Friday, September 29, 2006
An Itty Bitty Kitty Dies -- We Reflect on Death
A baby kitten died tonight of unknown causes. It was unexpected. It was sad. A tiny black cat of about 8 weeks old was left on our doorstep and for the last two days we lavished him with love and caring and tried to nurse it to health. It seemed quite thin and undernourished, but we tried to provide him with the means to survive. Our children, especially our 11-year-old boy, really took to the cause of caring for the kitty. The tiny cat seemed to like us, too, meowing with a unique, duck-like sound, and purring like a small, contented symphony.
But there must have been some fatal flaw in its fragile body, or some sickness we could not see. For Mr. Quackers, the itty bitty kitty, is no longer with us. He died in the night in his cage. My 10-year-old daughter noticed he was breathing funny and not moving much. I found him non-responsive, and before I could take him to the veternarian's office, he was gone.
I will bury the kitty in the morning in a special place near the back door. But his memory will live on. For in those two short days we saw a lot of life in that little cat, and he evoked a lot of love from my kids -- and my wife and I. Life is fragile -- and when you love anything, animals or people, there is a risk involved. But love is always worth it. These are lessons we hope our children learn. Anyone who has ever buried a pet knows the pain of saying goodbye to a little friend. My children are feeling that pain today.
Death always seems to come unexpectedly. Even when you expect it. Even when we are talking about people, not pets. Even when you know someone is better off to be in a better place, to be in the arms of God. As a pastor I have had the privilige to spend last days and moments with a number of people. It is always a sobering experience, sometimes joyful, usually sad at the same time, and often filled with a sense of the holy and the sacred.
But when it comes to the death of a Christian, I always take heart to what the Bible says about life after death through the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus allows His story to become our story. As he rose from the dead, so shall we. That is Good News for any day. Even for a day when the little kitty cat died and my children cried. No matter what happens -- even in tragedies far greater than the loss of a baby pet -- we take solace in the fact that our God is on His throne.
But there must have been some fatal flaw in its fragile body, or some sickness we could not see. For Mr. Quackers, the itty bitty kitty, is no longer with us. He died in the night in his cage. My 10-year-old daughter noticed he was breathing funny and not moving much. I found him non-responsive, and before I could take him to the veternarian's office, he was gone.
I will bury the kitty in the morning in a special place near the back door. But his memory will live on. For in those two short days we saw a lot of life in that little cat, and he evoked a lot of love from my kids -- and my wife and I. Life is fragile -- and when you love anything, animals or people, there is a risk involved. But love is always worth it. These are lessons we hope our children learn. Anyone who has ever buried a pet knows the pain of saying goodbye to a little friend. My children are feeling that pain today.
Death always seems to come unexpectedly. Even when you expect it. Even when we are talking about people, not pets. Even when you know someone is better off to be in a better place, to be in the arms of God. As a pastor I have had the privilige to spend last days and moments with a number of people. It is always a sobering experience, sometimes joyful, usually sad at the same time, and often filled with a sense of the holy and the sacred.
But when it comes to the death of a Christian, I always take heart to what the Bible says about life after death through the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus allows His story to become our story. As he rose from the dead, so shall we. That is Good News for any day. Even for a day when the little kitty cat died and my children cried. No matter what happens -- even in tragedies far greater than the loss of a baby pet -- we take solace in the fact that our God is on His throne.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Harvest Time and the Parable of the Sower
It is getting near to harvest time in the great American Midwest. The heart of the country is bulging with corn and soybeans and wheat and other life-giving grains. As I drove today in Northwest Iowa, I saw field after field of corn that was near harvesting. The soybeans are also near their coming home time, and soon the combines will be criss-crossing the countryside. The fields are full of agricultural expectations. It is an exciting time of the year in farm country.
Farming has historically been a faith driven business, and it still is. Though large farms have forced many family farms out of business, the people running those big farms are still farmers, and many of them would be living on a smaller family farm if they could. So let us say a prayer for the farmers and their families. Harvest can be a dangerous time, as the machinery now required for the job to be done is often big and cumbersome and sometimes deadly. But it is a job that is necessary to our national security -- American farmers help feed our nation and a large part of the world. In some ways they are just as important to our national well being as the armed services or our diplomatic corps, for the American farmer produces the food that is crucial not only to us, but to many other nations.
Jesus honored farmers in one of his amazing parables, the story of the sower. He uses farming to tell a powerful spiritual truth. In Mark 4: 3-8 he said: "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."
He went on to comment on the story, saying, in Mark 4:13-20: "The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
May we all be good spiritual farmers, nurturing the seed sown in our hearts and lives, and, in turn, sowing the Word into the lives of others.
Farming has historically been a faith driven business, and it still is. Though large farms have forced many family farms out of business, the people running those big farms are still farmers, and many of them would be living on a smaller family farm if they could. So let us say a prayer for the farmers and their families. Harvest can be a dangerous time, as the machinery now required for the job to be done is often big and cumbersome and sometimes deadly. But it is a job that is necessary to our national security -- American farmers help feed our nation and a large part of the world. In some ways they are just as important to our national well being as the armed services or our diplomatic corps, for the American farmer produces the food that is crucial not only to us, but to many other nations.
