There's a Hole!

What you may not know about me is that my ministry “day job” is to give leadership to my church fellowship’s national disaster response.  In this role I interact with our churches, other churches and faith-groups, NGO’s and voluntary organizations active in disasters.  I have just returned from Oklahoma where not only did I see the devastation, we had to seek shelter from another one while I was there.

Recently my wife and I moved into a new home.  We all are aware that when you do, you spend weeks (no months!) doing “things.”  Things like installing blinds, hanging pictures, arranging (and re-arranging) furniture, etc.  I began a task that I had put off as long as I could—installing towel racks and toilet paper holders.  You know the drill---measure twice cut (or in this case “drill”) once.  I pride myself in being pretty savvy at these things, so I venture in with all of my wisdom and expertise.  Well, the very first towel ring over the sink in the guest bathroom created for me my dilemma.  I failed to look at the diagram correctly and see that the holes should be vertical, nor horizontal.

That’s right!  An unnecessary 3/16” hole on the bathroom wall!  I quickly determined that I could use one, mark another in the correct location and continue.  But there was this hole staring at me.  I began to fume, religiously of course, at myself and get disgusted at my error and that I had to do the job anyway.  I was flustered that I was having to concern myself with putting these things up.

Then, I heard a voice inside of me (really, I did!) say, “At least you have a wall to mount one on.”  

Oh boy!  That does it; humbled to my core.  There I was distraught over a silly 3/16” hole in the wall and I knew of people who only wished there home was still standing.  How could I be so caught up in my own little world?

We all do this from time to time.  We get so caught up in our own little problems and fail to see the larger, more brilliant picture God has put out before us.  The old hymn “Count Your Many Blessings” comes to mind and I do need to stop, even right now, and do that.

Nothing…Nada…Zip

I and many others traveling on this third rock from the sun this past week have had very vivid and personal reminders of what someone did for us long ago. Yes, Jesus of Nazareth—the Christ, suffered and died on a cross for my sins.  As Tony Campolo titled one of his books, “It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Coming!” we who are on this side of The Resurrection know that the grave could not hold Him.

I spent this week reading, studying and teaching a class at my church on Easter Sunday about the passion and the suffering.  As Henri Nouwen put it, “How can I rejoice fully in your Resurrection when I have avoided participating in your death?”  I even watched the finale of “The Bible” on the History Channel.  What I saw mirrored what I had felt through the week:  how could any person endure such agony?

The temptation here is to get all “preachy” and philosophical.  But I won’t.  I would like to get personal.  We know because we have heard it said all our lives that “Jesus did it all for me,” etc.  But seriously, he did!  I began to wonder if I could endure the beatings, the whipping, the flogging, the trudging up to Calvary carrying my death-causing lumber.  No, I couldn’t.

Yet, what if only one of my sins put me there?  Like us all, there are many to choose from.  But think for a moment of only one (it doesn’t have to be one of the “big ones”) and realize crucifixion is what we deserve.  Yet, Christ chose to take my place!

We sang “He Chose to Die” during our Maundy Thursday service.  Christ, being fully God, could have “called ten thousand angels” and zapped ‘em all.  That would have proved a point.  But love prevailed and he chose the suffering servant role.

Fast forward back to today in the twenty-first century and after this high holy week we Christians will return to our disciple-type of arguing over who is the best in His Kingdom and who will get the choice seats in Heaven.  I am pretty sure that I don’t get it all right, yet neither do you.  Still we voice our opinions as “gospel truth” and demean another follower of Christ as a lesser Christian because he or she sees an issue (usually a social one) differently.  Unfortunately, I have lived that kind of discipleship—one in which I was sure my interpretation was Biblical and anyone who saw it differently was wrong and really couldn’t be a real Christian.  When I sense that now from others, I wonder what happened to the “love one another” command Jesus gave to us.  I am pretty sure he meant it.

I describe myself now as a Romans 8 Christian. To summarize, this passage says that nothing can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord.  That’s it!  Nothing!  Nada!  Zip!  You can’t name one thing that can negate my relationship with Jesus Christ—and that is a very good thing.

Music fills the air!

Music is the universal language.  Music is prevalent during this festive time of year.  Music is imperative for a soul to really “sing.”

Music is very much a part of my family.  Melodies and harmonies abound around a family who all love to sing and whose Matriarch (my lovely wife) is a Minister of Music.

We are in the midst of providing music for our church and community and this year we are experiencing everything from Lessons and Carols to the John Rutter Gloria.  We have observed the music which lovely little ladies of our community have danced and have sung along with the local community orchestra.

Christmas is less festive, I believe, without music.  In fact, I love it when the radio stations begin their round-the-clock playing of Christmas “tunes.”  I sit in my office with one station playing them now.

