Snow Globes

I recently watched the Peter Jackson movie The Lovely Bones. It's based on a book by Alice Sebold about a teenage girl murdered by a serial killer. The movie moves between the living people looking to solve the mystery of the crime and the girl who is dwelling in some mysterious place between earth and heaven. It's with some trepidation that I watched this movie, because I'm not really interested in seeing serial killers and little girls murdered. But since it was directed by Peter Jackson and life-after-death was the subject matter, I thought it was worth seeing.

There is much about the film worth discussing, and much I wish would have been done differently. However, the character and image from the movie that has stuck with me is the loving father trying to deal with this act of wickedness and a snow globe that represents the fears of all parents, including myself.

Early in the film the father tells his daughter, at that point a toddler, that the environment within a snow globe is the prefect environment. The penguin inside is protected from the forces of the world and can live in peace and protection for a long long time. What father doesn't want to put his children in such a globe. It is terrifying to ponder the forces that surround us in the world. And serial killers are not the beginning and end of those forces. From subtle jabs and teasing in school, destructive words of hate that can weigh on the child's soul, to the physical dangers that lurk from cars to weather to robbers to killers. It's all out there. Can't I create a snow globe for my kids?

The Book of Revelation names both this reality about the world and our fears. In an amazing way Revelation lifts up the gospel that Christ wins on the cross through metaphors and allegories that throw to us images of battles and armies and dragons and fire. Christ defeats these forces of evil and those have faith are promised to live in the Kingdom of God no matter what we face in this world. Wonderfully, in the epilogue, the final chapter of Revelation, the image is of believers entering the "city by the gates" and having "the right to the tree of life (Rev. 22:14)." Permission is granted in these images: "Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift (Rev. 22:17b)."

Fear is taken away forever because, in essence, God has created for us the perfect snow globe in this Kingdom. The forces that would pull us into despair are gone. Not because they are individuals judged to be sinful, but the very forces that would make people into the monsters that haunt the world would simply not exist. "Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murders and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood (Rev. 22:15)."

What disappoints me about the movie The Lovely Bones, and where I am thankful for the gospel message revealed in Scripture, is that those who suffer at the hands of the wicked are liberated from that power forever. The act of death does not mark us for eternity. We do not stand between earth and heaven or even in heaven tormented by their wickedness. Instead we are defined by the love and hope and waters our God showers upon us as we are held in his mighty arms.

Death will not win: whether it be at the hands of a automobile, a heart attack, a murder, or cancer. Those dogs... those monsters... will be left outside, never to harm us again.

In the mean time God walks with us as we journey outside the "snow globe" in the world of darkness. God has shined his light on us through Christ. He's present through my ups and downs... through my sons' ups and downs, through my daughter's ups and downs... through my wife's... through my siblings' and my parents'... And its not up to me to control their situations. Instead, living through faith, each of us does our best to teach, support, love, care, and stand by our loved ones.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20b)

Home

We love our mothers. What person doesn't love his mother? In day's gone by, when tattoos were the domain of sailors and others rough and tumble men, the stereotypical tattoo would say "Mom." Even a tough guy loves his mom.

Thoughts of mom often lead to feelings of warmth and safety. We might picture mom in the context of fuzzy feelings of the past and home. Somehow, childhood and mother and that old house you grew up in and that neighborhood you used to roam all come together as one nostalgic stew of emotions. On Mothers Day those feelings become even more prominent, especially when Mothers Day means a visit to the old homestead and not just a phone call and a Hallmark card.

In John 15:23 Jesus speaks about home and about the Father. "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." How many of us think of God dwelling with us and making a home with us when we think of home? Oh sure we may think about the house we live in now, that is home. We may think of the home of our childhood; the house that comes to mind on Mothers Day. But do we ever consider that our Lord has made a home with us?

When we live by faith and allow God's Word to be alive in our hearts, the Lord does make a home with us. The way Jesus put it a few verses later in John's Gospel is that the Spirit dwells in us to remind us of Christ and teach us about faith: "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you (John 14:26)."

Mothers Day reminds us just how much we owe to our mothers. They were our protectors and caretakers and so much of who we are now is a gift from them. Likewise, Jesus is our Savior and joy comes to us through Christ. The Spirit, who makes his home within us, reminds us constantly of the Lord and points us to the peace of Christ that blesses us every day. The gift of the Advocate means that we don't have to wait for a special day or go to a special place to feel the comforts our our home in Christ. He is always with us. Through faith our God has made a home with us. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid (John 14:27)."

Unfortunately, there are many people, too many people, that don't feel joy on Mothers Day. The day brings up more feelings of sorrow and loss because of the curve balls life too often throws. Some people have lost their mother and spend the day visiting the cemetery. Some cannot take the lost memories of the past and feel despair hoping they could go right back to that old home. Some mourn their broken relationship with their mother or mourn the fact they cannot become a mother themselves. This is the reality of the world... there are ups and their downs. And for many the world's downs are hard to bear.

