Encountering God

Thursday 12/17/2015 6:51 AM

Sometimes I am envious of Bible characters like Moses, Jacob, and others, who had personal, physical encounters with God. Moses had the burning bush and Mount Sinai and Jacob wrestled with God at the Jabbok river. Somehow I feel as if they had an unfair advantage in their walk with God because of their encounters. I have sensed God’s presence in my life on various occasions but when explaining it to others I never state outright, “I saw God today.” I use other phrases like, “I sensed God’s presence today,” so people do not think I’m entirely crazy. I also wonder if my experiences are real or if I am conjuring up things that are not real because of my emotional state at the time.

John Mogabgab writes about Jacob’s encounter with God at the Jabbok river. He writes, “…before he met God, Jacob sent his wives and servants and all his possessions to the other side of the river Jabbok. Jacob cleared an arena in which God would meet him ‘face-to-face,’ a place apart from the supportive relationships and material resources that sometimes mask our true self. Spiritual disciplines are like ground-clearing exercises aimed at providing room for God to confront us unmasked. The initiative for such a meeting always rests with God. Yet like Jacob, we can set aside our usual commitments and relationships for the sake of transforming encounters with God. The practice of such spiritual discipline truly prepares a way for the Lord.”

As I thought about that this morning I came to realize that my regular time of devotions each morning is my way of preparing a way for the Lord to meet with me. Over the years I have sensed his presence with me in the morning and he has provided direction and encouragement through my Bible reading, meditation, prayer, and meeting with my small group. I should not pooh-pooh those encounters, rather, I should acknowledge them for what they are, God’s personal meeting with me. I pray that I will continue to take time to make myself available to him.

A Blooming Crocus

Sunday 12/13/2015 5:15 AM

I saw another meteor as I ran early this morning. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since tonight is supposed to be the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, the biggest meteor shower of the year. It reminds me of the meteors I saw a few weeks ago right before Thanksgiving, which sparked a thought in me about the brevity of life.

I sat down for my devotions and closed my eyes to relax and to pray for God to reveal himself during my time of meditation. I fell asleep in my chair and dreamed about a field of flowers in a desert. The flowers grew quickly and began to bloom. Then the blooms turned into a flame of fire that burned for a short time before exploding, spreading sparks, which were seeds of new plants that repeated the process. I slept for only a minute or two but the flower cycle in my dream repeated itself three times.

I woke and wondered what the dream meant. I thought about the brevity of life, inspired by the meteor I saw on my run. I also thought about how the Spirit of God manifested itself as a flame of fire resting upon the heads of the disciples of Jesus. I opened my devotional book and noted the theme for the new week; prepare the way of the Lord.

I began by reading Psalm 96:1-3, “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” I am clearly called to sing the praise of God, to proclaim his salvation and glory, and to tell about his deeds to all people. My next assigned reading was Isaiah 35, which begins with these words, “The desert and parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.” If I sing the praise of God and declare his glory and his deeds among the nations then my life will be like a crocus bursting into bloom in the desert for all to see, just like in my dream.

Isaiah 35 doesn’t end with the blooming crocus. It goes on to describe the result of God’s coming into the lives of his people. The eyes of the blind are opened, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap like a deer and the mute will shout for joy. Water will gush in the desert and sand will become pools and springs that bring life. When the fire of the Spirit of God invades my life everything is changed, the world reversed. God works through his people to bring hope and restoration to a world that is dry and barren.

Rueben Job writes about this promise of God. “God’s promise seems no less preposterous today. Turn the values of this world upside down? Rich become weak; poor become strong? Each of us chosen to be God’s special witness to God’s promise of love and justice? It does seem like a preposterous promise, until we listen carefully to the Advent story, observe the life of Jesus, and listen to the Spirit’s voice today. But then we see that the promise is for us. The responsibility to tell the story is ours.” I want to be such a person; a crocus bursting into bloom in the desert so all will see the glory of God and will experience his transforming power.

Security in Chaos

Sunday 12/6/2015 7:17 AM

Earlier this week there was a terrorist attack in San Bernardino. A man and his wife dropped their six-month-old baby off at his parents’ house; proceeded to go to a holiday party, and killed fourteen of his coworkers, while injuring many more. Since this followed the shootings in Paris just a few short weeks ago there is renewed talk of security and gun control. At school we are reminded of our “active shooter” protocols, as if that will solve the problem and give us hope.

Ultimately all of the security measures we institute as a society, the gun control laws we enact, the safety protocols we adopt, the building codes we modify, and any other attempts we have will not provide the hope we have for security and peace in a world filled with sinful people and natural disasters. The only hope we have is addressed by the psalmist in Psalm 33:20-22, “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”

My world may be running amok but God’s love is unfailing. God is with me in the middle of the chaos of my life, including that which is brought on by natural disasters, that which is perpetrated upon me by others, and that which I create myself. I pray that I can put my hope in God with the same confidence as that of the psalmist.

Pursued

Thursday 12/3/2015 3:58 AM

Today is the thirty-ninth anniversary of my first date with Jaci. Little did I know at that time the richness, fullness, and love that would result from that first evening together. The step we chose to take that first night has affected our lives in ways we never imagined and, looking back, I see the magnitude of the consequences of our decision to pursue that relationship. It makes me wonder what small decisions made today will have great consequence for the future. If I dwell on that thought too long it can paralyze me. It makes me afraid to do anything for fear of making a wrong decision with the accompanying negative consequences, which could last a lifetime.

My reading today included Jeremiah’s words in Lamentations 3:19-23, “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” When I read those verses I realize that, although my choices do have consequences, God’s faithfulness and love are not compromised because of them. Even when I make choices that jeopardize my relationship with him, God pursues me in love to restore the relationship.

I can go through times of wandering away from God and wondering about the wisdom of the decisions that I make. The good news is that God doesn’t wander or wonder. He pursues me with an unquenchable love that never fails, regardless.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thursday 11/26/2015 4:55 AM

I saw a meteor streaking across the sky on two different occasions within the last few days, once as I ran early in the morning and the other at dusk, as I was riding my motorcycle home from school. Both were brilliant streaks of light trailing sparks like fireworks. They lasted only a second or two, and then were gone.

Tomorrow I will celebrate my sixtieth birthday. I can’t believe it. As I reflect, my life seems to have lasted about as long as the meteors I saw, just a quick flash of light. But what a wonderful life it has been.

Earlier this week a Facebook friend posted a picture in which she and her husband were sharing a passionate kiss, silhouetted against a bright, foggy background. I immediately thought of my love for Jaci and Proverbs 5:18-19 leaped into my head. “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer – may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.” The Lord has blessed me beyond measure with the gift of her love. I am thankful for her and I am definitely inebriated by her love.