Jesus honored farmers in one of his amazing parables, the story of the sower. He uses farming to tell a powerful spiritual truth. In Mark 4: 3-8 he said: "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."
He went on to comment on the story, saying, in Mark 4:13-20: "The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
May we all be good spiritual farmers, nurturing the seed sown in our hearts and lives, and, in turn, sowing the Word into the lives of others.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Unleash Your Imagination for the Glory of God!
The imagination is a wonderful gift that we have been given that connects us with the mind of God. The Spirit speaks to us in our imaginations. Children seem to naturally have active imaginations. As we grow older and become more "educated", we tend to use our imaginations less and less. Such a natural observation brings possible new meaning to Jesus’ proclamation, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Everyone has used their imagination negatively by worrying. But Jesus clearly declares in the Sermon on the Mount that we should not worry, but rather cast our cares upon God. Many people use their imaginations wrongly by fantasizing about physical pleasures, sometimes in adulterous ways. We must repent of the misuse of imagination, and instead do good with it! The Bible shows us that we should use the same process in a positive way, based on God's Word. Seeing something by the "eye of faith" is akin to imagining it. Paul asserts in 2 Corinthians 5:7: “We walk by faith, not by sight,” or, as Peterson paraphrases it, “It is the things that we do not see that keep us going.” He had hit on the theme earlier, in 2 Corinthians 4:18: “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen eternal.
How can we look at things which are not seen? By using our imagination for God’s glory! Time and again, throughout the Bible, we see people who use their imagination; and they “see" what was not visible to others. Chapter eleven of Hebrews, the great Hall of Faith chapter, is filled with such stories of heroes of the faith. Faith is linked with imagination, and the accomplishment of God’s mission is dependent upon this combination again and again.
The Bible helps us, enables us, to understand, to re-appropriate, to celebrate the role of the imagination as part of our redeemed, renewed, image-bearing humanness. We need imagination to live in God's world. We need to encourage the good and right use of imagination. Like all things God gives us, it should be used for good, but it can be used for bad. Often imagination runs riot in the wrong direction, and folks start imagining the wrong things. But for every instance of imagination that has become inherently ugly, there are instances of the right use of our imaginations for God. It is a joyful thing to see the imagination unleashed for God’s glory!
Everyone has used their imagination negatively by worrying. But Jesus clearly declares in the Sermon on the Mount that we should not worry, but rather cast our cares upon God. Many people use their imaginations wrongly by fantasizing about physical pleasures, sometimes in adulterous ways. We must repent of the misuse of imagination, and instead do good with it! The Bible shows us that we should use the same process in a positive way, based on God's Word. Seeing something by the "eye of faith" is akin to imagining it. Paul asserts in 2 Corinthians 5:7: “We walk by faith, not by sight,” or, as Peterson paraphrases it, “It is the things that we do not see that keep us going.” He had hit on the theme earlier, in 2 Corinthians 4:18: “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen eternal.
How can we look at things which are not seen? By using our imagination for God’s glory! Time and again, throughout the Bible, we see people who use their imagination; and they “see" what was not visible to others. Chapter eleven of Hebrews, the great Hall of Faith chapter, is filled with such stories of heroes of the faith. Faith is linked with imagination, and the accomplishment of God’s mission is dependent upon this combination again and again.
The Bible helps us, enables us, to understand, to re-appropriate, to celebrate the role of the imagination as part of our redeemed, renewed, image-bearing humanness. We need imagination to live in God's world. We need to encourage the good and right use of imagination. Like all things God gives us, it should be used for good, but it can be used for bad. Often imagination runs riot in the wrong direction, and folks start imagining the wrong things. But for every instance of imagination that has become inherently ugly, there are instances of the right use of our imaginations for God. It is a joyful thing to see the imagination unleashed for God’s glory!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Suffering comes -- But We Have the Victory!
A summer of shock and grief has continued for me, with word that a dear niece, only in her early twenties and with all the world before her, is wrestling with disease and the spectre of cancer. It brings me to my knees in prayer and to the Scripture for sustenance.
The Scriptures are full of hope in the face of pain and uncertainty. The cross of Jesus shows the love of God reaching into the brokenness of the world, living in the midst of darkness, humbly submitting, and taking on the pain and overcoming it. The Lord's dying cry in John, "It is finished" certainly refers to his life’s work on one level, but it also means that evil is defeated: sin and death are finished. The power that brings salvation strangles evil for good.
In life, we see suffering coming from many places at all of us at some time or another. And sometimes that suffering seems more than we can bear. That is when we need God and each other the most. Whether suffering comes by disease, or accident or human cruelty, there’s nothing that we will encounter that Jesus has not known. Christ lived and was tempted and wept just like us. He suffered immensely. He died intensely. He knows what we are going through, and He is with us each step of the way. Praise God that Christ, the sinless Son of God, died for our salvation! Sin cannot and will not remove us from his loving grasp.
