thinking a bit today about how life is sacramental--how all that we experience can be full of the holy awesomeness that is God. Remember, Jeremiah said that God's mercies were new every morning, just like the morning dew. Today can be full of the sort of radical presence of God as to overwhelm us. In 1999, Ray Bradbury gave the following view of life:

"It is neither all beautiful nor all terrible, but a wash of multitudinous despairs and exhilarations about which we know nothing. Our history is so small, our experience so limited, our science so inadequate, our theologies so crammed in mere matchboxes, that we know we stand on the outer edge of a beginning and our greatest history lies before us, frightening and lovely, much darkness and much life."

This description of life sees our existence as awe inspiring and frightening, and such it is on many occasions. Storms come and blow and bluster against us, threatening to undo not only our homes, but our very lives. As Bradbury said, life can be frightening and lovely at the same time. For the child of God, however, life has a more sacramental flavor. Oh, we may not "feel" it every day, but the truth is (as some Christians have said) Jesus' very life has in some sense sanctified the mundane daily experiences of human life. His birth sanctified the birth process, his childhood sanctified childhood, yes, even his teen years consecrated those experiences in our own lives. As Frederick Buechner said:

"[C]hurch isn’t the only place where the holy happens. Sacramental moments can occur at any moment, any place, to anybody. Watching something getting born. A high school graduation. Somebody coming to see you when you’re sick. A meal with people you love. Looking into a stranger’s eyes and finding out he’s not really a stranger. If we weren’t blind as bats, we might see that life itself is sacramental." From Wishful Thinking.

I like that last part--"if we weren't blind as bats, we might see that life itself is sacramental." Recently God spoke to me in a silent moment, and today I seem to hear his voice in the mundane. As Paul reminds us in Romans, God's very nature and character are obvious to us in nature, but of course we must take the time to look and listen. We ignore the very evidence that surrounds us, we brush it aside and pretend it isn't there. We make an idol of that which is natural and wonder why it doesn't save us in our time of weakness and great need.

God often speaks in the simple things of life--celebrating a birthday, playing with children, caring for our animal friends, petting a cat and hearing his gentle purring, watching mindless cartoons and hearing the voice of God in laughter.

God is here, and he is not silent. He speaks, sometimes in whispers, sometimes in screams, but as he speaks he changes our lives; no, that's not right, he changes us. We become a type of living embodiment of the grace of God. Our lives become (in a sense) sacramental. As Messiah invades our existence, his sanctifying grace creates holy places in our simple lives. Our lives become his, and by being intertwined with him we find something beyond ourselves.

Life is sacramental and sacred. Don't take it for granted.

Enjoy the sacramental wine of your life, drink deeply from the grace of God in the everyday.

You won't be sorry.

Thanks for reading!

Going Sane in a Crazy World: Finding Rest when things Fall Apart

 Recently I preached a sermon at Forest Community Church in Virginia that was a repeat of a similar sermon from almost 10 years ago. I thought some of the ideas needed to be repeated, and I know that I needed to hear them. If you'd like a recording of the sermon, go here: Going Sane in a Crazy World. I hope this message blesses you! The notes for the sermon are below. 

Going Sane in a Crazy World—Finding Rest When Things Fall Apart

Psalm 46, Matthew 11:28-30

 

The Tick and Arthur: “You aren’t going crazy chum, you’re going sane in a crazy world!”

We live in a crazy world--Economic issues, Crazy political situations, Wars and rumors of wars, Personal Loss

 

Stress is everywhere! And it shows. It shows in our bodies — in our relationships — including our relationship with God.

It's hard to find time for intimacy, because intimacy takes time.

Time is a commodity you wish you could buy, and if you could, you would use it simply to buy peace, quiet, leisure—to do some things you long to do and not have to do them in such a rush. Just having time to think and to have the right atmosphere for thinking would be nice, wouldn't it?

There will always be tension to life. But it needs to be a healthy, creative tension, not life-sapping stress. Marriages, families, and personal lives are falling apart as stressed-out people run away, withdraw, explode, crash, burn out—and eventually find themselves so very much alone. I believe a major cause for our stress is that we react rather than act. We're all moving so quickly that we don't stop and consider our future. What will it demand of us? What will it cost? Are we willing to pay the price?