The Lord has also blessed us with three great kids who have married three wonderful spouses. Psalm 127:3-5 comes to mind, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” For whatever reason the Lord gave children to a couple of people who had no experience in raising children and then gave us the grace to raise them. The love we share is a great encouragement to me, and something for which I am grateful.

God’s faithfulness to me has been extended even further through my seven, going on eight, grandchildren. They are a source of great joy and exhibit boundless energy and enthusiasm. Psalm 71:17-18 is my hope and prayer. “Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.”

These were the thoughts coursing through my head as I ran early this Thanksgiving morning. When I got home I sat down for my time of meditation and reflection. I read the opening affirmation for the week, based on Psalm 2:12b. “All who take refuge in the Lord are truly happy!” There it was. Simply stated. It is not the circumstances of my life but, rather, my relationship with God that brings encouragement, hope, and, ultimately, happiness.

Stephen Doughty and Marjorie Thompson give sound advice in their book, The Way of Discernment. “We need to open our eyes and ears. In a culture so fixed on the superficial, the negative, the sensational, and the tawdry, we need to be a people who look for the movements of God’s grace and stand ready to follow where those movements lead.” I pray that as I grow older and my senses fade I will still be able to sense the grace of God raining on the world he loves and to follow where he leads. If I am able to do so, my life will be a happy thanksgiving, come what may.

Questions About Hope

Tuesday 11/24/2015 4:54 AM

In my journal yesterday I wrote about the anxiety that many Christians feel today regarding the future. Terrorist threats are daily fare on the news and, if conservative commentators are to be believed, there is a war on Christians and the Christian way of life. Many in the Christian community are lashing out with anger and fear, fighting to make sure our “rights” are protected and that our way of life is preserved.

In his book A Guide to Spiritual Discernment, Rueben Job portrays the history of the Christian community that stands in stark contrast to this way of thinking and acting. He writes, “Hope has always been a dominant quality in the life of the Christian community. … The source of this resolute hope was never found in the surroundings or how things were going for the Church. Rather, hope was found in God and the assurance that God was at work in the Church and in the world. The disciples felt a calm confidence that God’s work and will would ultimately be completed and fulfilled. And they were assured that every Christian was invited into a partnership with God that moved toward the fulfillment of God’s grand design for all creation. Such assurance is fertile ground in which the seeds of hope can flourish and bear the fruit of faithful living.”

Where are the church leaders that preach this message? Why does this message of hope and assurance fail to be promulgated by the church and its spokespersons? Who will speak the truth to a world that desperately needs to hear the truth that God is at work and will prevail, come hell or high water? When will the Christian community learn to listen to God’s promises in his word rather than to the talking heads of our modern society? When will we learn to walk in confidence, knowing that the all-powerful God of the universe, who loves us, is walking with us?

We need to live like we believe the words of Jesus to his disciples in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Mathematical Beauty and Praise

Monday 11/9/2015 4:23 AM

My psalm for the week is Psalm 148, a call to praise. But the call to praise is not just to humankind, it is to the whole creation. “Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. … Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creature and flying birds.”

Because I am a mathematician, when I am out in the middle of creation I see the patterns of self-similarity in the clouds and mountain ranges. I see the contour lines and gradient vectors when hiking along a mountain trail. I notice that nature operates in the most efficient ways possible and stand amazed. I love to try to point this out to others. Unfortunately too often those attempts fall short because many are not conversant in the language of mathematics, through which creation speaks to me.

Today I read an excerpt from John Mogabgab that encourages me to keep trying to communicate that mathematical beauty to others. He writes, “…early Christian writers had identified profound inner stillness as a condition of understanding the mysteries of God hidden in creation and communicating these with wisdom to others. Such understanding and communication are essential aspects of our stewardship as we seek ways of interpreting God’s design for creation to a world impaired in its ability to listen.” I pray that I will not become discouraged in pointing out the beauty.

My Brother's Keeper

Thursday 11/5/2015 4:39 AM

Today I read two portions of scripture. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 reads, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” Galatians 6:10 reads. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

The theme of my devotions this week is responsibility. John Mogabgab writes about the responsibility of believers in our world once they have been apprehended by the love of Christ and begin to view the world through the lens of love as expressed on the cross. “From all the fear, suspicion, anger, and terror that stalk the world, from all the empty hopes and overflowing sadness, all the sweet dreams and acid anguish, God has wrested a new creation. The human point of view – with its focus on looking out for ourselves, preoccupation with our own plans, fear of others’ scornful judgment, anxious anticipation of the future – has become an outmoded paradigm. It is not (and never was) capable of revealing what is most real and true about life. This reality and truth are wreathed in paradox. … What we glimpse is life woven together in love, all life interwoven in ways that do not smother and encumber but rather release and strengthen. Here is God’s desire and design for created life, for all brothers and sisters of the mineral, plant, animal, and human nations with whom it is good and pleasant to dwell in unity. Here too is the living matrix of responsibility. … No dimension of another’s life lies beyond the scope of the Christian’s concern and care. … Although this is certainly important within the community of faith as a compelling sign of radically rewoven relationships, the scope of Christian responsibility is as encompassing as the new creation itself. New life in Christ manifests itself in responsibility for the other.”

Too often I feel as if I, and most Christians, still live in the world as those overcome by fear, suspicion, anger, and anguish. We see ourselves as victims whose rights are being eroded away. We bemoan the fact that prayer is no longer tolerated in public, the Ten Commandments are no longer allowed in our courtrooms, and businesses whose owners are Christian are fined for standing up for what they believe. We feel threatened by groups like Black Lives Matter and insist that all lives matter. While there is truth in that statement it also minimizes the pain and frustration that minority groups often experience on a daily basis.

God’s call to me is to do good to all people. I quite naturally look out for my own interests. God calls me to look out for the interests of others with the same intensity. I need to remember that in order for humanity to live in shalom the needs of everyone need to be addressed. When one part of body of humanity suffers we all suffer and Christians should be on the front lines of alleviating the suffering, sacrificing our own rights and resources so that there can be justice and equity for all. God so loved the world that he gave. I need to do the same.

The Eyes and Heart of Mercy

Saturday 10/31/2015 7:44 AM

I am only month away from my sixtieth birthday. As I age I have a tendency to become more despondent. It seems that the world is becoming less caring and everything seems to be coming apart at the seams. Any attempt I make to stem this tide seems inconsequential at best.

I have great respect for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Their lives have been spent pouring love into the lives of those living on the periphery of society. They have sought to restore justice to those oppressed and have attempted to change the unjust systems that continue to perpetuate the wrongs perpetrated on the weak and powerless. There have been times when their efforts effected the desired change but too often the small steps gained were soon eradicated. They continue on in their retirement doing the same kind of work. I try to emulate their tenacity to the cause but my efforts pale in comparison.