What I am drawn to this year, however, is not the “Fa-la-la-la-las” but the intricacies of the crafted joining together of notes and rhythms and words to convey a message.  I have attended the concert of our local community’s orchestra, L’abri twice—once for their annual Christmas concert and then for a special venue with our church’s senior adults.  It was this second one that drew me in more than any other.  I sat at one of the closest tables to the orchestra.  In fact, it was pretty close to the conductor’s sweat produced by his wonderful leadership.
For the very first time ever my point of view allowed me to see up close and personal the violins, violas and cellos.  I saw the expressions on the faces of the instrumentalists as they purposely and perfectly produced the notes in sync; I saw their fingers and hands meticulously touch the strings to produce the differing notes; I saw the bows eloquently glide across the strings creating the sounds that, when placed all together, captured my ear, my mind and my soul.

Music is more than notes or rhythms. It is the carefully crafted, beautifully placed mixture of each individual’s unique touch and perspective marrying their desires for the same beautiful outcome.  Music of this season sings on in our hearts because we all know the tunes so well.

Music is a beautiful analogy for living in community with others.  As co-inhabitants of this wonderful planet we should applaud each other’s’ contributions and listen for the harmonies they bring.  Too many times, however, we tend to only hear the discord of those who may be different than us, go about life in a “peculiar way,” or tend to listen to the beat of a different drummer.

Maybe during this Holy Season we should just stop and listen.

This post originally ran on the ABPnews Blog (link to www.abpnews.com/blog & DEALingwithmyworld.blogspot.com

Praying behind his back

Recently my family was honored to participate in my son’s ordination to the Gospel ministry.  After heeding a call from God, enduring seven years of higher education and gaining quality experiences, his church in Topeka, Kansas felt it was time to “set him apart” in the Baptist tradition.

His friend and colleague brought the “Charge to the Congregation.”  Traditionally, these are words aptly spoken to remind the church what they were doing and what they should consider by this special recognition.  While typical admonitions to encourage and support this newly ordained minister were given, what rang out loud and clear to me was “pray for him behind his back.”

In all too many human interactions we are all too fast to talk, act and do things about another without including them, i.e., “behind their back.”  His encouragement was before your speak to him face to face, be sure you have prayed for him behind his back, or without his knowledge.  His counsel was that if we were prone to do this, we would more likely have less to “attack” another from the front side.

This is good advice for all congregants and their ministers.  Heck, it is good advice for every family member towards others in the family!  I sense that if we did more “praying for others behind their backs” we wouldn’t so willingly sling fiery darts their way attempting to burn down their good works or character.

Perhaps this is good advice for us and our newly elected and incumbent officials.  If all of us spent at least half the time we criticized in prayer for the person, I believe God would hear our prayers. When we actually approach the Throne of the Most High God on behalf of someone else, we just might begin to see her as a child of God just like ourselves.  We may even see that he, although frail like me, is attempting to hear God as best he knows how.

A little novel I read once had a statement that I have adapted as my personal mission statement:  Help people get to know Jesus better and let Him change them from the inside out.

Perhaps I should stop now and pray for you.  Will you also pray for me?

This post originally ran on the ABPnews Blog (link to www.abpnews.com/blog & DEALingwithmyworld.blogspot.com

Long, long ago and far, far away...

I remember a day when one would get in trouble for passing handwritten notes in class!  I also remember the first time a girl passed me one—be still my heart!  Yes, I also remember black and white TV with a dial for 13 VHF and UHF channels if you were lucky enough to “receive” any with aluminum foil-enhanced rabbit ears.

I remember cars with no air conditioning or cruise control and only AM radios.  I remember being sent to my room when “Laugh-in” and “Love American Style” was on.  I also remember our first color TV, an RCA, and when it “gave up the ghost” one summer—what’s a guy to do!!!  Well, my parents had bought a full set of World Book Encyclopedias, so I started in “A”.  I didn’t read every word and it certainly did not help me on my SAT score later on!  But my eyes were open to a whole wide world (the first www) that had before been so far away.  For a fifth grader those transparency drawings in “H” for human body began to really educate me.

I remember Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus fondly.  I was quite good with math and formulas were solved “long-hand” and on paper.  As a senior in high school I was introduced to the marvel now vaguely remembered as a slide rule.  I am still amazed how that thing actually worked.  Who figured that thing out?

I remember college chemistry class and having to formulate and calculate before I had a calculator.  In fact, it was Christmas of my freshman year of college asking for a pocket calculator with scientific notation.  You would think I had asked for a Corvette Stingray.  Those little gems, manufactured by Texas Instruments, cost a fortune.  Luckily Santa Claus found a Montgomery Ward model of the TI calculator for about half the price and I passed the last half of Chemistry.

I typed many of my college papers on a portable manual typewriter.  In seminary I was allowed to use the church’s IBM Selectric typewriter with backspace correction.  And, let’s not forget Kate Turabian?

I remember meeting my future father-in-law who had his very own Apple MacIntosh computer in their home.  I remember the first PC I had in my office in a church—it had the most impressive dark green screen on which bright light green letters would flash up when I typed!

Fast forward now into the twenty-first century.  (I remember when I thought it was so far, far away, too!)  I have a PC and a laptop computer in my home, my wife has an iPad, and we both carry on our hips “smart phones”—all of this keeps us instantly connected to our world.  If we have a question about a topic or wonder where an expression comes from, we “Google” it and obtain the knowledge desired.  We post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media our updates and we send and receive our emails—instantly.