The eternal truth is simply this -- evil can attack us and knock us against a very hard wall, even seeming to have an advantage. But that seeming advantage is just a temporary illusion. We know Who wins in the end. Through Christ, we have the victory!
That is the watchword of the Christian life. Let us live in faith and hope, and face life courageously, living in the sure confidence that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Risen Lord, has triumphed over sin and death and holds us close in His mighty hands. This guarantee rests secure in His spiritual bank. In Christ, we have the victory! Amen. Amen!
The Scriptures are full of hope in the face of pain and uncertainty. The cross of Jesus shows the love of God reaching into the brokenness of the world, living in the midst of darkness, humbly submitting, and taking on the pain and overcoming it. The Lord's dying cry in John, "It is finished" certainly refers to his life’s work on one level, but it also means that evil is defeated: sin and death are finished. The power that brings salvation strangles evil for good.
In life, we see suffering coming from many places at all of us at some time or another. And sometimes that suffering seems more than we can bear. That is when we need God and each other the most. Whether suffering comes by disease, or accident or human cruelty, there’s nothing that we will encounter that Jesus has not known. Christ lived and was tempted and wept just like us. He suffered immensely. He died intensely. He knows what we are going through, and He is with us each step of the way. Praise God that Christ, the sinless Son of God, died for our salvation! Sin cannot and will not remove us from his loving grasp.
The eternal truth is simply this -- evil can attack us and knock us against a very hard wall, even seeming to have an advantage. But that seeming advantage is just a temporary illusion. We know Who wins in the end. Through Christ, we have the victory!
That is the watchword of the Christian life. Let us live in faith and hope, and face life courageously, living in the sure confidence that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Risen Lord, has triumphed over sin and death and holds us close in His mighty hands. This guarantee rests secure in His spiritual bank. In Christ, we have the victory! Amen. Amen!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Remembering Special Friends -- Rick and David
The deaths of two good friends from my past, both leaving us within the last two weeks, has thrown me back emotionally to a morning in late 2003, when Elder Lois Berkeley of Kake, Alaska called me to tell me that Rick Mills was missing. Rick, 43, and his son David, 14, and his good friend Gery Davies, 28, left Kake on Tuesday morning, December 30, in a 16-foot skiff to hunt deer on the southern part of Admiralty Island. They were expected home that night.
Sadly they never made it back home. Bad weather and a dangerous sea claimed their lives, leaving the village of Kake devastated, especially Gery and Rick's families. What a blow it was to Rick's wife Judy, and his surviving children, Rae Ann, Johnny and Chelsea. It was also a major trauma for the Kake Memorial Presbyterian Church, where Rick was an elder and David was key member of the youth fellowship. They were both beloved bythe people of Kake.
When friends die it makes you take a strong stark look at your own mortality. It also makes you cherish the memories of times with the friends you lost. Without a doubt, Rick Mills made the world a better place with his strong commitment to family, to church, and to children and youth. Now, over two and a half years later, my family and I still feel a great loss. The world became lot worse off without Rick Mills in it. He was a very special person.
He was a great friend and teacher, a person who loved his family dearly, who was a pillar of his church, and a tower in his community. His life was a special blessing to all of us who knew him. He loved life and he loved people. He has been be sorely missed by his family and his village.
His passing seemed too quick – he was too young, too vibrant, he had so much to give, he was too important to his family and village – yet he was gone, and many folks were left with gaping holes where their hearts should be beating. His life light burned brightly and warmed us all for a while, and now the world was darker and the winter seemed colder.
But Rick would urge us to go on and do our best. Rick's faith was always steadfast. He was a pillar of the church and community, doing good deeds for many people. Only a few people knew about many of the special things he did, because Rick did not seek the limelight. He just tried to do what was right, day after day, year after year. He touched many with his acts of compassion.
He was a wise mentor, explaining Tlingit ways to me, and taking me on my first seaweed-gathering trip, when he kidded me about my looking much like a wounded walrus as I slid around the rocks as I grabbed the precious seaweed. We had a lot of fun gathering seaweed and fishing, and he taught me so much about the history of Kake and its people. I will forever be thankful for his kindness and his good advice and expert assistance.
I remember how much he loved his chosen profession of teaching and how dedicated he was to the school system and the children of Kake. I had thought he might become a pastor – he certainly had the gifts for it – but he saw teaching as his truest calling. He was an advocate for the youth. He helped many a young person to grow strong and to learn to make the right choices.
He lived to help the children, in any way that he could. They were the future of the village and he helped them prepare for their futures. But he was also a custodian of the past as a teacher of Tlingit history and he took that job very seriously. He respected the elders and the rich history of the people and the culture.
