I am about to lose my last safe refuge in this burned out, tear-everyone-down culture that we live in. Long ago I lost interest in what is commonly called the news in our day. The problem is that it is usually not the news at all -- it is merely the latest tabloid-hyped rumors and innuendo available, or it is the well-shaped web of political spin and carefully slanted talking points.
Such manipulated gruel is passed off as fact and truth, but is mostly well-dressed lies, only half-truths at best. Character assissination has become spectator sport, and watching it only leads to one's own character being damaged and abused by the words and images that we allow to invade us.
For me, sports has been the last bastion of respite from the personal destruction wars that decimate our cultural landscape in politics and government and even seemingly private matters. But now sports is being reported by young men and women who wish to climb their career mountains on the bodies of those they have destroyed. Sports reporting has increasingly become tabloid journalism in the worst way. So just turn on the television or read the paper to see who is being torn down today. It is all so sad.
What is remarkable is that these so called pursuers of the "truth", will blur everything in the name of ratings. They blatantly muckrake for ratings, and yet on the same show that they pontificate about possible use of performance enhancing drugs, they present a professional wrestler, the so-called WWF champion, as an "athlete." Note to ESPN: professional wrestlers are entertainers, not athletes! And, by the way, a professional hot dog eater is not an athlete either! Give me a break!
Day after day we hear of the steroid investigations in baseball and the alleged doping scandals in track and field and in cycling. No sooner do we celebrate a fabled win in the Tour de France by American Floyd Landis, than we hear that he is under suspicion for high testerone levels. And seven time champion Lance Armstrong continues to be haunted by allegations of drug use, though he never ever tested positive.
Such is also true one of my heroes, legendary slugger Mark McGwire, who hit 583 home runs, and set the single season record of 70 in 1998, which is still the record for a right handed hitter. McGwire never tested positive, because there was no test, yet writers, so sanctimonius on this issue, seem to wish to punish him without hard evidence for a crime that was not even on the baseball books. But since McGwire comes onto the Hall of Fame ballot next year, we are sure to hear about it each week until the vote, and for the next 15 years until his eligibility is over. The same will be true of Sammy Sosa, Raphael Palmiero and Barry Bonds, all great players and worthy of election to the Hall of Fame.
Now I am not defending taking substances that destroy one's body or are against the law or against the rules of a sport. But we are on an ever changing landscape when it comes to performance enhancers in sport, and what I am against is a rush to judgment and the subsequent judging of people from the past by the standards of today. The self-appointed pundits of our culture have been doing too much of that instantaneous judge and jury stuff in recent years, making accusations seem like unfettered truth, even though much of the allegations are largley undocumented and colored in the most murky shades of gray. And the judgments being rushed to in professional baseball are on particularly shaky ground.
Even if the allegations are true about these legendary baseball players (Palmeiro is the only one who tested positive and it was at the very end of his amazing career), who is to say that these fellows were the only ones who took steroids or some other drug during the time of their careers? (McGwire admitted taking the over the over the counter GNC-sold drug called androstenedione, which was legal at the time). Yes, the drug we know he used was LEGAL!
Some criticize McGwire for not being more forthcoming before the congressional committee investigating steroids. I think he was the only one who was not grandstanding on that day. He was perhaps the most honest person recorded on videotape. Everyone else had an agenda, especially the pontificating congressmen. The fact that the very private McGwire would be nervous at such a circus should be no surprise. The fact that he is an honorable team mate who did not wish to throw other players under the scandal train was actually admirable. He knew they had families and real lives and that digging up the past was pointless. We now know steroids are bad. Test for and eliminate them! Case closed. Stop the vultures from picking living men's bones.
But since only SIX players were called, isn't judging him by his performance on capitol hill a bit unfair. How would the hundreds of other players that McGwire played with (and against) have answered the same queries? If Jose Canseco, who is the main accuser of McGwire, is such a beacon of truth, then how do you handle his assertion, under oath, that steroids were "as acceptable in the '80s and mid-to-late '90s as a cup of coffee." Aren't there others who should be asked questions by congress? Or should baseball be treated like football and just say that a testing policy is now in place and that the past is the past. The NFL approach seems far more sane to me.
Think about it. Could there not have been others who took them? And what is the measure -- is a single use enough to disqualify a great career? What is the measure, O great baseball writers, who seemingly never make mistakes? You seem to know so much about every little thing in life? But you seem blind to compassion and forgiveness and giving someone the benefit of the doubt, and about taking a look at the good in a person's life, along with the percieved bad things.
Perhaps someone who was coming back from injury or who wanted to keep playing everyday took them. (Which is the main thing steroids do, they help you recover -- they do not help you hit a baseball!) What if even the great Tony Gwynn or Cal Ripken or Roger Clemons had some steroid treatment early in thier careers? Do you throw them under the bus, too? How far do you go? How deep are you going to investigate every player of the last 30 years? What is your measure of truth in testimony? Do you take the word of celebrity seekers and known criminals as gospel?
In a game that has known its fair share of cheaters, from spitballers to ball scuffers (some in the Hall of Fame), from bat corkers to spike sharpeners (some in the Hall of Fame), the current sanctimoniousness of writers and some ill-informed fans is disheartening. Think of the simple change in diet and vitamins (which has produced much larger players over the last 60 years), and the changes in ball parks and their sizes, and the rules changes like raising and lowering the pitcher's mound, and possible tightening of ball seams (the so-called rabbit ball), and you can see how records have been manipulated.
No one can say that the short right field in Yankee stadium did not help Ruth and Maris. No one can say that the Atlanta launching pad that Hank Aaron played in did not give him an advantage. Yet no one questions those records. If you throw out the records of McGwire and Sosa and Bonds, how about all the records their play affected. Do you erase their at bats and runs scored, too? How far do you go in a team game where the games have been over and done for years?
I had a friend who took steroids in the seventies to play football -- he gained 60 pounds of muscle. But he was not a very good football player. Steroids made him bigger, but not a better athlete.
I feel sorry for Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. They saved baseball in 1998, with their mythic pursuit of the home run record. What a remarkable summer that was. But now they have been cast on the garbage heap of time by a consumer culture that has lost its own heart and compassion. I pray they can stand up to the incessant pressure of the media lynch mob. I pray they know Jesus Christ and that they seek His help and strength from the Scriptures. It seems as if not one of the mob bent on destroying them has ever read John chapter eight.
It is no longer innocent until proven guilty. If the press decides you are guilty, that is all that is needed. Childhood memories of recent children are being crushed and discarded, and no one seems to care. The same could have been done to those who idolized Cobb and Ruth, who had multiple skeletons in thier closets, but that injustice was not done to those children, and I am glad.