Jesus does not give as the world gives. The home that God makes with us is not an idealized memory from the past, it is a present reality found through faith in Christ revealed in God's Holy Word. The home that the Spirit makes will not leave us, nor will it ever be broken. Christ does not give as the world gives, he brings meaning to our worldly lives through the promised eternal life we already live through the Spirit.

And the result is peace. We have a home in our Lord, just as he has made a home with us. It's not a home made of wood that can burn. It is not a home made of flesh that is mortal. God has made an eternal home with us for all our days... our pasts our presents and our futures. This home gives us peace and calms our troubled hearts. Those who love Christ and keep his Word live and celebrate this gift.

The Voice of the Tigers... The Voice of the Turtle.

I learned last night that Ernie Harwell died. Sights, sounds, smells, feelings all can bring you instantly back to another moment; to a time in the past. Hearing the voice of Ernie Harwell does that for me. In a time of endless reality TV shows on basic cable, mind numbing commercials running over and over again, and all sorts of noises looking for attention the sound of a baseball game being called over the radio is pretty close to a symphony for me. Ernie Harwell was the Bach of baseball announcers in my book. I feel blessed that my family moved to the Detroit area when I was 12. For much of the 80's I got to listen to this man work the microphone.

A well called baseball game does not require a winning team or even an interesting team. It requires an announcer who loves the game, enjoys life and can tell a story like a master. The great ones: Ernie Harwell, Vin Scully, and Bob Uecker don't even need a partner. You become their partner as you listen to them describe the action. Now Ernie is gone... Uke is recovering from heart surgery and I pray will be back in the booth by the end of summer... and Scully has hinted this may be his final year.

Thanks to the modern marvel of the internet and MLB.com I can steel a opportunity to listen to a few innings. I fell asleep to the voice of Scully calling the Brewers-Dodgers game last night. I did that same thing listening to Ernie 25 years ago.

Ernie was known for several catch phrase. Latter in his carrer he used "Looong Gooone" to call home runs. When a fan in the stands would catch a foul ball he would let the listeners know what city the fan was from. "That was caught my a young man from Livonia." Many listeners still wonder how he got that information; never considering for a moment that the gentle Harwell might have made it up. For a double play Ernie would say "two for the price of one." But my favorite call of Ernie's was a called-third-strike strikeout: "He stood there like the house on the side of the road, and watched that one go by."

Time like an ever flowing stream marches on and God blesses us with moments of peace, fun, and a connection with many interesting people. I'm glad I got spend many moments with Ernie and do miss him. I pray that God's peace will be with his family and his many friends.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Typically funerals and Psalm 23 go hand-in-hand. So much so, that there are many people who are brought right back in their mind to a memory of a funeral home when they hear the words of the Twenty-third Psalm. "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want" is all they need to hear to be brought back to that moment.

But Psalm 23 is so much more than a funeral home. Its a Psalm of hope for all time. It invites us to put our trust in God and allow the Lord to lead us. Using a different translation of the Psalm can help us break this powerful prayer away from the grips of the funeral event and help us discover its words of hope for all of us for all times and for all places.

God, my shepherd!

I don't need a thing.

You have bedded me down in lush meadows,

you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word, you let me catch my breath

and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through

Death Valley,

I'm not afraid

when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd's crook

makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner

right in from of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head,

my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me

every day of my life.

I'm back home in the house of God

for the rest of my life.

We are at home with God. The Lord is our eternal home. Our home in the future. Our home in the past. God is our home today. Yes this is great news of hope for those who have lost loved ones. Psalm 23 must be included in a remembrance of the dead.

But Psalm 23 must be included in our daily lives as well. We have a home in God and The Lord will make us feel secure.

The favorite image many people have from the King James Version of Psalm 23 is "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." It is a masterpiece of the English language. But "the valley of the shadow of death" is not simply in the funeral home... we walk through those darkest valleys constantly. As it says above, sometimes life's way "goes through Death Valley."

If we continue with the Psalm's image of God as Shepherd and we as his sheep, those valleys of darkness are dangerous places where wolves and other predators lurk above us waiting to pounce. Psalm 23 reminds not to worry because the Lord is by our side. "Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure." A good shepherd will not let the wolves devour the sheep and Our God will not let the forces of wickedness to win over us. God's Word reminds of this truth. This Psalm of trust gives us faith and gives us confidence as we press on in life.

So pull this Psalm out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death and allow and put your trust its message today.

No Excuses

The Gospels make it clear that followers of Jesus are called to love one another. Love is lifted up as the greatest commandment. Love God and love neighbor. "If you have love for one another," Jesus says, "people will know you are my disciples." When Jesus is asked: "Who is my neighbor?" he answers with a story. When three people encounter a beaten and bloodied man along a road, the one who shows mercy to the man is acting as neighbor. Of course that man turned out to be a Samaritan, a despised and unclean people in the eyes of the religious in Judea. A priest and a Levite had opportunities to help, but passed by the victim. They had many good reasons to not help: among them the fact that touching blood would make them ritually unclean. But this story teaches the lesson that love trumps everything else. No excuses. Jesus teaches that no law or rule can be used as an excuse to refuse to love a neighbor.

