Sunday, August 31, 2008
Common Grounds - God is love
“In reality hell is not such an intention of God as it is an invention of man. God is love and people are precious. Authentic truth is not so much taught or learned as it is remembered. Somewhere in your preincarnate consciousness you were loved absolutely because you were. Loved absolutely, and in reality, you still are! Remember who you are!” – Bishop Carlton Pearson, Author, Speaker, Spiritual Leader, and Recording Artist.
Perfect love. Absolute love. I think of the love of a mother for her unborn child. I recall the preparations for my firstborn: the enormous prenatal vitamins, the repeated trips to the doctors, the shopping for whatever they told me I needed in What to Expect When You Are Expecting. Some mothers even read stories and “talk” to the unborn child growing in their womb. Friends and family host baby showers - showers of happiness and love.
God loved us before we were born. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14). His love endures.
Do you know what it is like to be loved so completely? Not for what you have done or even what you will become but simply for being. For who you are. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called Children of God!” (1 John 3:1).
God created an entire world for us. That is God’s love for us. “I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers; the moon and the stars which you have set in place.” (Psalm 8:3). All the magnificence that we see each day - and sometimes overlook - he made out of love for us. Start with the garden and all its beauty, majesty and bounty. Adam and Eve lived beside God. They spoke with him, and they spent time daily with him, as children of God. I believe that is how God intended it to be.
Adam and Eve were tempted and fell from God. It was not His intention. It was our invention. We make mistakes. Yet, through His love for us, He never gives up. His mercy is great. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). He is mighty to save.
I love to watch my children sleep. It is such a great blessing to stop in their rooms before I go to bed each night and look at their sweet faces. In their slumber, all the craziness of the day disappears. You forget the fights over bath time and the whining about eating vegetables and the tears and the bickering. They are transformed, like little angels
Every day I tell my kids that I love them. They are nearby and still young enough that I can smother them with hugs and kisses. The time may come for squirming or protest, but until then we snuggle and have our special bedtime tradition. After we recap the day and share our hopes for tomorrow, we pause to express our absolute love. Many of you remember the book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. It tells the story of a boy growing up and all the havoc he wreaks in his lifetime. More important, it sings of the enduring love of his mother. A love that overcomes all mischief and mistakes. Each night, Charlie and I sing the refrain from the book: “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”
God loves us like that too. He is near. We may not feel His hugs and kisses or notice Him rocking us to sleep each night, yet His love is unfailing. He delights in hearing our prayers each night as we recap the day and share our hopes for tomorrow. Through our sins and our flaws, God’s love endures. “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed (by our sin), for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is God’s faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22 emphasis added).
Reconnect with God’s love. Take time this week. Pause from your daily routine to reflect on God’s love for you. Allow yourself to reconnect with the authentic truth of His absolute love for you. As Max Lucado encourages us in A Love Worth Giving, “the secret to loving is living loved.”
“May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.” (Ephesians 3:17 NLT).
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Common Grounds - Using 5% of your Brain
Scientists tell us we only use 5% of our brains. But if they only used 5% of their brains to reach that conclusion, then why should we believe them? – Joseph Palm, Starbucks Customer from Oshkosh, WI
I don’t remember driving home one day. It was a familiar road and I was lost in my thoughts. It came as a shock when I found myself sitting in my driveway with no recollection of the drive home. How did I get here? Did I remember to stop at all the stop signs? I don’t recall making any of the turns or stops on my five-mile trip. I must have been using less than 5% of my brain that day.
The oddest part was that I wasn’t sure what had me so preoccupied. I don’t recall thinking anything earthshattering or mind-boggling. I had just checked out for a while. Maybe I was abducted by aliens.
Are you ever so focused on your thoughts that you forget to look around and see all that surrounds you? Are you ever so wrapped up in your own circumstances that you are blind to all that life has to offer?
I took quite a detour in getting here today. I doubt anyone who knew me growing up would have predicted I’d be writing a web-log, mixing my thoughts with bible scripture and hoping to share the word of God through a speaking ministry. You see, we weren’t particularly religious growing up. Yet, nothing could have prepared my parents for the shock of my announcement at age 14 that I was an atheist.
I remember my moms tears at the kitchen table that night. She was so upset at my pronouncement. I was purely scientific. If she couldn’t prove the existence of God with math and science, I wasn’t interested. She pleaded with me. “Couldn’t you at least be agnostic?”
I like hard evidence. Proof offers reassurance. I check Consumer Reports before buying a major appliance. It’s a big expense. I don’t want to make a mistake and get stuck with a lemon. There is comfort in knowing their researchers have tested and evaluated the features of the top selling models and determined the best. They do the work for me and spoon feed me their picks. I can skate by using only 5% on my brain.