We simply move. We react to the immediate. I know it's an area where I really do battle. I want to do everything. I have so many ideas and I love the excitement and challenge of a new venture — the potential — the "project." So I react in the moment. I say "yes" when I should probably say "no"— forgetting that my time is already allotted to other things. We react in the flesh instead of acting under the Holy Spirit's control. You see, God knows our situations, he knows our issues and pressures. He knows our conflicts. And He has made provision for each and every one of them. And that provision is God himself in the person and presence of the Holy Spirit, indwelling us and empowering us to respond rightly.

This liberating response is wrapped up in the gift of a person--Jesus our Messiah. We need his promised rest. This idea is found explicitly discussed in Psalm 46. Today I want to consider this Psalm with you in thinking through how we can go sane in a crazy world. 

 

Going Sane in a Crazy World—Psalm 46:  The Frame is God’s Presence (v. 1) and our Position (v. 10): When God seems silent, be still and know his presence (Jesus says, “Come to Me”); When the world turns against us, be still and know his power (Jesus says, “Take my yoke, learn from me”); When things get hectic, be still and know him  (His yoke is easy and his burden is light); Going Sane means to Rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

 

When God Seems Silent: Be Still and Know His Presence (Be With Him) 

Psalm 46:1-3:  When life goes crazy, where is sanity?  Where is rest?  Where is God? In what way is God a refuge when life is in tatters?

C. S. Lewis—A Grief Observed

“Where is God?  When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him, so happy that you are tempted to feel His claims upon you as an interruption, if you remember yourself and turn to Him with gratitude and praise, you will be -- or so it feels -- welcomed with open arms.  But to go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find?  A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside.  After that, silence.  You may as well turn away.  The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will become. . . . What can this mean? Why is God so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in times of trouble?”

God’s presence has not changed, yet we seem to be unable to access it. God seems distant, or at least a bit unconcerned. Our world is shattered, where is the glue to hold us together? Why are we experiencing the apparent Absence of God?

Be still and know his presence.

 

When God Seems Silent

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus commands us to come to him. Who should come?  All who are weary or heavy burdened; All who think that their lives are over; All who think God has turned his back on them; All who face the awful silence of others and even God.

His promise is to give rest. He doesn’t promise results. He doesn’t even promise a “word from God.”

He promises “rest.”

Rest is a relief from hardship, pain, distress, and turmoil. It is the presence of Messiah in our hard times. 

Come to him and find rest.

 

Col. 1:15-17:  Jesus is the glue that holds reality together. 

The Psalmist calls us to put our trust in God who holds all things together. The words “refuge” and “strength” speak of God’s security and power. Our security is not in the ground beneath our feet; God is our ultimate unshakeable reality and the greatest power of all. Just because I don’t see the sun that doesn’t mean it ceases to exist.

When life gets hard, we need to stand still, to desist, to stop striving and to dwell on his presence. We need Jesus’ rest. God is omnipresent, he has gone nowhere.

Be quiet and listen

Psalm 91:7

Be still and know his presence.

 

When the World Turns Against Us: Be Still and Take His Yoke (Be His--He gives Power)

Psalm 46:4-7:  God is with his beloved Jerusalem

2 Corinthians 4:7-10—Jars of Clay

We are not exempt from hardships, difficulties, and bad emotions, but we are more than survivors (Romans 8:31-39; especially v. 37). We may be shaken, but we cannot be destroyed. The power by which we live and by which Jerusalem is sustained is the power of God. When things go south, we must learn NOT to rely on our abilities. Our power MUST come from a higher source.

God is There, and He is Able.

Be still and know his power.

 

In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus gives two more commands:  “Take my yoke” and “learn from me”. Jesus doesn’t think that rest is sitting still necessarily. This is a work in progress, it is still work. Yoke is what oxen wore. You often put an untrained ox with an older ox in order to help it learn. The yokes were specifically fit to the oxen. So it is with us, Jesus prepares us for the work he has in this world by fitting our yoke just to us, joining us in the yoke, and teaching us how to work—That is Rest!

Jesus’ humility and gentleness in teaching us gives us rest. As we learn to rely on the humble Messiah, we find rest.

Rest in his yoke, learn of his power.

 

When Things Get Hectic: Be Still and Know Him (Position--Be Still) 

Psalm 46:8-11

God's Word to us when we're on the ragged edge of reality:  Be Still, Desist, Cease striving, Stop Struggling, Rest. Psalm 46:10 says to "Be still," which may mean “rest.” It means to "let your arms down to your side"—to be vulnerable to God. God also says to "know that I am God." He calls for a cognitive and a personal response. We cease striving not because we know how it's going to work out, but because we know the God who will work it out.

