The Meaning of the Date

This weekend is an emotional one for many Americans. With good reason. And sometimes, when emotions are involved, it's hard to see things any other way than with, well, your emotions. The beauty of a life lived in the Lord is that you are given grace over and above what you deserve. And that grace just spills out to everyone. God did not put qualifiers on who gets to receive this gift. The Almighty didn't dole it out in small packages to a select few, so they could hoard it amongst themselves. This gift freely given was to be given, so that it could spread out from person to person, tribe to tribe, race to race, nation to nation. God's love is too big to keep to yourself. And God wants us to spread it around everywhere. Not just in our little corner of New Jersey, or the East coast or even the United States. And in this time of remembrance, we need to spread it around some more. To give freely of the love given freely to us. We need to remember not just those who died, but those who were left behind. Those who gave up their lives and those who still live them. Those who walked the ash-covered canyons and those who just saw the pictures and were horrified but essentially untouched. Everyone is touched by someone. And sharing the love of God is our imperative with each someone we meet. No matter who they are and where they have come from.

It is an emotional weekend, true. But it can also be one that is filled with grace and love if we open our hearts to these things and share them.

How Powerful the Sun (Son) Is!

This is a rainy Sunday morning. It is flooding the streets and the gutters with alarming speed. As I sit and watch the rain come down in sheets, I thought about something. It was morning, the sky was dark and dreary, but I could still see the rain coming down. The sun above the clouds was still bright enough to let me know that the day had started, it had come up despite the rain. The sun is so powerful that even on such an overcast day, we can tell that it is daylight.

In our lives there are sunny and rainy days as far as our faith is concerned, too. There are days when the sunshine of the Lord's love breaks through the darkest corners of our hearts and we are renewed and refreshed. There are also days when the darkness of our thoughts and our faith feels like there is no such thing as God, no such love which surpasses all understanding. But you see the Son shines there too, if we let it. If we remember that Jesus in his lifetime experienced the darkest moments as well, but was resurrected into new life for us. He is the Son that comes through the clouds on our rainiest days. He is the light of the world on the days when we are convinced that there is no light to be had. How strong and powerful is our God. And how awesome! Will you allow some of God's love and light to fill you today, no matter what it looks like outside? Open your heart and mind to God and see what a truly beautiful day it is in the light!

Taking a Vacation

I was away from home recently. I was with family and it was a good thing. A restful, albeit, hot and humid thing. One of the practices that I do when I'm away is to bring one of my devotional books and read in the early morning hours before everyone is going every which way. But this year, I forgot to bring a book! It's the first time that I didn't have something to read and think about each day. I could get my e-mail sporadically, so that daily devotional thing which pops up in my inbox, didn't get to me either.

And so I got lazy. I didn't sit and ponder and pray first thing in the morning as I usually do. I have my phone set for a specific time to ring every day to remind me to pray with my prayer partner. But I found myself, hitting the phone reminder off and continuing to do the things I normally do, without stopping to pray or even meditate. And you know what? The world didn't end. People didn't suddenly vanish from the earth because of my lack of discipline. But I did find something out. When my day is not bracketed by prayer, it feels like I left something out. It seems to be unfinished. I almost always fell into bed tired from the days activities, but it was like I forgot to say "good night" to my children when they were small. The days didn't feel completed. It didn't occur to me until the next to last night we were away, that the reason for my dis-ease was because I hadn't listened to the Lord. And I hadn't talked to him either. About anything. No, I take that back. I did a hundred small thank yous within the week for the blue sky, the warm sand, the cooling water, the laughter of family. But I didn't do the protracted prayer I usually do. I didn't intercede for anyone or anything. I was totally selfish.

In earlier days, I would have come home and beat myself up for this lack of discipline. But I'm cutting myself some slack this time. God is aware of my shortcoming and my strengths. God is abundantly aware of my frailties and my humble gifts. He is not going to strike anything or anyone down because I let him down in my practices of prayer. I think he missed me. I know I missed him.

So I'm home now. My alarm on my phone went off to remind me to pray with my partner today and I did indeed say a quick prayer, thanking God for his gracious goodness in my life and blessing me and my family. Then I picked up a book and began to read the next chapter, knowing that I'll return to the discipline of my former vacation days on Monday. Thank God we have a savior who understands and doesn't take a vacation.

Ambivelance Amplified

Ambivalence means a conflict of interest or attitudes. I can be ambivalent about any number of things on a given day: what I am wearing, how my hair looks or what to have for dinner. Most of the time I am sure and steady in what I believe, not too much ambivalence for me; in my faith life or my heart of hearts in regards to the Lord. But as of today, well, I'm afraid I'm stuck between two thoughts and not sure which way to turn. I believe that God is with me, wherever I go, wherever I am, God is with me. And I believe he loves the human race for all its faults--unconditionally loves us. But what happens when someone presents an idea so, well, wrong that it makes my head hurt to hear it. It goes against everything I feel in my heart I know of the great Almighty. Does this mean I could be wrong? Does this mean they are--because I feel I am right? Most of the time I'm willing to let people believe as they want to believe. Their path may not be my path, but I'm not God so who am I to judge. But when a bunch of someones spout a bunch of "stuff" which does nothing but pull people farther away from our Creator, and it just makes me mad. And then I hear Jesus' voice in the clamor, telling me that whoever is without sin cast the first stone. But if only the lunkheads are being heard, isn't it our place to tell them to sit down and shut up? But maybe I'm the lunkhead? No wonder I hear people say they don't want to come to church. Who knows what to believe? And how do you know whose voice to listen to? And don't come at me with that "still, small voice" thing either. That does NOT speak to a person with a hearing deficiency. So where are we then? Where do we go for guidance? You could of course, talk to an ordained person or read a really helpful book. You could also go to the Bible (speaking of helpful books), but the problem with the Bible is sometimes you really aren't sure what you're reading is what you think you're reading. There are layers upon layers in the Bible which is where these loud somebody's are supposedly getting their information these days.