Facts, figures, and statistics are everywhere you look. The news reports are filled with them: gas prices, stock averages and the latest poll numbers. My college Market Research professor taught me an amazing thing about statistics; you can make the numbers say anything you want. Make a subtle change of words on a questionnaire and your results skew dramatically. Massage the numbers and twist the words and suddenly everything is clear as mud. What is the truth? Who can you trust?
I can’t prove to you with scientific accuracy how I got home that day any more than I can rationalize how as an atheist, I became a Christian. I must have used more than 5% of my brain. I swept the cobwebs from underused parts of my brain and looked beyond the easy explanations. I was seeking something more and my mind and heart were open.
Then something really crazy happened. My son was born. I held him in my arms and stared in amazement. The mathematics of it all were staggering. This child was not a random arrangement of cells. I had studied probability and there was no way that natural selection could have created human life without a lot of help. Clearly God’s fingerprints were all over my son. It was unmistakable. At that moment I took what philosopher Søren Kierkeaards termed “the leap of faith.” I embraced Charlie as all the proof I needed.
Job asks, “where does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?” (Job 28:20). I believe it comes from beyond the 5% of the brain most people engage. It is a truth fed by the Spirit and pumped straight into the heart. It lies within all of us and is as vital as our pulse. It is a gift of love that “comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5) We only need to acknowledge and accept Him.
I still struggle with the discrepancies between science and God’s law. I accept that there are concepts beyond my grasp. I may never understand or be able to explain. Still, I continue to ask questions and seek truth.
“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:7, 9)
I don’t remember driving home one day. It was a familiar road and I was lost in my thoughts. It came as a shock when I found myself sitting in my driveway with no recollection of the drive home. How did I get here? Did I remember to stop at all the stop signs? I don’t recall making any of the turns or stops on my five-mile trip. I must have been using less than 5% of my brain that day.
The oddest part was that I wasn’t sure what had me so preoccupied. I don’t recall thinking anything earthshattering or mind-boggling. I had just checked out for a while. Maybe I was abducted by aliens.
Are you ever so focused on your thoughts that you forget to look around and see all that surrounds you? Are you ever so wrapped up in your own circumstances that you are blind to all that life has to offer?
I took quite a detour in getting here today. I doubt anyone who knew me growing up would have predicted I’d be writing a web-log, mixing my thoughts with bible scripture and hoping to share the word of God through a speaking ministry. You see, we weren’t particularly religious growing up. Yet, nothing could have prepared my parents for the shock of my announcement at age 14 that I was an atheist.
I remember my moms tears at the kitchen table that night. She was so upset at my pronouncement. I was purely scientific. If she couldn’t prove the existence of God with math and science, I wasn’t interested. She pleaded with me. “Couldn’t you at least be agnostic?”
I like hard evidence. Proof offers reassurance. I check Consumer Reports before buying a major appliance. It’s a big expense. I don’t want to make a mistake and get stuck with a lemon. There is comfort in knowing their researchers have tested and evaluated the features of the top selling models and determined the best. They do the work for me and spoon feed me their picks. I can skate by using only 5% on my brain.
Facts, figures, and statistics are everywhere you look. The news reports are filled with them: gas prices, stock averages and the latest poll numbers. My college Market Research professor taught me an amazing thing about statistics; you can make the numbers say anything you want. Make a subtle change of words on a questionnaire and your results skew dramatically. Massage the numbers and twist the words and suddenly everything is clear as mud. What is the truth? Who can you trust?
I can’t prove to you with scientific accuracy how I got home that day any more than I can rationalize how as an atheist, I became a Christian. I must have used more than 5% of my brain. I swept the cobwebs from underused parts of my brain and looked beyond the easy explanations. I was seeking something more and my mind and heart were open.
Then something really crazy happened. My son was born. I held him in my arms and stared in amazement. The mathematics of it all were staggering. This child was not a random arrangement of cells. I had studied probability and there was no way that natural selection could have created human life without a lot of help. Clearly God’s fingerprints were all over my son. It was unmistakable. At that moment I took what philosopher Søren Kierkeaards termed “the leap of faith.” I embraced Charlie as all the proof I needed.
Job asks, “where does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?” (Job 28:20). I believe it comes from beyond the 5% of the brain most people engage. It is a truth fed by the Spirit and pumped straight into the heart. It lies within all of us and is as vital as our pulse. It is a gift of love that “comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5) We only need to acknowledge and accept Him.
I still struggle with the discrepancies between science and God’s law. I accept that there are concepts beyond my grasp. I may never understand or be able to explain. Still, I continue to ask questions and seek truth.
“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:7, 9)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Common Grounds - The Law
The law, for all its failings, has a noble goal - to make the little bit of life that people can actually control more just. We can’t end disease or natural disasters, but we can devise rules for our dealings with one another that fairly weigh the rights and needs of everyone, and which, therefore, reflect our best vision of ourselves. – Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent and Limitations.