So I no longer have sports as a cultural refuge. I guess I will just have to read the Bible more often. Of course, the self-appointed truth police may want to drug test the relics of the saints. Such is the way things seem to be going.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Our Citizenship is in Heaven
I am constantly amazed at what the Bible says -- there are amazing statements of faith and promise in the Bible that are often glossed over and sometimes completely overlooked. Too often we try to intellectualize their radical truths away, and somehow turn these dynamic phrases into the pablumic sameness of the world's cultural existence.
But as a canonical Christian (one who believes the Holy Spirit guided and established the canon of Scripture, and, therefore, we must accept it and deal with it as God's Word), I know that the Lord Himself urges me to let His words seep into my bones and to be a lamp unto my feet (Psalm 119:105). When I seek God's wisdom from the Word, the Spirit teaches me in many levels and ways, and it is always wonderful.
Such is the case with Phillipians 3:20-21, which declares our citizenship is already in heaven."20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself." What an totally awesome truth!
Are you living as a citizen of heaven, as an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ? What is keeping you from living out your citizenship in the here and now? Heaven has an outpost on earth and we are a part of it! Amen! Amen!
But as a canonical Christian (one who believes the Holy Spirit guided and established the canon of Scripture, and, therefore, we must accept it and deal with it as God's Word), I know that the Lord Himself urges me to let His words seep into my bones and to be a lamp unto my feet (Psalm 119:105). When I seek God's wisdom from the Word, the Spirit teaches me in many levels and ways, and it is always wonderful.
Such is the case with Phillipians 3:20-21, which declares our citizenship is already in heaven."20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself." What an totally awesome truth!
Are you living as a citizen of heaven, as an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ? What is keeping you from living out your citizenship in the here and now? Heaven has an outpost on earth and we are a part of it! Amen! Amen!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Pray for the Shalom of Jerusalem
The escalated violence in the Middle East brings us great sadness, as people continue to kill and maim each other. The senseless bloodshed has marred and twisted the lives of generations of Palestinians and Israelis in a struggle that began long ago, and that seems to have no end. Yet we see Jerusalem as an integral place for three great faiths, all of which trace their ancestry back to father Abraham. For Christians, the Lord Jesus studied the Hebrew Scriptures and lived faithfully, according to the Law of Moses. He also is written about often in the pages of the sacred Koran of Islam. The connections that one finds in the Middle East are unmistakable. Yet many choose to major in the differences, and peace remains a mist in the desert.
In Psalm 122, there are prescient words -- "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels."
We need to remember that the Hebrew word which we have as "peace" is actually "Shalom", which means much more that our understanding of peace. Shalom is a wholeness and well-being in the sense of everything working together smoothly, particularly in the sense of being at one with God. Jerusalem was established after all David's warfare and was not troubled militarily, but the need for keeping in step with the LORD was always a matter for the prayers of the faithful. The need for peace -- peace with God and peace with each other, remained. So peace here, shalom, is an inclusive term. Not just military peace, but wholeness and inner peace and peace with others in fellowship ways. So when we pray for peace, let us pray for all kinds of peace, including the peace that comes through full knowledge of the Messiah, Yeshua, who is the Prince of Peace.
Jerusalem remains the city special to God, from which He seeks to bless all mankind. It is a city which is in as great a need of God's Shalom as any other city. There are all the modern stresses and strains, with the added stress from the evil of some of its enemies, who are trying to push the Israeli people into the sea. Jerusalem needs prayers for its protection and defense. So let us pray for peace and cessation of war, and for the futures of the children, both Israeli and Palestinian, and look expectantly for the total peace of Jerusalem, which will happen with the coming of the Messiah. Come quickly, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20)
Monday, July 17, 2006
Creation Care -- Pray for the Environment
Care for the environment, (and the awakening to our human capacity to damage it), is coming to the forefront of the Christian agenda. We can see a world in big trouble, creation groaning under the burden humans place on it, and we need to respond with caring acts, thinking of the futures that our children and grandchildren face. We need to care for God's creation.Creation is God's first Scripture, declaring His greatness. Read Psalm 19:1-4: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
We look forward to a time when a congregation’s concern for the environment will be as natural as its care for the sick and the poor, because a sick envioronment makes people sick and poor! We look to the Churches leading public debate back to this most fundamental of all concerns -- care and stewardship of the lands and the world that God has given to us. May God raise up new seekers of justice like Amos to proclaim this truth.
Evangelical Christian leaders like author and pastor Rick Warren have called for us all to be involved in "creation care." The National Association of Evangelicals, in its Evangelical Call for Civic Responsibility, stated last October: "We affirm that God-given dominion is a sacred responsibility to steward the earth and not a license to abuse the creation of which we are a part. Because clean air, pure water, and adequate resources are crucial to public health and civic order, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from the effects of environmental degradation."
Amen to that! It is time for us to sing a new song of caring for our environment. "Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth . . . Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy." Psalm 96:1,11-12.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Mirrors of Christ's Light and Love
Have you ever come upon a lake when there was not a breeze in sight, and the water becomes a mirror of unspeakable beauty? A recent reflection came to me that we most clearly mirror Christ when we become still and know that God is God, when we seek to reflect His beauty, truth and grace. We, God’s image and likeness, (Genesis 1:27) are to become like mirrors.
In 2 Corinthians 3:18, we are described as "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord." When we behold His glory, we will be "transformed into the same image"—that is, the likeness of Christ. God's people are called to reflect God's glory. To do that we must make it our habit to behold His glory. We must read and meditate on His Word. The more we read adn meditate, the more like Christ we become. That is the miracle of Scripture and its affect on transformative sanctification. The Spirit uses the Word to frame our lives. We must pray and trust God's Holy Spirit to work in our hearts. Only then can we obey His commands and depend on His promises.
Whose glory are you reflecting today? A poet wrote that the face is a mirror of the heart—do people see the light of Jesus in yours?
Making Good Choices -- Choosing Life!
Now is the time to begin making good choices – success in all of life, in every area, comes from making good choices. Choose love, choose peace, choose freedom, choose life, choose Jesus.
The human body is "fearlessly and wonderfully made" (Psalms 139:14), and in itself was created by God to heal itself. But, for the body to continually do this, we must provide it with the proper nutrients in their proper proportions. Whenever possible, we need to eat foods in the perfect natural way which God created them, unaltered by man.
"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:31 We need to avoid refined, highly processed foods, stripped of the nutrients God put in our foods to nourish our bodies. It is God's perfect will for us to not get sick, but to live healthy, fulfilled lives. We can accomplish that by obedience and healthy living, by being proactive, with actions that help prevent health problems and maintain God’s perfect health!
We cannot expect to break natural laws (created by God) and expect our bodies to function perfectly. We must do our part if we expect God to heal us, if we are breaking natural laws and not taking care of the body, a Holy temple of the living God (2 Cor. 6:16). We must confront our wicked ways of eating and living, and repent. We must humble ourselves, and repent and change our ways.
