BE A 'NEW THING' FOR CHRIST!

      Christmas is over... and a new year is dawning! God willing, it will be filled with good things, but it's certain to be filled with new things... because things are always changing. They're either birthing or dying, growing or shrinking- and the things in our lives in 2017 will most definitely change. Some of them, perhaps most of them, will be beyond our control. Someone may start a war, or close a factory, or come down with an illness. Some of the changes in our lives will be traceable to things we've already set in motion. We may get married, get divorced, give birth to a child, or move to a retirement center. And some things are completely, or nearly completely, in our hands... like the resolutions we make... and keep.
      January 1 is at hand and it invites us to look to the future! What will happen in the new year, and more importantly, what will happen to me in the coming year? What will I become? How will I grow? These are important questions, but today, rather than focusing on the typical New Year's resolutions- like losing weight (which would be a good one for me), quitting smoking or drinking (another path I've been down), or saving money (which I've never done well)- I would like to talk about God's new thing... and encourage each one of us to be part of it! Christmas is over, but it lives on in us. We've received a great gift- God's Son- and He has a startling agenda for the world and for each of us- one in which the poor will be blessed, the powerful will be dethroned, and the so-called little people will stand tall! Christ came to earth to turn it upside-down. We are invited to join him in his work... but we settle for the same 'o-same 'o, because we lack courage, or faith, or vision. We hear Mary singing about her son empowering the poor and the needy- but we don't do much to empower them- we lift our voices in praise of the One who invited drifters and beggars to sit on the dais, but  we continue to reserve the seats up front... for people with money, titles, and prestige! We hear the words- unto you a Savior is born- without living as if we've been saved... and we come face-face with Isaiah's prophecy about the "new thing" God is doing... and in particular, with his great question: can you perceive it! 
      Isaiah, many centuries before Christ was born, saw that God was doing a "new thing," that the old was out and the new was in! He said that God was doing a new thing, that things weren't going to be the way they used to be! Through eyes of faith, he saw that a broken-hearted world would break out into a mile-wide grin... and he saw that the blind would see with perfect clarity. In the midst of his own dark reality, Isaiah saw that God was doing a new thing- that would conquer the world. He saw God's transforming hand at work, and he asked a excellent question: can you perceive it? Can you perceive God's "new thing?" Can you make it your own, and give your heart to it? God is doing a new thing- can you see it? Can you see God working... in your heart? Can you see God working to open... your mind to new truths and to new people? Can you see that God is given you new opportunities... to let go, to turn around, to make amends, to forgive someone, to work on your spiritual fitness, to say "yes" instead of "no" to his call in your life, to listen more frequently, to reflect more deeply, to live more intentionally as a Christian, to take a step toward more obedient stewardship, to visit someone who is lonely, to clothe someone who is naked, to pray for someone who is hurting or for someone whom you dislike, to get involved in your church community, to become a cheerleader... instead of a scorekeeper? God is doing a new thing- do you see it ... as something that involves you?
      Christmas Day gives way to New Year's Day, and our thoughts return to ourselves and the games we play... and to the resolutions we seldom keep. Over the years I've made a hundred resolutions. I quit smoking scores of time, tried every diet in the world, pledged to be more loving, and to be more disciplined. None of these are bad things and I've gained ground on some of them... but this year, my only resolution is to live AS IF I've had Christmas. I resolve to live as if my life is filled with promise, and that I actually can help Jesus usher in his new world order. I resolve... to BE one of the new things that Isaiah talked about... which means that I will elevate the poor and the needy in my own world, that I will forgive more freely and more completely in my own life, that I will take more risks for Christ on my own journey, that I will treat everyone as if he or she... is someone, and that I will see the Christ in every person I encounter. In 2017, I resolve to see the new thing that God is doing in Christ AND to be a "new thing" for Christ... and to do it boldly... because I've experienced Christmas. For that matter, I've experienced Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost too, and I am more than able to be a new thing for Christ. So are you. Amen!
   

O' SHEPHERD, UNTO YOU A CHILD IS BORN!

      In Biblical times, shepherds were looked down upon. They were nomadic wanderers who were always ceremonially unclean. Like prostitutes and tax collectors, they were frequently in contact with people, land, and things that were considered unclean. They were immersed in uncleanliness- so completely that being clean again seemed impossible. Like lepers and others who were unclean, shepherds were isolated from their families and communities... and in addition to all of this, shepherds were unclean in the ordinary sense of the word because they spent their entire lives with sheep, seldom bathed, and always had caked dirt and dung on the sandals.

      No one would invite a shepherd to join him or her for dinner. No one would reach out to a shepherd... or want much to do with them... except God... who announced the birth of His Son to shepherds first. Unto you, he said, a child is born. Unto you and shepherds like you- unto the poor and outcast, unto those who are shut away, shut down, shut in, and shut down, unto those who are unseen and unheard, unto those whom others don't respect or treat with dignity... unto you a child is born! It was an incredible proclamation... and then, they were invited to join the holy family for the first Christmas! It was an outrageous, irreligious act, even though its radical message is lost on us. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem (now a Palestinian town), the invited "guests" were not grandma and grandpa, or uncles and aunts, or Mary's BFF... but the lowly shepherds- who stood around with wide eyes, unclean hands, and dung on their sandals... as the baby Jesus laid in a cattle trough. Yes, in an act that radically redefined what it means to be "holy," Jesus was born in a backwater town in an obscure little country... to an unwed teenage girl...in front of her trusting finance', a cow or two, and an assortment of unkempt shepherds. Merry Christmas!
      Think about this for a moment and it will blow your mind. Let the shepherd within you embrace the words- unto you a child is born- and your heart will burst into song! Unto YOU a child is born. Unto you Christ is born. If you're not shapely or svelte, he is born unto you; if your teeth are not as bright as they could be, or even if you're missing teeth, unto you a child is born; if you get your hands dirty when you work, or do the work that others won't do, unto you a child is born; if your background is shady, if you're burdened with sin, if you're sure that people wouldn't love you if they knew you, unto you a child is born; if you stumble over words and never quite say the right things, unto you a child is born; if your head is filled with secrets and doubts, unto you a child is born; if you find it hard to hope and never quite believe, unto you a child is born; if you are, in the depths of your heart, absolutely convinced that you are unloved and unloveable... UNTO YOU A SAVIOR IS BORN! 
      UNTO YOU A CHILD IS BORN... and you will never, ever be the same... because He will change your life forever. When the next morning came, the shepherds were still shepherds... but they were shepherds... with hope. People continued to shun them... but they knew that they were worthy! People continued to treat them as nobodies, but God had invited them to attend the birth of a king! They still had missing teeth, but they smiled broadly. Their lives would still be spent in the hills and they knew that they would never be invited to see anything grand, but it didn't matter at all, because THE CHILD HAD BEEN BORN UNTO THEM. They would continue to struggle to feed and protect their sheep. They would continue to struggle with life,...but after Mary's boy was born... they would never struggle without hope. 
      It didn't matter if they never received another invitation in their lives... because they had been invited to the first Christmas! God had emptied himself of divinity and come to earth to save a broken, desperate, foolish, and unclean people. The shepherds saw it first, but YOU ARE INVITED to Christmas as well. Never let anyone tell you that you have to be or do, say or buy, certain things... so that you'll have a "good Christmas." For unto you a Savior is born... all you have to do is respond! Amen.

HAVE A MERRY AND BLESSED CHRIST-MAS HOLI-DAY!