In this chaotic world, it’s nice to think we exert a little control over something. We wait in traffic jams that we can’t escape. World events unfold, yet we are powerless to change history. It feels good to have command, power, might, jurisdiction, mastery, or rule.
Years ago, I lived in Phoenix, Arizona. The streets were lined with nearly identical homes surrounded by tall block fences. The high walls announced, “this is mine and that’s yours.” In the unrelenting summer heat, the fences gave flight to dreams of a backyard oasis. A little piece of heaven with Bermuda Grass and citrus trees, each lot was clearly defined from the next in an attempt to control the desert.
Scott Turow views the law as man’s chance to exert a little control. Through the law we can assert a bit of justice in a sometimes unfair world. “The law is good if one uses it properly.” (1Timothy 1:8)
I like laws and rules. They make for a well-ordered society. Just as my children thrive in an environment with firm boundaries, I prefer to work within predetermined guidelines and easy to follow directions. There’s peace in predictability. There is comfort in knowing what the other car is going to do at the four-way stop sign. The rules and laws work when everyone plays along.
The word law appears 456 times in the NIV Bible. In God’s perfect way He lays out His law for us to follow. “He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him” (2 Samuel 22:31). The psalmists sing of the peace and delight in following Gods law. When “the law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:31).
In this world it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. Your life is happy and content until you get hit with the inevitable sucker punch of reality. As the insurance company tag line warns us, life comes at you fast. Suddenly, your basement is flooded, or your job is “eliminated”, or your baby won’t stop crying long enough for you to call the doctor. How do you cope when things don’t go your way?
In anger, some people turn from God. They protest that God failed to save them from their misery or protect them from their pain. They ponder why bad things happen to good people. We all know of cases where laws fell short and the innocent suffered. Neither the laws of man nor the laws of God can insulate us from affliction.
Law is imperfect. Control is folly. The Turow quote asserts that “we can’t end disease or natural disasters.” It’s true. We are powerless to stop the fury of a storm or to end disease. The best we can do is have an emergency plan. We can’t control many of the circumstances of our lives, but we can prepare. Practical suggestions abound. Get flu shots. Buy duct tape. Have six months of salary tucked away for a rainy day. Like the Boy Scouts, we must always be prepared.
My children have discovered inline skating. My husband and I insist on basic safety gear: helmets, wrist guards, and knee pads. (If it were up to me, I would cover them in a three-inch thickness of bubble wrap.) I let them go. I hold my breath in case that will help protect them from falling, but I can’t control their success or failure. I can’t guarantee their physical safety.
Let go and let God.
Only our faith can truly insulate us in case of falls. Faith can strengthen us when we are weak. We can set aside our fears and anxieties and “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present (our) requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6). Through prayer and study of God’s word, we can protect our hearts against the inevitable sorrows of our world. Relying on God’s compassion and love is the only emergency preparedness plan I can trust in 100 percent.
“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:2-5).
In this chaotic world, it’s nice to think we exert a little control over something. We wait in traffic jams that we can’t escape. World events unfold, yet we are powerless to change history. It feels good to have command, power, might, jurisdiction, mastery, or rule.
Years ago, I lived in Phoenix, Arizona. The streets were lined with nearly identical homes surrounded by tall block fences. The high walls announced, “this is mine and that’s yours.” In the unrelenting summer heat, the fences gave flight to dreams of a backyard oasis. A little piece of heaven with Bermuda Grass and citrus trees, each lot was clearly defined from the next in an attempt to control the desert.
Scott Turow views the law as man’s chance to exert a little control. Through the law we can assert a bit of justice in a sometimes unfair world. “The law is good if one uses it properly.” (1Timothy 1:8)
I like laws and rules. They make for a well-ordered society. Just as my children thrive in an environment with firm boundaries, I prefer to work within predetermined guidelines and easy to follow directions. There’s peace in predictability. There is comfort in knowing what the other car is going to do at the four-way stop sign. The rules and laws work when everyone plays along.
The word law appears 456 times in the NIV Bible. In God’s perfect way He lays out His law for us to follow. “He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him” (2 Samuel 22:31). The psalmists sing of the peace and delight in following Gods law. When “the law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:31).
In this world it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. Your life is happy and content until you get hit with the inevitable sucker punch of reality. As the insurance company tag line warns us, life comes at you fast. Suddenly, your basement is flooded, or your job is “eliminated”, or your baby won’t stop crying long enough for you to call the doctor. How do you cope when things don’t go your way?
In anger, some people turn from God. They protest that God failed to save them from their misery or protect them from their pain. They ponder why bad things happen to good people. We all know of cases where laws fell short and the innocent suffered. Neither the laws of man nor the laws of God can insulate us from affliction.