He loved the little church that we served together, and he and Judy helped it survive and grow with their faithful service and enthusiastic leadership. He was always there when you needed a hand, whether to say prayers, or visit the sick, or lead communion services, or clean up after a potluck. His gift of hospitality was abundant, and he helped four Village Youth Ministers feel at home in Kake as they loved and nurtured the children of the village. I know that John Schwartz, John White, Neris Bicunias and Kathy March will always be grateful for the love and care extended to them by Rick and Judy and their wonderful children.
The VYM program worked because of Rick and Judy. The same might also be said for the various Mission Groups that came in to lead Vacation Bible Schools in Kake. If Rick and Judy were in town, they were there helping us to teach the children and to make the groups from the lower 48 feel welcome. Rick had a knack for making people smile. He had a gift for sharing with others the things that God had given him. He opened his home and his heart to everyone he met, in Christian love.
Rick loved his family. He cherished the time with his wife and children as much as any man I have ever known. We went on some wonderful cookouts to beaches with another beloved family, the Kondros, and out to Point McCartney with the whole family and it was evident what a good and loving father he was to his children. And all of his children were special to us. David was such a good boy. He was smart and handsome and friendly and had so much promise.
One of the moments I will always remember with Rick was when he and I came across sports journalist Byron Ricks, while the author and his wife Maren were on an epic kayaking trip through the Inside Passage. They were resting on an island near one of Rick Mills' favorite seaweed gathring spots. Rick invited them back to Kake for shelter in the Presbyterian church. So we got to spend some time with the adventurous couple, and my wife's good cooking even made it into Byron's remarkable journal of their journey, all because of Rick's natural hospitality.
Rick Mills was always the gracious host. That little visit to Kake made it into a chapter in the wondrous book, "Homelands: Kayaking the Inside Passage", which is chock full of wisdom and adventure, and a good read that goes way beyond kayaking. (It is still available on the internet.) In those poetic pages you get a snapshot of the wisdom and depth of Rick Mills. Rick was a joy to know. He was unforgettable.
Sadly they never made it back home. Bad weather and a dangerous sea claimed their lives, leaving the village of Kake devastated, especially Gery and Rick's families. What a blow it was to Rick's wife Judy, and his surviving children, Rae Ann, Johnny and Chelsea. It was also a major trauma for the Kake Memorial Presbyterian Church, where Rick was an elder and David was key member of the youth fellowship. They were both beloved bythe people of Kake.
When friends die it makes you take a strong stark look at your own mortality. It also makes you cherish the memories of times with the friends you lost. Without a doubt, Rick Mills made the world a better place with his strong commitment to family, to church, and to children and youth. Now, over two and a half years later, my family and I still feel a great loss. The world became lot worse off without Rick Mills in it. He was a very special person.
He was a great friend and teacher, a person who loved his family dearly, who was a pillar of his church, and a tower in his community. His life was a special blessing to all of us who knew him. He loved life and he loved people. He has been be sorely missed by his family and his village.
His passing seemed too quick – he was too young, too vibrant, he had so much to give, he was too important to his family and village – yet he was gone, and many folks were left with gaping holes where their hearts should be beating. His life light burned brightly and warmed us all for a while, and now the world was darker and the winter seemed colder.
But Rick would urge us to go on and do our best. Rick's faith was always steadfast. He was a pillar of the church and community, doing good deeds for many people. Only a few people knew about many of the special things he did, because Rick did not seek the limelight. He just tried to do what was right, day after day, year after year. He touched many with his acts of compassion.
He was a wise mentor, explaining Tlingit ways to me, and taking me on my first seaweed-gathering trip, when he kidded me about my looking much like a wounded walrus as I slid around the rocks as I grabbed the precious seaweed. We had a lot of fun gathering seaweed and fishing, and he taught me so much about the history of Kake and its people. I will forever be thankful for his kindness and his good advice and expert assistance.
I remember how much he loved his chosen profession of teaching and how dedicated he was to the school system and the children of Kake. I had thought he might become a pastor – he certainly had the gifts for it – but he saw teaching as his truest calling. He was an advocate for the youth. He helped many a young person to grow strong and to learn to make the right choices.
He lived to help the children, in any way that he could. They were the future of the village and he helped them prepare for their futures. But he was also a custodian of the past as a teacher of Tlingit history and he took that job very seriously. He respected the elders and the rich history of the people and the culture.
He loved the little church that we served together, and he and Judy helped it survive and grow with their faithful service and enthusiastic leadership. He was always there when you needed a hand, whether to say prayers, or visit the sick, or lead communion services, or clean up after a potluck. His gift of hospitality was abundant, and he helped four Village Youth Ministers feel at home in Kake as they loved and nurtured the children of the village. I know that John Schwartz, John White, Neris Bicunias and Kathy March will always be grateful for the love and care extended to them by Rick and Judy and their wonderful children.
The VYM program worked because of Rick and Judy. The same might also be said for the various Mission Groups that came in to lead Vacation Bible Schools in Kake. If Rick and Judy were in town, they were there helping us to teach the children and to make the groups from the lower 48 feel welcome. Rick had a knack for making people smile. He had a gift for sharing with others the things that God had given him. He opened his home and his heart to everyone he met, in Christian love.