C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed (continued)

"I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face? The time when nothing at all in your soul except a cry for help may be just the time when God can’t give it; you are like the drowning man who can’t be helped because he clutches and grabs. Perhaps your own reiterated cries deafen you to the voice you hoped to hear." 

 

Come to the Jesus, whose humility led him to die for you. Wear his yoke, do only his work. Do not look around at what everyone else is doing (This is Peter’s at the end of John). Keep his easy yoke and light burden as your protection. Only do those things God has placed on the yoke you share with Jesus.

Remember, he gives rest while he helps bear our load.

All kinds of things may be going wrong, but God remains unmoved and unchanged. He is constant, he is there, he is not silent, he has not moved. To know him is to know security even in the most hectic time. To know him requires time and stillness. We must sit with him, spend time with him, learn from him. We need lap time with our Father. We need to unravel, to experience Selah. His presence is ours, our position is to be still with him.

Be still and know him.

 

Now What?

So, life is going crazy.

How do we go sane in a crazy world?

How can we find firmness when things seem unsound?

We must begin with a proper focus. Whatever consumes our attention soon overwhelms our senses and colors our perspective. Instead of being consumed by the problem, we should turn our face to the Lord

This week we must schedule time with God. We must stand still on God’s firmness and stability. We must learn to quit striving, to cease kicking, to be still and to be vulnerable to what God may be doing. We must embrace God as our sole refuge, as our primary source of satisfaction.

This week find ways to create a space of peace in your hectic schedule. Take time to sit still.

This week, when the bottom falls out, when God seems silent, when the world turns against you, when things get hectic.

Be still, and know God’s power, presence, and person.

And you’ll find that he is a genuine refuge in time of trouble.

A Meditation on Psalm 30:5--God is There

 Psalm 30:5b “Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.”

We want God to fit the narrow confines of our personal preferences for him, we want him to sit in the corner until we need him (cf. Mark 4:38). But that is not the God of the Bible: He hears the oppressed cry out and sends an amazing deliverance that ruins Egypt (Exodus 2:23-25); he sees a woman struggling with life and relationships and sits by a well to talk theology with her (John 4:7-26); he sees an educated man curious about God's ways and astounds him with ideas from above (John 3:1-15); he meets a shepherd in a bush that burns but isn't destroyed (Exodus 3:1-6); he meets a persecutor/oppressor on the road with a brilliant light and vision (Acts 9:1-6); he comes to scared people at dinner and speaks peace to them (John 20:19-23); he naps on a boat assailed by a storm and when awakened cares for the needs of the alarmed sailors (Mark 4:35-41).

Jesus had a knack for seeing what others often ignored. The overlooked and often dispossessed were the very people with whom Jesus regularly visited and for whom Jesus still cares. Are we feeling invisible? Are we feeling ignored? There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. . . and we are called to imitate him.

He is the God who suffers . . . he is not so aloof as to fail to understand our suffering. No matter how dark our Gethsemane, the Light of the world is there. He suffered outside the city, alone, forgotten, with a sense of utter abandonment . . . and he knows. He knows we are weary, he knows we are "fed up," he knows we are lower than we have ever been . . . and he cares. Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. May the God of peace soon crush Satan beneath our feet . . . (Romans 16:20)

Thanks for reading! 

God sees the Invisible

 

Matthew 6:6b, 18b “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Here is an encouragement for those who think that they are invisible. You think others are advancing as you seem to move to the back. You also feel like your best efforts result in little real impact for the benefit of others (much less yourself!). The question is simple: do you really see the whole picture, or are you looking at a very narrow part of a larger panoramic scene?

Your focus may be too narrow. Sure, you don't get the spotlight or the accolades; that may be true. Yes, it may seem like no one notices when you actually accomplish something that helps. Here's the truth: "Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." God sees, and God knows.

Some of us see it too, and we are encouraged by your willingness to be faithful in spite of the lack of acknowledgment or applause. You are an encouragement to us. God is using you, sometimes in ways you can't quite see. The picture is bigger than you imagine, and your often unacknowledged actions play a larger role than you can see.

Continue to seek first God's kingdom, to remain faithful to his call, and it will be enough. God sees you. Thank you for being an encouragement today, faithful (but often weary) pilgrim! Faithfulness matters. 

Thank you for reading!