I have engaged in long conversations with them regarding the issues about which they are so passionate. We have never spoken directly of this but I sometimes wonder if they become as discouraged as I do when little to no progress seems to be made toward the goal.

This morning I ran a little later than usual, so I saw a number of people out for their morning exercise. As is my habit, when I meet someone walking, running, or biking I smile and say good morning. It is a small gesture but, since I live in the greater Los Angeles area where any conversation with a stranger is unusual, most people are surprised. As I thought about all the troubling things in the world, sinking deeper into melancholy, I met someone walking. I greeted them with a friendly hello. They smiled, and returned the greeting. I was listening to my music as I ran and the song playing was I Am Not Alone, by Kari Jobe. Immediately after the person returned my greeting these words from the song came into my ears, “In the midst of deep sorrow I see your light is breaking through. The dark of night will not overtake me, I am pressing into you.” It was a reminder that even small gestures like a friendly greeting can express the love of God for a stranger. The love of God expressed in the smallest of gestures shines light into our dark world. After all, Jesus said God’s love is expressed in the offering of a cup of cold water to a stranger.

 The thoughts I had when I ran were reinforced as I sat down for my devotions today. Part of my reading included an essay by Sister Elaine M. Prevallet entitled “Living in Mercy.” She writes, “Surely in the end, after all our righteous judgments on what is wrong with ourselves, each other, and with the world; after we experience injustice intractably resistant to our most devoted efforts, leaving us with our thirst unquenched, our mouths dry and our throats sore from protest; surely in the end the gospel calls us to view the whole of creation, and each other, with the eyes of mercy, and to love it all anyway, with a mercying heart.”

My job in the kingdom of God is not to bemoan what is wrong with myself or with others with whom I have contact. It is not to become discouraged when my efforts to right the wrongs of the world seem to be for naught. My job is to view the world and its numerous inhabitants with the eye of mercy and to love it with a mercying heart.

More and more, as I age, I feel as if the Spirit of God is allowing me to view the world with the eye of mercy but the loving with a mercying heart part is still an uphill battle for me. It is hard for me to know how best to address the wrongs that are so prevalent in the world with love, expressed in concrete actions. Thank God he looks at me with the eye of mercy and loves me with his mercying heart.

May God grant me mercy and guide me, through the working of his Spirit within me, to emulate him.

Self-emptying Compassion

Sunday 10/25/2015 5:23 AM

My devotional theme for the week is compassion, a quality that seems to be in short supply in our Western society, even within the church. My assigned reading included 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, “We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” Two things from those verses caught my attention.

The first is that Paul and his companions were like young children among the Thessalonians. Young children submit to the authority of adults and have no rights. If I am to live in a similar way in the world I need to forego any rights I may think are mine and allow others to be in control. How strange would that kind of living be in a society that exalts power and influence and stresses the importance of individual rights?

The second is that Paul cared for the Thessalonians like a nursing mother cares for her children. My daughters are both nursing babies at the moment. They sacrifice their own schedules, wants, and needs for the sake of their children. They immediately attend to the cries of their children and change a dirty diaper, provide milk or other sustenance, and soothe them when they are frightened, without complaint. That kind of treatment of our neighbors would also garner much attention in our modern world.

If I am to successfully show the love of God to my neighbors I need to live in such a way among them. But that kind of living comes with great cost. I need to be willing to humble myself and look to the needs of others without regard to my own needs or rights. Norman Shawchuck describes it like this, “We need not wonder about the cost of ministry. We need only look upon the cross with Jesus suspended there, and there we see the enormous cost of the ministry that is offered in the life and death of Jesus. The cost is great, but in the work of introducing men and women to Jesus and offering God’s love to them, the cost must be accepted. For it is our own self-emptying and compassion for others that permits them to see Jesus. And seeing Jesus they will also desire God’s love. It is in our living a way of love and compassion that others may be convinced to look at the cross of Jesus and also say, ‘Truly this is the Son of God.’”

It is my prayer that I can live with that kind of self-emptying compassion. And I pray this not only for me, but for the greater Christian community as well.

The Easy Road

Tuesday 10/20/2015 5:16 AM

My assigned scripture today included Proverbs 15:24, “The path of life leads upward for the prudent to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.” I immediately thought of two separate circumstances of which I am aware.

The first is that of Lamar Odom, former NBA and reality TV star, who nearly died from a drug overdose last week. His life has spiraled out of control for the past couple of years due to his addiction to cocaine and possibly other drugs. He was at the top of the sports world and the entertainment world but he took a downward turn and has been headed for disaster for some time now.

The other situation is that of an acquaintance that has previously made some extremely bad decisions that turned his world upside down. Since then he has gone to school, worked hard to succeed in his chosen career, got married and is now gainfully employed and is actively involved in the lives of his children. He is loves life and is living it to the fullest.

Sometimes I wonder what decision to make given a choice of two different options. A good question for me to ask when considering the path to take is, “Does this path lead upward toward a fuller life or downward, diminishing my life?” After the choice is made I would do well to ask if my life is improving or if it is going downhill. The path of a full life will always lead upward. It is easier to go down a path rather than to have to climb. I pray that I will have the courage and fortitude to lead the path that leads to life, especially when it’s an uphill climb.

Faith in Calm and Chaos

Tuesday 10/13/2015 4:31 AM

To me, one of the most interesting chapters of the Bible is Hebrews 11. It describes the heroes of the faith who accomplished great things for God. The surprising part is that toward the end of the chapter it also describes those who had been tortured, flogged, jeered, stoned, sawn in two, destitute, persecuted, mistreated, and imprisoned. These too are included in the list of those commended for their faith.

I tend to gauge the level of my faith and my usefulness to God by how stress-free my life is. If I am healthy, employed, getting along well with others, etc., then I consider myself blessed and in right relationship with God. If my health fails, I pray for healing. If my relationship with someone is strained, I pray for restoration. If I become unemployed, I pray for a new job. In general, if my life isn’t sailing along on smooth waters I assume my relationship with God is suspect and I wonder what I am doing wrong.

I do not think I am alone in this kind of thinking. Some who have become disenchanted with the church wonder how a loving God could allow evil to be so prevalent in the world. If they allow for the possibility of a God, he is seen as a divine Santa Claus doling out presents for those who are good and lumps of coal for those who are bad, as an impotent old man unable to change anything, or a disinterested sadist who places his creatures in a random, chaotic creation and leaves them to fend for themselves.

In their book Companions in Christ, Reuben Job and Marjorie Thompson describe the true nature of God. “To imagine that God is here simply to console, affirm, heal, and love us is to deny the holiness of a God who requires righteousness, who challenges our illusions, who confronts our idolatries. When we are being ‘disillusioned’ from false perspectives, the spiritual journey feels arduous – more like climbing a steep mountain than like driving the great plains. Indeed, at times it feels like going over the edge of a cliff on nothing but the thin rope of faith. Sometimes we are called to endure in hope when we can see nothing positive on the horizon at all.”