The first Christians continued to struggle with this issue in the Book of Acts. Does Christ call us to bring the gospel to just Jews like us or to the whole world? We know the answer. Peter was taught the answer in a most dramatic way. I like the way The Message puts Acts 11:1-3 "The news traveled fast and in no time the leaders and friends back in Jerusalem heard about it - heard that the non-Jewish 'outsiders' were now 'in.' When Peter got back to Jerusalem some of his old associates, concerned about circumcision, called him on the carpet: 'What do you think you're doing rubbing shoulders with that crowd, eating what is prohibited and ruining our good name?'

Like the priest and the Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the rules that differentiate between clean and unclean are used to separate people as well. Conveniently the priest and Levite could pass by a man in need. Chances are they didn't really want to be bothered anyhow. Likewise for those questioning Peter, kosher laws provide a convenient excuse to stay clear of "that crowd." In Christ there are no excuses. Love God and love neighbor!

Peter recounts a fascinating story to his friends in Jerusalem. God gave him a vision when he was in Joppa. The vision is of a blanket descending from above: a heavenly picnic blanket if you will. On it are all kinds of creatures. Every kind of creature actually: "farm animals, wild animals, reptiles, birds - you name it, it was there (Acts 11:6)." A voice commands: "Kill and eat."

Yes, its a fascinating story... and a little gross. But this is no foretaste of the feast to come. This is a statement: No excuses! Kosher laws cannot be allowed to prevent you from loving your neighbor. "If God says it's okay, it's okay."

Bathed in the light of Christ's love and recipients of his call: the priest is free to get his hands dirty and help the person in need. the Levite obeys the law solely by getting on his knees and showing mercy. And Peter, his friends, and the early followers of Jesus in Jerusalem are to make up a plate for whatever buffet they may step up to if it means people can be reached for Christ. No excuses. If we can't stand "that crowd" or our name is hurt by associating with "that crowd," then that's exactly where we need to be.

The outsiders are now insiders. The laws of Leviticus are not the only systems that have been created to keep people outside the "in crowd." There continue to be outsiders and insiders in the world today: differentiated by race, wealth, nationality, class, sex, age... Know this! The lesson of Acts and the lesson of the Gospels is that Christ will always stand with the outsider. Always! Living as the body of Christ today, we are called to stand there as well. No excuses!

Eyjafjallajokull

I've been following the events surrounding the eruption of the Icelandic glacier/volcano Eyjafjallajokull. The name of the glacier itself demands attention. I'm glad I'm typing the name and not saying it. Check out Eyjafjallajokull on Wikipedia to get a pronunciation sample. Not that it will help you any. It made me more confused. What a name.

On March 30 there was an eruption of this volcano on the island of fire and ice. I don't remember hearing or reading anything about the eruption then. However, a later eruption on April 14 has led to all kinds of attention. The ash from that eruption cause much of Northern Europe to be left in a cloud of dust and forced the cancellation of thousands of airline flights. Only five days later are flights beginning to take off again. European airlines are losing billions of Euros because of the grounding of their fleets and thousands of travelers have been left stranded. It will take weeks to get everything straightened out. You just never know.

Today I read an article about how insurance will not cover airlines for this event. And there is little hope that any such insurance would be available in the future: or at least insurance they could afford. The purpose of insurance is to protect you from life's "You-just-never-knows." However, by definition you don't see those "you-never-knows" coming. Too often that "you-never-know" becomes a "its-never-covered."

The Bible contains many "You-just-never-knows." Many of God actions and miracles are recorded. My favorite is Jesus' Resurrection which was something Jesus' followers should have seen coming. When you read the four Gospels you think to yourself: "Why didn't they understand? Why didn't they see this coming?" But they didn't. They couldn't imagine for a moment the Messiah winning by dying. And even though they were warned, they just were not capable of even beginning to understand that Jesus could be raised and just what it would mean.

People don't recognize Jesus at first in many of the post-resurrection accounts. It's possible that somehow a resurrected Jesus is changed in such a way that his appearance is different. But, I also think Jesus is not recognized by Mary or by Peter or by men he walked with to Emmaus because they couldn't get a grasp of even the possibility that he could have been resurrected. Really, they should have known all along.

In my lifetime I've read about Mount St. Helens in Washington and Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines. It would make sense that such an event could happen in Iceland. But while volcanoes bring to mind images of Indiana Jones, the ancient city of Pompeii, and very, very hot lava... it doesn't bring to mind the complete stoppage of the airline industry. You just never know.