I have caught on to the craze.  I’m hooked.  I have expanded my sphere of influence, or those who know what I’m up to, a hundred-fold with my posts and updates.

This morning I found it interesting that Twitter CEO announced enhancements to come as a result of users wanting their profiles to be more personal.  I say, “Duh! Read my update.”

I have to remind myself constantly that even though this world is flying by, God still whispers, “Be still and know that I am God.”

This post originally ran on the ABPnews Blog (link to www.abpnews.com/blog & DEALingwithmyworld.blogspot.com.

Tweet this, Facebook that

What is my life worth?  Is it all based on the perception of “friends” who read my posts on Facebook?  Do I need to be sure they know how I really feel about my LORD or politics?  And, what if I don’t “copy and paste” into my status to prove my love and submission to God?

I find it interesting to read posts on Facebook these days.  Yes, there are friends who I envy because of the life of leisure they are now able to live (or that’s all they choose to post about.)  There are those who pass along helpful posts and links from renowned authors.  Friends let me know about the significant life milestones going on.  I read and cherish each one; really I do.

There are also a myriad of political and pseudo-spiritual diatribes being espoused as well.  While I support the right of everyone to have feelings, thoughts and opinions about the happenings of our world, I am growing weary of posts which fane the sickness of one political party or philosophy over another; the “we are better than you are” mentality of one thought-process over another; the “world is going to hell in a hand basket” if you support the other candidate opinions.

Some of this is to be expected during an election year.  I joined “Facebook” four years ago and wondered about this then.  In fact, reading some of the posts then influenced my stating my political views in status as the Nike brand’s “Just Do It.”  Yes, I am concerned about our nation and who is leading it; but short of a new revolution, I’m not sure much will change.  I am more convinced that expressing my opinions on Facebook will not actually influence a change.

I suspect, too, that whatever I choose to express will put me in the “de-friend” category from some of my closest Facebook friends.  So, why risk it?  I’ve just found a bunch of them after many years of separation and I rather enjoy catching up.

On the other hand, Twitter keeps life simpler—or shorter as the case may be.  If I “tweet” I am limited to 140 characters.  I couldn’t even finish this blog with that limitation.

I would rather live my life attempting to please the LORD; and to do that I don’t need Facebook, Twitter, or email (although many times I wish He would send my answer this way.)  I don’t need current technology to report to Him my downfalls—He sees all and knows all.  I don’t need to report to Him that I agree with or disagree with the current popular “right” way of thinking.  What I suspect I DO need to do is treat every person I meet with respect, dignity and love.  They need to see and hear Christ living through me.  “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.” 

“No, nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our LORD.”  (Romans 8:38-39)

I’m going to eat my tuna fish salad sandwich on my back porch now.

This post originally ran on the ABPnews Blog (link to www.abpnews.com/blog & DEALingwithmyworld.blogspot.com.

Time Keeps on Slippin' Into the Future

24 hours = 1 day

168 hours = 1 week

627 hours, 720 hours, 744 hours = 1 month depending on calendar (except leap year)

8,760 hours = 1 year (note above)

495,670 hours (approx.) = my life thus far

Time Management.  What did I do today?  Did I earn my pay?  Have I wasted time?  How has my productivity been?  Did I give ample, adequate and quality time to my wife?  My children?  Prayer?  Bible study?  Service to others?  Recreation?

I do not punch a clock—for that I am grateful.  I admire those who do; they know that to do their “job” they must log certain amount of time.  It may be 9 – 5.  It may be split shifts.  It may be rotating shifts (oh the sleep deprivation!) 

Others’ “job” is to accomplish certain tasks and they may or may not use a calendar or time piece to gauge their work.  Farmers, for example, know that the ground must be tilled and prepared at a certain time, perhaps with a certain amount of moisture or temperature.  Seed should be planted at the “appropriate time” to better the chances of a successful crop.  During the growing “time” or season care must be given to the crop by weeding, pest control, and irrigation.  And then at the most very-right time, harvest!

My “work” is a mixture of things nowadays.  I affectionately call it “spinning plates in the air.”  Much of what I “do” relates to each other; so I struggle over assuring I give each one all the appropriate time and attention they deserve.  It is not much different than being fully engaged in local congregation employment (those of us who do or have done know that to be true!)  But one of the struggles I have been dealing with has been managing my time.

The song that is on “repeat” in my mind is the Steve Miller Band’s Time Keeps on Slippin’ Into the Future.  With every beat of my heart, the clock ticks and this second is no longer the last second, and so forth.  Jim Croce recorded another song Time in a Bottle in which he sings, “But there never seems to be enough time, To do the things you want to do, Once you find them.”

So, I am working hard to relax in the day, do what I can, consider the things I missed and re-evaluate how much stress I place on myself to get it all done.  I am reading back over this now and just got tired.  I think I’ll take a break now!