It is easy to focus on the loving, nurturing nature of God but not so easy to accommodate God’s call to live a holy, righteous, selfless life. This is especially true living in our narcissistic, what’s-in-it-for me culture. Any attempt to seek justice for the economically oppressed in the world by suggesting that the world belongs to God and we are to live in harmony as a human community sharing the resources God has provided brings accusations of being a socialist or a communist, both terms of derision in our culture that idolizes capitalism and private property. If I suggest abortion is murdering an image bearer of God I am accused of being a misogynist who seeks to oppress a woman’s rights. The list could go on.

I pray that I will have the wisdom to recognize the genuineness of my faith is not dependent upon the circumstances of my life. I want to live my life trusting that God will use all the circumstances I encounter, both the good and bad, to mold me into someone who better reflects both the loving and the righteous image of God made visible through the life of Christ.

Straying

Monday 10/12/2015 5:07 AM

Yesterday I sang with the praise team at worship. The last song we sang was an oldie but goodie, Alleluia, by Michael W. Smith. I did some hand motions I had learned a number of years ago and became overwhelmed with emotion as I sang about God being holy, almighty, reigning over creation, and worthy of praise.

The theme of my devotions this week is trust. My opening prayer is, “Remembering your faithfulness from age to age, O Lord, let us trust that you have our best interests in mind as you respond to our cries for help in times of need. By your grace, teach us to rely more and more on your strong hand to support and guide us in the face of adversity.” Rueben Job, the author of my devotional book, suggests that regular times of prayer and corporate worship offer opportunities to establish a relationship of companionship with the God who made me and loves me.

I have attended corporate worship quite regularly over the past year but my regular times of personal prayer and meditation have been sparse. The result of my haphazard commitment to a regular time of prayer is that God seems somewhat distant and aloof. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. I am simply unaware of his love and his working in the world because I have severed the lines of communication.

Today my assigned reading includes Exodus 34:6-7, God’s word to Moses after Moses had broken the two tablets of the law. “And (God) passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.’” God does not leave me in isolation when I abandon him. He calls me back with words of love and forgiveness. Lord, give me the grace to maintain my relationship with you through regular times of prayer.

Enough?

Thursday 10/8/2015 5:03 AM

Last night I had a conversation with my brother. We spoke about some issues with Mom’s living situation and then the conversation turned toward retirement. He and Kathy recently met with someone regarding their retirement situation and were pleasantly surprised that their retirement income was more substantial that what they previously thought. Then he shared that he found a group who is, as I would say, dumb enough to pay him to do what he loves to do, namely minister to pastors and churches and to write.

My reading today included the parable of the rich fool who built bigger barns to hold all of his surplus crops only to die before he could enjoy it all. Sometimes I worry about whether or not my resources will adequately provide for me in my retirement years. Then the rational side of my brain kicks in and I remind myself that God has provided for me for the first fifty-nine years of my life so he can probably handle the next twenty or so, if he allows me to live that long.

God doesn’t call me to hoard my income, saving it for a rainy day so I can live in comfort and ease after I stop working at my job. He calls me to a life of service, expending my time, energy, and resources for the benefit of others while I trust him to provide for me.

It is a good reminder for me today.

Gentleness Meets Discipline

Saturday 10/3/2015 5:58 AM

I know a young musician who has struggled with substance abuse for years. Like many, he has gone through cycles of rehabilitation only to fall back into old patterns of destructive behavior. Over the years I have prayed for him and his family and, on a couple of occasions, I attended one of his gigs to show support.

At the last show I attended I had the privilege of witnessing his proposal to his girlfriend, something he had planned ahead of time without my knowing of it. They have been a source of mutual encouragement to one another and, with that encouragement; he has been sober for some time now. I am not a close enough friend to know any details but, from what I have observed, his life seems more filled with meaning and purpose. I’m sure the last couple of years have seen their share of struggles and heartache but the discipline he has shown and the support he receives have given him glimpses of a life he probably never dreamed could be his.

The theme of my devotions this week is gentleness, something not generally associated with the discipline needed for change. I read an excerpt from A Clearing Season, by Sarah Parsons, that reminded me of my friend’s situation. “When developing a disciplined practice, one of the most valuable gifts we can give ourselves is gentleness. In everyday life, we tend to associate discipline with rigidity, rules, and consequences for misbehavior. However, we tend to downplay the equally important role of gentleness in making changes. Change requires a great deal of effort from anyone engaged in it, even if the change is positive. Change plunges a previously ordered system into temporary chaos, and chaos is stressful. Gentleness takes into account our effort and stress; treating ourselves gently is a way of offering encouragement and appreciation for the work being done.”

Like all people, I struggle with certain issues. I make resolutions to change my behavior but often find that I slip back into the same old habits. When that occurs a harsh voice within whispers, “You are a failure,” and, without warning, I find myself in the all too familiar downward spiral into chaos. I need to do a better job of treating myself with gentleness, to recognize the progress that has been made and to celebrate it with those I love. I have the same prayer for my friend this morning.

Who or Whose?

Tuesday 9/29/2015 4:53 AM

When faced with uncertainty or with difficulty some people panic and worry about the future. In their minds they play out every possible scenario and then try to formulate their plan to deal with the consequences. When things become too overwhelming people will sometimes say they need to take time to find themselves, to discover who they are deep inside, to determine their priorities and how best to live out their priorities in the given circumstances.

My former pastor would always encourage our congregation to remember our identity, to remember not who we are but whose we are. He liked to quote one of our church’s confessions, the Heidelberg Catechism, Question and Answer 1. “What is your only comfort in life and in death? That I am not my own but belong – body and soul, in life and in death – to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.”

Today I read a similar quote by Rueben P. Job. “To remember who creates us and recreates, who calls us again and again, who knows us completely, and who loves us unconditionally is to be prepared, as Jesus was, for all that is to come. We need have no fear of today or anxiety about tomorrow. We belong to God who claims us as beloved children and holds us close in the embrace of strength and love. Listen and remember today that God calls your name, and be transformed and sustained in all that awaits you.”

It is easy to become discouraged in our modern society. News reports on television are filled with fear mongering. Breaking news bombards us with a barrage or stories of child abductions, random acts of violence, worldwide terror, threats to our financial security, predatory corporations robbing us of hard-earned money and threatening our environment, to mention a few. But these stories and threats pale when I realize that the God who created and maintains the universe has promised to hold me close and to walk with me through whatever circumstances arise. I pray that I will have the faith to trust in that loving God without reservation.