2 Chronicles 7:14, which is often referred to when talking about revival of America, also gives us a pattern for America’s number one health problem – obesity. Its basic spiritual principles fit other individual and collective problems, too, but it hits the national epidemic of obesity dead on. “If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
The human body is "fearlessly and wonderfully made" (Psalms 139:14), and in itself was created by God to heal itself. But, for the body to continually do this, we must provide it with the proper nutrients in their proper proportions. Whenever possible, we need to eat foods in the perfect natural way which God created them, unaltered by man.
"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:31 We need to avoid refined, highly processed foods, stripped of the nutrients God put in our foods to nourish our bodies. It is God's perfect will for us to not get sick, but to live healthy, fulfilled lives. We can accomplish that by obedience and healthy living, by being proactive, with actions that help prevent health problems and maintain God’s perfect health!
We cannot expect to break natural laws (created by God) and expect our bodies to function perfectly. We must do our part if we expect God to heal us, if we are breaking natural laws and not taking care of the body, a Holy temple of the living God (2 Cor. 6:16). We must confront our wicked ways of eating and living, and repent. We must humble ourselves, and repent and change our ways.
2 Chronicles 7:14, which is often referred to when talking about revival of America, also gives us a pattern for America’s number one health problem – obesity. Its basic spiritual principles fit other individual and collective problems, too, but it hits the national epidemic of obesity dead on. “If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Thursday, July 13, 2006
The Path to Good Health is in Your Mouth
On July 12, 2006, God gave a word to me in a prayer meeting with a group of trusted friends as we prayed together for strength and revelation. It was short and simple, but so very profound!
“The path to health is in the mouth, what goes into it, and what comes out of it.”
As I have reflected on this word from the Lord, its power and wisdom amazes me. What we eat and drink goes into our mouths, and the choices we make in these areas are so important. What we say and pray also comes out of our mouths, and it is a key to our spiritual life. What we decree in Jesus Name can change things, and what we eat can directly change our bodies. Our words need to align with God's word, and should be positive, not negative. What we eat and what we say both effect us in huge ways. They go hand in hand for our health.
Life is an adventure...and it can pass you by if you aren't looking for it. How do you look for life or have an adventure with it? Live it the way God intended for you to...live it to the fullest. Love and respect yourself - get healthy and take care of your body and soul, look for the best in people - even if they are the worst, look for the best and rejoice in that. Begin to take advantage of the pathway to health and blessing that God has provided for you.
For too long good Christians have been influenced by our culture in the things we eat and the way we prepare them. It is high time that we shake off the bondage of the culture and set ourselves free from ways of eating that foster addictions to sugar and flour and fried foods. I must do this -- and so do many others in America. And if we love our children, we must help them build a good foundation of eating and lifestyle habits. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6.)
Taking care of our temples (our bodies) is a responsibility many of us Christians need to work on. America is becoming a health wasteland, because in large part to bad choices, both individually and collectively. Chronic disease is epidemic in the United States. Cancer is the number one killer. Diabetis, Lupus, Krohns disease are on the rise. More children are being born with ADHD and autistic. One big contributing reason: American diet. Our immune system is hammered with chemicals, preservatives, nitrites, sulfites, phosphates, and heavy metals. All of this can contribute to chronic disease and cancer.
On top of all this, we have record pollution rates in our environment. The healthiness of water we drink is suspect in many parts of the country. Manmade electromagnetic fields invade our bodies on a regular basis. The air we breathe is often laced with bad things. To add insult to injury, the greenhouse effect and other negatives from our out of balance ecosystem are contributing to global warming, rises in skin cancer, and severe climate changes that affect the health of many people. Bad choices beget bad situations. We must humble ourselves, respond to God's truth, and repent and change our ways.
“The path to health is in the mouth, what goes into it, and what comes out of it.”
As I have reflected on this word from the Lord, its power and wisdom amazes me. What we eat and drink goes into our mouths, and the choices we make in these areas are so important. What we say and pray also comes out of our mouths, and it is a key to our spiritual life. What we decree in Jesus Name can change things, and what we eat can directly change our bodies. Our words need to align with God's word, and should be positive, not negative. What we eat and what we say both effect us in huge ways. They go hand in hand for our health.
Life is an adventure...and it can pass you by if you aren't looking for it. How do you look for life or have an adventure with it? Live it the way God intended for you to...live it to the fullest. Love and respect yourself - get healthy and take care of your body and soul, look for the best in people - even if they are the worst, look for the best and rejoice in that. Begin to take advantage of the pathway to health and blessing that God has provided for you.
For too long good Christians have been influenced by our culture in the things we eat and the way we prepare them. It is high time that we shake off the bondage of the culture and set ourselves free from ways of eating that foster addictions to sugar and flour and fried foods. I must do this -- and so do many others in America. And if we love our children, we must help them build a good foundation of eating and lifestyle habits. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6.)
Taking care of our temples (our bodies) is a responsibility many of us Christians need to work on. America is becoming a health wasteland, because in large part to bad choices, both individually and collectively. Chronic disease is epidemic in the United States. Cancer is the number one killer. Diabetis, Lupus, Krohns disease are on the rise. More children are being born with ADHD and autistic. One big contributing reason: American diet. Our immune system is hammered with chemicals, preservatives, nitrites, sulfites, phosphates, and heavy metals. All of this can contribute to chronic disease and cancer.
On top of all this, we have record pollution rates in our environment. The healthiness of water we drink is suspect in many parts of the country. Manmade electromagnetic fields invade our bodies on a regular basis. The air we breathe is often laced with bad things. To add insult to injury, the greenhouse effect and other negatives from our out of balance ecosystem are contributing to global warming, rises in skin cancer, and severe climate changes that affect the health of many people. Bad choices beget bad situations. We must humble ourselves, respond to God's truth, and repent and change our ways.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The Amazing Bible and Its Central Truth
The Bible is a truly amazing book, and there is much evidence of an unseen hand bringing it all together. Note this fact: the King James Bible has 31,174 verses — an even number — so there is no one "center" verse, but there are center verses, which echo the same truth. The 15,587th and the 15,588th verses, within Psalm 118 (Psalm 118:8-9, to be exact). They state: "8 It is better to trust in the LORD, than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD, than to put confidence in princes." Modern day princes are governmental leaders, and we learn more and more that they, in their utter human-ness in this broken world, are not he source of our well-being. We must put our trust in the LORD!