Law is imperfect. Control is folly. The Turow quote asserts that “we can’t end disease or natural disasters.” It’s true. We are powerless to stop the fury of a storm or to end disease. The best we can do is have an emergency plan. We can’t control many of the circumstances of our lives, but we can prepare. Practical suggestions abound. Get flu shots. Buy duct tape. Have six months of salary tucked away for a rainy day. Like the Boy Scouts, we must always be prepared.
My children have discovered inline skating. My husband and I insist on basic safety gear: helmets, wrist guards, and knee pads. (If it were up to me, I would cover them in a three-inch thickness of bubble wrap.) I let them go. I hold my breath in case that will help protect them from falling, but I can’t control their success or failure. I can’t guarantee their physical safety.
Let go and let God.
Only our faith can truly insulate us in case of falls. Faith can strengthen us when we are weak. We can set aside our fears and anxieties and “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present (our) requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6). Through prayer and study of God’s word, we can protect our hearts against the inevitable sorrows of our world. Relying on God’s compassion and love is the only emergency preparedness plan I can trust in 100 percent.
“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:2-5).
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Common Grounds - Our greatest predjudice
“Our greatest prejudice is against death. It spans age, gender and race. We spend immeasurable amounts of energy fighting an event that will eventually triumph. Though it is noble not to give in easily, the most alive people I’ve ever met are those who embrace their death. They love, laugh and live more fully.” - Andy Webster, Hospice Chaplain in Plymouth, MI
My quiet reverie is broken by the shrieking sirens passing by. Their cries stretch and wail as they race past me. Squad cars, fire trucks, an ambulance; they race to the scene. Will they arrive in time to help, to comfort, to save? I raise my eyes to heaven and I pray, LORD, comfort the injured. Let them see you, feel your presence, and accept your love. You are mighty to save. Mend their bones, heal their flesh. If it is time, save their souls.
The psalmist wrote, “Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?” (Psalm 6:2-3)
It is agonizing. We are all faced with death, whether a future construct, an inevitability or something more concrete. The odds delivered by a doctor. The prognosis after medical tests. The life lost in the blink of an eye. It pains me to think of losing my loving husband. It breaks my heart to even consider the loss of my sweet children. How could I go on without my mother or my father? Death will touch us all.
If you could know the exact time of your death, would you want to know? Knowing the moments you have left to live, would you change your life, your ways, your priorities?
Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon computer professor made famous with The Last Lecture, died July 25, 2008. A shining example of courage in the face of death, his message reached millions. In August of 2007 his doctors told him pancreatic cancer would claim his life in three to six months. He made a choice to spend the time he had left living and not dying.
His lesson plan for us is simple:
Achieve your childhood dreams,
Enable the dreams of others, and
Never lose your childlike sense of wonder.
He tells us in his lecture that he is having fun and plans to have fun every day. He accepted his death but chose not to focus on it. He lived, loved and laughed with his wife and three small children, living each moment he was given. His lecture was a lifeline to his children that they may know his passion for life and his love for his family.
Carpe diem. Seize the day. Take time to smell the roses. There are many examples of living fully in popular culture and literature: The Bucket List, Life’s Golden Ticket, Tuesdays with Morrie.
In his novel The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein encourages us “to live every day as if it had been stolen from death . . . To feel the joy of life . . . To separate oneself from the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter every day. To say I am alive, I am wonderful. I am. I am. That is something to aspire to.”
I do aspire to live fully in the present. Yet, I confess that I am often so busy that I lose sight of what is really important. My husband likes to remind me. He likes to sneak up on me when I am elbows deep in Palmolive suds at the kitchen sink. I never see him coming, focused as I am on fighting grease and grime. I am vulnerable. He pounces, hugging me around the waist and kissing me sloppily on the neck.
“Not now! Can’t you see I’m busy?” I complain. I am easily annoyed and angered by his sneak attack, wanting only to finish my chore. When I turn to see his smirk, I catch the twinkle in his eyes. I’m reminded to let go of what’s good for what is better. Living in the moment means embracing opportunities to love and be loved. Living fully is appreciating all that God has given. Being fully alive is embracing the 98% that is good in your circumstances and not the 2% that is lousy.
“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
Randy Pausch asks us “to decide is you’re a Tigger or an Eyeore.” How will you live your day? Winnie the Pooh’s Tigger spends his day sharing his jubilation. Full of joy and life, he pounces on friends, enjoying each day with abandon. Are you a Tigger? Or more like Eyeore? The sad purple donkey lives inside his own agony. Focused on his problems, he feels cut apart from the world. He is anxious and alone.
Bad things happen and in the end we all die. Even Jesus, in coming to this world and living as human flesh, endured pain, persecution and death. He knew his Father’s plans. He foretold his death and yet the knowledge did not consume him. He carried himself with peace and dignity and honor.
In Christ we have peace. It not a matter of embracing our death. As believers we are accepting something more. Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Peace be with you!