Rick loved his family. He cherished the time with his wife and children as much as any man I have ever known. We went on some wonderful cookouts to beaches with another beloved family, the Kondros, and out to Point McCartney with the whole family and it was evident what a good and loving father he was to his children. And all of his children were special to us. David was such a good boy. He was smart and handsome and friendly and had so much promise.
One of the moments I will always remember with Rick was when he and I came across sports journalist Byron Ricks, while the author and his wife Maren were on an epic kayaking trip through the Inside Passage. They were resting on an island near one of Rick Mills' favorite seaweed gathring spots. Rick invited them back to Kake for shelter in the Presbyterian church. So we got to spend some time with the adventurous couple, and my wife's good cooking even made it into Byron's remarkable journal of their journey, all because of Rick's natural hospitality.
Rick Mills was always the gracious host. That little visit to Kake made it into a chapter in the wondrous book, "Homelands: Kayaking the Inside Passage", which is chock full of wisdom and adventure, and a good read that goes way beyond kayaking. (It is still available on the internet.) In those poetic pages you get a snapshot of the wisdom and depth of Rick Mills. Rick was a joy to know. He was unforgettable.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Brother Stanley Shaquanie Is With Jesus
It happened again this week. One of my good friends of the past left this life in the present. And I am left sorrowful for his death, but joyful for his life. With the hope that Jesus gives to us, smiles eventually defeat the tears.
Stanley Shaquanie, my Tlingit brother in Kake, Alaska, said farewell to this terrestial plane earlier this week. He leaves a great family mourning for him, and an entire village in the double clutches of grief, since they had just lost another revered Elder, Lois Berkeley, early last week. Our prayers are with his dear wife Alberta, and with his entire family, and with all the Ravens and Eagles of Kake. May they help each other dry the tears on their faces.
Stanley was a strong man, physically and mentally, and he had been through a lot of tough times in his life, including his own recent battle with the difficult disease of cancer. I hate cancer. It devastates people and families like few other diseases do. It claimed the life of Stanley, of his young son before him, and has attacked two of his beautiful daughters and his own dear wife.
But through it all, Stanley was a man of strength and courage, and always had a smile and a kind word for others. He was always ready to cheer someone else up with his good humor and special ways. My daughter Joanna remembers him fondly, for his laughter and his kidding, and his words of encouragement. We knew him to be someone ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.
Stanley was a truly wonderful man who worked very hard, and who did a lot of good in his life. He was a family man of the highest degree, and in a native Alaskan village that is an extremely high compliment, because family matters greatly, and the whole village works together to help each other out. The rest of the world can learn a lot from the Native Alaskan people and their time-tested values and ways. Stanley believed in the old ways of respect and community values. He also was a strong believer in Jesus Christ, and he served ably as an elder of the Presbyterian Church. He saw how true Christianity and the ancient Native Alaskan values were often like hand in glove.
Stanley Shaquanie was not afraid to proclaim the faith he had in Jesus Christ and he would freely tell you how Jesus makes a difference in our lives here, and how the Lord makes possible our life to come. We say "see you later" to Stanley, because we are confident that he is even now in the arms and care of God, and that some glad morning, when this life is over for us, we will be reunited with Stanley again.
Stanley and his good wife and family seemed to have far more than their fair share of suffering in this life. Sometimes it seems that God calls on some people to carry a cross of greater suffering in this life, in order to teach the others of us good life lessons we need to learn. Stanley was willing to that, if God called on him to do it, and so it was that Stanley taught many of us about courage, dignity, and family, and about strength and grace under pressure.
John 3:16 plainly says that Jesus came that “all who believe in Him might have eternal life.” In the scriptures we see a pattern -- The Biblical call is to trust both the present and the future to God.
Jesus was the Lamb of God that took away the sin of the world; He became our priest and sacrifice, all in one. Confronted by our hopelessness in sin and death, Christ interceded by offering himself -- His entire person and work -- in order to reconcile us to God. It has been said that when our Lord passed through the door of real human death, He showed us that there is no sorrow He has not known, no grief He has not borne, and no price He was unwilling to save us. Jesus died, his mother grieved, but death was conquered!
And on that fine day beyond the future, time will be no more, and the newest dawn will break upon us from on high, and we will be in the sweet by and by. Until then, may we all have a closer walk with our God on this earthly plane. One day, in that bright land the Scriptures talk about, through the grace of Jesus Christ, we will celebrate with families and friends, reunited in the Day of Resurrection! And I will give Stanley Shaquanie a big hug! What a day of rejoicing that will be!
Stanley Shaquanie, my Tlingit brother in Kake, Alaska, said farewell to this terrestial plane earlier this week. He leaves a great family mourning for him, and an entire village in the double clutches of grief, since they had just lost another revered Elder, Lois Berkeley, early last week. Our prayers are with his dear wife Alberta, and with his entire family, and with all the Ravens and Eagles of Kake. May they help each other dry the tears on their faces.