So I think there is a solution to this. I think if we all really just stop shouting and posturing and sit quietly and pray, we'd feel more like we had a handle on things. More calm and collected about things. More comfortable with the "God is in his heaven and alls right with the world," kind of thing. So that's what I'm going to do, pray. And let God handle the details. He's doing a pretty good job so far I think. I'll just worry about what to have for dinner.

Winsome?

I was reading from William Barclay today about the book of Acts. Before I get rolling, I would like to suggest that if ever you wanted to read some superb explanations of the New Testament, Barclay is your man! He brings about a clarity, at least for me that I don't have a lot of times.

Anyway, the passage he was writing about was Acts 2: 42-47, that marvelous passage which talks about the new church and how the newly hatched Christians were with one another and with everyone they met. The verses talk about their sharing, their giving, their camaraderie and their joyous participation in all of this. And it was then that I was struck with Barclay's explanation of the early Christians based on what verse 46 states. It says that the early church was a happy church. Barclay says the following, "Real Christianity is a lovely thing. There are so many people who are good, but with their goodness possess a streak of unlovely hardness. Struthers of Greenoch used to say that it would help the Church more than anything else if Christians ever and again would do a bonnie thing. In the early Church there was a winsomeness in God's people."

A "winsomeness" in God's people. Winsome means-according to the dictionary--charming, with an attractiveness of appearance or manner. What if more people wanted to be like Christians because of what they see when they see us in action? Wouldn't that be great? What if being a Christian in today's world meant more along the lines of "come join us in our attractiveness" than "don't bother, you're not good enough"? Too often Christians are so busy building fences, then we forget to erect ways to climb the fence. We are so busy making sure everything is right according to "the good book" that they forget that the book is for everyone, especially someone who has never heard it before. And that there might not be room for everyone, but it isn't for you and me to decide who fits where and when. I want that kind of Christianity. The kind that is-well-kind. And considerate and sharing and not so judgmental all the time and not so rules laden.

I want to be a winsome Christian. How about you?

I Will Be With You Always

After I wrote the above title, I got a little squeamish. I don't mean I-personally-with be with you always, I was quoting from the reading for this week. This is Holy Trinity Sunday, a time to remember that the three in one is with all of us, for always. Sometimes it's hard to remember that fact. Sometimes you just want God to be there and the other two can go take a rest. Sometimes you feel the need to walk with Jesus and God needs to go into the other room while you just talk to him and unburden yourself. And sometimes the Holy Spirit is hovering around showing you stuff and you just can't believe that anything or anyone else could add to that! But the thing that is great to remember is that no matter whom you wish to communicate with,you get the whole package. You can't have one without the other. Like the old song says (except it was talking about Love and Marriage and we all know that isn't necessarily true!). So you get the package deal with the trinity. And that isn't a bad thing you know. Unleashing your guilt to Jesus will remind you that Jesus was human and understands. But God is right there as well, listening and having compassion just as he had with his son. And the Holy Spirit is right there too, with whispering mists of grace and light, so you won't feel abandoned. And if you feel as though the Spirit is guiding you and uplifting you, you know that Jesus is just as delighted as you are and that God is happy to see you enjoying it as well.

A package deal. For always. You just can't get that anywhere else nowadays. No guarantees for anything anymore. Except God. And Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They'll always be around. Always. Thank goodness.

The Choice Every Day

I read something recently that struck a chord with me. It was in one of the blogs I read and in it, the author quoted a friend who said this, "You have a choice every morning when you wake up. That's a gift." She was talking about attitude here. The attitude you have when you get up in the morning, before your coffee. The way you approach your day has a lot to do with the way the day will go, it seems. I believe that the way we view each day, whether we have God present or not, makes or breaks the day as well. On the days that I have no time to myself and I'm running hither and yon trying to fix something, finish something or finesse something and haven't once stopped to either ask God to be with me or help me, is a day where nothing seems to go right. I'm spinning my wheels all day and I'm going no where. BUT, on those days that God and I talk first thing in the morning and ask for guidance and help throughout the day, well, those are the good days. Not that everything goes wrong on the days I don't have God in mind or everything goes right on the days I do. But my attitude about the things that do happen is very different.

And so I propose an idea. Suppose we try, for just a week or so to make the choice every day to being with a bowl of cereal and God (or an egg or a glass of juice or whatever your morning break of fast is) before the day starts. And we decide that the day will be interspersed with asking for correction, guidance and just plain love and that we end the day thanking God for those moments that we felt the Almighty's presence. I think it's an experiment that has merit and sometimes these things develop into habits, too!

I want to leave this with one other quote, from that same page, from that same author. She had been shot and is finally getting herself back together and the woman who was writing to her, telling her to keep up her spirits said this, "The sun came up this morning and I am here to see it. By definition, it's a good day."

Amen to that.