Eyjafjallajokull reminds us of two things: We are very small in the face of the powers of nature... which in turn is very small in the face of God. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn us back to dust, and say, 'Turn back, you mortals (Psalm 90:2-3).'" We also are reminded that we should keep awake because the "You-just-never-know" can and will always happen. This is not a lesson in fear though, but of grace. If we are not awake we may miss the Lord, who we don't expect. If we are not awake we may miss the God moments happening all the time. We are dust and God is everlasting, but through Christ he chooses to be in relationship with us and chooses to give us the Kingdom. Don't say no one ever told you.

This is the Night

When God creates the first person in Genesis, two actions where necessary. God molded the first man's body from the dirt. The body was created. But that was not enough, God then breathed into the first human's nostrils to give him life. A human was created: body and soul.

Those of us who have lost loved ones to death understand how body and soul works. At the moment of death, or at the wake or viewing that follows a few day later, we can see our loved one's body. But the life is not there.

This happened to Jesus when he died on the cross. "Into your hands I commend my spirit." The body that is removed from the cross and buried in the new tomb is a body without spirit... without soul... without the breath of God.

This is the night that breath returns to his body. At some point before sunrise on the day after the Sabbath, Jesus is resurrected. Christ is risen! His residence is no longer the grave. He is resurrected: body/soul/spirit/breath. When the women come to the tomb the body is gone and the space is empty.

He is not the only person reported to have been brought back to life after death. A royal official's son, Lazarus and Jairus' daughter are just some of the examples of people being brought back to life. Medical science today also gives us examples of people being clinically dead for several minutes only to be brought back to life.

Jesus' resurrection is different. The resurrection of our Lord is a new creation and defeats death forever. Jesus will never die again. This is the night that new life entered his body. Baptized into the body of Christ we are promised to live this new life as well. His resurrection life will be our resurrection life.

That is the hope we life up as we gaze upon the body of a dear loved one. Their's is the promise of new life: Resurrection... body/soul/spirit/breath. This is the night that all began.

Happy Feet

What do you know about Jesus' Last Supper? Maybe you automatically think of Leonardo Di Vinci's famous fresco or that it was the first celebration of Holy Communion. Maybe you think of Judas being called out during the meal and fleeing or that it took place in the "upper room." But as John tells it in his Gospel, it is also the place where Jesus gives a new commandment in both words and actions.

His new commandment is this: "that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another (John 13:34)." Love now defines the relationship between friends in community.

Jesus models such love with the act of washing feet. Typical in a Passover Seder is the ritual of washing hands, done by a woman present. Jesus does the washing at the Last Supper, and not of the hands, but of the feet. No act is too lowly when it comes to loving and serving your friends. He commands his disciples to do likewise: "So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet (John 13:14)."

Very few Christians literally wash feet today. If they do... it's the feet of their young children or grandchildren, or it's the feet of their grandparent or loved one who no longer is physically able. The service of literally washing feet is done for those closest to us and not to just anyone.

Of course Christians are constantly "washing feet" metaphorically. In their service to others Christians are making a difference by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, and caring for those in despair.

But I think there is an element that is missed when we look at "washing feet" only this way. And no, I'm going to propose we replace handshakes with feet washing. But looking at the words reported by John its pretty clear that Jesus commands "you also ought to wash one another's feet." In order for that to happen those in the community not only need to pick up a cloth and soap to wash their friends' feet, but they need to take off their shoes and allow others to wash their feet.

Jesus' command is not only to serve but to be vulnerable. Generally when we "wash feet" in the figurative sense we do it from a position of privelage. We share from our abundance:

- I have food so I'll give some to you.

- I have clothes so I'll give some to you.

- I have a home so I'll help you with shelter tonight.

- I feel blessed so I'll listen your problems.

But communial feet-washing means all are also called to take their shoes and let those dirty, stinky piggies out in the open. We may have food, clothes, a home and blessings in abundance, but we still need community... we still need love. Can we be vulnerable enough to acknowledge that? When we take our shoes off we open ourselves up to criticism and laughter. When we take our shoes off we submit ourselves to the hands of our friend who is answering the call to serve you.

Jesus commands us to "wash feet" and we do that often in the metaphorical sense. But when is the last time you allowed your friends in Christ to wash your feet? Probably never in the literal sense... but I would wager it's been a long time in the metaphorical sense as well.

Being called to love one another in Christian community means both serving and being served. Metaphorically speaking: pick up that wash cloth, squirt a little soap... and take your shoes off. You will find Christ in the heart of the gathering.

Holy

While the word "holy" brings to mind ideas of the divine or living according to a highly righteous moral code, at its core the word "holy" actually refers to setting something apart as not being ordinary. When ground is holy or water is holy it stands apart from the ordinary water or ground we see every day. Holy water would be used for a special purpose, greater than ordinary stuff flushed down the toilet. Holy ground might stand out as being of more significance than the ordinary ground we mow on a warm summer day and Fido uses first thing in the morning. The Bible is holy because it contains spiritual truth about God found nowhere else. This week... this Holy Week... is holy because even as the world continues to move in its humdrum ordinary ways this week stands out because of the holy actions Jesus lived, out of divine love for us.