Stanley was a strong man, physically and mentally, and he had been through a lot of tough times in his life, including his own recent battle with the difficult disease of cancer. I hate cancer. It devastates people and families like few other diseases do. It claimed the life of Stanley, of his young son before him, and has attacked two of his beautiful daughters and his own dear wife.
But through it all, Stanley was a man of strength and courage, and always had a smile and a kind word for others. He was always ready to cheer someone else up with his good humor and special ways. My daughter Joanna remembers him fondly, for his laughter and his kidding, and his words of encouragement. We knew him to be someone ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.
Stanley was a truly wonderful man who worked very hard, and who did a lot of good in his life. He was a family man of the highest degree, and in a native Alaskan village that is an extremely high compliment, because family matters greatly, and the whole village works together to help each other out. The rest of the world can learn a lot from the Native Alaskan people and their time-tested values and ways. Stanley believed in the old ways of respect and community values. He also was a strong believer in Jesus Christ, and he served ably as an elder of the Presbyterian Church. He saw how true Christianity and the ancient Native Alaskan values were often like hand in glove.
Stanley Shaquanie was not afraid to proclaim the faith he had in Jesus Christ and he would freely tell you how Jesus makes a difference in our lives here, and how the Lord makes possible our life to come. We say "see you later" to Stanley, because we are confident that he is even now in the arms and care of God, and that some glad morning, when this life is over for us, we will be reunited with Stanley again.
Stanley and his good wife and family seemed to have far more than their fair share of suffering in this life. Sometimes it seems that God calls on some people to carry a cross of greater suffering in this life, in order to teach the others of us good life lessons we need to learn. Stanley was willing to that, if God called on him to do it, and so it was that Stanley taught many of us about courage, dignity, and family, and about strength and grace under pressure.
John 3:16 plainly says that Jesus came that “all who believe in Him might have eternal life.” In the scriptures we see a pattern -- The Biblical call is to trust both the present and the future to God.
Jesus was the Lamb of God that took away the sin of the world; He became our priest and sacrifice, all in one. Confronted by our hopelessness in sin and death, Christ interceded by offering himself -- His entire person and work -- in order to reconcile us to God. It has been said that when our Lord passed through the door of real human death, He showed us that there is no sorrow He has not known, no grief He has not borne, and no price He was unwilling to save us. Jesus died, his mother grieved, but death was conquered!
And on that fine day beyond the future, time will be no more, and the newest dawn will break upon us from on high, and we will be in the sweet by and by. Until then, may we all have a closer walk with our God on this earthly plane. One day, in that bright land the Scriptures talk about, through the grace of Jesus Christ, we will celebrate with families and friends, reunited in the Day of Resurrection! And I will give Stanley Shaquanie a big hug! What a day of rejoicing that will be!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Promoted to Glory! Grandma Lois Goes Home
Lois Berkeley went to see the Lord on Sunday. She had been seeking the Lord’s presence every Sunday for many, many years in her long, fruitful life. Each week, without fail, she would go to church. For many years in her home village of Kake, Alaska, Lois went twice on Sundays, first in the morning to the Memorial Presbyterian Church, where she was a member, and then in the evening to the Salvation Army Church, where she was an adherent and loyal supporter.
Sunday after Sunday she was faithful still, even when her body got older, and her joints ached with age, her youthful enthusiasm for Christ kept her going to spend time with Him in His houses each Sunday. She was over eighty in earthly years, but her love of the Lord and His people remained ever young and strong.
Last Sunday morning Lois got up early and got ready to go to church as she had done thousands of Sundays before. She could see the classic church building down by the shore, down a steep hill from her Senior Center apartment. So, as she had done so many times before, Lois dressed for her trip to the Presbyterian Church, and sat ready, with her purse in her lap. She was waiting for Pastor Eric Gebhart to come by and give her the customary ride to the church by the ocean. But on this Sunday, God had an even better destination for his faithful servant Lois. On Sunday morning, instead of going to the little white wooden church, Lois went home to be with the Lord.
When they found Lois body patiently sitting in her chair, a smile was on her face, and she had a look of peace that spoke richly of the peace that had been in her heart for a long time. Lois knew Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, as Elder Brother and Friend. She had responded to the gracious gift of salvation with a life of service to God and neighbor, acted out for many years in the Native Alaskan village of Kake, working as a part of two churches and as a part of the great Tlingit tribe that is Kake, Alaska. A white woman who married a revered Native man, a longtime resident who was twice adopted by the people of Kake, Lois dearly loved the beautiful village on Kupreanof Island. And the people loved her as much as she loved them. She was cherished by her family, churches and community.
She was a familiar face at every village event and every church gathering. As long as she had breath, she lived to be a helping presence in the place where God had planted her – Kake, Alaska. Often she made donations to help the needy, usually without anyone knowing the name of their gracious benefactor.
