How Much Do Things Really Change?

 
This photograph was taken a week or so ago and then worked on to make it appear very old. As I reconstructed the focus of the picture I reconstructed my thoughts concerning spiritual focus as it impacts my life day to day. Reading about the manner in which God's people have been in the process of persevering throughout history has helped me to place recent happenings in perspective. Quite often in our lives we get caught up in the brilliance of events that surround us, so much so that all else fades into the background. I've been in some wrecks on two wheels and four during which everything did the "slow-mo" for a moment. It's strange how our minds work when something is occurring beyond our control. Some folks are immobilized completely, and yet others in the same circumstances are in total motion to do something. What this helps me to understand is the nature of me and how I interact with my world. During the entire history of God's people(the rest of the world, too for that matter)there have always been two different types of individuals, those who take action and those who don't. We are called to actively take part in our world at a level that is commensurate with our individual abilities. When we offer ourselves to God there is a desire born within us to share with others our revelation. I do not think that is an accidental thing. I believe that God placed that desire within us as sure as He placed within us the curiosity to seek answers to questions that only faith can answer. The world has been in a constant process of falling away from God and then fervently seeking God, forever. We happen to be living during one of the times when God seekers had dwindled in number to the near point of being an endangered species. All that is left in terms of true believers is the very strongest and most agile. Those who have managed to survive by means of their faith and hiding away in caves and forgotten backwashes of humanity. Now the time has come when we are resurfacing because the world needs God to perform a miracle. A rescue mission is needed! The true goals of humanity have been blurred to the point that people lave lost the ability to focus their faith in truth. As law after law has been established in our country to diminish the importance of God in our society, calamity after calamity has befallen us. Mere coincidence? I think not! While even the leaders have been drawn away to foolishly follow after idols and false gods the faithful have been in the process of being "honed" to a razor sharp edge in preparation for the battles to be fought with Satan's emmissaries. If my language sounds strong that is the result of knowledge gleaned from history that there is nothing new under the sun and this is how things have always been. Yup, everything was blurred for a long time, and the lines were all crossed as people followed after their own desires. Now is the acceptable time of the Lord, and He has prepared His faithful to once again call this nation and the world to Holiness. It will be only slightly different than last time. This time we will be united under a single flag and the color of one's skin will not play a part in determining who stands for God. It's the same song, and the same dance, but now there will be only one drummer, my Lord and Savior. Truth comes around, ya know! In Christ's Love, Preacher. 

A Sanctuary Of God's Creation

Beyond the split fence rails lies the hushed timber strewn wonderland. Within it's sanctuary there is quiet, a deep quiet which stills the clamoring world which surrounds us. This is a haven of solitude worth exploring, much like the inner places of ourselves. Not often do we look within the self for this place of perfect peace, but it is there, awaiting our arrival. Some cultures and\or religions advise us to "meditate" to seek this portion of our being. That's one way of arriving, but there are others. My cousin that has completed the Boston Marathon 7 times(no, he didn't really place well, but that was not the objective)has told me of the times he has found this realm while running. A place where the peace is "perfect." An artist friend has confided that finding that "perfect" place is a matter of total focus which obliterates everything else that surrounds the work area. A priest that I spent many years working with often spoke of the "special" peace he found in retreats of seclusion during which he fasted for days. My youngest daughter recently shared that she has found "perfect" peace in the midst of the mountains which surround her new home. I suppose that each of us has, or should have, an inkling of where it is that we can turn to find peace. My Savior gave us His peace and taught us to find it in communion with God the Creator by virtue of the Spirit's leading. That is one I seek often, sometimes purely out of reflex. We all have that hunger for the "Peace" which surpasses all understanding. The surroundings in which it is found are of consequence only to the individual, the results are the same, God inspired. The only question that remains when we arrive is, "How deep can this special place of peace be, and how long can I stay?" That is of our choosing, and God's making. It is up to each of us to determine how much we truly wish to be at peace with all of creation and how long we will remain so. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