My quiet reverie is broken by the shrieking sirens passing by. Their cries stretch and wail as they race past me. Squad cars, fire trucks, an ambulance; they race to the scene. Will they arrive in time to help, to comfort, to save? I raise my eyes to heaven and I pray, LORD, comfort the injured. Let them see you, feel your presence, and accept your love. You are mighty to save. Mend their bones, heal their flesh. If it is time, save their souls.
The psalmist wrote, “Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?” (Psalm 6:2-3)
It is agonizing. We are all faced with death, whether a future construct, an inevitability or something more concrete. The odds delivered by a doctor. The prognosis after medical tests. The life lost in the blink of an eye. It pains me to think of losing my loving husband. It breaks my heart to even consider the loss of my sweet children. How could I go on without my mother or my father? Death will touch us all.
If you could know the exact time of your death, would you want to know? Knowing the moments you have left to live, would you change your life, your ways, your priorities?
Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon computer professor made famous with The Last Lecture, died July 25, 2008. A shining example of courage in the face of death, his message reached millions. In August of 2007 his doctors told him pancreatic cancer would claim his life in three to six months. He made a choice to spend the time he had left living and not dying.
His lesson plan for us is simple:
Achieve your childhood dreams,
Enable the dreams of others, and
Never lose your childlike sense of wonder.
He tells us in his lecture that he is having fun and plans to have fun every day. He accepted his death but chose not to focus on it. He lived, loved and laughed with his wife and three small children, living each moment he was given. His lecture was a lifeline to his children that they may know his passion for life and his love for his family.
Carpe diem. Seize the day. Take time to smell the roses. There are many examples of living fully in popular culture and literature: The Bucket List, Life’s Golden Ticket, Tuesdays with Morrie.
In his novel The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein encourages us “to live every day as if it had been stolen from death . . . To feel the joy of life . . . To separate oneself from the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter every day. To say I am alive, I am wonderful. I am. I am. That is something to aspire to.”
I do aspire to live fully in the present. Yet, I confess that I am often so busy that I lose sight of what is really important. My husband likes to remind me. He likes to sneak up on me when I am elbows deep in Palmolive suds at the kitchen sink. I never see him coming, focused as I am on fighting grease and grime. I am vulnerable. He pounces, hugging me around the waist and kissing me sloppily on the neck.
“Not now! Can’t you see I’m busy?” I complain. I am easily annoyed and angered by his sneak attack, wanting only to finish my chore. When I turn to see his smirk, I catch the twinkle in his eyes. I’m reminded to let go of what’s good for what is better. Living in the moment means embracing opportunities to love and be loved. Living fully is appreciating all that God has given. Being fully alive is embracing the 98% that is good in your circumstances and not the 2% that is lousy.
“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
Randy Pausch asks us “to decide is you’re a Tigger or an Eyeore.” How will you live your day? Winnie the Pooh’s Tigger spends his day sharing his jubilation. Full of joy and life, he pounces on friends, enjoying each day with abandon. Are you a Tigger? Or more like Eyeore? The sad purple donkey lives inside his own agony. Focused on his problems, he feels cut apart from the world. He is anxious and alone.
Bad things happen and in the end we all die. Even Jesus, in coming to this world and living as human flesh, endured pain, persecution and death. He knew his Father’s plans. He foretold his death and yet the knowledge did not consume him. He carried himself with peace and dignity and honor.
In Christ we have peace. It not a matter of embracing our death. As believers we are accepting something more. Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Peace be with you!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Common Grounds - Heaven is Overrated
"Heaven is totally overrated. It seems boring. Clouds, listening to people play the harp. It should be somewhere you can’t wait to go, like a luxury hotel. Maybe blue skies and soft music were enough to keep people in line in the 17th century, but Heaven has to step it up a bit. They’re basically getting by because they only have to be better than Hell." – Joel Stein, Columnist for the Los Angeles Times
Does God need a new publicist? If he wants to attract the multitudes to the wonders of heaven, he might need a new ad agency. Modern man is bombarded with messages 24/7: glitzy infomercials, slick ad campaigns, spin doctors perfecting their messages. The creative teams employ vibrant colors and bold graphics to grab our attention and inspire us to act. We buy their products or sign up for their services. How can God inspire us without visual images?
The Bible offers few first hand testimonials to the wonders of heaven. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 6:9). The poetry of the psalmists hints at the glory that awaits the faithful. If we Google the word "heaven," we won’t find a polished website detailing the accommodations and amenities. We are left to imagine the untold blessings.