Empathy for Others

Friday 9/25/2015 5:51 AM

I listened to the U2 album Songs of Innocence as I ran this morning. Some of the lyrics of the song “Sleep Like a Baby Tonight” caught my attention. “Hope is where the door is when the church is where the war is, where no one can feel no one else’s pain. You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight. In your dreams everything is alright. Tomorrow dawns like a suicide but you’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight.”

I have lived my entire life in the United States. Our independence is something in which we take great pride. We celebrate those who have risen from the depths of poverty to wealth and describe our country as the land of opportunity. We claim that hard work and perseverance will be rewarded.

The danger of this mindset is that we feel that those who do not rise from what we consider to be the lower rungs of society fail because of lack of effort. We complain about all the freeloaders in our society who are riding on the coattails of us hardworking people and our world gets divided into “us” and “them.” Unfortunately, this kind of attitude is especially prevalent in the Christian church. U2 would say, “no one can feel no one else’s pain.”

I like to insulate myself from the world around me. I encircle myself with people who look just like me, those with similar belief systems, values, and economic status. Within this little dream world construct everything is all right. I sleep like a baby, swaddled in the comfort of my self-made world.

God’s call to me is to feel the pain of others. Rather that insulating myself from the world around me I am called to enter into it and share the pain and heartache that is so prevalent. Instead of complaining about things, I am to show mercy to the oppressed and to seek justice on their behalf. I am to expend my energy and the resources God has given me on behalf of others, not solely for my own benefit. God calls me to live in community with those who are made in his image, not to live in comfortable isolation. I pray that God will help me to live in such a way.

El Niño

Wednesday 9/23/2015 4:23 AM

Yesterday Facebook reminded me of a picture I posted six years ago, shortly after I bought my motorcycle. In it I am holding my grandson, three-month old Trey, while sitting on my bike with a beautifully manicured, green lawn in the background. Today Trey is in first grade and losing teeth and my lawn is dead, and brown. Time marches on and things change.

Relationships change too. Flourishing romantic love stoked by a newly minted marriage can become passé after a few years of shared life and dull routine if it is not carefully tended and nourished. Intimacy with and fervor for God can soon give way to ennui when the busyness and cares of life interfere with the time needed for quiet reflection and meditation. Time marches on and things change.

Southern California is currently enduring a record-setting drought, which accounts for my dead, brown lawn. My relationship with God is also enduring a drought. My reservoir of joy has been drained and the excitement of wondering what God would do next has given way to a quiet resignation that things have changed and may never again be the same. My dead, brown lawn mirrors my feelings about intimacy with God at the moment.

My devotional theme this week is gratitude. It is hard to be thankful in the middle of a drought but my assigned reading for today gives some hope. Jeremiah 33:10-11 says, “This is what the Lord says: You say about this place, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.’ Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying, ‘Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.’ For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before, says the Lord.”

Meteorologists are hopeful that the current drought across California will be alleviated due to an extra strong marine condition know as El Niño. Rising ocean temperatures along the coastline portend a wetter than usual rainy season, giving hope to a break in the drought. I can also have hope with regard to the listlessness in my relationship with God. He has sent El Niño, his Son, to warm the surface of my cooling heart and to restore intimacy and joy. I will experience the sinusoidal variations of life but God remains faithful. That is reason enough for gratitude.

Priority Shift

Sunday 9/13/2015 5:35 AM

The theme for my devotions this week is attentiveness. The world in which we live is filled with distractions and it is difficult to focus on one particular thing for any length of time. The media is especially prone to distraction, always looking for “breaking news” or for what is “trending.” A story about the genocide of thousands of people gives way to a story about some Hollywood star who got a traffic ticket for speeding through a school zone as if the speeding infraction was of greater importance.

I am guilty of similarly misplaced priorities. Television, social media, or other equally inane activities consume the time I should spend nourishing my relationship with Jaci. The concern I have for myself often supersedes the attentiveness I should be giving to the needs and concerns of others. My relationship with God atrophies because I think I am too busy to set aside time for contemplating God’s goodness to me or for trying to determine what he would have me do that would reveal God’s goodness to and his love for others.

It is time to stop the excuses and to set aside time for reflection. Priorities need to shift so that the important things take precedence over the urgent things. I need to be more attentive to the working of God in my life and more attentive to the needs of others. Lord, give me the grace to make the necessary changes.

Straying

Saturday 9/12/2015 6:03 AM

Yesterday Jaci and I went to see the movie War Room. It is a story about the power of prayer and the ability of God to change the lives of those who seek him with their whole being. I have experienced the transforming power of God at work in my life so there were many points in movie that resonated with me. I also realized that my passion for God has waned over the past few months and, as a result, I am less aware of God’s working in my life and in the lives of others with whom I have contact. This saddens me and I spent part of my time in the theater weeping and mourning the lost opportunities to dispense the grace of God into the lives of others and to experience God’s grace in my own life.

When I left the theater I resolved to return to my habit of spending an extended time each morning with God so that I am more aware of his work in the world and more aware of the role he wants me to play in that work. As I read my devotional materials today I read a prayer by Norman Shawchuck that seemed as if it was written for me. It is my prayer today.

My God, every fiber of my being vibrates at the touch of your grace – whereby I am given the privilege of being your child. My joy at your overwhelming gesture of love and the high privilege you extend to me of entering into your life invades my being with an acute sense of your ever-nearness. In response to this, my Lord, I offer praises to you.

Yet, my Lord, I am often cold toward you. I forget to love you for long periods of time – and this to my own harm and regret. Forgive me, Lord! Ever-loving God, set my life aflame with love for you only. O my God, I long to reflect your image throughout the world so that others might observe your doing in me and themselves be convinced that you love them also.

Prayer and Contemplation

Saturday 8/15/2015 7:26 AM

I used to feel guilty because I felt that I didn’t pray enough. I had my regular devotional time of reading scripture and reflecting on what God was trying to say to me but when it came time for praying I would find my mind wandering or I would fall asleep. Over the years I have less and less guilt in this regard even though my pattern of prayer hasn’t changed that much. The reason I no longer have guilt is because I have come to realize that prayer is not simply asking or demanding things of God, it is a two-way conversation, where I both speak and listen.  Some refer to that type of prayer as contemplation.

In her essay Contemplation in Time of War, Wendy M. Wright writes, “But contemplation is a form of prayer that leads us through and, ultimately, beyond our present concepts and images. The contemplative life, as a consciously walked path, is a process of letting go of the familiar ways we have known and experienced God. … The contemplative life is that radical and risky opening of self to be changed by and, in some way, into God’s own self. It is a formative life; it changes us and our perceptions. It causes us to see beyond our present seeing. Thus it is a life of continual dying, of being stripped over and over again of the comfortable and familiar, a life of letting go and allowing a reality beyond our own to shape us. From another perspective, it is a life of emerging spaciousness, of being made wide and broad and empty enough to hold the vast and magnificent and excruciating paradoxes of created life in the crucible of love.”