Sure it is Holy Week, but when we look out our windows everything seems to look the same. Most of us we continue to go to work. Our children continue to go to school. We need to fill up our gas tanks and decide whether we want half and half with our coffee. Yeah... it doesn't seem all that different out there. Children are being born at the local hospital. Couples are deciding enough is enough and divorce is the only answer. Crimes will continue to be reported in the newspaper. The ordinary still surrounds us.

But in the midst of the ordinary we are given a divine gift. All is not ordinary with the world. There is a spiritual truth that impacts our lives... that we miss in the midst of the constant beat of common life and ordinary weeks. The gift of a Holy Week is that even as life continues to tick away we are reminded that God broke into the fabric of time through a Savior. God is united with us through Christ. And Christ becomes one with us fully through the cross. A holy event to be sure. You don't see that every day.

The gift of the holy... whether it be water, ground, the Bible or an entire week... is that the holy reminds us of the divine. Since our minds are all too often stuck in the physical we better have some physical moments of the holy that wake us up to the presence of God in our lives. God is always guiding us, but we tend to forget that.

Allow the rhythms of Holy Week and the opportunities to worship on days and at times you don't usually worship wake up within you the presence of Christ. While surrounded by the ordinary you can experience the holy.

The Time is Right

The time is right for an angel to once again proclaim the good news about the birth that occurred in the ancient city of David over two millennia ago. A child has been born who will change the course of human history and destiny forever. "Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord (Luke 2:10-11)." The time is right for this message.

So often in life timing does not work out all that well. This Christmas thousands of American soldiers are still stationed in Northern Iraq. They must be away from their homes this holiday season. At least 1,000 of those soldiers in Northern Iraq are women and among those women four of them have learned that they are expecting a child. It would seem the timing of their pregnancies could not have been worse. Can you imagine being a soldier, stationed in Iraq, only months away from becoming a mother?

Today there are neighbors, right here in this town, facing life crises. The timing could not possibly have been worse. Here in the midst of the Christmas cheer discovering the need to move in a new direction... to give up an abusive relationship... to throw away the bottle for good... to accept that the only truth in life comes from Christ. It seems like a tough time to be doing that... but actually the time is exactly right!

The time is right to embrace the good news of the angel's message. Time is right to hear that a Savior has been born for all people... for you. On the surface it doesn't appear that the timing for Jesus in Luke's Gospel was all that good for Mary and Joseph. Luke is intentional in letting us know the point in history God chooses to rip into the fabric of human events with the gift of Messiah. It was during the reign of the great Roman Emperor Augustus. At the time he issued an edict that the Empire would conduct a census. It was when Quirinius was governor of Syria. At that moment in history God acted, not the most convenient time for Mary and Joseph. For you see Joseph's family was from Bethlehem so the census required that he actually go to the town. 2000 years later there would have been internet registration.... but not then. Yet even so... the time was right.

Of course, wouldn't you know that Mary had to go into labor while they were in Bethlehem... on a night when there was no room at the inn. What terrible timing... ahhh... but the time was right. God worked to make it right. They needed to be in Bethlehem. The shepherds needed to hear the message. What seemed so imperfect became perfect because the right time was God's time.

Oh yes, the time is right. God will work through the lives of our soldiers in Iraq to hopefully, we pray, become catalyses for peace. God will comfort those four expectant soldiers and those babies may touch the lives of thousands. The time is right. For those facing crises... for those giving up the lies of the world and exchanging them for the truth of Jesus Christ... the timing is right... Tonight is the night.

For to us is born this day... in the city of David... a Savior... who is the Messiah... the Lord!

Tonight out there, somewhere, there is a man who has lost it all: His home, his job, his livelihood. Everything, except the van he sleeps in. And as people walk by along the sidewalk, close to where he has parked his van, he worries. He is scared. He does not want to be discovered. Cold and afraid, he chooses to stay where he is at: frozen in mind, body and soul.

The time is right... for the birth of Christ.

Why Give?

God wants hearts of people. People want money. When people give away their money generously to others in need and to the mission of the church they are giving to God exactly what he wants: their hearts.

The story of the widow's mite is one of the best examples of this in Scriptures. Jesus sees a great many rich people giving a lot of money to the temple treasury. He also sees a poor widow giving her last two copper coins (her mites). He uses this as a teaching moment. He says that the woman is giving more because she is giving her heart through her act of devotion. The "large sums" the rich give do not reflect the same faithful, heart-giving devotion as when the woman gives all she's got.

God doesn't want all of your money... he wants your heart. There are three things going on when you give generously in a heart-centered, living-faith way. First the act of giving recognizes that everything you have is a gift from God. Second, the act of giving puts your faith in the hope that God will continue to provide. Third, the money you give helps Christ's mission and others in need.