Very little is left to the imagination in our society. Last week we discovered a new TV station amid the 1200 in our cable line-up. Daylong, it offers explanations of "how things are done," revealing the engineering marvels of skyscrapers, the formation of lab-made precious gems, and the culinary mystery of how they get the cream filing in the Hostess Twinkie. As a kid, I was hooked by the rare glimpse Mr. Rogers offered of crayons speeding through the Crayola factory. It was an awesome sight to see the fabrication of something so beloved. But like a magician revealing his secrets, without the mystery something essential is lost.
"We live by faith, not by sight."(2 Corinthians 5:7) Our daily walk with the Lord is built on love and belief and trust. "God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him." (Acts 17:27) The old images of clouds and harps are designed to leave us wanting. Heaven defies a typical description.
There is a song that my family loves to hear. It’s not as eloquent as Psalm 118:24, but SpongeBob Squarepants drives the point home in his song, "The Best Day Ever." Nothing extraordinary occurs in the song: no new job, no lottery winnings, no major life events. Our best day is the day of opportunities that God blesses us with each morning. A great day is special in what it lacks: no worries for the future and no sorrows over the past. It is a day lived fully in the present.
The full promise of heaven is dwelling in the presence of God. There, we will live like God, fully in the eternal present. Living in the moment, we will be without fear or anxiety of the future or regrets of the past. In heaven, God’s compassion and mercy abound. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." (Revelation 21:4)
I don’t know if heaven is an all-inclusive luxury hotel with round-the-clock spa treatments or buffet feasts of gourmet delicacies. Yet, in Revelation 7:16 we discover that, "never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat." The heavens are a storehouse of God’s bounty. The pure of heart will receive blessings from the Lord, for"no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Psalm 84:11)
Heaven may be God’s best kept secret. In the words of the MercyMe song, "I Can Only Imagine."
Does God need a new publicist? If he wants to attract the multitudes to the wonders of heaven, he might need a new ad agency. Modern man is bombarded with messages 24/7: glitzy infomercials, slick ad campaigns, spin doctors perfecting their messages. The creative teams employ vibrant colors and bold graphics to grab our attention and inspire us to act. We buy their products or sign up for their services. How can God inspire us without visual images?
The Bible offers few first hand testimonials to the wonders of heaven. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 6:9). The poetry of the psalmists hints at the glory that awaits the faithful. If we Google the word "heaven," we won’t find a polished website detailing the accommodations and amenities. We are left to imagine the untold blessings.
Very little is left to the imagination in our society. Last week we discovered a new TV station amid the 1200 in our cable line-up. Daylong, it offers explanations of "how things are done," revealing the engineering marvels of skyscrapers, the formation of lab-made precious gems, and the culinary mystery of how they get the cream filing in the Hostess Twinkie. As a kid, I was hooked by the rare glimpse Mr. Rogers offered of crayons speeding through the Crayola factory. It was an awesome sight to see the fabrication of something so beloved. But like a magician revealing his secrets, without the mystery something essential is lost.
"We live by faith, not by sight."(2 Corinthians 5:7) Our daily walk with the Lord is built on love and belief and trust. "God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him." (Acts 17:27) The old images of clouds and harps are designed to leave us wanting. Heaven defies a typical description.
There is a song that my family loves to hear. It’s not as eloquent as Psalm 118:24, but SpongeBob Squarepants drives the point home in his song, "The Best Day Ever." Nothing extraordinary occurs in the song: no new job, no lottery winnings, no major life events. Our best day is the day of opportunities that God blesses us with each morning. A great day is special in what it lacks: no worries for the future and no sorrows over the past. It is a day lived fully in the present.
The full promise of heaven is dwelling in the presence of God. There, we will live like God, fully in the eternal present. Living in the moment, we will be without fear or anxiety of the future or regrets of the past. In heaven, God’s compassion and mercy abound. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." (Revelation 21:4)
I don’t know if heaven is an all-inclusive luxury hotel with round-the-clock spa treatments or buffet feasts of gourmet delicacies. Yet, in Revelation 7:16 we discover that, "never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat." The heavens are a storehouse of God’s bounty. The pure of heart will receive blessings from the Lord, for"no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Psalm 84:11)
Heaven may be God’s best kept secret. In the words of the MercyMe song, "I Can Only Imagine."
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Common Grounds - We're all the same.
"In the end we’re all the same." – Ben Kweller, Rock Musician
We are all the same.
On a physical level, we’re all the same. God made us of flesh and in the end we die. Our hearts stop beating and our lungs fail to rise and fall. Game over. There is no advantage in wealth, privilege, fame, popularity, notoriety, wisdom or education. Modern medicine might delay the inevitable but nothing can change our fate.
All the hours spent at work and school can’t save us. All the stuff we labored to accumulate amounts to nothing. As they say, "you can’t take it with you." Yet, we race around working overtime so we can have more stuff: a new car, a boat, the latest gadgets, a sparkling new kitchen. Will our new toys bring us satisfaction or leave us unfulfilled and wanting more? Are we so intent on our next purchase that we forget to enjoy what we already have?