This is a better description of my prayer life. As I have prayed over the years I find that my thought processes have changed, my opinions have changed, my relationship with God has changed, my behavior has changed, and my empathy for others has changed. I struggle with what Wright refers to as the magnificent and excruciating paradoxes of life but I also find that the crucible of love has a seemingly limitless ability to accommodate those paradoxes. God, in his mercy, accommodates me and he calls me to do the same for others. I trust he will find me faithful to his calling.

Removing the Plank

Friday 8/7/2015 4:57 AM

I thought about a song that was popular when I was growing up as I had my devotions this morning. Its words were, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love, no, not just for some, but for everyone.” Our culture in the United States is marked by income inequality, racial tensions, and political name calling, just to name a few. Some would argue that many of the things that seem to divide us in this country are manufactured by the media, who are complicit with those in political power to keep our country divided but, whatever the reason, phrases like “the ninety-nine percent” and “Black Lives Matter” pepper the media, keeping those divisive issues in the forefront of our minds.

In his book, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, William Law writes, “It was … holy intercession that raised Christians to such a state of mutual love, as far exceeded all that had been praised and admired in human friendship. And when the same spirit of intercession is again in the world, when Christianity has the same power over the hearts of people that it then had, this holy friendship will be again in fashion, and Christians will be again the wonder of the world, for that exceeding love which they bear to one another.” Law seems to argue that what the world needs now is fervent prayer for others by Christians, which will in turn bring about the love for which our world seems to be starved. 2 Chronicles 7:14 brings the same message for Christians today as it did for the Israelites at that time, “…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

We in the Christian community like to blame others for the evil that is so prevalent in our land. In reality, we should be blaming ourselves for our lack of genuine prayer for the good and for the salvation of others. In my prayers I will usually thank God for what he has done for me and will intercede for my family and for my friends. But God demands that I pray for my enemies and for those who would do me harm. In my experience, when I begin praying for others, my heart changes and I am more willing to become personally involved in seeing that my prayers on their behalf become a reality. I will begin to love sacrificially, giving up some of my own wishes and dreams so that my dream for the benefit of others can come to fruition.

As I see it, the problems that are so rampant in our society and the things that so often frustrate the Christian community can be laid at the feet of the Christians in our society and our lack of love and concern for others, especially for those with whom we disagree or with those who seek to do us harm. We should do as Jesus suggested, remove the plank from our own eyes so we can see clearly to remove the mote from the eyes of our neighbors. When we begin to live in humility, to pray for the good of others as we seek the face of God, to turn from our accusatory and judgmental ways, and begin to show love for others, then God will forgive our sin and heal our land.

Mercy and Forgiveness

Thursday 7/30/2015 6:57 AM

The theme of my devotions this week is forgiveness. It seems like there is very little forgiveness in our society. Grudges are held for years and the past is constantly dredged up and relived in our political process. It seems we want our leaders to be without spot or blemish and we are constantly disappointed when people fail the test. When violence erupts in a mass shooting or in a crime of hate those who knew the perpetrator always express shock. Phrases like, “He seemed like just a normal person” abound in the news bites shown on television.

My reading today included John 8:1-11, the story of the woman who was caught in adultery. Her accusers wanted to stone her, as the law demanded. Jesus wrote something on the ground and then suggested that those who were without sin should cast the first stone. The passage says that her accusers all left, the older ones first and then the younger. Finally Jesus asked the woman where her accusers were and then told her that he didn’t accuse her either and to go and sin no more. I have a feeling that if she lived in our society today her reputation would be ruined and she would have little hope of having a second chance. Unfortunately, just as in Jesus’ day, I have a feeling the religious establishment would be leading the charge, calling for judgment and punishment.

In Moving Toward Forgiveness, Marjorie J. Thompson addresses the issue of forgiveness. She writes, “As we recognize more deeply our dependence on God, we will also come in touch more profoundly with our shortcomings. We may become aware of the beam in our own eye that has prevented us from seeing clearly how small the speck is in our sister’s or brother’s eye. Discovering the depth of our sin has a way of putting the faults of others in perspective. It is shocking to some when Mother Teresa of Calcutta claims she engages in her ministry of love because she knows there is a Hitler inside her. The great saints are not shocked by any form of degradation in the human heart; they know its potential deep within themselves. This capacity to identify with human sin to its outer reaches characterizes the humility and lack of judgmentalism present in so many holy ones through the centuries. Mercy for others grows from sorrowful knowledge of the human heart we share. The ability to acknowledge fully one’s own sin is thus a powerful path to forgiveness of others.”

Our world needs more caring, empathy, and forgiveness; and Christians should be leading the way in showing others what that looks like. Unfortunately too often we are the opposite end of the spectrum.

Kindness and Love

Wednesday 7/29/2015 6:33 AM

Francis of Assisi wrote these words, “Let us all, brothers, give heed to what the Lord says: ‘Love your enemies, and do good to them that hate you.’ For our Lord Jesus, whose footsteps we ought to follow, called his betrayer friend, and offered himself willingly to his crucifiers. Therefore all those who unjustly inflict upon us tribulations and anguishes, shames and injuries, sorrows and torments, martyrdom and death are our friends whom we ought to love much, because we gain eternal life by that which they make us suffer.”

Why are there no Christian leaders today making similar statements? It seems that every Christian leader who appears in the mainstream media is complaining about how Christians are being persecuted by having to bake cakes for those with whom they have differing views, by having to remove the Ten Commandments from public places or some other similarly inane complaint. There is no one calling Christians to love those who hate them, to show love and mercy to those who would do them harm. All we hear is how bad things are for Christians and we hear calls to stand up and fight against those who would do us harm.

This strategy seems to conflict with the message of the Bible to which Francis of Assisi appeals. Christians are to be holy, set apart from the world, not exactly the same as others. We need to live according to Luke 6:32-36, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Kindness and love is what is absent from message being preached by the visible and vocal Christian leaders of our time. We are told to stand up to those who would do us harm and fight for our rights. Instead we should be told to show love to those who would do us harm, to sacrifice for the good of others instead of looking out for our own good. That kind of living would be a sharp contrast to our current society and it would show the world the true nature of God, who is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

The Busyness Business

Friday 7/18/2015 6:19 AM

I’m sitting quietly in the living room of my brother-in-law and sister-in-law’s house having my morning devotional time. Outside I hear the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves as the gentle breeze caresses the morning, the foreplay of dawn. It is the time of day I cherish the most, a time to reflect on my life and my relationship with God.

