A Must Read for Today's Christ Follower!

 I am presently reading an inspiring biography on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer which is filled with implications for the present day church. I am reproducing below, a part of the forward written by Pastor Timothy Keller so you can understand why I believe it is such an important read for everyone.

"It is impossible to understand Bonhoeffer’s Nachfolge (Discipleship) without becoming acquainted with the shocking capitulation of the German Church to Hitler in the 1930’s. How could the “church of Luther,” that great teacher of the gospel, have ever come to such a place? The answer is that the true gospel, summed up by Bonhoeffer as costly grace, had been lost. On the one hand, the church had become marked by formalism. That meant going to church and hearing that God just loves and forgives everyone, so it doesn’t really matter much how you live. Bonhoffer called this cheap grace. On the other hand, there is legalism, or salvation by law and good works. Legalism meant that God loves you because you have pulled yourself together and are trying to live a good disciplined life. Both of these impulses made it possible for Hitler to come to power….Germany lost hold of the brilliant balance of the gospel that Luther so persistently expounded- “we are saved by faith alone, but not by faith which is alone.” That is, we are saved, not by anything we do, but by grace. Yet if we have truly believed the gospel, it will change what we do and how we live."

Bonhoeffer

Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

Eric Metaxas

Benediction

Like most, I am intrigued by last words. After listening to a long sermon, I am more than intrigued, I am grateful for the words, "In conclusion." If I am the speaker I recognize that one of the gifts I give to listeners after Noon on Sundays is the Benediction which often includes parting words or a prayer of blessing, guidance, and good will before dismissal. Since the pronouncement, "In closing" brings rapt attention, these may be some of the most listened to words of the day. Hence, I thought I would share a wonderful Franciscan Benediction I found Years ago. In fact it is so appropriate for the day in which we live, it could possibly live on in our daily prayers!

May God Bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half -truths, and superficial relationships

So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears

To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,

SO that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

To believe that you can make a difference in the world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen

Would You Jump Too?

                                                           

 

 A question that has for many generations been attributed to moms and dads when speaking to their children is, “if everybody else in the world jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?” Of course they are looking for the word “no” as the preferred answer. It is a question intended to ground an unthinking or unaware person into reality and it has worked in countless situations without question, until now. Just maybe, we should look at the reality that this adage foists upon us! The question has to do with making dumb choices in life so I do understand the intent. What I am questioning is how the underlying principle is arrived at in this instance. As I have thought about the logical “no”, I began to explore the other side of that question and ask myself, “would I really want to live all by myself?” I mean, if everyone else does jump, would I really want to do life alone? I have to confess that prospect scares me even more than jumping off the proverbial bridge!

For a person, who has mostly tried to play it safe in life, this is an unusual outlook. There were days in my life when I was much less self aware and I would have not only said “no, I would not jump” but may have also asked if those who were going to do so needed a push. Now, more than ever before I’m leaning toward taking the plunge, too!

 I am so glad for those whose lives point to the fact that life is best lived with others and the alternative is really no choice at all. God commanded man to “be fruitful and multiply” in order to fill the earth, and I think, to create the substance for communion, fellowship and parties! I know that it doesn’t fit in with the “Just Me and God Theology” so often preached today and that is fine with me because I believe that doctrine is in gross disregard of what God really intends life and salvation to be about! In fact, when God saw that man was “alone” (in fellowship with only God Himself) He entered again into His creative work to fix that problem with the end result being the creation of dogs, cats and Eve. With all theological intent laid aside at this point, when faced later with the possibility of once again living alone with the dogs and cats, Adam chose to take the plunge.

So, It is with great appreciation that I salute those who do God’s work of providing the means for a good party! I am glad they have taken the plunge, saying to the rest of us, “I don’t want to do life alone” and then make preparations for others to join in this dance of life and love, together.

Waiting Quietly (My new Reality Series)

“it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” 

Lamentations 3:26

Patience is a virtue! I really admire patient people from a distance. I keep that separation of space so as not to try or test them in this most admirable quality! In fact, I believe I will get a heavenly reward for giving them space.

I love the thought of being patient. But “quiet” patience is probably too much for this human frame. While in the Waiting Room of Life, I have found that I just have to ask the person next to me what they are “in for” and then tell them about the "eternity" I have so patiently endured in that same room. It’s the kind of waiting room where no matter the wall color, it is always drab and has posted in it:

DO NOT GET EXCITED OR OVERLY HOPEFUL,

YOU ARE IN THE LAND OF NOT YET.

PLEASE RESPECT OTHERS AND BE QUIET!