My Lesson For Today

 
Having been a "church" musician\choir director\organist\pianist, all long before I became an ordained member of the clergy, it has always been my assumption that the music is the very "most" important part of any service of worship. After serving as a "pastor" for a number of years I became convinced that it was the sermon that was by far the most important part of any worship service. Today I woke up in the midst of a wedding and realized that, although my impressions were not entirely wrong concerning worship, they were not entirely correct, either. I am entering the next phase in my spiritual journey. This time I'm convinced by virtue of God's Holy Spirit that His Word is to be first and foremost in any service of worship. I've been naive most of my life. I don't apologize for it, it's simply a fact. There is a part of me that remains "innocent" enough to remain faithful in the journey in spite of riding many different steeds. My favorite steed these days, of course, is a two-tone red Ultra Classic built by Harley Davidson. Even this noble ride must take a back seat to where she(my wife hates it when I embellish cycles with feminine persona)takes me for the presentation of God's Word. Today the bride and groom were bikers. The folks in attendance were, for the most part, bikers. The rest of our gathering was made up of family and friends that are part and parcel of the whole scene. Pierced everythings were there, along with tats of every imaginable variety. My wife composed the lyrics for the song that accompanied the lighting of the unity candle, and I recorded all of the background music and processional, recessional stuff. It was wonderful! I'm not certain anyone thought so but us, and therein came the realization. Every "book of services" has a way of doing things that is in keeping with denominational beliefs. I have always worked weddings from my "little black book" until today. You see, it was in the final moments before the wedding began, and throughout the service that God revealed to me that the most important element in our worship is the sharing of His Word for our lives, whatever the occasion. Yes, it's nice to have a wonderful sanctuary and beautiful instruments, and great clothes and shiny crosses and candleholders. Even the ambiance of our hallowed building is great, but it all becomes meaningless if we are not sharing to our best ability the words of eternal life that we have been blessed to have in our possession. So, there you have it, my lesson learned today. I pray this is one you will consider as well. In Christ's Love, Preacher. 

Praying God Listens

I love the shot of the little girl all wide eyed as everyone bowed their heads. Her mom was busy telling her dad to be quiet "the pastor is praying." The picture, of course is a borrowed one, my shots never turn out this good, and usually I'm far too occupied to get the really candid shots. This one was snapped in a hurry. I've heard many prayers, said even more, but most interesting of all seem to be the prayers that I see in people's lives. Prayer can be group offerings or of an individual nature. There are volumes written on "how" to pray, and, best of all, there are places we can go to hear prayers in process. Everyone has their own way of excercising this spiritual ability. Most interesting to me is how prayer impacts our daily lives. Have you ever been in a hospital walking down the hall and glanced into a room where prayer was in process? It's amazing to me how many people are doing that very thing that I am writing about. Maybe the reason that I'm writing is because lately it seems there is never enough time to pray, and yet that is the very thing that will help in any and all circumstances. One of the questions we hear often is, "Does God really hear my prayers?" I know for certain that He does, but it really is hard to explain. Sometimes the answers to prayer are even more difficult to understand. A young lady in our youth group was ill with mononucleosis(I pray I spelled that correctly)as a result of working two jobs and going to high school. She was a senior at the time and her car was more important than almost any other thing she had. She knew that her tires were really getting bald and with winter approaching she was worried about having an accident. One Wednesday she brought it up at youth group(this was just one week before the mono)and we all prayed about it.
Is it okay to pray for tires for your car? Yup! And anything else that you really need! One of the most beautiful promises to be found in the Bible is the one about God having already prepared the very things we need before we know we need them. Which puts me in mind of that TV thing, "I needed that!" The new year has been one of constant prayer in our home. Not because there are needs(show me a home where there aren't)but because of the needs of others which seem to be so great in the midst of this winter. That picture of the mist rising in the mornings from the water is how I envision the prayers that are constantly lifted to our Creator. An offering and acknowledgement of His presence in our lives. Recently it was pointed out to me as a reminder sort of, that God wants our attention. We were created(as were all things)for God's pleasure. Looking at this from a human point of view I would have to say that there is nothing I enjoy more than being appreciated. How about you? If you really have needs God wants to hear them along with your thanks and praise, of course! Oh yeah, about the young lady....while she was recovering from mono and forced to stay home, someon came along and donated a new set of tires for her car. Funny thing about it, we never did find out who did it but we all gave thanks. One of the young men in the group took the car down to the tire place for her. Everybody in the youth group donated for the cost of mounting and balancing. Her life was blessed by an answered prayer, and we all got to help. I know, life isn't always filled with such perfect endings, but, it never will be either if we aren't using that God-given right to pray to our God. Out here on the Great American Desert prayer is often the only answer we have with which to address the difficulties in life. Maybe it's like that everywhere. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Peace In Our World