The absolute center chapter of the Bible is Psalm 117 -- and it is the shortest chapter, with just two verses -- "1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him all ye people. 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord!" There are 594 chapters up to (and including) Psalm 116, and 594 Chapters from 118 on (including Psalm 118). So at the very center of the Bible is the call to trust the LORD, and to sing His praises, for He is merciful and kind to us, and His truth endures forever.
Psalm 119, with its famous verse 105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet," is the longest chapter in the Bible. What is more, Psalm 119 is an acrostic, written with 8 verses for each of the Hebrew consonants in order, so verses 1-8 each have a first word beginning with 'aleph and verses 9-16 each have a first word beginning with beth, etc.
The next time you pick up a Bible know that it is much more than a book or a collection of books. It really is God's Word and it has been inspired and nurtured and preserved by the Holy Spirit so that you might read it and use it in this time and place. These words are good medicine for your mind and spirit and healing to your very bones. May they seep into your being and give you comfort, joy and peace.
The absolute center chapter of the Bible is Psalm 117 -- and it is the shortest chapter, with just two verses -- "1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him all ye people. 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord!" There are 594 chapters up to (and including) Psalm 116, and 594 Chapters from 118 on (including Psalm 118). So at the very center of the Bible is the call to trust the LORD, and to sing His praises, for He is merciful and kind to us, and His truth endures forever.
Psalm 119, with its famous verse 105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet," is the longest chapter in the Bible. What is more, Psalm 119 is an acrostic, written with 8 verses for each of the Hebrew consonants in order, so verses 1-8 each have a first word beginning with 'aleph and verses 9-16 each have a first word beginning with beth, etc.
The next time you pick up a Bible know that it is much more than a book or a collection of books. It really is God's Word and it has been inspired and nurtured and preserved by the Holy Spirit so that you might read it and use it in this time and place. These words are good medicine for your mind and spirit and healing to your very bones. May they seep into your being and give you comfort, joy and peace.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Sermons in Every Sunset -- Whispers of God's Greatness
Every time I see the sun rise or set, I am in total awe. Last summer I rose early one Saturday during a weekend at a church camp on Lake Okoboji in the Great Lakes region of Iowa. Seeing the myriad colors of that rising paints my mind each time I remember it. We see thousands of reasons to believe in God every day. His creation trumpets His praises, even when we are spiritually deaf. As Romans 1:19 and 20 proclaims: “But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being.”
God created the world and that God interacts with God’s creation. Since I was a young boy I have been reciting the Apostle’s Creed Sunday after Sunday, both in the Methodist Church of my childhood and the Presbyterian Church of my adult years. “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth” has been uttered untold billions of times by Christians around the globe. Seeing God as Creator is foundational that is to our doctrine and affirming it is to all the other tenets of our faith.
Recently, I came across one of my favorite books, Faith Seeking Understanding, where I was once again transformed by the Scripture -based words I found there. Theologian Daniel Migliore writes eloquently of the good creation: “The Bible proclaims the Good News in its very first verse, “In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth”(Gen 1:1). The creation of the world is the first of the majestic and gracious acts of the triune God. It is Gods calling “into existence the things that do not exist” (Rom. 4:17). While the good news of God’s free grace has its center in the liberating and reconciling work of Jesus Christ … the sovereign goodness of God is already at work in the act of creation. The triune God who eternally dwells in loving community also welcomes into existence a world of creatures different from God. The creation of the world, its reconciliation in Jesus Christ, and its promised renewal and consummation are all acts of the one triune God and they all exhibit the astonishing generosity and beneficence of this God.”
The doctrine of creation affirms God’s care for the created order and is the basis for renewed attention to the stewardship of the world in Christian ecological theology. We have a responsibility to care for God’s creation in our dominion. Migliore points out that God values and takes delight in all creatures and that “all creatures are able in some way to give glory to God the creator.” He goes on to write that “while the stars, the trees, and all the animals do not speak or sing of the glory of God in the same way as humans do, in their own way they too life up their praises to God, and for all we know they do this with a spontaneity and consistency far greater than our own.”
These thoughts echo the feelings of my adopted brothers and sisters of the Tlingit nation of Southeast Alaska, who have long held a belief in the sacredness of creation and the special relationship to the one God that every part of creation shares. The Tlingits, most of whom are Christians but still hold some core beliefs of their original Native philosophy, speak of the need for respect of the Creator and all of Creation. The Creator is called the “Diki En Kowoo” which means the Spirit above. For Native Christians, the Diki En Kowoo came to earth and walked as a man. His name was Jesus and he was a tribal person of brown skin in a land far away. The elders of my village often say “He was Respect in human form – no one respects the creation more than the Creator. We must show our respect for the Creator by respecting His creation. All life is sacred.”
So it is that when I read the eloquent words of Migliore I heard the whispers of the ones who adopted me and their ancestors. It is special to see that the doctrine of creation honors God and all that God has created and that creation is good. With spiritual eyes wide open, aided by the spctacles of the Word, we can see the co-existence and interdependence of all created beings also strikes a chord in my mind. During my five years in the wilderness of Alaska I was privileged to see nature as few see it, guided by such experts as Native fishermen and hunters, as well as whale watching scientists on Frederick Sound. Again and again I saw the circle of life played out with amazing natural precision. A thousand miracles dance on the northern Pacific each moment of the day, and God writes dissertations as the salmon return and pens sermons in every sunset.
God created the world and that God interacts with God’s creation. Since I was a young boy I have been reciting the Apostle’s Creed Sunday after Sunday, both in the Methodist Church of my childhood and the Presbyterian Church of my adult years. “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth” has been uttered untold billions of times by Christians around the globe. Seeing God as Creator is foundational that is to our doctrine and affirming it is to all the other tenets of our faith.
Recently, I came across one of my favorite books, Faith Seeking Understanding, where I was once again transformed by the Scripture -based words I found there. Theologian Daniel Migliore writes eloquently of the good creation: “The Bible proclaims the Good News in its very first verse, “In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth”(Gen 1:1). The creation of the world is the first of the majestic and gracious acts of the triune God. It is Gods calling “into existence the things that do not exist” (Rom. 4:17). While the good news of God’s free grace has its center in the liberating and reconciling work of Jesus Christ … the sovereign goodness of God is already at work in the act of creation. The triune God who eternally dwells in loving community also welcomes into existence a world of creatures different from God. The creation of the world, its reconciliation in Jesus Christ, and its promised renewal and consummation are all acts of the one triune God and they all exhibit the astonishing generosity and beneficence of this God.”
The doctrine of creation affirms God’s care for the created order and is the basis for renewed attention to the stewardship of the world in Christian ecological theology. We have a responsibility to care for God’s creation in our dominion. Migliore points out that God values and takes delight in all creatures and that “all creatures are able in some way to give glory to God the creator.” He goes on to write that “while the stars, the trees, and all the animals do not speak or sing of the glory of God in the same way as humans do, in their own way they too life up their praises to God, and for all we know they do this with a spontaneity and consistency far greater than our own.”