When Christians instead give, let's say, twenty bucks to their church occasionally on rare weeks when they have some extra money after paying bills, going shopping, and spending a few nights out, they are indeed helping through their gift. But that $20 offering is not the act of living faith because it neither recognizes all that they have is a gift, nor does it put their faith in the hope that God will continue to provide. "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on (Mark 12:43b-44)."

Determine how blessed you are. Take stock of your income and make a commitment to give a percentage of what you receive back. Give it to help others. Give it to the ministry of your church. When giving is done as a way of faith and a way of life, the act of giving is no longer about the money... it becomes a spiritual act of giving God your heart.

Thankful, intentional giving is living faith; and it is through living faith in Christ that we see and live the spiritual reality that surrounds us. When the world says you don't have enough, living faith reveals that God, who blessed you yesterday, will bless you again now and forever. Its an act of liberation. It's a gift of freedom.

Joyful Music

Monday is the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. On November 9, 1989 Germans living in the totalitarian communist state known best as East Germany were first allowed to move through the locked down border that divided a people. History tells us it was a mistake of bureaucratic miscommunication that led the border guards to allow the first swarms of people through. But praise be to God, it was a mistake that changed the world. Once the gates to freedom were opened, nothing was going to turn back the clock. The Cold War was essentially over.

There were spontaneous celebrations throughout Berlin. East and West Germans came to the wall and stood in mass, unable to comprehend that this was happening. Just ten months earlier the leader of the DDR (East Germany) spoke of the wall standing for another 100 years before conditions might change for it to come down. Little did he know that within a year the DDR would be no more.

How do you celebrate such an event? Words could not express the feelings. Cameras took photos. Tears ran down cheeks. What can you say when a wrong which affected generations was finally made right?

A few days after the initial euphoria, when movement through Checkpoint Charlie was no different than movement through a Tri-State Highway toll booth, the great cellist, Mistislav Rostropovich, was moved the make a statement of pure joy. You see Rostropovich, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and considered by many the greatest cellist of the twentieth century, was directly touched by the Cold War. A Russian, Rostropovich became great while learning and practicing his art in the finest musical institutions of the Soviet Union. But political pressures from the Communist Party forced him to make the difficult decision to defect to the United States with his wife in 1974. He thrived in America and continued his storied career. But he could never go home. He lost his country. He lost his people Or so he thought.

Then November 9, 1989 happened. So moved by joy... the great cellist did what he does best. He gave no speech. He wrote no articles. Instead he went to the wall, near Checkpoint Charlie, took out his cello, and played... and played... and played.

There are times in life when the only way we can express our joy and gratitude is through music. There are joys so inexpressible that only sounds can do the justice that words can't. And not just any sounds.... Music!

"Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live (Psalm 146:1-2)." Music is such an essential part of how we worship God. Yes we have words. We have God's Word. Yes we lift up prayers. But there are aspects of our gratitude and awe for the Lord our God that require more than words. There are joys we feel that cannot be expressed in any better way than through music.

Rostropovich expressed the inexpressible that day in Berlin twenty years ago. The world had changed and he had to make a statement... a statement through his cello... a statement through music. Praise be to God!

I am the Dollars of Life

A church started a new gimmick a few weeks ago. As a way of trying to get more people to come to worship services they began giving away three prizes of cold hard cash. If you want to be one of the winners you have to attend. The top prize is something like $1000. Guess what happened? Attendance not only grew (from 1600 to 2500 on a Sunday) but they also got all kinds of local media attention. Talk about an avalanche of good fortune. They may reach 3000 by the end of this month.

My initial reaction was judgemental. Here's another one of those Evangelical Gospel-of-Victory churches telling people they can get free money if they come to church. They are missing the point, i thought. They missing the true calling of Christ to be disciples... servants of all.

Then I read more about their scheme in the paper. According to the stories, it is true that the church started the program as a way of bringing people in, but they are bringing people in with a purpose. Understanding that most of those attending are looking for the free money, they are apparently intentional of then sharing with them a message of truth: money is a trap that enslaves us. People are encouraged to destroy their credit cards in the shredder stationed in the church. Representatives from a local bank are on hand to help people open savings accounts, with $25 already in place. Reading what was described in the paper, I was impressed and moved. Did not Jesus do the same thing?

In John's Gospel Jesus impresses a whole lot of folks with miracles and give-aways. In chapter 6 he feeds thousands with only five loaves of bread and two fish. People love a free lunch. No wonder there were at least 5000 there. The next day many of them come looking for more since they are hungry again. Jesus tells them this: "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you (John 6:26-27)." They are perplexed by this and ask Jesus to give them a sign so they might believe. I guess they forgot about yesterday's meal already.

The rest of chapter plays out like this: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35)." Jesus himself is the bread of liberation. Faith in Jesus frees us from the daily struggle of I want this, I need this, I hate this. And this is not because we are showered with all the fish we can eat, but because we no longer live the day looking for fish first, but looking to serve first. What you need will come.