      Years ago, when we attended a large church in Omaha, Nebraska, it became clear to my wife... that our pastor did NOT believe that Christ was divine in any way. To give him the benefit of the doubt, we invited him to our home and asked him directly. "No," he said, "I don't believe that Christ was born to a virgin. I don't believe that he came down from heaven either," he added. "Instead, I believe that he was a godly man who lived an exemplary life... and that we should all follow his teachings on love and peace." The Christmas message in the Bible then, to the good Reverend, was (and is) just a story-no more real than Santa Claus. In his view, there were no angels who sang about a baby, no unwed Jewish teenager who gave birth to God's child,, no shepherds who gathered around an cattle trough, no astrologers who followed a star, no promise of a new world in which the meek will be blessed and the last will be first. Christmas, in this minister's view (and he's not alone) is an occasion for families to gather and exchange gifts in the spirit of harmony and love. For him, Christmas is a time for people to "slow down" and reflect on how things would be if... they would be more loving and follow the Nazarene's teachings.
      To our former pastor, Christmas is NOT about Christ breaking into our lives with a radical message of grace and obedience. It is NOT a transformingly divine moment, but a completely human moment that invites us to be gentler and more caring. Now-to be clear- there is much to be said for being less judgmental and more loving... and I am the first to confess that I love Christmas. I love Christmas! I love the fact that families who ordinarily don't gather together, come together on Christmas. I love the fact that people who don't give much of themselves or of their treasure during the year, take the time to serve food to the hungry and drop money into the Salvation Army's red kettles. I love the fact that people who haven't experienced worship in months... will once again worship God in a church of their choice. I even love the sharing of gifts, and I love the joy that these gifts give to others even more. Christmas is a wonderful holiday... but it is NOT a Holi-day without Christ! Indeed, when we urge others to "put Christ back in Christmas," we are understating the matter... because Christ is the very essence of Christmas!
      Without Christ, we can wish one another a "happy holiday"... because the secular trappings of the holiday affect Christians and non-Christians alike. It is a time of joy for millions of people, Christians and non-Christians alike, and it is good to celebrate that... but we can"t prepare for his coming if we don't believe he is coming, and we can't embrace a new king if we don't believe that he is our king. In short, although I can celebrate the joy of the holiday season without believing, it's hard to see how I can honestly wish someone a "merry Christmas"... unless I take him, his ministry, and his Lordship seriously. The Bible says that there were "wise men" who followed a star to worship the Christ-child... because they took Christmas seriously. And that there were Shepherds who worshiped him in joyous wonder because they took seriously. Even Herod took Christmas seriously and he was a madman. Indeed, wise men and women still take Christmas seriously because they know that God Incarnate- Immanuel- a Savior born unto us- is much more powerful and life-changing- than a gentle snow and a sentimental song!
      May the Christ of Christmas be very real to you and your loved ones this year. May he shower you with grace, may he mend your heart and heal your wounds, and may you invite him into your life as Lord and Savior. Amen.

ON SHOTGUNS, BOWLING BALLS, AND CHRISTMAS

      Well, its Christmas time and I'm a little nostalgic again. I think about the Christmases my brothers and I had when we were growing up. They were traditional and festive. Mom and dad tried their best to give us a good Christmas and mother made sure that the dollar amount spent on each one of us was exactly the same. Dad was around more on Christmas... as we gathered with family and friends to celebrate and open our gifts. Since we weren't a religious family, Christmas, for us, was a time when we gathered together, had fun, and opened gifts.
      There was more drinking than there needed to be, but Christmases were good for my brothers and me because we always got more than enough presents. As a kid, I looked forward to Christmas, but I was concerned that things were "just right." It was up to me to give just the right gifts to others, and I had lot of anxiety about receiving  just the right gifts myself. Even as we gathered to celebrate, I had a secret fear that I would disappoint someone... or be disappointed myself... which brings me to the Christmas when I received a shotgun instead of the bowling ball. I was bowling in league at the time and I wanted my own bowling ball. My father, on the other hand, wanted me to join him and my brothers on their hunting adventures. He didn't take many days off, but sometimes, he would get up extremely early and hunt pheasants in a farm field... or take a day trip to his duck blind. I'm sure that he saw hunting as a right of passage and as something we could bond around because he wasn't into sports... but I hated hunting and my heart was set on a bowling ball.
      I made my wishes known for weeks before Christmas, but come Christmas morning, there it was- a brand new shotgun. My number one, central gift, was a stupid shotgun... and I was devastated! My Christmas was ruined because it didn't meet my expectations. It didn't play out as I had envisioned it and I was heartbroken. I was fixated on what I wanted and I couldn't appreciate what I had actually been given. Christmas, it seems, was all about me. I couldn't let go and celebrate the joy that others were experiencing. And I kept struggling to accept things as they were until I first believed! Yes, until I first believed. When I accepted that God had sent his Son to save my soul, I felt loved for the first time in my life. A peace that I had not known before came over me, and knowing that I had been accepted by grace... freed me to accept others. Now, I look forward to Christmas without anxiety because I am focused on Christ instead of myself. Indeed, once I had got out of the driver's seat and "let God," the ride became much more enjoyable, and I know that Christmas will be good because things are good when God's in charge!
      My brothers are gone now and I would give anything to see them at Christmas. Mom and dad are gone too, and it's been over 60 years since I received a shotgun as a present... but if I could do it over again, I would say, "Thank's for the gun, dad. It's beautiful. Do you have time to take us out shooting later this week?" Amen.

THE FIRST GIFT EXCHANGE

      I love to give gifts and it's my guess that you do too! This year, we had an early Christmas with our grandson and great-grandson and it gave me great joy to see Donald Ray open the dinosaur that we gave him. He tore the package a little, and a little more, and when he saw that it was a walking dinosaur... with a remote control... his eyes became as big as saucers and he frantically got rid of everything that was in his way. It was the same with Archer, of course... and with my wife, Sherry, who loves every gift she has ever received. I love to give and it's easy for me to share in the joy that the gift brings. Giving comes easy to me, and to most of you I'm sure... but I'm NOT a particularly good receiver. It makes me feel vulnerable and uneasy... so I've been known to hastily open my gift out of turn, when no one is looking. I don't know why I'm this way. Perhaps I'm afraid to disappoint others- I don't know- but I do know that Christmas is at least as much about receiving as it is about giving. In fact, Christmas is mostly about receiving... because we're not in charge. God is. God's in charge... and through his Son, he offers us a life of purpose, joy, and deep, abiding peace.
      Christmas has always involved giving AND receiving and it began as a gift exchange... between two unequal, but necessary, participants. One of them was God, who spoke through an angel, and the other one was a teenage, Jewish girl named Miriam. "Look," the angel said, "God has a gift for you. A baby boy, whom you will give birth to, watch over, and rear until he becomes a man... and begins his ministry." "What do you say?" "Look," the angel said, "You'll become pregnant with God's child and he will give you joy, even though your fiancee' will consider leaving you... and people will talk about you throughout your life. What do you say, Miriam?" "Look, Miriam, God is offering you the chance of a lifetime- of all time really- but you'll have to offer him your life- all of it. What do you say?' "Oh listen, Miriam, God is offering this broken and hurting world... a Savior... and a champion ... a Shepherd who will lead them to green pasture and turn the whole world on its head... but he needs you to say, 'yes,' Mary. What do you say?" "Are you ready to embrace your Son as God's purpose and plan for your life? What do you say?"
      Mary, what would you say? Judy, what would you say if God offered you the riches of eternity? Would you say, 'yes,' or 'no thanks. "I've got my eye on some lakefront property?" Jim, what would you say if God offered you the gift of forgiveness? Would you say, 'thanks,' or "you shouldn't have, Lord, because I don't need to be forgiven?" Jack, what would you say if God offered you immense joy? Would you say, 'thanks,' or, "no thanks, I've got my hands full of wine, women and song." "Jane, would you like a Savior so that you will never be imprisoned by sin and self again!" Would you say "yes," or "no thanks, Lord. I know that I need a Savior, but you want too much in return. I was hoping for cheap grace. I was wanted an easy going Lord, who wouldn't want to run my life."
      God is coming to you. What will you say? Will you be afraid to receive his gift... or will you join Mother Mary in saying, "Let it be, Lord. Let it be according to your grace-filled will." Friends, I hope
that you will give this Christmas. Give, give, give. Give until people roll their eyes. But remember that God is offering you new life and a new name through his Son! It's his gift to you... and there's only one string to the offer- you need to accept it, embrace it, and surrender to it, no matter where He leads you, no matter what it costs. Consider what it really means when God shows up. That's what Mary did. At first she was troubled, but then she said, "Let it be." Oh, let it be according to your word, Lord.
      Two vulnerable participants discussed the first Christmas gift exchange. God and a teenager. God offered a Savior ... for her obedience. A new beginning... for her surrendering. Eternal life... for living  this life for Him. God and the teenager exchanged gifts... and the first Christmas was on! Amen.

THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS GIFT

      When the Baptist cried, "Come on in, the water's fine," they came to the river in droves, where they underwent a baptism... of repentance... for the forgiveness of sin. When the angels broke the silence of the night... with their words, "Unto YOU... a child is born," the shepherds ran to the Birthday party. Come morning, they would still be lowly shepherds, but they'd never be shepherds without hope again because they had experienced Christmas! When mother Mary sang her song about her boy, it must have been amusing to the powers-that-be. When she said that her boy would scatter the proud and send the rich away empty-handed... the Caesars of the world must have thrown back their heads and laughed! But it was true. The puppet kings and petty tyrants were through because our God is a promise keeper!
      Friends, Christmas is coming and in the secular world, it butts up against and even intrudes on Thanksgiving. Indeed, we're already preparing for an event which will please ourselves and our loved ones. We are preparing for Christmas by wrapping gifts that we purchased, by engaging in traditions that our families embrace, and by serving meals that we prepare. In the world's view, Christmas is focused on gifts and family- both of which I applaud- because joy, giving, and family time are hard to find- but in the church world, we have the season of Advent. In some ways it's an awkward time because we long to sing our carols and because it includes Christ's incarnation and his anticipated second coming. Advent is, in the world's view, "in the way" of Christmas, but for people of faith, it is a time of preparation... for the coming of the Lord!
      Advent invites us to focus on Christ and both of our passages do just that. Matthew 3:1-12 invites us to undergo a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin, and Isaiah lifts up the grandeur and the transforming power of God's gift to us, whom he saw as the "stump of Jesse." Jesse, as you may recall, was the grandson of Ruth, the son of Obed, and the father of David, who was Israel's greatest king. David ruled Israel at the height of its success, but things deteriorated badly after David... and in 722 BC, the Assyrians destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and scattered ten of its tribes forever. It was a bloodbath... that flew in the face of God's promises. How could the chosen people of God end up in such a dark place? Things seemed hopeless. The great tree that was David had been cut down... but Isaiah saw a stump... and he prophesied that out of this stump... new and more abundant life would come forth. He saw a branch- a person- who would be blessed with the spirit of the Lord, who would delight only in serving and pleasing God...who would judge the poor with righteousness and handle the meek with equity. He saw a man who would not fall for appearances or rumors, but judge the inside of a person and treat everyone with the greatest respect. Through tearful and terror-filled eyes, Isaiah saw a redeemed people... and a peace that passed all understanding. He was either stark-raving mad, or on to something... because he said that the day will come... when the wolf will lie down with the lamb and a nursing child will play over the hole of an asp.
      Friends. if you're poor, or poor in spirit; broken or burdened with sin or addiction; in exile, or in a dark place; if you're empty on the inside; if every day seems like the day before... look and see that there is a healing, life-giving, life-changing branch...shooting from the stump of Jesse... because our great God is a promise-keeper. Indeed, Christmas is all about this stump of Jesse, who is the Christ of Christmas. Have a great time this Christmas. Eat and drink, laugh and hug, give and receive a hundred gifts... but make sure and pick up the gift of salvation that God has given to you. Open it, embrace it, surrender to it... because the Christ-child will set you free to be the person whom God wants you to be. For God so loved the world that he came down, down, down to earth- to serve, teach, love, and die- to atone for our sins and he rose again in victory over death, so that we might claim this victory for ourselves. Oh friends, Christmas, Christ-mas, is an opportunity to show the love and grace that we've already received for ourselves... or to receive God's gift of forgiveness and renewal for the first time. It's a big deal which has nothing to do with shopping, football, or even family gatherings. Life in the midst of death, light in the midst of darkness, hope in the midst of despair, peace- not a truce or lack of violence- but deep shalom- in the midst of uncertainty and war- these are the gifts that God offers. Christ Jesus- this is the gift that God presents at Christmastime. The stump of Jesse- Mary's Son- this is the gift that we prepare and wait for on this first Sunday of Advent. Amen.

THE WAY THINGS WERE IN '56

      Well, the election of 2016 is over... and it's easy to see that the results have driven people wild. Like many of you, I know (and love) many people who are broken-hearted... and I know (and love) many others who are utterly filled with joy. Those who are broken-hearted feel that their march toward a more inclusive and global America has been threatened, while those who are elated... feel that America has finally come to its senses. Those who are outraged are surprised because they thought that they had established a "new normal," which others would have to accept, even if they didn't embrace it. They thought that their battle had been won, but those who are elated believe that they are on the brink of gaining control again. They remember a time when men and women had fixed roles. They remember an age when men- black and white- fed their families by working blue-collar jobs... and they remember a world that was orderly, settled, heterosexual, and Christian. The world they grew up in was a simpler world, and it stayed that was until 1956... when Elvis appeared on stage and the stores opened on Sundays.
      Change had been unleashed... and a world, which had remained more or less the same for decades, began to heave and convulse. The lines between the acceptable and unacceptable began to blur, as did the lines between the ordinary from the sacred. It began with an unprecedented generation gap and violent protests over the Viet Nam War, but it didn't stop there. There were riots in our cities and our heroes were assassinated. Abortion became legal and then acceptable, affirmative action began to gain attention, and women marched for equality, Nativity scenes were banned from the public arena, politically correct language became the only language we were allowed to speak, and individual rights began to outweigh concern for the whole. All of this was coupled with a stampede to worship at the altars of self and wealth, a growing divide between urban and rural America, and a love affair with international trade.
      The times really were changing... at blinding speed. The "new" was in and the "old" was out, and  those who didn't embrace the "new" weren't heard. They were dinosaurs with outdated ideas, and they were seldom even mentioned in the public dialogue. They weren't driving the bus, but they weren't invited to ride along either. They were predominantly- but by no means entirely- white... and they made their living in blue-collar jobs, or farmer's overalls. Or at least they did at one time, but in recent decades they've lived in the shadows of abandoned factories and closed-up store fronts. They've become angrier and angrier with both political parties, and they developed an "attitude," which was exacerbated every time they saw a "Happy Holidays" sign (instead of Merry Christmas) in the mall or pressed the "English" button at the ATM!
      Over the decades, as people on both coasts were getting drunk on their own wine, a new silent majority began to form. It encompassed the religious crowd that Falwell talked about, but it was broader than that one... because it included many others who felt left out too. Good people throughout the midwest and the rural areas of America begin to feel as if they weren't welcome in the country anymore. If they were mentioned at all by the national media, they were mentioned in a mocking way, and they felt as if they were being ridiculed for embracing the values that had made America great. Some of the values that they embraced were wrong-headed, some of them needed to go, but they became increasingly frustrated when elitists labeled them as hateful bigots, angry white men, and religious fanatics. Neither political party paid any attention to them and the media gave no voice to their fears and frustrations. A huge segment of the country felt as if they had been silenced...until Donald Trump came down his escalator! It was an ugly campaign, with enough ugliness to go around. The media tried to mock and make money off Trump at the same time. They gave him non-stop coverage, but since they themselves were part of the coastal in-crowds, they rooted for his collapse. Toward the end, they were sure that America's new agenda would win out. They seemed certain that the coalition of enlightened people would carry the day and that the disgruntled masses of middle America would have to accept the fact that their time is over. But it did NOT happen. The other side won! The crowd who embraced the way things used to be- blue-collar employment, a Biblical foundation for America, anti-abortion laws, and in some cases, white power and male dominance- carried the electoral vote, revealing an America that is almost entirely red throughout its middle. This result was a shock to those who hadn't seen it coming, and they are upset and afraid. They are crying now...and flailing at the darkness, while country's "other half" believes that they have regained control.
      In time, America will digest all of this and come to rest... but it will take time and many more tears. In the end, those who are championing change will prevail because we can't return to a social order that holds some people down and leaves others out. The new will prevail because the world has already changed and it will never be the same. However, in our rush to move on, we cannot leave others behind- not even if they're conservative white men who have blue-collar jobs and love Jesus. We cannot forget about them because they are part of the whole, and we cannot ignore the values that made us great because they are part of who we are!
   
   

POLITICS AND THANKSGIVING DINNER... DON'T MIX

      In just a few days my family will gather for Thanksgiving, and I'm looking forward to it. We're planning a couple of big meals and we've set aside some time for a presentation of our family's genealogical tree. There are two little boys in our family and we will give them some early Christmas gifts since we won't have the chance to congregate again before Christmas. It may even be warm enough to get in a little golf. We may do any number of things- it's hard to say- but I am praying that we don't have a political debate... because I love them all.
      Every member of our family is strong and kind. They keep their word and care about other people. They're good people who do what they can to make our world a better place... but they don't share the same political views. Some of them think that, as a country, we still have a lot of work to do... if we are to achieve a society in which all people have real access to wealth and power. Other members of our family think that America has gone mad in recent decades and that we've lost the traditional values that made our country great. They feel that America's working class has been abandoned and forgotten, and that we need to reclaim the Biblical foundation that used to undergird our country. Our family represents the millions of people who are politically divided in America at this time, and in advance of our Thanksgiving gathering, I would offer these thoughts:
1. Family and friends are much more important than political positions. The latter can and should be discussed in a civil manner... but loved ones should be loved unconditionally;
2. As a pastor and as a citizen, I will continue to pray for our elected leaders because I believe it is a Biblical mandate. I prayed for George W Bush. I prayed for Barack Obama, and I will pray for Donald Trump;
3. Certain fundamental rights cannot be compromised! Every American has an inalienable right to pursue happiness and an absolute right to freedom, opportunity, and dignity! These things are higher and deeper that political views and they are non-negotiable;
4. The needs of all Americans are legitimate, and this includes the millions of men and women, both black and white, who used to make decent livings with their hands. These are good people who should not be forgotten or dismissed as dinosaurs;
5. Change will win out. It is inevitable... and some people will be left out. However, ways must be found to find real opportunities for those who are caught up in the change... and each of their voices must be heard and respected;
6.  Put finger-pointing and name-calling aside... and do what you can to make America the country that you think it ought to be. If you think it ought to be more prayerful, pray; if you think it ought to be more tolerant, be tolerant; if you think it ought to be more welcoming, welcome others. Practice what you preach and set an example;
7.  America is a land in which people have always been encouraged to worship their God in their own way, or not to worship any God at all. This right must always be protected, but as a country, it is also true that we live and work under God... who has blessed us in many and varied ways. Each of us. All of us. Amen.

THINGS JESUS SAID- BLESSED ARE THOSE...

      Blessed are the poor in spirit, he said, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Heaven, it seems, will not be home to those who are filled with pride. Blessed are the meek, he said, for they will inherit the earth. It looks like the powerful will get their way forever... but in truth, those who love their neighbors and walk humbly with the Lord... will inherit the earth. Blessed are the pure in heart, he said, for they will see God. No one can stop the fleeting thoughts that sometimes cross their minds, but if we feed our soul with good and holy things, and if we busy our hands in work that is worth doing, and associate with people who are compassionate and righteous, our chances of having "sinful" thoughts will go way down. Blessed are the peacemakers, he said, for they will be called the sons (and daughters) of God... because even those who actually care about and wish for peace... are reluctant to take a stand to bring it about.
      Blessed are you when people persecute you for my sake, he said, for you have been faithful and brave enough to let others know that I am your Lord! When we die and our obits are read, pray that no one will be surprised to read that we were Christians! Pray that our faith shines through in what we do and say. YOU are the salt of the earth, he said. YOU are the light of the world, he said. Wow, what an awesome privilege and responsibility this is. I might be the only Christian another person knows in his or her life. As dim as it is, I might present the only reflection of Christ that another person may ever see! Pray that Christians will act like Christians. If your righteousness does not exceed that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, he said, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. If you are obsessed with judgment, rules, and scorekeeping, you will not see heaven because heaven is a place of love, forgiveness, and grace.
      Watch your inner thoughts, he said, for they are the source of all sorts of sin. Murder begins in the heart. So does adultery and theft and more. You have heard it said, he said, that you must love your neighbor and hate your enemies, but I tell you to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, If people got what they deserved in life, we would all be in trouble. Instead of worrying about long, self-serving prayers, simply pray that God will give you your daily bread and forgive your sins, and deliver you from evil. Pray also that God's will will be done on both heaven and earth and that Jesus will come soon. No one can serve both God and money, he said, so put God first and avoid the love of money like the plague! Do not worry about your life, he said, because it doesn't help and it isn't necessary... and don't spend your time judging others! Leave judgment to God because you are too sinful to judge your brother. Be bold in your prayer, he said. Be persistent and believe that God will answer you.
      Anyone who hears my words AND puts them into practice is like the wise man who builds his house on the rock. Then, he finished what we call his Sermon on the Mount, and the crowds were amazed at his teaching. (Matt. 7:28) Let those who have ears, hear.

HE DANCED A JIG FOR THE LORD!

Most of the people I know are afraid to let go.
      They're disciplined, reserved, measured, realistic.
            They try not to cry of laugh too loudly.
            They don't want to make a spectacle of themselves.

So... they sing their songs softly, with mumbled words.
      They demur when they're complimented,
            they hold their tongue when they're insulted... and
            when their team scores, they simply set on their hands.

Most of the people I know are afraid to dance boldly,
      lest they do it wrong or make a fool of themselves.
            Even in moments of great joy,
            they control themselves... but NOT David. (see 2 Samuel 8)

David was a man of passion who let it all hang out.
      Sometimes, he cried out to God with bitter complaints.
            Sometimes, he wrote songs of praise... and
            on at least one occasion, he danced a jog for his Lord.

It occurred when he was bringing the Ark home to Jerusalem.
      The people were with him- with their cymbals, horns and sistrums.
            They danced all the way because it was a sacred day of great joy!
             But no one danced with more abandon than their great King.

David danced with all of his might, wearing little more than an apron.
      He danced like a fool... for God, and only for God.
            He danced like a fool and gave everyone in the crowd...
            a loaf of bread and a couple of cakes to take to their homes.

He danced as if no one was watching...
      but his wife, Michal, was watching intently, and she was disgusted.
            She told him so when he finally came through the door.
            She told him that he had been vulgar and most un-king-like.

She told him that he had made a fool of himself,
      but he didn't care what she or anyone else thought.
            He said that he danced and sang only for God... and
            that, given the chance, he would act like a bigger fool the next time.

When you get saved, when you're filled with the Holy Spirit.
      when you're bringing the ark home, or a lost sinner home, or
            simply becoming aware of what it means to be saved,
            the only thing you can do is to hold your sides and laugh, or dance the jig!

What do you think?
      Should David have danced with such abandon?
      If you had been there, would you have sided with David or with Michal?
      Can people who know themselves to be saved... keep from smiling!


       

40 YEARS OF SOBRIETY

      On October 04, 1976, I had my last drink. I surrendered my self-will to God... and began a life more devoted to service than self. On October 04, 1976, an emptiness came over me- an emptiness that I had never known- an emptiness so powerful that it drove me to my knees.
      I was sitting by myself in a restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska... when it suddenly occurred to me that I was desperately lost and in the process of dying. So, I sat my beer down and drove home, telling myself that whatever alcoholism treatment was, it had to be better than the life I was living. I didn't know what the future would bring, but I was sick and tired of forgetting where my car was and of passing out on my own front lawn. I was sick of tired of looking at my troubled, frightened, and lying face in the mirror, and I had become totally confused about what was real and what was false in my life. Deep down, I knew that I was a "good" person, but I wasn't doing much good. In my heart, I was sure that I could make a contribution to the world, but every night, I watered my own whiskey bottle down so that I myself would forget how much I had to drink. I had become vain and fearful and I told lies when the truth would have served me better. In the early days, I could hold my liquor. I could drink all night, but in the latter days, I was often drunk before the party started. And I wasn't a pretty drunk either. Whenever I drank, I slurred my words, My clothes became disheveled and too big, and I talked too much. Often, I would offend someone by being too friendly or too antagonistic, and most importantly, I had lost any sense of who I was and where I was going. In AA circles, they say that, "a man takes a drink, the drinks takes a drink, and then the drink takes the man," and I can only add "amen,: What was once my servant had become my master, and I was done. I had hit bottom, and I was 30 years of age. Let those who have ears, hear!
      I was in treatment for 30 days, and while they were still concerned about my inability to express even the simplest of feelings and my refusal to talk about my past, they let me out... and my journey began. I attended AA meetings. I made amends wherever possible, and I turned my life over to the care of God, whom I had come to believe... could and would free me from the demons that were trying to kill me. I adhered to the 12 Steps of AA because I knew that, under my own direction, my life had become an absolute disaster. I wanted to be the father and husband that my wife and kids deserved, and I wanted to love the man I saw in the mirror- so I stayed active and did what I was told to do. I stayed away from temptations and sought to grow in my faith that Jesus Christ was my Lord and Savior. Yes, when I was in the treatment center, the Rev. Luther Ratmeyer called on me because he and my wife, Sherry, had been praying for me for some time. He asked me if I was ready to let go and trust in Christ, and I said "yes." He led me in the "Sinner's Prayer," and invited me to get involved in a Christian community when I left the center. He prayed for me, and he prayed with me, that day and for years thereafter, He was instrumental in my decision to enter seminary, and he listened to me when I struggled, which I did... because spiritual growth isn't magical. Surrender isn't easy and the devil (like alcohol) is cunning, baffling, powerful, and patient. I had many setbacks, some of them of consequence... but I never considered drinking again... and I never quit believing in the transforming love of Christ Jesus. Whether the walk was downhill or uphill; whether the sun was shining or it was storming like hell, I kept my feet moving because I never felt that Christ had forsaken me. He never has abandoned me, of course, and I've kept my feet moving for 14, 600 days now... and yes they have been taken one day at a time.
      As a serious Bible student, I know that 40 is a powerful Biblical number. Noah rode the waters of flood for 40 days, the people of God ate manna for 40 days, Jonah preached to Nineveh for 40 days, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days, and he appeared to his disciples and others for 40 days after his resurrection, Moses led Israel through the desert for 40 years, and many of the judges- Othniel, Deborah, Gideon- judged Israel for 40 years! We say that "life begins at 40," and according to an Arabic saying, to understand a people, you have to live among them for 40 days. I could go on, but the point is clear- 40 is an important number, and to me, it is a holy and sacred number. Thus, I am filled with joy on this, my 40th AA birthday! I am grateful to Jesus Christ, who came to me when I needed him most; to my wife, Sherry, who has been at my side for nearly 50 years; to Pastor Lu (oh, how I wish that I had been the pastor that he was), and to all of those who knew my story and loved me anyway! I don't know how many steps I have left to take... but I pray that each one of them will be taken soberly... in service to my great God. Amen!

EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF FORGIVING SOMEONE

      There are people who have unintentionally hurt you... and they need to be forgiven. Forgive them now. Those who have deliberately hurt you need to be forgiven too, even if they might burt you again. Forgive them so that your own spirit will be free... and do it soon.
      Let today be the day when you begin to forgive. Let today be the day when you discover the joy of letting go. Forgive those who forgot your Birthday and broke the confidence you invested in them. Forgive those who never really listen to the important things you have to share with them. Forgive those who never seem to notice the tears that well up in your eyes. Forgive those who don't laugh at your jokes and who make jokes at your expense. Forgive those who have misled and deceived you. Forgive those who have taken advantage of you and who have betrayed you. Forgive them today and experience the joy of being "lighter" that you were.
      In fact, make a point to forgive. Take an inventory of those who have wronged and hurt you. Make a list of the people who make it difficult for you to be your best self. Identify those who have caused you your greatest pain and forgive them... so that you can experience your greatest joy.
      Forgive, forgive and forgive again. Forgive seven times. Forgive 70 times 7. Forgive as a way of life. Forgive until you, yourself, feel foolish about it... and then forgive some more. Forgive those who secretly work, or even cry out, for your crucifixion. Forgive those who mock you and threaten you. Forgive those who stone you... and you will be very, very close to your God! Amen.

ARE YOU CHAINED AND POSSESSED?

      For some time now, I've been interested in the Bible's great questions. I celebrate them, I am challenged by them, sometimes and I struggle with them. Questions like, "Am I my brother's keeper," "What must I do to inherit eternal life," "Why do you seek the living among the dead," "Who do you say that I am," and "Jesus, what do you have to do with me," which is the subject of our passage today.
      "Jesus, what do you want with me? What are you doing here?" These are the questions that our pride, fear, and demons ask... and I'd like to focus on them today... by referring to Jesus' encounter with the Gerasene demoniac . They had just gotten out of their boat, when a naked and troubled man rushed up to them. He was "out of his mind," "beside himself," "possessed," to the point where he was no longer fit to live in community. He wasn't fit to hold a job, sit around the family table, or act in a civil manner toward others. He wasn't welcome at church, or at town hall meetings, or anywhere else because he had lost control of himself. His family and neighbors couldn't control him, so they chained him to the tombs in a graveyard, but even then, he broke free and ran wild among the hills, crying out in disturbing and frightening ways. No power on earth could break the grip that something evil had on him! He needed to meet Jesus of Nazareth, and that's exactly what Mark 5:1-20 is all about. I'm sure you know it. When Jesus met the man possessed, the demons within him cried out, "Jesus, Son of God, what have you to do with us?" They took His power very seriously, and it turned out that they were right to take it seriously... because he drove them into a sizable herd of swine, who then rushed into the lake and drowned... which left 1) a serene man who was now in his right mind, fully clothed, and demon-free, 2) a legion of demons who were no more, and 3) an angry group of pig owners who had lost their money. Indeed, they were so angry that they told Jesus to get out. If allowing Jesus to have his way meant that they would lose their pigs, he had to go... which he did because He doesn't stay where he is not welcome... and the man who was freed asked if he could follow Jesus... because he knew that he was indebted to his Savior. Jesus could have said, "Yes." He often called men to follow him, but instead, he told the man to go home- and experience the joy of being in community, while he told others what God had done for him."
      Good for Jesus. Good for the demoniac. Shame of the town folk who put their property first. We could talk about the Greek involved in this passage, or explain where the Gadarenes lived...BUT the better question is: what is God saying to us? Are we in the hands of a demon? Are we out of our minds? Beside ourselves? Have we made a deal with the devil? Are we in over our head? Are we chained to money, addiction, sin, guilt? Is Jesus inviting us to let him drive our demons out? Can we hear Jesus calling us to come and worship him so that he can set us free? Is there a voice within you that keeps crying, "Jesus, O Son of the Most High God, what do you want with me?" I'd like to be free... but not at any cost- not if it means changing my values...or losing my pigs! I'd like a helping hand, Lord, but I don't need to be saved, and I certainly don't want a Master. Martin Luther was fond of saying, "I'm a beggar- that's for sure." and we know that the demoniac was a beggar too. But what about us? Do we see that we're beggars too?
      Friends, the real Jesus IS DISRUPTIVE because that's what salvation requires! So, the question is not what the swine owners thought- but what we think. Would we welcome a Jesus who drove our income into the river as he saved just one among us? Are we concerned because Jesus is challenging us to give up our sins... or because he isn't? Is your Jesus small or huge? Does he somehow agree with everything you believe, say, and do... or does he challenge you to ask WWHD! The real Jesus can be very disruptive because he insists on reshaping us. As a dashboard figure, Jesus is delightfully harmless and non-invasive, and I love the picture of a laughing Jesus but our God is not small and we cannot reframe Jesus as an easy-going buddy who understands that we put ourselves first. It's tempting to believe that Jesus is just a good-hearted poet... but this is NOT the real Jesus! This is NOT the Jesus of the Bible! This is NOT the Jesus who hung on Calvary's cross. The real Jesus intrudes in our lives, expects us to forgive more and sin less, stalks us with his presence, and fills our hearts with a nagging sense of right and wrong.
      Mainline Christians have a hard time seeing themselves chained to tombstones, or being "possessed by demons." I know that, but I also know that people ARE chained, possessed, and in the hands of forces they cannot control. I know that people look for love in all the wrong places and that many have given their hearts to the lesser gods of this world. I know that many people worship themselves in a loud voice because it's easier than worshiping God. I know that many good people won't raise their hand and say, "Here I am," because they're afraid it will cost them too much. I know that the hell we know may be more comforting than a heaven we can't imagine... but listen- this Jesus who challenges and even torments us... is the Lord of lords... and he can set you free in an instant!  
      Friends, the real Jesus is a liberator- so come out from behind your desks, your hymnals, your excuses, your gated communities, and your comfort zones. Deep within you, some voice will surely holler out, "Jesus of Nazareth, what do you want with me?" Part of you may feel that way, but the heart of you longs to be free- so take a leap of faith... and discover what He really wants to do with you! It may be nothing more than going back home; it may involve greater service or greater giving; it may involve joining, singing, teaching, tending property, or simply showing up; it may involve telling others how he set you free. He may send you to a distant mission field, or to seminary. I don't know... but I do know that you will receive a full and purposeful life in Christ... and that you will never be chained to anything else again! Amen.

10 THINGS THAT CHRISTIANS MUST DO

      In the 5th chapter of Matthew, Jesus called his disciples aside... and begin to teach them about God's kingdom. Life is different in the kingdom of God, he said. Values are different. Attitudes are different, and things are measured in different ways. In the kingdom, he said, those who are last actually win and those who turn the other cheek are honored. In the kingdom of God, he said, those who mourn will be blessed and those who seek God will be blessed.
      He went on to announce other blessings in what is now known as the "beatitudes," but his sermon on the mount went on for three full chapters! It was a long sermon, and in addition to that, Jesus talked about "kingdom living" throughout his ministry... because we are called to live as his people right here on earth. There are many ways in which the kingdom of God differs from the broken world we know,,, but based on his sermon and other things he said, it seems to me that these are some of the things that we are called to do as his community on earth:
1.
We must walk humbly with God... because people who are "full of themselves" or "drunk on their own wine" will not see the kingdom of God;
2.
We must see that we cannot see because there are none as blind as those who cannot see that they are blind. Without God's grace, we are destined to see the world through eyes of self and sin. Without Christ, our vision of who we and our neighbors are... is dim and distorted;
3.
We must mourn for a broken world. We must take time to pray for our broken world... and for the strength to repair our little corner of it. The world is filled with people who are troubled, lost, and empty and with those who are oppressed and abused; and for the strength to do what we can to repair and heal our little corner of it. Everyday, people die in needless ways... and the wounded-ness that comes from all of this sin and death... cries for someone to hear, care, and get involved;
4.
We must seek our God-given vocation. In the theological world, we call it a "calling," but you don't have to be a minister to have a calling. On the contrary, God has equipped each one of us with talents and spiritual gifts... and he has also given us the opportunity to use them for his kingdom here on earth. It may take courage, it may take patience, it may even take preparatory action... but God has a unique work for each one of us;
5.
We must choose faith. We must take a leap of faith because we cannot reason our way to God Reason is not the enemy of faith. God has blessed us with great knowledge and with the ability to solve many problems, but we are not God and we cannot reach God with our own efforts. Indeed, faith goes on where reason falters... and we must choose to believe in things that we cannot explain. After all, the greatest things in life are inexplicable and unmeasurable;
6.
We must be radically inclusive and reach out with utter abandon because there is NO male or female, no young or old, no black or white, no rich or poor, no abled or disabled, no straight or gay ... in Christ. Judgmental and disqualifying barriers are inherently unfaithful;
7.
We must be the salt of the earth and the light of the world because we are the body of Christ on earth. It is our job-our purpose- to give life in all the ways that the world needs life. It is our job to preserve the world... and to flavor it with joy and hope. In Christ, we are the light of the world because there is no other real light!
8.
We must love our neighbors as ourselves... and make forgiving a way of life. As Christians, we must forgive again and again and again... We must forgive until people make fun of us and we feel a little silly about it ourselves ... because God's forgiveness knows no bounds. We must throw our judgments and our scorecards away and immerse ourselves in God's grace alone;
9.
We must trust God and live in the moment alone, letting others carry the burdens of the past and the worries of tomorrow, if they must. We dance with today because today is all that we ever have ... and therefore, we seek God today, we make a decision for Christ today, and we begin to live like a Christian TODAY;
10
Stay the course, Jesus noted. Don't give up. Keep on asking. Keep on praying. Keep on working... to see Christ in others and to "be Christ" to all, especially to the least among us.
   
Everyone who hears my words and acts on them WILL receive the kingdom of heaven! THIS IS WHAT HE PROCLAIMED. LET THOSE WHO HAVE EARS... HEAR. AMEN. 

IS THERE ROOM IN HIS KINGDOM FOR YOU?

       In what was often "refined" Greek, Luke wrote the gospel that bears his name and the book of Acts ... to set the record straight, as he told Theophilus (which means friend of God). He didn't pretend to be the first to write about Jesus, but he wanted to organize the stories that were circulating, and he wanted to tell us... that Jesus has 1) a big heart, 2) a wide circle of grace, and 3) a bias toward the poor, the disadvantaged, the disenfranchised, and the lost. A central theme in Luke’s gospel is that Jesus came to seek and save the lost, which is good news for us because we’re all lost at times. We get lost- some of us from time to time, some of us most of the time, but we get lost! We get lost in our pride, in our addictions, and in our sins. We forget who we are, whose we are, and we lose sight of our north star. One of Jesus’ central missions was to seek and save the lost, and it fills my heart with joy to know that heaven stands and applauds when a single sinner staggers home.

     Luke wants those of us who are lost to know that Jesus is knocking at our door, but he also wants us to know how much Jesus valued women in a patriarchal world. Luke traces Jesus’ lineage through Mary’s family, and in Luke, Mary sings her Magnificant, in which she praises her son and prophesies that he will tear the powerful off of their thrones and bless the poor. Luke alone tells us about Mary and Martha, and how Mary was not only allowed to sit at Christ’s feet, but praised for doing it! If you’re lost, left out, forgotten, oppressed, or undervalued, Luke wants you to know that Jesus is on your side.

      Mark is about discipleship. Matthew about righteousness. But Luke is about justice and social ministry... to those who are alone, silenced, imprisoned, or oppressed in a hundred different ways. Luke wrote a book about compassion and justice, and he believed that Christ has a bias for those who are the poor, broken, and vulnerable, and he showed us what he meant in three stories that he alone told us. Here's the first. Jesus was walking by the village of Nain, when he encountered a funeral procession... for a widow who had lost her only son. It was a walk of sadness- a walk of emptiness-a walk that I've taken over a hundred times- for my dad, mom, two brothers, and a hundred friends.  It's a walk that many of you have taken too, and this one was worse because the woman had lost her only son- who was her ONLY source of support. I've never lost a child, but there may be no deeper pain on this earth. We all experience pain and die any number of little death, but Jesus comes to us in the midst of our pain. 
      When Jesus saw the widow of Nain, Luke tells us that "his heart went out to her," and he said, "don't cry." “Don’t cry. Don’t cry.” Friends, we have a God whose heart breaks when our hearts break, and who walks with us when we walk from the hearse to the grave! Luke is also the only one to tell us about the Loving Father whose prodigal son wasted his inheritance on wine, women and song. It's bad enough that he took his father's money and ran, but to make matters worse, his father threw a party for him when he finally stumbled home. Yes, he threw a party, and when his oldest son, who had stayed home and carried the load, found out about the party, he refused to enter the house. It didn't seem fair to him, even when his father said that grace demanded a party. 
      Friends, our God is a God of radical grace, and for me, this is very good news. You may want God to give you what you deserve, but as one who has been prodigal myself, I'm glad that grace abounds and that you don't have to be good to be loved by God. Finally, I cite the parable of the Good Samaritan because it is also a story that only Luke tells. To illustrate the essence of goodness, Jesus told about a man who was lying along the road, badly beaten or dead, and as he lies there, three men of the church walk by- without doing anything to help! They're afraid, disinterested, who knows- but they were neither neighbor nor Christ to the man… but a hated, no account Samaritan was! O friends, for people who embraced boundaries of status, gender, race, education, wealth, age, and ethnicity, Jesus story was radical indeed. It's another story of radical grace- another story of Christ's huge circle of love-another story that challenges the self-righteous and tickles the sinners, and that’s why Luke included it. 
      Luke believed that God’s circle of grace is big enough to include women, shepherds, misfits, malcontents, ne'er do wells, Samaritans, and sinners like me. If you believe that our God has a huge heart and endless compassion, Luke is for you! If you believe that women, minorities, and disabled people have great status in God's eyes... and that the lost, the broken, the vulnerable, and the forgotten may even have a little more, Luke is for you. If you believe that God forgives people that we won't and that his grace is so great that it doesn't seem fair, Luke is for you! Amen!

I WILL NEVER SEE TOMORROW

      Let me confess it- I am not very good at "being in the present." In fact, I'm not very good at any sort of quiet time because my mind wanders. I mean to do better than I do, but invariably, I find myself thinking about family, world events, and/or the Cubs. Some people have suggested that I drink too much caffeine; others have labeled me ADHD. Some people suggest that it's because I am Type A, or ENFJ, or just because I am not trying hard enough.
      It could be any or all of these of course, but I've always found it difficult to be in the moment. I've always struggled with a past I cannot change, and there are times when I let this "dead time" affect my present life. Carrying the past on my back has been an issue in my life, but there have also been times when I've squandered opportunities by putting them off until tomorrow.  Living in the past has been a bigger problem for me than living in the future, but I'm not a stranger to either temptation, which is why I continue to work on being "in the now."
      Every day, I walk our poodle around a wonderful little pond near our home. We walk through a path that is flanked by cornfields on the west and natural grasses on the east. and when I really try... to let go of my labels and my projections...  I'm able to clear my mind of all thoughts. Yes, it is possible- even for me- to let go of my regrets, my worries, and my thoughts... and just allow myself "to be." I'm not good at much that is "inner" or "mystic," but when I clear my mind on these walks... I am able to hear the songs that the birds sing and to identify with the wind as it blows through the trees and the aforementioned natural grasses. The ducks scurry and quack as we startle them, birds scold us for walking through their sacred space, and our little piece of creation seems to celebrate its life! All of this fills my spirit and I feel at one with my God and his creation.
      It is a wonderful thing... but it ends in time and sometimes during the walk itself. My mind wanders to things that have bothered me in the past or to events that threaten my future. I come back to earth, which is fine because I have work to do! However, I will continue to seek freedom from thoughts that would imprison me, whether they emanate from past regrets or future worries... because Christ has urged me to leave my sins at the foot of his cross and to trust in him entirely for the future.  Spiritual discipline is a good and empowering thing and simply being "present" to God's creation is powerful for me. At the very least. it reminds me that today is the only day I will ever have! Indeed, I will never re-live a single day of my past, and what is more- I will never live to see a single tomorrow! Amen.  

A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO HATRED AND VIOLENCE

 
        Many years ago, the agnostic Albert Camus, noted that the world would be a better place "if Christians would just be Christians," and while his context was much different than ours, I think the fact remains... that many of our problems would be alleviated if Christians acted like Christians.
      In Christ, the Bible says, there is no slave or free, no black or white, no male or female... because barriers of skin color, wealth, and party affiliation are swept away by love. It was Christ who noted that all sorts of sin and troubling behaviors originate on the inside of a person. Racism, sexism, discrimination, betrayal, adultery, murder- and all the rest... are born within a person's mind and heart. They're nurtured in thoughts and inflamed by bias and resentment until they break someone's heart or take someone's life. This is the way of life and it may continue to be a way of life for people who are not Christian because they march to a different drummer. They may be driven to win; they may be obsessed with money or power; they may feel superior to others. Who knows what their north star is, but as Christians, our anchor is Christ Jesus and our goal every day is to live our lives as he lived his. Thus, instead of holding grudges, we forgive again and again and again, to the point where the world laughs at us, and instead of measuring success through the lens of materialism, we measure it though the lens of faithfulness. Whether others agree or not, we celebrate meekness and humility, and even though we could move faster alone, we carry our crosses and stop to pick others up along the way. Because we're Christians, we pray every day and take inventory throughout the day- how am I doing Lord? Where have I pleased you? How have I disappointed you?
      Friends, at the risk of sounding naive or simple-minded, I really believe that the world would be a more loving place if Christians acted like Christians... because conflict and hatred begin in the heart. This brings me to the tragic shootings that have stunned us all- the one in St Paul, the one in Baton Rouge, and the ones in Dallas... because fear and anger start within a person and because violence begs for a Christian response. There are other voices, no doubt, and we will hear them again and again as the "talking heads" fill our cable shows... but today, I want to lift up a distinctly Christian response. In Jesus' day, there were ongoing debates about social issues like divorce and all sorts of responses to Roman rule, but Jesus' response was transforming and spiritual...and our response must be anchored in Christ, who taught us to love God with every fiber of our being, to love one another as a witness to the world, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
      Others will say and do what they want to say in do, but our response must be in Christ. It must be anchored in his ministry and in the word of God that he adored, beginning with the Old Testament command to "love our neighbors as our ourselves." (Lev. 19:18), and continuing in Paul's words, "Be indebted to no one, except to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law of God (Rom. 13:9), and finally, to James (2:8), If you really keep the royal law of Scripture and love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well." Friends, I'm concerned about the hatred and divisiveness that is killing us and I know that there are a host of solutions... but for people of faith,
the answer to hated and violence is a matter of our own faithfulness. We can't control others, but we can anchor our own thoughts and prayers in Scripture... and we can embrace the great promise that, in Christ, we will be dead to sin and new creations, who are capable of being fully human and faithful to our high calling.
      Christians must have a distinct response to these recent killings, and this response must transcend politics and our own prejudices. If we are in Christ, we will see the world through his eyes... and there will be no black or white, nor anyone who cannot be forgiven... or treated with anything other than the greatest respect. If we are trusting in God, we will gladly choose to see the Image of God in all people, and if we see the image of God in someone, our chances of loving, trusting, forgiving, and understanding that person will be much higher! It is not a matter of being a saint- it's just a matter of seeing that our neighbor is not the one who lives nearest to us... but the one whom we have the privilege of noticing and lifting up. When Jesus asked his questioner whom he thought the neighbor was in his story of the Good Samaritan, the ruler replied, "the one who acted like a neighbor," even if that person is a Samaritan... because the law of love neither knows nor honor the boundaries and barriers that keep us apart.
      We can't solve the world's problems, but we can practice the law of love and thereby fulfill the law of Christ, Let this be God's word to us in this hour.

THINGS HE SAID- "REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS"

      I've always been challenged by the words Jesus said- the red letters in the Bible- because they express the truths that he held in his heart. There is much more to the good news of Jesus Christ, no doubt. We could discuss the context in which he lived... and his words can never be separated from his acts. Indeed, it was his acts that gave authority to his words, but for now, we will consider the red letters in the Bible.... beginning with Mark 1:15.
      Most scholars believe that Mark was the first Gospel written, and if this is true, the first thing that Jesus said in the Bible is; "The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" In the Greek world of Jesus' day, there was Chronos time, as in ordinary time, and there was Karios time, as in sacred time. There is the ordinary passage of time... and then there is the time when we fell in love, or bought our first house, or got our first promotion. There are ordinary days... and there are sacred days... when our children were born. Transplant patients and AA members celebrate new "birthdays," on which their lives began again. Christians talk about being "born again," and many of them remember the day on which they opened their heart to Jesus Christ. We have Independence Day and Memorial Day. There is Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and even the Sabbath (which was always meant to be kairos time).
      From the closing of Malachi to the beginning of Mark, nothing seemed to change. Countries rose and fell, people were born and died, rulers came and went, but life remained the same. For centuries, most people on earth worshiped a variety of different gods... and the people, Israel, tried to please the one true God, whom they believed had chosen them for service. They tried to keep the faith, but believing became increasingly difficult as the years passed without a blessing or a sign from God... and to make matters worse, they believed that it was their own fault that they were not being blessed. Skeptics doubted if God would ever act, and believers believed that their own sin kept God from acting. So, each Chronos day passed like the one before it- without hope or promise,
      But then, suddenly, John the Baptist, began to preach a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. God was coming and coming soon, he said. Come to the river, he said, and undergo a baptism in which you will die to your old nature, and experience a new birth, based on trust. God is at hand, the Baptist said. Your time has come, he cried. Come to the river now, he pleaded, because this moment may never come again. If you seize the moment, today will be the day of your salvation... but you must seize the moment. No one has ever been saved in the future. Now is the only time you have. So, drop what you're doing. Let nothing stand in your way... and come to the river! Let your old nature go. Let it die... and experience a new birth in God's grace.
      John, according to the Jewish historian, Josephus, drew massive crowds. They were big enough to concern Herod and other powerful people, Besides, John often criticized Herod and condemned his life style, which cost John his freedom and then his life. But since John was called to point the way to Jesus, it was fitting that, when he was imprisoned, Jesus uttered his first recorded words, The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" Friends, this is the truth of it- in Christ Jesus, the kingdom of God has come near! He's knocking at the door of our hearts...now. He's speaking to us in a thousand different ways... every day. He show's his face... in our soup lines, business offices, alleyways, and our next door neighbors. He speaks to us in our worries, our dreams, and through our tears. He is inviting us- inviting you- to lay down our burdens and to yoke ourselves to him because his yoke is easy. 
      It's a story that you can read about in Mark 1, but it's also a life-changing truth that you can experience NOW. Yes, these ancient words are living today... and Jesus is speaking to me and to YOU! Repent, he says. Give up your old ways. Turn your back on your sins and your self-will.. Let them go,,, and trust in the Good News... that whosever believes in Jesus Christ will never, ever die!

DAD

      I remember my dad's bar, downstairs in our recreation room, where we would throw parties and other get-togethers. His bar was made of glass... which reflected different colors when its lights were on... and it was equipped with bar stools, beer signs, and a good selection of wine and spirits.
      For years, I had trouble recalling the good times we had at home because my spirit was burdened with painful memories... but today, on this Father's Day eve, I choose to remember some of the good things about my dad. I remember the square dance classes that he hosted in the recreation room, as Dean Cole called the steps for the Grimes Iowa Square Dance Club. It made me feel good to see mom and dad having fun, and even though I was forced to dance with Becky Winters, I enjoyed those times. I also enjoyed the parties that my brothers and I had in the same room... and just having friends over to hang out. Dad was an extremely hard-working man- driven to be a success- and (like me) he spent too much time away from home. I used to dwell on this, but now I recall some of the good times we had when he was home. I can still see him shaking his skillet as he made popcorn for us when we were gathered to watch TV, and I can still see him carving our turkey as we shared our traditional Thanksgiving dinner with the Grundons. He loved to cookout, and he did so frequently- at first for me and my brothers and perhaps a friend or two- and then for my brothers and me, and our wives, and our children. He was the undisputed BBQ king in the family- a title that my brother, Larry, claimed when he died- and he loved to have family and friends over for his feasts.
      Dad was tough and he often had a stern demeanor. He grew up poor during the Great Depression and he experienced the horrors of WW2. For him, life had always had its hurdles... but he loved to laugh... and I recall him laughing as he joked with friends... and as he watched Red Skelton on TV.  He loved Skelton and Gleason, and he always showed a quick wit himself. He was an uneducated man who worked furiously to pass his exams to become a Army pilot, and he showed the same iron will... when he forged a career in manufacturing. In the end, he was Executive Vice President and part owner of the crane company for which he worked. Dad was a hunter, but I was a bowler and a baseball player. Our recreational interests didn't coincide... but I recall the day when dad asked me to play catch in our backyard in Des Moines. It took courage for him to do that because it made him vulnerable. At one point during our game of catch, he said, "I'm not very good at these sort of things," and truth be known, he wasn't. But I was having the time of my life! Later in our life together, when I was in the midst of my own business career, I joined dad for drinks at the Rolling Pin Inn outside of Ankeny... and I can still remember him telling the men with us about my work and achievements. His words of affirmation made me feel good and I wish I could hear them today. I wish my dad and I would've had more conversations, and I wish he would've lived to see my "career" as a minister. I wish he would've lived to be 90... and seen the things that occurred in my own and my brothers' lives- the good and the bad. I wish I would've seen him one last time and I wish I would've told him that I loved him... although neither of us was prone to say such things.
      Dad was tough and he could even be intimidating. But in many ways, he was a gentle man who was caught up in emotions and experiences that he could not control. I know a little about such things myself... and today, I clinging to my memory of a glass bar...which was surrounded by a Schlitz beer sign and a picture of Custer's Last Stand. The picture, like the black panther that sat on our TV set, was common in those days, but he had placed a little sign next to the picture. The sign seemed out of place among dad's collection of guns, whiskey, and homemade beers... but I pondered its words many times... as I spent time downstairs alone. The words on the sign were simple: Small minds talk about people; average minds talk about events; great minds talk about ideas... and they have stayed with me for more than 50 years. Small minds talk about people; average minds talk about events; great minds talk about ideas. Dad wouldn't have put the sign up on his wall unless it spoke to him, but I've never known whether he was referring to the fact that he never gossiped (which he didn't)... or whether he was trying to tell the rest of us that we shouldn't.
      When we gathered at his funeral, one of his friends told me twice that dad was a "hell of a man." At the time, I wasn't ready to hear it and... even now, I would use different words to say what dad's friend said. I wouldn't say that he was a "hell of a man," but I would say that I loved him ... and that I miss him. Very much.

IT'S GREAT TO BE 70!

      Well, I am 70 now... and it seems somehow impossible. It seems as if... it was just yesterday when I started my first job with Hinky Dinky (yes, Hinky Dinky)... but in fact, it was 54 years ago. It seems like yesterday when I interviewed for my first corporate job... and I can still recall the awkward moment that occurred when I told the interviewer that it was my goal to make the world a better place. He had asked me why I wanted to join the personnel staff at Hinky Dinky,,, and I think he expected an answer that was more concrete and more worldly.
      Sherry and I tried to build a life in Omaha, but alcohol (which raises its ugly head from time to time in our family) drug me down. So... I entered a treatment center in the fall of 1976 and began a spiritual journey... which was anchored in Jesus Christ, whom I accepted as my Lord and Savior. There have been many ups and downs along the way, and there have been many times when I have disappointed the One who gave me new life... but I was definitely reborn in the fall of '76! Dad died in 1977, before I had the chance to show him the "new me," but to one extent or another, I was able to deepen my relationships with my faithful wife, my two beautiful daughters, and my two wonderful brothers- whom I enjoyed immensely. It seems like yesterday when Randy and I had a marathon tennis match on a July 4th weekend at his home in Indiana... and I can clearly remember the day when I gave Larry "Big Blue," which was one of the first oversized drivers on the market.
      After I became a Christian, I heard a call to the ministry, and in the fall of 1989, I entered seminary. It seems like yesterday when Charles Cunningham showed Sherry and me around Hyde Park... but in truth, it has been 27 years! Leaving the business world for the church... was a terrible financial decision... but it was an awesome blessing for me and my family! It was a new beginning and it gave me a full and purposeful life. As a pastor, I was blessed to preach and teach God's word, and I was honored to stand with others in their most intimate and critical times. Even now, I sometimes shake my head when I consider the unmerited blessings I have known! Ir's been great and this last weekend, I celebrated my 70th Birthday with my daughter and her family in Croton-on-Hudson. We hiked, we attended Archer's Little League games, we played miniature golf, and we took our swings at the batting cage- me, my son-in-law, and my 7 year-old grandson.  My friend, Nick, called from Michigan and sang Happy Birthday to me... and family members who could not be with us in person, including my wife (who is struggling with cancer) called in- Kelli, Brooke, Justin, Brittany, Donald, and Steve! I love them all, and I love all of those who sent Birthday wishes! Thanks so very much!
      On Sunday, we went to Yankee Stadium! It was my first time, and as we were sitting in our seats- maybe it was the 4th inning- the huge screen in centerfield flashed, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPPY. WE LOVE YOU." in giant print... and the announcer proclaimed it- as if it was a big deal. I was delighted and surprised, and I think Kendra, Shawn, and Archer were delighted that they had surprised me! Bur an inning later, they flashed Birthday wishes again- this time without the announcer's voice- and the message said, "Happy Birthday, Kenn Shedenhelm!" Evidently, my granddaughter had lobbied for "Poppy," and my grandson had lobbied for "Kenn Shedenhelm" because "not everyone knows who Poppy is." They were all in on the blessing, and I am extremely grateful. A bit of me wishes that I wasn't 70 quite yet, much of me wishes that my dad and brothers had lived to see 70, and most of me is delighted to be 70. I haven't done all that I dreamed of doing in life, and I certainly didn't become the man I wanted to be... but I've been given people to love and their our many people who love me. I've been blessed with people (like my wife) who helped me when I fell, and I've been blessed with people who cheered when I got back on my feet. On the Eve of my 70th Birthday I injured my eye putting on a batting helmet... so that I could join my 7 year-old grandson in a batting cage... and it doesn't get any better than that.
      Oh friends, love those you love with all your heart; let them love you in whatever ways they can... and praise God in all you do and say... for God is good! Amen.

THE DIFFERENCE FAITH MAKES WHEN WE ARE DYING

      Today, as I think about the difficult year that Sherry and I may have before us, I am clinging to my faith because I've seen the difference that faith makes... when people face life's storms and death itself. Over the past 25 years, I've been blessed to share intimate (sacred) moments with men and women who were nearing death... and I've seen their faith conquer their fears. I've seen them- these ordinary people- die with praise on their lips because they believe that they will never die. They were not Bible experts. They did not give all of their possessions to the poor. They did not seek sainthood, but they died with a "smile on their hearts" because they believed... that Christ was quite serious when he said that those who believe in him will never die.
      They died as people of faith... and their faith spoke volumes to me. I remember Wilbur Miner, whose last words to me were... "I will see you again." He wasn't speaking in platitudes or attempting to be dramatic. He meant it. He had always believed it, and his one-sentence sermon was very powerful to me- I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN. I also remember Dick Fogler, who came down with a rare and incurable lung disease. It was frustrating to watch Dick go from Dr. to Dr. in an attempt to get a diagnosis and it was distressing to watch him get gradually weaker. But when I voiced by feelings, Dick said, "Oh Ken, there have been many, many men, much better than me, who have walked down this path. Don't worry about me." It was another powerful sermon because Dick was right- serenity comes to us when we accept the things we cannot change. God is sovereign and real faith is not found in making deals with God... but rather in knowing that, in His hands, everything will be alright... even if it frightens us or seems unfair.
      When Coy Bullard was dying I visited him in the hospital. He was conversant and pain-free, but he quit eating and drinking water... because he had elected to die. We talked for a long time, and he said that several people had urged him to build up his strength so that he could fight the good fight. They mean well, he noted, and I've enjoyed nearly every moment of my life. But I have a much better life that lies ahead of me. "Pastor," he said, "When I close my eyes, I see Jesus very clearly. He's as plain as day, as if he is just right over there. I see him and he's inviting me to come to him. And I want to go. I want to sit with Jesus and just hang out, and I want to see my dear Mary, who was the greatest love I ever knew. They want me to linger here, as the doctors poke me and connect their tubes... but I want to go home." "Pastor," he concluded, "I am very excited because I am just about to meet my Lord- the one who gave me Mary and so many good things in life." Who could've known... that this gentle and mild-mannered man would've given such a powerful sermon? He believed to his core, and with eyes of faith, he saw heaven itself! Indeed, he saw his Lord motioning to him... and with the simple faith and unabashed joy of a child, he could hardly wait to run to him!
      Coy Bullard had no fear of death whatsoever. Neither did Dick or Will... and God willing, Sherry and I will face the coming year... with the faith of a child. Amen!