These thoughts echo the feelings of my adopted brothers and sisters of the Tlingit nation of Southeast Alaska, who have long held a belief in the sacredness of creation and the special relationship to the one God that every part of creation shares. The Tlingits, most of whom are Christians but still hold some core beliefs of their original Native philosophy, speak of the need for respect of the Creator and all of Creation. The Creator is called the “Diki En Kowoo” which means the Spirit above. For Native Christians, the Diki En Kowoo came to earth and walked as a man. His name was Jesus and he was a tribal person of brown skin in a land far away. The elders of my village often say “He was Respect in human form – no one respects the creation more than the Creator. We must show our respect for the Creator by respecting His creation. All life is sacred.”
So it is that when I read the eloquent words of Migliore I heard the whispers of the ones who adopted me and their ancestors. It is special to see that the doctrine of creation honors God and all that God has created and that creation is good. With spiritual eyes wide open, aided by the spctacles of the Word, we can see the co-existence and interdependence of all created beings also strikes a chord in my mind. During my five years in the wilderness of Alaska I was privileged to see nature as few see it, guided by such experts as Native fishermen and hunters, as well as whale watching scientists on Frederick Sound. Again and again I saw the circle of life played out with amazing natural precision. A thousand miracles dance on the northern Pacific each moment of the day, and God writes dissertations as the salmon return and pens sermons in every sunset.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Whatever Happened to Brotherly Love?
Whatever happened to brotherly (and sisterly) love? That is a question that a wise friend asked me. He said that he saw a meanness in American life that was not as evident before, a coarseness of private and public discourse that made him sad. He remembered times when neighbors seemed to be more helpful to each other, and more caring about each other’s families and general welfare.
My friend reminisced about a time when humor was not so harsh and cutting, and not always at someone else’s expense. He said he knew that politics had always been rough and often dirty, but contemporary technology has upped the ante, often made running for office character suicide, where even the winners have usually lost everything but the election. So we chatted a while, and our conversation came near to being a requiem for the moral concept of brotherly love that we remembered so fondly from our youth.
But when I went to prayer time tonight I was reminded that we must not let it disappear. The fight for brotherly love, for human agape, must not die with us. Sometimes I believe that brothers and sisters in Christ forget the relationship that they ought to have one with the other. Sometimes there are things that are done one to the other that are completely wrong and hurtful.
Often times Christians forget that we, if remaining faithful, will share Heaven. Yet, some folks seem to want to hate each other here on this earth. The Bible tells us how we should continue in our walks with brothers and sisters. Hebrews 13:1 "Let brotherly love continue."
As a matter of fact we should love each other as Christ loved us and be even willing to give our lives for one another. We Christians must seek for our actions to align with the Bible. 1 John 3:16-18 “ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”
What is more, we should love our enemies. That is powerful spiritual medicine! Looking at the love a Christian should have for his or her enemy really gives clarity to "brotherly love". In Matt 5:43-45, Jesus states "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”
Christ commands us to love each other and he tells us that this will be sign that we are his disciples. (John 13:34-35) We are called to be faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ, but our weapons are spiritual, grounded in Scripture and prayer. And the greatest weapon of good is love. The time has come for Christians to walk the walk, and not just talk the talk. Everyone who calls himself or herself a Christian must consider all their actions in comparison to the Golden rule (Matthew 7:12) and the commandment to love.
If we begin to do that, we will begin to find a kinder and gentler America, and a more hopeful, expectant world. Many of our problems will melt like fog on a sunny morning. Kindness beats meanness every time. (1 Cor. 13) It is time for brotherly love to make a comeback.
My friend reminisced about a time when humor was not so harsh and cutting, and not always at someone else’s expense. He said he knew that politics had always been rough and often dirty, but contemporary technology has upped the ante, often made running for office character suicide, where even the winners have usually lost everything but the election. So we chatted a while, and our conversation came near to being a requiem for the moral concept of brotherly love that we remembered so fondly from our youth.
But when I went to prayer time tonight I was reminded that we must not let it disappear. The fight for brotherly love, for human agape, must not die with us. Sometimes I believe that brothers and sisters in Christ forget the relationship that they ought to have one with the other. Sometimes there are things that are done one to the other that are completely wrong and hurtful.
Often times Christians forget that we, if remaining faithful, will share Heaven. Yet, some folks seem to want to hate each other here on this earth. The Bible tells us how we should continue in our walks with brothers and sisters. Hebrews 13:1 "Let brotherly love continue."
As a matter of fact we should love each other as Christ loved us and be even willing to give our lives for one another. We Christians must seek for our actions to align with the Bible. 1 John 3:16-18 “ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”
What is more, we should love our enemies. That is powerful spiritual medicine! Looking at the love a Christian should have for his or her enemy really gives clarity to "brotherly love". In Matt 5:43-45, Jesus states "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”
Christ commands us to love each other and he tells us that this will be sign that we are his disciples. (John 13:34-35) We are called to be faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ, but our weapons are spiritual, grounded in Scripture and prayer. And the greatest weapon of good is love. The time has come for Christians to walk the walk, and not just talk the talk. Everyone who calls himself or herself a Christian must consider all their actions in comparison to the Golden rule (Matthew 7:12) and the commandment to love.
If we begin to do that, we will begin to find a kinder and gentler America, and a more hopeful, expectant world. Many of our problems will melt like fog on a sunny morning. Kindness beats meanness every time. (1 Cor. 13) It is time for brotherly love to make a comeback.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Pray for Our Country
As we near the Fourth of July we are struck with how blessed we are to have been born here, and to live in this great country. Our nation has been overwhelmed with abundance and great privilige, and we must respond rightly to the responsibility that goes with that blessing.We remember 9-11-01, and we realize how precious life and freedom are for each of us, and how we should cherish each other in the time that we have together. And as we pray, there is much that troubles us about our national problems of greed and selfishness, and the sinfulness and brokeness that rules the day in many areas. We pray for peace -- in our lives, our churches, our communities, our nation, and our world. Peace with God (through Jesus Christ), and peace with each other through living as true ambassadors of His love.
We pray for America, as Katherine Bates wrote in American the Beautiful, "God Mend Thine Every Flaw." Let us stand on 2 Chronicles 7:14, which contains God's recipe for revival -- "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." In Jesus Name we pray it. Amen. Amen.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Holy Communion with God and Each Other -- Glimpses of His Glory!
We had the Lord's Supper in church today and it made me contemplate the joy that is communion and Eucharist (Thanksgiving!) with God and our fellow Christians. I could feel the presence of God in our service, and I could see Jesus in the smiles of the people.
A late friend of mine from Kake, Alaska, Rick Mills, used to talk about the closeness to God that he felt when we celebrated the Lord's Supper together. He spoke of the unconditional love from God that he felt as he took the bread and the juice(wine) and remembered what Christ had done for each one of us. It was a deep, wonderful, spiritual experience for Rick.
Theologian John Calvin, who God used to lay a strong spiritual foundation for many Christians, had a great enthusiasm for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Calvin wrote that "it (the supper) was ordained to be frequently used among all Christians in order that they might frequently return in memory to Christ’s Passion, by such remembrance to sustain and strengthen their faith, and urge themselves to sing thanksgiving to God and to proclaim his goodness." He saw the Eucharist as a spiritual banquet, saying "All, like hungry men, should flock to such a bounteous repast. (Calvin, The institutes of Christian Religion, IV.xvii, 44, 46).
One of my favorite books is The Weight of Glory, by the great British Christian writer, C. S. Lewis, who is most well known for his wonderful Chronicles of Narnia children stories, Lewis was a great writer on the Christian faith in a number of other books. In The Weight of Glory, Lewis writes an insightful essay on our inner desire to have communion with God. We secretly, deeply, sometimes subconsciously, long to experience fellowship with God and to bask in His glory. This glory is partly the approval of God, but also partly our entering into the splendor itself. Lewis espouses the belief that each mere mortal as actually an immortal destined for glory or horror. He feels we should treat one another with the great significance that fact implies.
Lewis writes about beauty, and about the simple pleasure of seeing something beautiful, and about how in seeing it we want more. We have a deep desire to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it. Poets and artists attempt to capture this beauty for us. And humans long for that beauty, wanting to be filled, immersed, at one with it. This is really a longing for the Creator of all beauty -- God.
Another aspect of longing in The Weight of Glory has to do with reunion. It is a longing "to be reunited with something in the universe from which we feel cut off," "to be acknowledged, to meet with some response." Here Lewis shifts from discussions of filling and experiencing fullness and life, to the joy of being known, and moving on to fellowship. We want to be full, to be fullfilled, to be complete again, and when we seek for it, we find we need and want God, who makes us complete -- and this happens in fellowship with God.
We long for glory. Lewis says that we want, "approval or appreciation by God." To be seen as good children by God is an inner goal of Christians. Lewis states, "We long to please God... to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness... to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son--it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain."
But it is made possible through Jesus Christ. Lewis says we move from longing as the desire to be filled (baptized), then to the desire to be reunited, reconnected and known by Him(fellowship), and finally to the desire of being a thrill to the heart of God.
What we want is to be a delight to the Father's heart, and to be so filled with His pleasure that our whole being dances in its fellowship. And with that we are a hairs' breadth away from the Holy Trinity and the great dance of the Triune God. Lewis contends that behind the whole universe was something very lively, not static but highly personal. Behind Lewis's longing and ours is "the first dance," the original dance, the fellowship of the Father, Son and Spirit. This fellowship is not boring, joyless, sad or empty. This is a living fellowship, a fellowship of passion and delight and love, of creativity and joy and glory and communion. Lewis helps us see the Trinity in all of God’s glory and grace, and to see “Glory Himself” in our neighbors.
To see Christ in each other is indeed a joy. We do see glimpses of His presence in church and in everyday life, and it is always a marvelous thing to see Him, smiling from behind the eyes of our brother or our sister in Christ! Such Holy Communion is the thing we live and die for! May we each become "a thrill to the heart of God"!
A late friend of mine from Kake, Alaska, Rick Mills, used to talk about the closeness to God that he felt when we celebrated the Lord's Supper together. He spoke of the unconditional love from God that he felt as he took the bread and the juice(wine) and remembered what Christ had done for each one of us. It was a deep, wonderful, spiritual experience for Rick.
Theologian John Calvin, who God used to lay a strong spiritual foundation for many Christians, had a great enthusiasm for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Calvin wrote that "it (the supper) was ordained to be frequently used among all Christians in order that they might frequently return in memory to Christ’s Passion, by such remembrance to sustain and strengthen their faith, and urge themselves to sing thanksgiving to God and to proclaim his goodness." He saw the Eucharist as a spiritual banquet, saying "All, like hungry men, should flock to such a bounteous repast. (Calvin, The institutes of Christian Religion, IV.xvii, 44, 46).
One of my favorite books is The Weight of Glory, by the great British Christian writer, C. S. Lewis, who is most well known for his wonderful Chronicles of Narnia children stories, Lewis was a great writer on the Christian faith in a number of other books. In The Weight of Glory, Lewis writes an insightful essay on our inner desire to have communion with God. We secretly, deeply, sometimes subconsciously, long to experience fellowship with God and to bask in His glory. This glory is partly the approval of God, but also partly our entering into the splendor itself. Lewis espouses the belief that each mere mortal as actually an immortal destined for glory or horror. He feels we should treat one another with the great significance that fact implies.
Lewis writes about beauty, and about the simple pleasure of seeing something beautiful, and about how in seeing it we want more. We have a deep desire to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it. Poets and artists attempt to capture this beauty for us. And humans long for that beauty, wanting to be filled, immersed, at one with it. This is really a longing for the Creator of all beauty -- God.
Another aspect of longing in The Weight of Glory has to do with reunion. It is a longing "to be reunited with something in the universe from which we feel cut off," "to be acknowledged, to meet with some response." Here Lewis shifts from discussions of filling and experiencing fullness and life, to the joy of being known, and moving on to fellowship. We want to be full, to be fullfilled, to be complete again, and when we seek for it, we find we need and want God, who makes us complete -- and this happens in fellowship with God.
We long for glory. Lewis says that we want, "approval or appreciation by God." To be seen as good children by God is an inner goal of Christians. Lewis states, "We long to please God... to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness... to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son--it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain."
But it is made possible through Jesus Christ. Lewis says we move from longing as the desire to be filled (baptized), then to the desire to be reunited, reconnected and known by Him(fellowship), and finally to the desire of being a thrill to the heart of God.
What we want is to be a delight to the Father's heart, and to be so filled with His pleasure that our whole being dances in its fellowship. And with that we are a hairs' breadth away from the Holy Trinity and the great dance of the Triune God. Lewis contends that behind the whole universe was something very lively, not static but highly personal. Behind Lewis's longing and ours is "the first dance," the original dance, the fellowship of the Father, Son and Spirit. This fellowship is not boring, joyless, sad or empty. This is a living fellowship, a fellowship of passion and delight and love, of creativity and joy and glory and communion. Lewis helps us see the Trinity in all of God’s glory and grace, and to see “Glory Himself” in our neighbors.
To see Christ in each other is indeed a joy. We do see glimpses of His presence in church and in everyday life, and it is always a marvelous thing to see Him, smiling from behind the eyes of our brother or our sister in Christ! Such Holy Communion is the thing we live and die for! May we each become "a thrill to the heart of God"!
Friday, June 23, 2006
Hug Somebody, Shake Someone's Hand -- Remembering the Words of Leo Buscaglia
At the end of every Sunday Service during the time I have been a pastor, I repeat this invitation to enacted friendship and love --:”Hug somebody -- shake someone’s hand!” For 22 years of ministry my father repeated those words of fellowship, and in 20 years of ministry that God has called me to do since 1986, helping my father when he was a pastor, and in my time as a camp director, and as a pastor myself, I have proclaimed this invitation to put our faith into action, to begin our time after the service with acts of compassion and love.
The late professor and author Leo Buscaglia, who died in 1998, was known as “Dr. Hug.” He eloquently talked of the value of hugs and encouraging pats on the back. He wrote some inspiring philosophical books, including Love, Personhood, The Way of the Bull, Because I am Human, and Bus Trip 99. In talking about hugs and affirmations, Buscaglia remarked on the value of touch: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
The professor also proclaimed, “"It's not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely."
Dr. Leo was made famous by a series of PBS specials that were compiled from his popular public lectures. Though not overtly Christian in his lectures and books, he was a man of faith and principle. Who often pointed out that “Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.
I have tried to model part of my ministry after some of the things that Leo Buscaglia wrote so eloquently about. He once wrote, “I've always though that people need to feel good about themselves and I see my role as offering support to them, to provide some light along the way.” Certainly, I try to show people who they are (or who they can be in Christ). By raising a person’s “Christ esteem” the Sprit raises their self esteem.
One other Buscaglia quote that moves me is this one: “The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.”
Yes they are! And it is so amazing that God allows us to be partners in the processes of growth and creativity. God enables us to be part of the tapestry that is each of our lives, which, in turn, are part of the greater life quilts that weave together under the Spirit’s gentle guidance. Sometimes we do not see the pattern until we are at a distant vantage point in the unfolding future, but God was with us in every stitch and thread.
The late professor and author Leo Buscaglia, who died in 1998, was known as “Dr. Hug.” He eloquently talked of the value of hugs and encouraging pats on the back. He wrote some inspiring philosophical books, including Love, Personhood, The Way of the Bull, Because I am Human, and Bus Trip 99. In talking about hugs and affirmations, Buscaglia remarked on the value of touch: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
The professor also proclaimed, “"It's not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely."
Dr. Leo was made famous by a series of PBS specials that were compiled from his popular public lectures. Though not overtly Christian in his lectures and books, he was a man of faith and principle. Who often pointed out that “Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.
I have tried to model part of my ministry after some of the things that Leo Buscaglia wrote so eloquently about. He once wrote, “I've always though that people need to feel good about themselves and I see my role as offering support to them, to provide some light along the way.” Certainly, I try to show people who they are (or who they can be in Christ). By raising a person’s “Christ esteem” the Sprit raises their self esteem.
One other Buscaglia quote that moves me is this one: “The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.”
Yes they are! And it is so amazing that God allows us to be partners in the processes of growth and creativity. God enables us to be part of the tapestry that is each of our lives, which, in turn, are part of the greater life quilts that weave together under the Spirit’s gentle guidance. Sometimes we do not see the pattern until we are at a distant vantage point in the unfolding future, but God was with us in every stitch and thread.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Love is at the Heart of Our Lives -- the Beatles and a Bible Truth
Love is at the very heart of the Christian Life. It rises above all else -- above judgmentalism, above works righteousness, above intolerance and sanctimonious piety. Love transforms and carries us to new places in God.
The seminal band of my childhood was the Beatles. They stirred the cultural pot in the sixties just as Elvis and his contemporaries had caused the fifties to boil over. Some of what they sang about may have missed the mark and taken kids in wrong directions, but some of their music was quite accurate in talking about how we should treat each other. One such song was the classic, "All You Need is Love." The lyrics are:
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the gameIt's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be in timeIt's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
All you need is love (all together now)All you need is love (everybody)
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Now, of course, this is just a song that happens to point us toward a universal theme and a Christian value. It is not Scripture. But it does shine some needed light. Scripture tells us that God is love -- and Scripture tells us that GOD IS ALL YOU NEED.
1 Jo 4:16 — "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the answer for every problem in the world today. His love can heal all wounds and bring reconcilation to the hurting and broken hearted.
Paul deals clearly with the need for love in 1 Corinthians 13th chapter.from one of Paul's letters in the Bible:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
One of the most important terms for Christians is "fellowship". This term covers our life together as Christians. This means first of all that we spend time together, in worship, educational activities, service to others, and just having fun, and in loving each other in the brotherly and sisterly sense. In addition to their primary goal, these activities help us get to know each other, and to develop into a community. The Bible refers to the Christian community using organic metaphors, such as a vine and a body. It talks about us sharing with each other and supporting each other.
When people think of Christianity they sometimes think of it as a set of prohibitions: "But it should be seen as way of life in response to God's love. Sometimes Christians actually have gotten carried away with rules. Rules of behavior have turned into an end in themselves, rather than ways of protecting us so that we can develop better relationships. However good sense normally prevails in the end. And at the center of most rules is the idea of freeing people form the bondage of sin, which destroys and weakens us, and keep us from being our best, and from receiving God's best.
Love is the key to a life of honoring God and His purposes. When we love others, we are also loving God who created them and calls on us to love our neighbor and our enemy. (Mark 12:29-31, Matthew 5:43-44). Here are some Scriptures to consider:
Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
1 John 4:10-12 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:18-21 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
The spectrum of Love has nine ingredients (1 Cor. 13:4-6)
Patience--"Love suffereth long." Love never gives up.
Kindness--"And is kind” Cares more for others than for self.
Generosity--"Love envieth not." Love doesn't want what it doesn't have and doesn’t covet what others have.
Humility--"Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head,
Courtesy--"Doth not behave itself unseemly” Respectful.
Unselfishness--"Seeketh not her own." Not always "me first,"
Good Temper--"Is not easily provoked." Anger is managed.
Forgiving --"Keeps no record of wrongs." Things good things and looks for the best in others, seeing their glass half full.
Sincerity--"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth." Never glad about injustice, happy when truth wins out.
The seminal band of my childhood was the Beatles. They stirred the cultural pot in the sixties just as Elvis and his contemporaries had caused the fifties to boil over. Some of what they sang about may have missed the mark and taken kids in wrong directions, but some of their music was quite accurate in talking about how we should treat each other. One such song was the classic, "All You Need is Love." The lyrics are:
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the gameIt's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be in timeIt's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
All you need is love (all together now)All you need is love (everybody)
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Now, of course, this is just a song that happens to point us toward a universal theme and a Christian value. It is not Scripture. But it does shine some needed light. Scripture tells us that God is love -- and Scripture tells us that GOD IS ALL YOU NEED.