John is wonderful about showing us that not everyone bought into this stuff Jesus was teaching. Its not as if 5000 suddenly understood everything that next day and believed. Actually very few understood Jesus and replied "This teaching is difficult, who can accept it (John 6:60)?" Most went looking for their bread elsewhere.

Most of those going to this church looking for free money will also go away disappointed. Even those lucky enough to win. After all $1000 only goes so far. They will ask for more signs and probably start reaching for credit card number two. But some will believe. Some will be changed. If what is reported in the paper is true, and their message is naming the enslaving lie called money as the phony idol it is, then people will be changed. Jesus is the dollars of life. Whoever comes to him will never be poor, and whoever believes in him will never go without. Not because you will be showered with millions, but because you will be living your faith in him first. What you need to live will come.

Reality

I don't know all the details about what happened in Colorado last week. All I know is that the media is pretty angry. How dare someone play a hoax on them! They are the instrument through which truth is shared to the American public. If there is a boy in a giant balloon lost in the stratosphere, you better believe they are going to cover it. And when it comes out that it might be a big stunt, a way for a reality TV show family to get back in the public eye, oh boy you better believe they are not too pleased.

Like I said, I don't know about everything that has happened. I certainly didn't watch the whole thing live on CNN. What I know about it, I've read in the Chicago Tribune, that "old school" instrument of truth telling. They report that people are not happy. The police might arrest the father. Social Services might take the kids away. ABC might need to show re-runs of the reality series Wife Swap, so we can see for ourselves just how crazy this family is. If only the networks had bought one of the dad's crazy ideas for a show, none of this would have happened.

Personally I am suspicious of just how much "reality" is given to us through the media. If cable television calls Jon & Kate "real," then what is fake? Might it be possible that fame, fortune, celebrity are some of the phoniest things the world dishes out to us. Can't you just hear the lies running through the heads of those involved with the Balloon Boy fiasco? (yes, the media is calling him Balloon Boy)

There is a truth that surrounds us that can't be found in the media, fame, or fortune. The media serves up what it needs to serve up to get people's attention. Fame is dependent on other people being curious enough about you to wanna keep watching you. Fortune is a dead end because there is never enough stuff for security, happiness, or eternal life. They are all lies that take the life out of you instead of bringing you meaning and joy.

The truth that surrounds us is found in God's Word through Jesus Christ. "If you continue in my Word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31b-32)." Living your life for Christ, instead of for fame, fortune, or media attention, feeds the soul and liberates you from phony lies of death. Love for others is a truth found in the Word and a recognition that every day and every gift is a blessing from God to be treasured.

There will be no end to the media's "three ring circus" and you know there will be many others who follow in the Balloon family's footsteps, searching for truth in the world of "reality" TV. But they will find no satisfaction down those paths. The path to truth is found in the Word, and it leads us to a fulfilling, life changing life of discipleship.

You aint so great!

History is loaded with great people. Alexander the Great, King of Macedon, created one of the largest empires in world history... all before the age of 32. Herod the Great, King of Israel, is responsible for enormous building projects in and around Jerusalem. Many of his buildings still can be found today. Peter the Great, Tsar of the Russia, transformed Russia into a modern, western empire. And to throw in some equal time for women, Catherine the Great, Empress and Autocrat of all Russias, expanded the empire, improved its administration, and continues to modernize in the style of that other "Great" Russian leader.

Now of course that's not the whole story of good ol' Alexander, Herod, Peter, and Catherine. Alexander the Great had all his rivals killed in order to secure the throne and in his quest to conquer the world and spread Greek culture he killed thousands and conquered peoples from Greece to India. Herod the Great was a puppet king for Rome, enslaved his own people to work his building projects, killed members of his own family to protect his position, and according to Matthew murdered innocent boys in an attempt to kill Jesus. Peter the Great enacted sweeping reforms in Russia by brutally suppressing any opposition. He squashed rebellions throughout his Russian Empire by killing thousands. Catherine the Great ascended to power a half century after Peter's reign, but continued his policies of absolute power with no remorse. She famously said: "I shall be an autocrat, that's my trade; and the good Lord will forgive me, that's his."

These are the figures in history we call great? Is there something about getting kicked around that we thoroughly enjoy? With fear and admiration we look upon these bullies with some sense of awe. "Ahh, If only I could be like him," one might say. Another person will think "I better be on her side, or I'll be the next one she kicks." And so in our worldly way of pondering these things when someone reaches the point where they can kick and kill millions of people around they are somehow entitled to have the two words, "the Great," go after their name.

Jesus sure knew what he was talking about in Mark's Gospel. After James and John ask Jesus if they could be his right and left-hand men as Jesus steps up to the kind of greatness they expect from him, the rest of the Twelve are furious. They want to be at Jesus-the-Great's side. Jesus calls them out. He gives them a lesson about greatness. "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them." Hmmm... Yeah that describes Alexander the Great, Herod the Great, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great.