I am in the middle of an extended time away from home, from the busyness and the routine of my work-a-day world. I enjoy spending time with my family and with friends but the solitude of a quiet morning energizes me like nothing else does.

I always thought I enjoy the solitude the most but I am rethinking things after reading the writing of Stephanie Ford in her book, Kindred Souls. She writes, “Contemporary life provides precious little space for discernment, given the overriding burden of time. We hurry from one task to another, expressing thoughts and emotions on the fly but rarely sitting down to discern what they may be saying to us. Even accomplished multitaskers know moments of loneliness. In a quiet, predawn moment or while daydreaming between gulps of coffee at a traffic light, an ache may surface. We yearn to share the ordinary ups and downs of our lives with someone, the unspoken prayers we don’t feel comfortable uttering at a church meeting and experiences like the moment when we realize God had healed our heart after years of grieving a loss.” Perhaps it isn’t the solitude that energizes me but rather the opportunity to discern my thoughts and emotions and to share them with those I love.

It seems like the normal busyness of my life teams up with the faux busyness I allow to be thrust upon me by modern technology and social media to preclude me from sorting through all the information with which I am bombarded and separate the wheat of my life from the chaff.  I pray that when I return to my regular routine I will get rid of some of the faux busyness in my life to afford the opportunity to discern.

Sharing Life

Friday 7/3/2015 7:01 AM

Yesterday was my dad’s birthday. Had he lived, he would have been eighty-nine years old. He died from emphysema when I was thirteen. It was a difficult time for my family but, by God’s grace and the love of our community, we made it through that time, scarred, but not destroyed.

With the exception of my dad’s death and the death of my sister-in-law by suicide, my life has seen very little tragedy. I have experienced good health, a loving marriage, Jaci I have raised three children with whom we have healthy relationships, we get along with our sons-in-law and daughter-in-law, we have six healthy grandchildren with two more on the way. There are others around me whose lives seem to be filled with pain, sorrow and hopelessness. Sometimes I wonder why God doesn’t spread the joys and pains of life evenly to everyone.

There are some Christians who believe that the pains of life are God’s judgment on those afflicted and the joys are God’s reward for a life well lived. I’m not one of them. I don’t know why bad things happen in life but I do know that when they happen God doesn’t leave me to fend for myself. He enters into the suffering and the joy with me, sharing them both with me. He has given me a similar charge in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” I pray that I can meet that kind of challenge.

My Job

Sunday 5/31/2015 5:20 AM

Today I read this quote from Norman Shawchuck, “God is near to us, loves us, and awakens our love for God. Today I give thanks for God’s call and assignment to duty. I have been led to great challenge and diversity, but always I have been sustained. God never fails or disappoints and is always faithful, even when I foolishly forget my call and my constant companion. God’s presence is indefinable but unmistakable. Today I give thanks for that holy and sustaining Presence within my life and within all creation.”

This is a great reminder to me that God is faithful even when I am not. God loves me and it is the working of his Spirit in my life that motivates whatever love I have for God. God has called me, equipped me, and assigned me to my duty within the world and he sustains me as I work. 2 Corinthians 13:11 reads, “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”

My job in the world is to align myself with the purposes of God. He is in the process of restoring the creation to himself and he desires that mankind live in peace and harmony with him, with each other, and with his creation. When I am working toward that end I will experience true joy, love, peace, and the presence of God.

God-Honoring Behavior

Sunday 5/10/2015 6:04 AM

A few years ago there was a popular bracelet that many Christians wore containing the letters WWJD. It was meant to be a reminder to ask the question “What would Jesus do?” when faced with a choice.

I spend much of my time trying to determine what God would have me do in various situations. I usually don’t have a specific situation in mind; I simply want to know the most God-honoring way to interact with those with whom I have contact as I go about my daily routine.

My psalm for the week is Psalm 146. It describes the work of God in the world. “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” If I want to honor God in my life, what better way than by doing what God would do? If I align my behavior with that of God himself I will become the hands of God to those around me: alleviating pain, encouraging the hopeless, seeking justice and freedom for the oppressed, opposing those who would do harm while loving and supporting those who seek righteousness. That’s the kind of person I want to be.

Earthquakes and Riots

Friday 5/1/2015 4:36 AM

Last week there was a devastating earthquake in Nepal measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. Collapsing buildings, landslides, and avalanches killed thousands of people. Yesterday there was a small 3.6 earthquake in Carson, a nearby city. It reminds me that I live in an earthquake prone area where devastation can come without warning.

In the course of the last week there has also been rioting in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a young man who died while in police custody. Scores of people were injured, buildings and cars were burned, and businesses were looted. It reminds me of the rioting that occurred in the Los Angeles area in 1994 after the acquittal of the police officers who had beaten Rodney King. It reminds me that I live in an area of the country where social unrest and violence can come without warning.

Today I read Psalm 64 as part of my devotional reading. It begins with these words: “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.” Isaiah then goes on to acknowledge the sin of God’s people. “All of us become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. The chapter ends with these words, “Your sacred cities have become a wasteland; even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and glorious temple, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins. After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?”

The events occurring in Isaiah’s day seem to have been repeated in the past week in our modern world. The people of Israel do not have a corner on the shaking mountains, unclean people, and ruined cities market. We have the same bent. This realization can bring with it a sense of hopelessness and despair. Will things never change? Will God withhold his blessing from this world forever?

The hope for our world is hidden in Isaiah 64:3, “For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.” The earthquakes described at the beginning of the chapter are actually caused by God coming down and doing the unexpected, making his name known to his enemies. One would expect for God to come and wipe humanity off the face of the earth so he could start over. But, after giving us over to our sin for a time, God returns, not with judgment but with mercy. That is earthshattering news worth sharing.

Squirrel!

Friday 5/8/2015 4:38 AM

I am amazed at how quickly things can turn around in my walk with God. It seems that a slightly busier schedule and a few distractions can easily dissuade me from my regular morning routine of Bible reading and prayer. This past week has been such a week. I am currently giving my last round of midterm exams in my classes and I am preparing for final exams. I’ve had a few extra meetings thrown in for good measure and suddenly it seems I am too busy for my morning quiet time.

The theme of my devotions this week is singleness of heart and if there was ever a week when I didn’t have singleness of heart, this was it. I feel a little bit like the talking dog, Dug, in the movie Up, always distracted by a squirrel across the street. In his book Dimensions of Prayer, Douglas V. Steere describes the need for a deep desire to be in God’s presence as a prerequisite for singleness of heart. “To live the life of prayer means to emerge from my drowse, to awaken to the communing, guiding, healing, clarifying, and transforming current of God’s Holy Spirit in which I am immersed. But to awaken is not necessarily to return. Awareness, no matter how vivid, must be accompanied by ‘a longing aye to dwell within the beauty of his countenance,’ and until prayer knows and is the expression of this longing, it is still callow and is likely to melt away at the first sharp thaw.” I think it is the lack of that “longing aye” to which Steere refers that causes me to melt away in my commitment. I need to say yes to cultivating my relationship with God instead of no.