Lois was known as someone you could depend upon. He word was her bond, and you could trust her promise, which was as permanent as the mountains of the Alaska that she loved. God blessed Lois with a strong will, and it grew stronger over the years, as she worked building airplanes for her country in WWII, and as she learned to fish and hunt and trap as well as almost anyone in the Great Frontier, and as she served the Lord as a faithful Christian year after year. Lois was a rock because she knew the Rock of Ages. Lois was a good wife, a wonderful mother to her daughter Carol and son-in-law Greg, a matriarch to the great Berkeley family, a revered grandmother and great grandmother, and a genuine friend to many, many people.
Lois spent many years working as key assistant at the only store in the village, which belonged to the legendary Raymond and Florence “Ma” Bell. Florence was know as Kake’s Guardian Angel, best known for delivering more than 100 babies during 32 years in the picturesque Southeast Alaskan village. In her early years, “Ma” Bell worked as a nurse and nursing instructor in hospitals and schools on the East Coast and in the South. After her first husband died, Bell joined the U.S. Public Health Service which sent her to Alaska on the U.S.S. Hygiene. She soon settled in Kake, where she met and married Raymond Bell, proprietor of the town's only store, and became friends with Lois. With no doctor in Kake and no roads to other towns, Bell's role as nurse and midwife was critical to the community. Lois saw much of this good work first hand, and spent much time in prayer for it.
"She saved many people's lives, you bet she did," Lois told me, obviously proud of the work that Bell did. And Lois played a role in much of that good service, by helping free “Ma” from her duties at the store and being a constant prayer support for all that Ma Bell did.
After “Ma” Bell retired to Petersburg in 1978, Lois still continued in the work of guardian angel, but mostly as a prayer warrior for those in need of help in the village. Not a day went by when Lois was not praying for Kake and its people. One of my great privileges was praying many times with Lois. She always was thinking of others. She took their concerns to the Lord in prayer. Often Lois would call on us to agree in prayer for people who needed comfort and care.
In 1997, a grand Presbytery meeting was held in Kake, with over a hundred visitors coming to the island. Lois was at the top of her game, serving as a gracious host and helping with much of the behind the scenes work of the great event. She had served as treasurer and an elder of the Presbyterian Church for many years, so she was always in the middle of helping with projects and keeping the church strong.
To honor her many years of service, the session of the church had Lois be their Presbytery representative and she gave the speech reporting the progress at the little church, which had been very active in recent years. Lois looked physically like a grandmother from Norman Rockwell’s paintings, and sometimes she spoke slowly and often kept silent in a respectful way. But on that Friday night in October, Lois had the big crowd laughing and smiling with her quick wit and gentle humor. She closed with a story that said so much about her, and about the strong, frontier spirit of a little church that came close to closing in the 1980’s, but held on due to the strong faith and faithfulness of members like Lois Berekley.
Lois told of a big storm coming to the island one winter Sunday years before, dumping snow and ice in its wake. Somehow, as was her pattern, Lois made it to the church despite the bad weather. She made some coffee for others to warm themselves when she came, then she went from the Wilson-Dewitt fellowship hall into the main sanctuary of the historic church building and waited for the others to come. But no one came. Minutes turned to an hour and more, and all she heard was the wind howling outside.
But Lois was a good Presbyterian, so, since she was there, she decided to have church. She read some Scripture aloud, sang a favorite hymn (“Amazing Grace”), and said a prayer for the church and the village. Then she turned off the lights and went home. “But we still had church that day!” she proclaimed with a smile. And the Presbytery meeting said Amen with a thunder of applause and gales of laughter. Lois had a gift for speaking the truth with love and a smile.
We loved Lois as a one loves a favorite aunt or a mother. She was a dear friend who we will miss immensely until we see her again on that beautiful shore. Our children called her Grandma Lois. They cried on Sunday evening after hearing of her passing. So did my wife and I. But as long as we have church on this side of the veil, we will remember Lois. She was always faithful and true, trustworthy and strong. Until we meet again, Lois, we will cherish memories of you.
Sunday after Sunday she was faithful still, even when her body got older, and her joints ached with age, her youthful enthusiasm for Christ kept her going to spend time with Him in His houses each Sunday. She was over eighty in earthly years, but her love of the Lord and His people remained ever young and strong.
Last Sunday morning Lois got up early and got ready to go to church as she had done thousands of Sundays before. She could see the classic church building down by the shore, down a steep hill from her Senior Center apartment. So, as she had done so many times before, Lois dressed for her trip to the Presbyterian Church, and sat ready, with her purse in her lap. She was waiting for Pastor Eric Gebhart to come by and give her the customary ride to the church by the ocean. But on this Sunday, God had an even better destination for his faithful servant Lois. On Sunday morning, instead of going to the little white wooden church, Lois went home to be with the Lord.
When they found Lois body patiently sitting in her chair, a smile was on her face, and she had a look of peace that spoke richly of the peace that had been in her heart for a long time. Lois knew Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, as Elder Brother and Friend. She had responded to the gracious gift of salvation with a life of service to God and neighbor, acted out for many years in the Native Alaskan village of Kake, working as a part of two churches and as a part of the great Tlingit tribe that is Kake, Alaska. A white woman who married a revered Native man, a longtime resident who was twice adopted by the people of Kake, Lois dearly loved the beautiful village on Kupreanof Island. And the people loved her as much as she loved them. She was cherished by her family, churches and community.
She was a familiar face at every village event and every church gathering. As long as she had breath, she lived to be a helping presence in the place where God had planted her – Kake, Alaska. Often she made donations to help the needy, usually without anyone knowing the name of their gracious benefactor.
Lois was known as someone you could depend upon. He word was her bond, and you could trust her promise, which was as permanent as the mountains of the Alaska that she loved. God blessed Lois with a strong will, and it grew stronger over the years, as she worked building airplanes for her country in WWII, and as she learned to fish and hunt and trap as well as almost anyone in the Great Frontier, and as she served the Lord as a faithful Christian year after year. Lois was a rock because she knew the Rock of Ages. Lois was a good wife, a wonderful mother to her daughter Carol and son-in-law Greg, a matriarch to the great Berkeley family, a revered grandmother and great grandmother, and a genuine friend to many, many people.
Lois spent many years working as key assistant at the only store in the village, which belonged to the legendary Raymond and Florence “Ma” Bell. Florence was know as Kake’s Guardian Angel, best known for delivering more than 100 babies during 32 years in the picturesque Southeast Alaskan village. In her early years, “Ma” Bell worked as a nurse and nursing instructor in hospitals and schools on the East Coast and in the South. After her first husband died, Bell joined the U.S. Public Health Service which sent her to Alaska on the U.S.S. Hygiene. She soon settled in Kake, where she met and married Raymond Bell, proprietor of the town's only store, and became friends with Lois. With no doctor in Kake and no roads to other towns, Bell's role as nurse and midwife was critical to the community. Lois saw much of this good work first hand, and spent much time in prayer for it.
"She saved many people's lives, you bet she did," Lois told me, obviously proud of the work that Bell did. And Lois played a role in much of that good service, by helping free “Ma” from her duties at the store and being a constant prayer support for all that Ma Bell did.
After “Ma” Bell retired to Petersburg in 1978, Lois still continued in the work of guardian angel, but mostly as a prayer warrior for those in need of help in the village. Not a day went by when Lois was not praying for Kake and its people. One of my great privileges was praying many times with Lois. She always was thinking of others. She took their concerns to the Lord in prayer. Often Lois would call on us to agree in prayer for people who needed comfort and care.
In 1997, a grand Presbytery meeting was held in Kake, with over a hundred visitors coming to the island. Lois was at the top of her game, serving as a gracious host and helping with much of the behind the scenes work of the great event. She had served as treasurer and an elder of the Presbyterian Church for many years, so she was always in the middle of helping with projects and keeping the church strong.
To honor her many years of service, the session of the church had Lois be their Presbytery representative and she gave the speech reporting the progress at the little church, which had been very active in recent years. Lois looked physically like a grandmother from Norman Rockwell’s paintings, and sometimes she spoke slowly and often kept silent in a respectful way. But on that Friday night in October, Lois had the big crowd laughing and smiling with her quick wit and gentle humor. She closed with a story that said so much about her, and about the strong, frontier spirit of a little church that came close to closing in the 1980’s, but held on due to the strong faith and faithfulness of members like Lois Berekley.
Lois told of a big storm coming to the island one winter Sunday years before, dumping snow and ice in its wake. Somehow, as was her pattern, Lois made it to the church despite the bad weather. She made some coffee for others to warm themselves when she came, then she went from the Wilson-Dewitt fellowship hall into the main sanctuary of the historic church building and waited for the others to come. But no one came. Minutes turned to an hour and more, and all she heard was the wind howling outside.
But Lois was a good Presbyterian, so, since she was there, she decided to have church. She read some Scripture aloud, sang a favorite hymn (“Amazing Grace”), and said a prayer for the church and the village. Then she turned off the lights and went home. “But we still had church that day!” she proclaimed with a smile. And the Presbytery meeting said Amen with a thunder of applause and gales of laughter. Lois had a gift for speaking the truth with love and a smile.
We loved Lois as a one loves a favorite aunt or a mother. She was a dear friend who we will miss immensely until we see her again on that beautiful shore. Our children called her Grandma Lois. They cried on Sunday evening after hearing of her passing. So did my wife and I. But as long as we have church on this side of the veil, we will remember Lois. She was always faithful and true, trustworthy and strong. Until we meet again, Lois, we will cherish memories of you.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Life is Fragile -- Handle with Prayer!
No matter how you slice it, life is fragile and must be handled with care and prayer. Praying to God is a great privilege and a special responsibility. One of the best ways to use your time is to pray for others, for your family and for yourself. Prayer is a two-way conversation that works best when grounded in the Scriptures and in strong faith in Jesus Christ. Spend some time quietly listening. Take advantage of this great gift and pray often in the name of Jesus!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Character Assassination as Spectator Sport
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.
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.
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.
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