 
Recently I received a letter from a colleague decrying the state of people's spirituality. The diatribe ran for 18 pages. Well intentioned, heart felt and sincere, also accurate to the point of causing considerable mental anguish. Tonight our body of Christ began one of the programs that(I'll call him Bob)Bob wrote me concerning. He wasn't specific about ours, just programs in general. I'm keeping what I like to refer to as an "open" mind, although mine is anything but! I realized that both of these occurrences in my life have simultaneously brought about the same emotional response. I want to search scripture and talk face to face with the person who is presenting the ideas whether it be on paper or on video tape. I can accept the faceless writers of the Bible. I can accept new thoughts and ideas when they are presented in an eyeball to eyeball manner, even on the telephone! What I have a hard time with is buying into someone else's "program" without the opportunity to have conversation with them. The words of a much loved man come to mind..."We work out our salvation with fear and trembling with the author and instigator of our faith, Christ!" Others can present ideas, personal thoughts, even share how they got there, but when the rubber meets the road the final confrontation is one on one between us and God. No person can stand in the gap for us. We can seek in the company of others the truth, but when it is found it is no longer a group thing. It is very personal and the most deeply spiritual experience we will ever encounter. I'm not setting aside the tools that are available to us. I'm also not suggesting that others are not helpful. What I am saying, Bob, is that no matter how we cut it nobody can do it for us and nobody can "make" it happen for someone else. It's a road we must travel alone. Before our bones were knit together in our mother's wombs God knew us, everyone of us. The choices "we" make during the course of this life determine our eternal fate. God loves us and is always there for us, but we must take the first step. That is how it is, and that is how it has always been, and how it must be. If we sojourn but for awhile together and are parted let it be with the knowledge that we shall be rejoined in eternity singing God's praises. Love ya brother! Be at peace. In Christ's Love, Preacher. 

Soul Food!

The final moments marking the close of this year's Epiphany celebration approach as we burn another yule tide log and sing around the burning branches of the tree. Norman Rockwell would have been tickled with our celebrations this year. I can picture him now in my mind's eye feverishly capturing each moment with his unique gift for seeing more than the eye could possibly take in. I think there are times when I truly understand his sense of humor. Like this evening as the final goodies of the festive season began to magically emerge from the dark recesses of our oven. The cookies were great(even though they have not been iced or properly decorated as yet. I have the unique position of final examiner, there were some from these batches that did not meet my high standards and as a result were disposed of properly)and will get better tomorrow. The cherry pie was the epitome of perfection though, and has passed with flying colors the taste test! With this season over and a new one about to begin on our christian calender, I wonder how many of the world's faithful are ready to deny themselves something? Today's world does not really provide us with a clear background of what it means to be in denial unless you're undergoing therapy or counseling for some mental aberration. In an age when we pop prozac to make life bearable and analgesics to alleviate pain we are presented with an opportunity to take the road less traveled. The cleansing of the body and subjection of it were part and parcel of the early church. Even now in the 21st century there are those who espouse the enlightenment that comes through fasting. Obviously, as you can imagine from the table, I am one who enjoys the epicurian delights poured forth from our kitchen as though from a virtual "horn of plenty!" There are times we worry more about the ten(alright20\25)pounds we need to drop than the baggage we carry with us spiritually that bogs us down and prevents our rising above the mortal shell. Perhaps that is what the coming weeks were intended to be for the believer, an encouragement to grow inwardly in contrast to outwardly. I'm going to give this some thought as we move into our congregation's "Forty Days Of Purpose." Author Rick Warren has provided us with a wonderful resource for helping us discern why we are here. I usually respond off-handedly to that question with, "Well, everybody has got to be someplace!" My goal is to become more Christ-like. The daily walk is not an easy one, and throws a lot of water in the direction of the old adage, "Getting there is half the fun!" If we could but consider that the journey we share in life is one of "becoming," then perhaps we would have a mutual starting point. As for where I am today, I have no doubts. I also have the insight of knowing where my destination is. As for the journey that will be accomplished....I pray about that. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Seeking the Son?

We had been without sun for a lot of days when yesterday morning began. It was as though a pall had fallen on the Great American Desert and was refusing to be removed or released by the sun that was shining somewhere above. I went about my morning accomplishing little tasks and found myself arriving at a local tannery(is that what they call these places?)to bathe myself in artificial rays. Ky waited patiently for me as I proceeded to seek the sun in a cubicle. It was not a great improvement, but it was a start. Traveling the streets we kept an eye on the sky until it was schooltime and then our paths diversed until 3:30. It struck me as significant enough to write about how, in the course of our lives, we are seeking greater enlightenment for one reason or another. The true light which came into this world is to be found everlastingly in the context of God's Son. Looking out through the mirrors of my soul I was not finding what I sought. Looking inward to my heart I found a bright and shining place where my Savior resides. As the day progressed from shades of gray to a glimmer here and there the thought stuck with me that no matter how gray life has become at times we can always look to the source of all spiritual light to be found in Christ and therein find great cause for rejoicing. The clouds slowly cleared, and the sun appeared just in time to provide us with a beautiful sunset. Perhaps there is that gray place in your life that is in need of brightening. My Lord can help. Prayers are answered, everyday, just not always as we would perhaps like them to be. I am thankful for sunshine, and even more thankful for Sonshine! In Christ's Love, Preacher.