1 Jo 4:16 — "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the answer for every problem in the world today. His love can heal all wounds and bring reconcilation to the hurting and broken hearted.
Paul deals clearly with the need for love in 1 Corinthians 13th chapter.from one of Paul's letters in the Bible:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
One of the most important terms for Christians is "fellowship". This term covers our life together as Christians. This means first of all that we spend time together, in worship, educational activities, service to others, and just having fun, and in loving each other in the brotherly and sisterly sense. In addition to their primary goal, these activities help us get to know each other, and to develop into a community. The Bible refers to the Christian community using organic metaphors, such as a vine and a body. It talks about us sharing with each other and supporting each other.
When people think of Christianity they sometimes think of it as a set of prohibitions: "But it should be seen as way of life in response to God's love. Sometimes Christians actually have gotten carried away with rules. Rules of behavior have turned into an end in themselves, rather than ways of protecting us so that we can develop better relationships. However good sense normally prevails in the end. And at the center of most rules is the idea of freeing people form the bondage of sin, which destroys and weakens us, and keep us from being our best, and from receiving God's best.
Love is the key to a life of honoring God and His purposes. When we love others, we are also loving God who created them and calls on us to love our neighbor and our enemy. (Mark 12:29-31, Matthew 5:43-44). Here are some Scriptures to consider:
Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
1 John 4:10-12 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:18-21 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
The spectrum of Love has nine ingredients (1 Cor. 13:4-6)
Patience--"Love suffereth long." Love never gives up.
Kindness--"And is kind” Cares more for others than for self.
Generosity--"Love envieth not." Love doesn't want what it doesn't have and doesn’t covet what others have.
Humility--"Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head,
Courtesy--"Doth not behave itself unseemly” Respectful.
Unselfishness--"Seeketh not her own." Not always "me first,"
Good Temper--"Is not easily provoked." Anger is managed.
Forgiving --"Keeps no record of wrongs." Things good things and looks for the best in others, seeing their glass half full.
Sincerity--"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth." Never glad about injustice, happy when truth wins out.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Praise the Lord!
The Psalms never cease to amaze me. They take me to new places in the spirit each time I read verses in them. Consider Psalm 148. It tells me of the beauty of this world God has created, this world that we enjoy.
I am reminded of a story I heard while in seminary.
A preacher spoke of spending a summer evening as a child with his grandfather, a Presbyterian Elder. They were by a lake and their ears rang with the noises of crickets and bullfrogs and birds and God knows what else. While they were sitting and listening to the racket of the wildlife; the grandfather asked the child, "Do you know what they are saying?"
"No," he said.
"They are praising God," the grandfather replied.
Certainly the grandfather knew that Presbyterian Westminster catechism begins with the affirmation that the 'purpose' of human life is "to glorify God and to enjoy [God] forever." Even more importantly, this grandfather was familiar with the Psalms, many of which like Psalm 148, speaks of all creation praising God.
Maybe praising God is the purpose of all whole creation. Maybe this is what the grasshoppers are doing when they whine through the heat of an summer night. Maybe this is what the coyote is doing when it pierces the desert night with a howl. Maybe the short, funny melody of the turtle dove, is praising and enjoying God. When dogs bark at the moon or when seagulls swarm and screech or when a rattler rattles its rattle, when a robins sings its morning song, then maybe they are being more faithful to God in their innocence than we are in our vast knowledge. Maybe they are simply praising God without guile or pretense.
It was the American theologian Jonathan Edwards who articulated the idea that the beauty of the natural world is an expression of God's glory. And seeing things that way ought to make us approach nature with awe and wonder, because there is a sense in which when we look at the creation we are seeing reflected all around us the work of the Creator.
Psalm 148 delights and dazzles, dancing between the mysterious majesty of the angels; the gossamer beauty of new fallen snow; the thundering storms, the melodies of larks and the leaping, crashing, breaching of humpback whales. The whale image comes full stregth to me from my time in Alaska. They are sea creatures of the deep, sea monsters of the gentlest variety, and there sheer size is beyond amazing. There are few things as impressive to see as is a 40 ton whale launching above the waves. We witnessed it on numerous occasions, and never ceased to be fascinated by these herculean water dancers.
This Psalm reminds us that we are not alone in praising God. In fact, it may be that we are the slowest of God's creatures to praise our Creator and Redeemer. But praising God -- and living lives with an attitude of gratitude -- is key to the Christian life.
I am reminded of a story I heard while in seminary.
A preacher spoke of spending a summer evening as a child with his grandfather, a Presbyterian Elder. They were by a lake and their ears rang with the noises of crickets and bullfrogs and birds and God knows what else. While they were sitting and listening to the racket of the wildlife; the grandfather asked the child, "Do you know what they are saying?"
"No," he said.
"They are praising God," the grandfather replied.
Certainly the grandfather knew that Presbyterian Westminster catechism begins with the affirmation that the 'purpose' of human life is "to glorify God and to enjoy [God] forever." Even more importantly, this grandfather was familiar with the Psalms, many of which like Psalm 148, speaks of all creation praising God.
Maybe praising God is the purpose of all whole creation. Maybe this is what the grasshoppers are doing when they whine through the heat of an summer night. Maybe this is what the coyote is doing when it pierces the desert night with a howl. Maybe the short, funny melody of the turtle dove, is praising and enjoying God. When dogs bark at the moon or when seagulls swarm and screech or when a rattler rattles its rattle, when a robins sings its morning song, then maybe they are being more faithful to God in their innocence than we are in our vast knowledge. Maybe they are simply praising God without guile or pretense.
It was the American theologian Jonathan Edwards who articulated the idea that the beauty of the natural world is an expression of God's glory. And seeing things that way ought to make us approach nature with awe and wonder, because there is a sense in which when we look at the creation we are seeing reflected all around us the work of the Creator.
Psalm 148 delights and dazzles, dancing between the mysterious majesty of the angels; the gossamer beauty of new fallen snow; the thundering storms, the melodies of larks and the leaping, crashing, breaching of humpback whales. The whale image comes full stregth to me from my time in Alaska. They are sea creatures of the deep, sea monsters of the gentlest variety, and there sheer size is beyond amazing. There are few things as impressive to see as is a 40 ton whale launching above the waves. We witnessed it on numerous occasions, and never ceased to be fascinated by these herculean water dancers.
This Psalm reminds us that we are not alone in praising God. In fact, it may be that we are the slowest of God's creatures to praise our Creator and Redeemer. But praising God -- and living lives with an attitude of gratitude -- is key to the Christian life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)