‘"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.’ Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 captures Solomon’s struggle to find the meaning of life. If death is the end, where can we turn for true meaning and purpose in our lives?
We are not all the same.
Through faith in Christ Jesus we know that the end to our temporary assignment on earth is really the beginning of our permanent mission in eternal life. By the grace of God and the power of Jesus’ sacrifice we are redeemed. Only those among us who believe will be saved. In addition, our daily lives on earth become richer through our faith and our growing relationship with the Lord. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10 KJV)
A friend asked me this week why I bother going to church. I did my best to share the joy and warmth I felt in worship and fellowship. He agreed that he was a big fan of warmth and joy; he finds all the warmth and joy he desires in sleeping late on Sunday morning. My friend is not interested in church, yet it seems he thirsts for something more.
Jesus has commissioned us to share his joy, his word and his way. As Jesus instructed the Samaritan woman at the well, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:13-14) Our faith in Christ ensures that our death is not the end. How do I share this good news with my friend?
When the Athenians asked Paul, "You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean,"(Acts 17:20), they opened the door to dialogue. They invited further discussion and explanation. Likewise, my friend asked another question. It was an invitation of sorts: "What if you are wrong?"
Do you know someone so afraid of being wrong or fearful of looking stupid that they refuse to believe? "What if you are wrong?" You can tell he is seeking. There is hunger for understanding and thirst for wisdom in such a question. I offered the simplest of replies; "what if I am right?"
"In the end we’re all the same." – Ben Kweller, Rock Musician
We are all the same.
On a physical level, we’re all the same. God made us of flesh and in the end we die. Our hearts stop beating and our lungs fail to rise and fall. Game over. There is no advantage in wealth, privilege, fame, popularity, notoriety, wisdom or education. Modern medicine might delay the inevitable but nothing can change our fate.
All the hours spent at work and school can’t save us. All the stuff we labored to accumulate amounts to nothing. As they say, "you can’t take it with you." Yet, we race around working overtime so we can have more stuff: a new car, a boat, the latest gadgets, a sparkling new kitchen. Will our new toys bring us satisfaction or leave us unfulfilled and wanting more? Are we so intent on our next purchase that we forget to enjoy what we already have?
‘"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.’ Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 captures Solomon’s struggle to find the meaning of life. If death is the end, where can we turn for true meaning and purpose in our lives?
We are not all the same.
Through faith in Christ Jesus we know that the end to our temporary assignment on earth is really the beginning of our permanent mission in eternal life. By the grace of God and the power of Jesus’ sacrifice we are redeemed. Only those among us who believe will be saved. In addition, our daily lives on earth become richer through our faith and our growing relationship with the Lord. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10 KJV)
A friend asked me this week why I bother going to church. I did my best to share the joy and warmth I felt in worship and fellowship. He agreed that he was a big fan of warmth and joy; he finds all the warmth and joy he desires in sleeping late on Sunday morning. My friend is not interested in church, yet it seems he thirsts for something more.
Jesus has commissioned us to share his joy, his word and his way. As Jesus instructed the Samaritan woman at the well, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:13-14) Our faith in Christ ensures that our death is not the end. How do I share this good news with my friend?
When the Athenians asked Paul, "You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean,"(Acts 17:20), they opened the door to dialogue. They invited further discussion and explanation. Likewise, my friend asked another question. It was an invitation of sorts: "What if you are wrong?"
Do you know someone so afraid of being wrong or fearful of looking stupid that they refuse to believe? "What if you are wrong?" You can tell he is seeking. There is hunger for understanding and thirst for wisdom in such a question. I offered the simplest of replies; "what if I am right?"
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Common Grounds - Every Child Needs a Laptop
"All children need a laptop. Not a computer, but a human laptop. Moms, Dads, Grannies and Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles - someone to hold them, read to them, teach them. Loved ones who will embrace them and pass on the experience, rituals and knowledge of a hundred previous generations. Loved ones who will pass to the next generation their expectations of them, their hopes , and their dreams." General Colin Powell
I love Colin Powell’s quote. It prompts me to find a small child to plant on my lap. There is immense power in a laptop - a most intimate seating - to convey knowledge, experience, and great expectations.
My own youth was blessed with warm embraces and laptop chats. I was bathed in the love of my parents. From them I learned how to love and how to serve. The hours spent at my mother’s side in the kitchen introduced me to the touches that turn an ordinary meal into a loving occasion. Mom opened my eyes to the importance of details. Meanwhile, my Dad encouraged me to think big. We worked together for years and I learned about perseverance, quick wit and how to sell the sizzle not the steak.
I spent ample time on my parents’ laptops. I was held, read to, and lovingly taught. My mother’s soft caress invited me to linger. She read to my brother and me each night as we explored the amazing fantasy world of novels. My father’s work caused him to travel extensively. Each faraway trip was an opportunity for a private laptop reunion. My parents were clear they had big expectations of me, hopes for a successful career and marriage and future. So what was missing?