But the room begs for noise. It invites someone to get so loud for so long, that someone will give in and get you out! The reason for this is that while waiting, you imagine you have surely been forgotten and a signal fire and beacon should bring relief right away. Yes, make enough noise and they will escort you out.  Not the “out” you expected, mind you, but simply moved into a smaller holding tank with hard, cold, metal chairs and magazines that nobody reads.

There you will have to change into their version of a fig leaf, and you will be asked again to wait quietly alone. With this, you have been fooled! Now that you are by yourself, they will know you are the one drumming on every hard object in the room and making those loud sighing noises. You will be moved to an even more secluded “facility”.

Not so with our wait! If we will wait quietly, we will be able to hear His voice and know we have not been forgotten. If we know that He is aware, we will continue to wait quietly with assurance of His salvation. No signal flares need to be shot into the sky; His spotlights of love and mercy already beam down upon us. It is good to wait quietly!

Just Words?

"The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed." 

Isaiah 50:4

I am able to recount many times through the years when I have heard someone say, “They are just words. They mean nothing!” or, “You think that just by saying these words everything is going to be okay?”

I know what they mean as they utter “those are just words” and their faces are lined with hurt, anger, disappointment or possibly derision.  All of us have been at a point somewhere along the way when we have needed more than words because the past history in which they had been used had cheapened them to the point of being valueless.

Paul asked the question, “Who has believed the news we bring or the story we tell” and many times after delivering God’s Word, I wonder if the listeners perceived that what they had received was indeed His Word.  Or, did they walk away thinking those are “just words.”  Sometimes we have so cheapened our words that it causes a “Whatever” response to utterances which should never be dismissed with such ease. 

Being a pastor, my world has pretty much revolved around life-giving words.  In the beginning days of my ministry the power of words and my lack of ability in speaking really scared me.  I knew that people could possibly be hanging on to my words, which was okay.  I just didn’t want them to be hung or even hung up by my words!  That’s about the time that Isaiah 50:4 really registered with me. It was like God was saying to me, “I will be with you to help bring about your purpose for life. I will teach you to speak for me!”

Since that time, I have learned and have often rehearsed out loud the fact that our words are used to ease our pain and increase our joy.  Through our words the weary are sustained and the powerful work of transformation is given shape, focus and clarity.  Friends, the words we use are not weak and impotent, they are in fact powerful, quick, sharp and unerring in their ability to make glad the heart.

Jesus said, “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life..”   So, don’t leave home without them, choose them wisely and please don’t underestimate their ability to powerfully work in the heart and mind of those who have had their ear awakened to hear!

HE KNOWS THE WAY!

“But He knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:10

Job shares the perplexity he has experienced in trying to see and talk to God during his personal storm. This particular bewilderment does not belong only to Job! We have all experienced, if we are honest, that dark night when seeing Him is nearly impossible.

“He is not there, I do not find Him, I do not see Him, I catch no glimpse of Him”, he says in exasperation. Then he turns his gaze upward when he says, “But He knows the way I take.”

Even though Job had failed to see God, he realizes that God has not failed to see him. Indeed his inability to see God in the storm is a part of the test that will reveal that which is most precious. God has a plan for you! Jeremiah says, “He knows the plans He has for us”, and He is mindful of those plans as we journey through the storm.

I am reminded that my four Grandchildren never ask for detail directions or a road map when we are traveling. They just want to know when we will get there and they leave the rest to me! Anything more than that gets lost in their childlike understanding. Unlike them, I think I still need to understand all the twists, turns and detours along the road and I definitely want to see the map or hear my Onstar Assistant, especially Emily from England, who knows everything about Georgia!

That is the walk of faith, not that we know our plans but that we believe He does! In believing that about our Heavenly Father we can have a faith which weathers every storm. Wesley prayed, “Put me to what you will.” I say “Amen” and add with the great Methodist, “You are mine, and I am yours. So be it!”

A WORD BEFORE YOU GO ... AND POSSIBLY AFTER YOU ARRIVE

I am intrigued by last words.  After listening to a long sermon, I am more than intrigued; I am grateful for the words, "In conclusion."  If I am the speaker, I recognize that one of the gifts I give to listeners after Noon on Sundays is the Benediction, which often includes parting words or a prayer of blessing, guidance, and goodwill before dismissal.  Since the pronouncement, "In closing" brings such rapt attention, these may be some of the most listened to words of the day.  Hence, I thought I would share a wonderful Franciscan Benediction I found Years ago.  In fact, it is so appropriate for the day in which we live that it could possibly live on in our daily prayers!

May God Bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears

To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen