CLINGING TO FAITH IN TOUGH TIMES

      Job was an impressive man of God. So worthy was he that God singled him out for praise one day, but Satan (the adversary) challenged God’s assessment of Job and also Job’s faith. Sure, he said, Job is happy to worship and serve you because you give him everything he wants. His wife is beautiful, his kids are darling, and his crops are bigger than all of his neighbors. But if you give him some pain, if he suffers some loss… if you send a storm his way, he will curse you to your face, So, God afflicted Job with a lot of pain and heart-breaking loss, and Job cried out “Why me?”. Why me? His friends told him that he must have sinned, but Job was adamant that the pain which he had endured… wasn’t fair!

      And it wasn’t because life is not fair. The Bible speaks of sin and consequences, it speaks of forgiveness and grace and new beginnings, but it never suggests that life ought to be fair. We know that life is not fair and still, we have trouble accepting it. I’ve walked with the casket to my father’s grave, and my brother Randy’s, grave, and my brother Larry’s, grave, knowing that each of them died much too early. I walked beside my brothers’ coffins knowing that I had prayed for their healing with all of my heart. I prayed for them to live. They died anyway and like Job, I had to struggle with God’s sovereignty. My father flew an airplane to the front lines in WWII and he came home after the war. His co-pilot flew by himself one time, and crashed into the cliffs of Dover. Did God love one of them more than the other? And if so, which one?

      Why me and not you? Why now and not tomorrow? Why do the people who deal in sin live in a place with an ocean view, while those who choose to work with the disadvantaged, disabled, and disenfranchised just eke out a living? It rains and shines from time to time on all of us, but why do some people get hit with storm after storm? It doesn’t seem fair… and it’s not! If our faith is based on “fairness,”, if it’s intertwined with what we think we’ve earned and deserve, then it’s bound to be self-centered and fragile. If our faith is based on the things we have around us, it’s not faith at all because faith is believing in what we cannot see. If we think that faith will keep cancer, addictions, and storms away, we will be disappointed… because faith is not designed for such things. God can, of course, bless us as much as He likes…BUT faith shines most brightly when we are walking in the darkness. Storms will come to each of us, but faith will give us the strength to persevere, the resolve to hang on to God in the midst of the storm, and an unshakable awareness that God is always with us.

      We’re prone to panic when the going gets tough because we’ve never really accepted that faith will not keep the storms away from our doors. But life doesn’t seem to work that way.  People suffer, drunk drivers kill Sunday school teachers, and little kids are gunned down on Chicago’s streets. Faith has little to do with such things… BUT it will give us hope when there’s no reason to hope; it will give us the strength to believe that dry bones live, and faith will also give us a deep peace in the midst of the storm. If faith were only good for idle talk around the church or family table, it wouldn’t change many lives, but if it’s something we can draw on when storm clouds form, then faith makes all the difference in the world! It’s important to embrace our faith when life gets difficult... so let me suggest that you keep these points in mind:

1﷒          Bad things happen to good people. Drunk drivers kill Sunday School teachers, young men get hit by lightning, and innocent kids are gunned down. We all know this and if we accept it, we will less likely to blame God when it happens to us;

2﷒          Without a purpose, we’re destined to live lives of quiet desperation, and it’s just a matter of time before we ask, “Is this all there is?”. God has called each of us to a purpose and if we’re walking along that road, we will experience joy, even if it storms;

3﷒          Living by faith is a choice… and we can choose to believe in God’s presence, promises and power right now. We can choose to believe in those things that we don’t entirely understand and when storms kick up in your lives, we can choose to rely all the more on your faith. We can choose to run in circles or with a purpose;

4﷒          Life is not a stack of successes, but a circle of experiences, moments and opportunities, some of which are glorious and some of which as painful. The threads that knit your life together are made of love and grace, not money and things. If we see this clearly, we will be less likely to feel wronged if we don’t get what we think we deserve;

5﷒          Finally, we can prepare for the storms in our lives by getting spiritually fit. Please take time for daily prayer, open your Bible and join us this fall when we study God’s word, and make it a practice to show Christ’s love to someone else each day. Invite someone, befriend someone, serve someone, forgive someone… and keep doing it. Keep doing it and you will become strong spiritually. Make being a Christian a daily thing and then, when the storms arise, you will be able to say, “Lord, it’s storming and it’s so dark that I can’t see a thing. Water’s beginning to fill my boat. So, before I lay my head down of my pillow of faith, I want to thank you for being in the boat with me!” Amen.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE....

      I read a story about a statue of a Prince that stood high above the city. From his vantage point he could see that the city was filled with suffering and pain and the weight of it caused him to cry. So he sent a little swallow, who had just happened to light at his feet, to take the ruby that adorned his sword-hilt… to a weathered old woman who could not afford to feed her sick boy. Then he sent the swallow to a young man who was freezing and hungry, with a sapphire that was one of his eyes. Then, although the swallow protested, the statue prince gave his other eye to a little girl in need. The Prince could no longer see, but he sent the swallow out to meet other needs, each time taking some of the gold that gilded his body. In the end, the swallow died and the rusted statue that was once a prince was torn down, except for his lead heart, which laid next to the dead bird because they could not destroy it. “Bring me the two most precious things on earth,” God said to one of his angels, and the Angel returned with a dead bird and a leaden heart that had been cast away, “You have rightly chosen,” God said! 

      I bet the Kingdom of God is like this- that it’s a place where love rules and sacrifice opens the door! In the kingdom, the Bible says, there is no pain, no worries, no conflict- just joy and shalom. In the Kingdom of God, the last will be first, the poor will feast at a banquet, and the forgotten people will sit on the dais.When I was working for the Iowa Commission for the Blind, I helped one of my clients get a job. In the process of taking him back and forth to Iowa City, I got to know Tom better, and although I could see that he had some challenges, it was also clear that he could do some things for himself and the world. Thus, his job as a dishwasher in one of our diners, and whenever I would be in that restaurant, I peeked in the kitchen and waved, just to hear Tom yell out, “Hi, Ken. How’s it going?” His smile was contagious and it made me feel good. I bet the kingdom of God is like that. I bet it’s a place where people are affirmed for who they are… and where everybody is somebody!

      One of the members of our church in the Quad Cities was a quiet man whom I will call Jim. Jim didn’t attend our Men’s Breakfast or our Men’s Supper, so I didn’t get to know him well, although he was always affirming when he came through the greeting line at the end of worship. The day came when I visited Jim in the hospital and found that he was waiting to see Jesus. He had quit eating and drinking and was musing about heaven. “When I close my eyes,” he said, “I see my Mary with Jesus. They’re sitting together. They’re waiting for me… and I can’t wait to join them!” I bet the Kingdom of God will be like that! I bet it’s a place where we will be utterly fulfilled and completely filled with joy!

      The Kingdom of God is a place where children are welcome. It’s a place that’s filled with repentant and forgiven sinners. It’s a place that’s very difficult to enter if you’re dragging your money and possessions along behind you. And the Kingdom of God is at hand. The Kingdom of God is breaking in and with eyes of faith we can see it at work. According to Mark, the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. It’s small, rather ordinary in appearance, and of little apparent value… but once it’s sown, it grows into a large shrub that’s capable of providing rest, comfort, and opportunity to the birds of the air and the animals that find shelter in its shade. The Kingdom of God comes silently. It touches a troubled heart. It gives hope to the hopeless and a sense of peace to those who live in war torn countries, neighborhoods, and homes. The Kingdom of God begins in a small way- maybe a prayer- “have mercy on me”- maybe a song that gets a hold of our heart. It may come suddenly when we are at bottom; it may nag at us for some time; it may be in a smile so sincere that we can’t help but smile ourselves; it may be a passage in a Bible verse, maybe one that we’ve heard a dozen times before; it may come to us through a sermon, when something that is said, really does seem to come from God; it may be in a visit to someone we know, or in a casual conversation with someone we don't know. Someone noted that we might plant a small seed in someone’s heart… if we greet them when they’re vulnerable, visit them when they’re lonely, feed them when they’re hungry, forgive them when they’re guilty, and pray for them when they’re down.

      The Kingdom of God is like a small, honest, caring word or deed that leaves God’s fingerprints on someone else’s life. I will close with a story about a Rabbi in a small Russian town, whom the people adored. Our rabbi, they would say, goes to heaven on the high holy days. But one of the newcomers to their village wasn’t so sure. He noticed that their rabbi was often missing from his office and that sometimes, he was even missing on the high holy days, So, he followed the rabbi at a distance early one morning when the rabbi went deep into the woods, cut firewood, delivered it to a poor widow on the far side of the village, and started a fire for her. Then he followed the rabbi when he delivered a holiday dinner to a very poor family of three, and stayed to talk with them. Well, the skeptical newcomer became the rabbi’s biggest fan and whenever the people would say, “our rabbi goes all the way to heaven, he would hasten to add, “If not higher, if not higher.” 

      We have it in us to heal, forgive, renew, save, and challenge those around us in small ways, like a mustard seed. Oh, the Kingdom of God is at hand, and for someone we may meet, it could be in our hands! Amen!

ME AND OTHER 5 O'CLOCK SINNERS REVISITED

 As most organizational psychology students know, "Equity Theory" is one of the theories that attempts to explain employee motivation in a group setting. It asserts that each one of us maintains ratios in our heads... of our inputs and outcomes versus someone else's... and as long as these ratios stay in balance... we are satisfied. For instance, if you earn more than I do, I can live with that... IF there is a "legitimate" reason. If you work harder or longer than I do, or have more education or experience than I have, I'm okay with you receiving more. If you have a better batting average than I do, or run faster than I do, it makes sense that you should receive more compensation. I may even understand it if you are the boss' son or daughter... BUT if you are receiving more than me, or even less, for reasons that are illegitimate to me, I will be unsettled. It isn't fair. The input-outcome ratios are out of whack, and I am likely to feel guilty if they are out-of-whack in my favor... and downright angry if they are unfair in your favor!
      It's not fair if you do less than me and receive more. Everyone knows this... except Jesus of Nazareth, who told this story for the entire world to hear. It was harvest time, and a landowner needed additional help to bring in the crop. So he went to the village... and hired a number of eager men at 6 in the morning. They were dedicated workers, the "early birds," but by mid-morning, he could see that he needed more help, and he hired more men at 9:00. This went on through the day, and he hired more men at noon, more again at 3:00, and finally, a few more at 5:00 pm (the 11th hour), even though he wondered why they had been idle all day. It was a good day for all, and at the owner's request, the men gathered to be paid. Well, for reasons of his own, the paymaster started with the last hired first. He approached the men who had been hired at the 11th hour... and (to everyone's delight) he paid them a full day's wage! It was very generous, and it bode well for everyone left. Surely, they thought, we will receive more because we worked longer... but the owner gave the same pay to those who had started work at 3 pm, at noon, at 9 am, and yes, to the men who had started working at 6 am.
      Even the "Johnny-come-lately's" received the same pay that they received... and as every student of "Equity theory" would know, this made the workers in all the other groups angry. It especially outraged those who started at 6 am, and they cried "UNFAIR."THIS IS OUTRAGEOUSLY UNFAIR. The owner noted that he had paid them exactly what they had agreed to, but they were more concerned with what the others had received, and they complained bitterly. We've worked harder and longer...and we deserve more! Right? Right? Doesn't everyone know that they deserved more? Don't we all agree that those who have run longer and harder should receive more? Of course, we do! Everyone knows that! According to Equity Theory and all that is holy, the men who started at 6 am were right! But... the owner was perplexed and he said, "Do you begrudge my generosity?" Do you resent my grace? Do you talk about grace in church... and secretly pray that God has a scorecard so that you will receive what you have coming? Do you really believe you ought to be compensated for the good person you are and the great person you intended to be? Would you do whatever you had to do to make sure you get the rewards you deserve? Yes, yes, yes. It's been my experience that people will throw their best friend "under the bus" to get the rewards that they think they deserve.
      They do this under the guise of being fair... but fairness is NOT a Biblical concept, and since we're all sinners, FAIRNESS is the last thing we need. Jesus' story must have upset his hearers, even as it upsets us, because it's about love, not equity. We live in a grace-less world, where there's no free lunch, and we know that nothing- not the game nor life itself- is worth doing without a score. 1) Effort and consequence- tit for tat- is all we know. This is one of the reasons that stories about grace confound us, but there's another. 2) We also have a perception problem! We have a tendency to place ourselves in the best and most faithful roles in every situation. We make ourselves the stars of every Biblical story, which we read as if it's written to someone else... when, in fact, the story is actually speaking TO US. When I hear the story of the Good Samaritan, for instance, I shake my head when the religious leaders walk by the man in need... but I have walked by more people in need that I can even count, and I have also walked to the other side of the street on many occasions. Likewise, when I read about the widow giving all that she has in faith, I shake my head at the religious types who are pretending to be generous by flashing twenty dollar bills. I roll my eyes... but in truth, I would rather flash a twenty dollar bill now and then... than give sacrificially... in faith. 
      And when I hear Jesus' story about the pay system in heaven, it makes me more angry than grateful... because I see myself as being part of the 6 am crowd! But who am I kidding? I'm not a good Samaritan. I'm not the widow with her mite. And most assuredly, I'm not part of the 6:00 o'clock crowd. Not even close! The 6 o'clock crowd died in faith centuries ago. They met in caves and they were martyred in arenas. The 9 o'clock crowd died... to give us Bibles in our own tongues and to reform our church. The noontime crowd left their homes and endured great hardships to found this land and to build it... on faith in God... and the 3 o'clock crowd held Bible studies in Nazi concentration camps because they knew that Jesus Christ and not Adolf Hitler... is Lord! No, I'm not one of these, not even close, and I haven't earned anything at all. On the contrary, I'm one of those who stumbled in at the last minute, and I need grace more than anything else in the world! YOU do to! Not sort of, not kind of, but really... and deep down! I need grace more than anything else. Me. A sinner who was blessed... to be called at all... has no business shedding a single tear about unfairness. I have no business worrying about what anyone else deserves or doesn't deserve. None at all. I must keep my eyes on my Lord, and utter words like this: Thank you, Lord, for having mercy on me. I know that I didn't deserve to be called at all, but now I ask simply this: that you show me my neighbor and mold me into the servant you want me to be. Amen.