Read James 3:17 and you’ll discover the missing ingredient. "...Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." Although our family life was filled with love, we forgot to include God’s lessons. The rich teachings I received were far from complete, for how can you learn of love and omit the most famous teacher? As Paul advised in Colossians 3:12-14, "...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together is perfect unity."
I’m grateful to God for sending other teachers and other "laptops". Aunt Rosie reminded me not to be too busy to pray. A neighbor, Mrs. Brown, modeled authenticity and encouraged purity. Their teachings often fell on the deaf ears of a 12 or 17 or 24-year-old. Sometimes messages were lost or unappreciated. They didn’t give up on me and for that I am blessed.
I wonder, were they apprehensive sharing these values with me? Did they ever waver and wonder, "should I or shouldn’t I?"
Looking at Paul in Acts 17:16-23, I am humbled by his courage. He was ever brave and sure. If he had doubts about speaking the truth of God’s mercy through Jesus, there is no proof of it in his actions in Athens.
I look to my own children and wonder what message am I sending them? What lessons will they carry in their hearts? Not just the lessons from daily prayers or mealtime thanksgivings or evening devotions, what will they learn from our common everyday life?
As my parents grow old in years, I face the prospects of the tables being turned; someday I’ll be their caregiver. When my turn comes to hold them in my arms and wipe away their tears and calm their fears, will I have shared all they need to know?
I pray for the courage to share the Gospel with all those I love. I need courage. To be completely honest, I fear ridicule and rejection from those I love. Will they react as the philosophers did to Paul in Athens saying, "What is this babbler trying to say?" What if I never even try to share God’s promise? What then? My deeper fear is that I would miss my opportunity to spend eternity with them.
I pray that, like Paul, I will press forward in finding some common grounds to build upon. Rather than focusing on the difference between us, we can start with all we have in common. We want to be together to share love, laughter and a good meal.
I love Colin Powell’s quote. It prompts me to find a small child to plant on my lap. There is immense power in a laptop - a most intimate seating - to convey knowledge, experience, and great expectations.
My own youth was blessed with warm embraces and laptop chats. I was bathed in the love of my parents. From them I learned how to love and how to serve. The hours spent at my mother’s side in the kitchen introduced me to the touches that turn an ordinary meal into a loving occasion. Mom opened my eyes to the importance of details. Meanwhile, my Dad encouraged me to think big. We worked together for years and I learned about perseverance, quick wit and how to sell the sizzle not the steak.
I spent ample time on my parents’ laptops. I was held, read to, and lovingly taught. My mother’s soft caress invited me to linger. She read to my brother and me each night as we explored the amazing fantasy world of novels. My father’s work caused him to travel extensively. Each faraway trip was an opportunity for a private laptop reunion. My parents were clear they had big expectations of me, hopes for a successful career and marriage and future. So what was missing?
Read James 3:17 and you’ll discover the missing ingredient. "...Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." Although our family life was filled with love, we forgot to include God’s lessons. The rich teachings I received were far from complete, for how can you learn of love and omit the most famous teacher? As Paul advised in Colossians 3:12-14, "...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together is perfect unity."
I’m grateful to God for sending other teachers and other "laptops". Aunt Rosie reminded me not to be too busy to pray. A neighbor, Mrs. Brown, modeled authenticity and encouraged purity. Their teachings often fell on the deaf ears of a 12 or 17 or 24-year-old. Sometimes messages were lost or unappreciated. They didn’t give up on me and for that I am blessed.
I wonder, were they apprehensive sharing these values with me? Did they ever waver and wonder, "should I or shouldn’t I?"
Looking at Paul in Acts 17:16-23, I am humbled by his courage. He was ever brave and sure. If he had doubts about speaking the truth of God’s mercy through Jesus, there is no proof of it in his actions in Athens.
I look to my own children and wonder what message am I sending them? What lessons will they carry in their hearts? Not just the lessons from daily prayers or mealtime thanksgivings or evening devotions, what will they learn from our common everyday life?
As my parents grow old in years, I face the prospects of the tables being turned; someday I’ll be their caregiver. When my turn comes to hold them in my arms and wipe away their tears and calm their fears, will I have shared all they need to know?
I pray for the courage to share the Gospel with all those I love. I need courage. To be completely honest, I fear ridicule and rejection from those I love. Will they react as the philosophers did to Paul in Athens saying, "What is this babbler trying to say?" What if I never even try to share God’s promise? What then? My deeper fear is that I would miss my opportunity to spend eternity with them.
I pray that, like Paul, I will press forward in finding some common grounds to build upon. Rather than focusing on the difference between us, we can start with all we have in common. We want to be together to share love, laughter and a good meal.
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