Jackhammers and Elegance

Tuesday 4/28/2015 4:29 AM

My devotional theme this week is creativity. My psalm for the week is Psalm 8, one that depicts the creative work of God in the world. Part of my reading today includes an excerpt from Creativity and Divine Surprise, by Karla M. Kincannon, an artist and writer. She differentiates her work into two categories, that which is inspired by eavesdropping on a conversation between her soul and God and that which is inspired by what she calls her ego self. She writes, “Making ego-centered art feels labor-intensive with no sense of flow about the work. He illuminating moment is absent, the art making becomes like jackhammering through concrete with a nail file. I think I am allowed to have times like these in order to remember from whom the deeper creativity comes.”

Mathematics is much the same. Some proofs of theorems or solutions of equations in mathematics are simply attained by brute force. There is nothing pretty about it. The theorem or equation finally submits after a repeated pounding by a determined solver. The path toward the solution is predictable and uninteresting, albeit, effective. Other solutions or proofs are attained by an unexpected insight by the solver that results in a solution that is obvious and easy to explain to others. When someone who has struggled for hours to come up with a solution is shown the simplicity of the solution they have a tendency to hit their forehead with the palm of their hand and say, “I could have done that.” In mathematics such a proof is called elegant. It is difficult to define such a term but it is easy to know when you experience it.

My insight into God’s will seems to follow a similar path. Sometimes it comes easily and I know exactly the path I am to follow and the speed at which I should travel. At other times it seems as if I am groping in the dark, reaching for anything that will give me a clue. Months pass, even years, without getting any clear direction or indication of what God desires from me or for me. As Kincannon says, the illuminating moment is absent. She is probably right with her comment about being allowed to have times like that in order to remember from whom the insight comes.

I pray that I will be sensitive to the guiding of the Holy Spirit in my life to experience the joy of discovering an “elegant” insight but that I will also have the tenacity and perseverance to jackhammer through the walls that hold me back with a nail file when necessary.

Thy Kingdom Come

Tuesday 4/21/2015 4:02 AM

It seems that every day the news is filled with accounts of war, terrorism and violence. One people group attacks another, killing hundreds. A car bomb explodes in a crowded market with scores killed and injured. A boat full of refugees fleeing war-torn countries and persecution sinks in the Mediterranean Sea and hundreds drown. Innocents die, caught in the crossfire of two rival gangs. Road rage results in death because one driver cuts off another. Police shoot and kill unarmed citizens because they have been trained to shoot first and ask questions later. I could go on.

In the United States candidates are gearing up for the upcoming Presidential election. Republicans attack Democrats accusing the Obama administration of having a failed foreign policy while promising increased funding for the Defense Department. Democrats attack Republicans accusing them of looking out for corporate interests rather than for the interests of the common citizen while promising increased aid for the ever-increasing number of those living in poverty. Even within parties the candidates cast aspersions upon one another, vying for power and an increased voting base.

Rather than warring with one another, both at home and abroad, I long for a time when we work together for the common good. The last two verses of Psalm 120 express my feelings well. “Too long I have lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” My aging mother often says that she is tired of hearing about all the violence in the world and she wishes God would simply allow her to die and be removed from it all. It seems the older I get the more I understand her point of view. I do not long to die but I want the animosity, hatred and division to cease.

In the editor’s introduction to Weavings (March/April 1987) John Mogabgab writes, “…there are indeed two worlds in which we must learn to live. One is the world both John and Paul understood to be marked by division, confusion, and hostility. The other is the realm of Christ characterized by reconciliation, understanding, and peace. We are called to live in the first in a manner that reveals that we belong to the second. Specifically, we are sent into the world to show forth the truth of God’s kingdom already present in Christ.” I find it difficult to know exactly how to do that.

Throughout the world the United States is known for exporting war, various types of armaments, and a promiscuous lifestyle in the form of movies and other visual media that many find abhorrent. Unfortunately many Christians are calling for a tougher military response to what they perceive to be threats to our American way. They insist on their right to bear arms of any kind including assault rifles with clips that can hold hundreds of rounds of ammunition. I see these responses to be antithetical to reconciliation, understanding, and peace.

I feel as if we need to rely on God for our security and expend our energies and resources to care for the downtrodden and the underprivileged in our society. We should assist in aiding the refugees fleeing war-torn countries. We should help to rebuild trust in our local communities by insisting law enforcement agencies train their officers differently so that shooting and violence is not the first line of defense when dealing with those who have broken the law. We should ask news agencies to report on the good things that are happening in our communities, in our country and in our world so people can be encouraged to join in the efforts to improve things. Election laws should prohibit any negative attack ads. A candidate can only say what they might do to improve things without belittling their opponents. If Christians behaved in such a manner the world would be a better place and the kingdom of God would be revealed.

Joy Squelchers

Saturday 4/18/2015 6:53 AM

Yesterday morning I had a meeting at school with some of my colleagues about how to more effectively use technology in our classrooms to enhance student learning. After the meeting I went to my office to attend to some last minute details. When I left my office I noticed two of my colleagues, whose office is across the hall from mine, who were attentively looking at a computer monitor. I walked into their office and said, “It looks like you two are having way too much fun over here. Tone it down a little bit. We have rules about that around here you know.” We shared some laughter and then visited together for a few minutes, expanding upon a discussion topic that came up during our meeting. I eventually wished them a good weekend and left.

This morning I read an excerpt from Good Tidings of Great Joy, by Doris Donnelly, in which she comments on those who squelch joy. The comments I made to my colleagues were made in jest but there are people in our lives that seem to suck the joy out of nearly everything. From what I recall from my childhood the church in which I was raised seemed to be such a place. Worship was somber and serious. I seldom saw smiles on the faces of those attending. Life was seen as a time of suffering in a vale of tears that had to be endured until we died and went to heaven. Joy was something that could only be achieved and enjoyed in the sweet by and by. Those who did seem to enjoy the good things of this life we accused of being too worldly and were often ostracized by the majority.

Donnelly suggests an alternative way of thinking and acting. “Maybe we owe it to ourselves to survey our culpability as squelchers of joy in others and of being part of systems and institutions that do not tolerate, let alone encourage, joy. Maybe we need to redress the balance of somberness by gladdening others with support, kind words, encouragement, laughter, hope, time, and the simple gift of self. It wouldn’t hurt. It could heal. And it would point to that kingdom first heralded by angels who proclaimed the ‘good tidings of great joy’ that went hand in hand with ‘peace on earth.’” I want to be the kind of person she describes.