"But it is not so among you..." Ahhhh... here's the lesson. It is not so among you. For followers of Jesus greatness is different. We are called to reject that natural instinct we have to both fear and admire the worst bully on the playground. Through the lens of the cross we see that killing millions of people does not make one great. Spreading influence and culture does not make one great. Through the lens of the cross Alexander, Herod, Peter, and Catherine are not great at all. They are bullies. They are murderers. They are sinners. They represent the worst the world has to offer... Jesus represents the best.

"But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all (Mark 10:43-44)." Alexander and his crew actually model the opposite of greatness. Greatness in the eyes of God comes through love and service. Greatness in the Kingdom of God is found through sacrifice and being selfless. The Emperors, Kings, Tsars, and Autocrats in history are nothing more than over glorified bullies. In many ways they are a human take on dinosaurs. Dinosaurs ruled the world for millions of years: a super-sized example of dog-eat-dog survival of the fittest to the extreme. Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed.

The Kingdom of God, is different. It is not so among you. Christians are called to take a stand against the norm of greatness the world has lifted up for far too long. Only God is great, and out of his love for this fallen, dog-eat-dog world, he gave us his Son be the gate through which we see a new truth and new creation. We worship Christ who is our King. He isn't great because of the worldly power he exerted on others. He is great because he died on the cross for us. "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)."

Jesus is great because through his death, and resurrection, he exposes the greatness of Alexander, Herod, Peter, and Catherine as nothing but an impotent lie. Therefore "it is not so among you." Stop kicking yourself in the back. Stop lifting up rulers who only repay you with threats and force. Stop admiring the worst of them. A CEO who made billions cheating the people who work for him is not to be admired. A politician who cheats the people who elected him and then arrogantly insists he is untouchable is not a great man. An investor who swendles those who trust her and back stabs her way to the top should not be the plot for a great TV show.

It is not so among you. They are not great. They are dinosaurs. And their day of extinction is coming. "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom of many." We worship the Lord and follow him through lives of service and love. Now that's GREAT!

Drop the Stuff and Run the Race

I can't imagine running in tomorrow's Chicago Marathon since running is not one of my favorite pastimes. Running over 26 miles sounds like wicked torture. But I started pondering this week: what if I ran a marathon carrying a big box of my favorite things. Could my favorite books, mementos, and good-luck charms give me the extra push I need to finish the race? No... not likely.

A rich man in Mark's Gospel approaches Jesus with an interesting question: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" He really doesn't know and I'm sure this is a question that has been bugging him for some time. There must be some hole within his heart that's telling him that his life just is not on the right path. He knows about God's Law. He's learned about the Ten Commandments and follows them. Is there something that he is missing? If there is something missing he's certain he can find and posses it.

Jesus understands the rich man's struggles. He knows that the rich man's question is sincere. The poor guy truly wants the answer so he can find the peace of God's eternal life. Jesus feels terrible for the man and loves him, but that doesn't prevent him from giving the rich man the genuine answer he needs to hear. It is an answer that the rich man surly didn't expect. "Give away your stuff," Jesus says. "Then come follow me."

Oh the grief the rich man felt with this answer... a deep grief. Why? Because its the answer he least expected, but at the same time the answer he has known all along because it is the one answer he just is not able to follow at that point in his life.

If I were to ask Jesus this very same question i suspect his response might very well be: run a marathon. (Yes that opens a big box of issues, I know.) And being the loving, but challenging, Savior he is, he might even give me a little advise. "If you're going to run that marathon, you are not going to want to run it with a box load of stuff. Give it up."

Yes, give it up. It only ties us down. The baggage we carry, whether it be our stuff or our sin or our worries, prevent us from living the hope-filled, liberating life of faith we could otherwise be living.

This doesn't happen over night. I took a look at a marathon training website. It takes 18 weeks for a novice runner to train to run a marathon. It is a disciplined regimen of daily 3-mile runs, cross training, a weekly longer run and rest. The problem is that I would be out by day number two! A three mile run??? I think I'll need a 18 week training program just to get to that point.

Living a life of faith that reveals God's gift of eternal life to you does not come over night. Giving up our dependence and reliance on our stuff takes time and discipline. But you can start somewhere. If you are carrying a 30lb box of stuff... go through it one pound at a time. If you buried in your home with room after room of things you have hoarded... start with one corner. If you are used to keeping all of your money for your own use... start today by giving 1% of your income away. And if that sounds to you like a 3-mile run sounds to me, then give 0.5% or 0.1%. It's important though that you use percents instead of an amount, because its not about the amount you give, but the amount that God has blessed you with in the first place.

Nothing is impossible with God. If a life of living faith is the marathon you are facing then remember you don't do it alone. Through God's Spirit you will be encouraged and inspired. You can do this. Don't fall into the rich man's trap and depart in despair. You can do this. You do not need to live your life following the dead end trap of stuff.

Why are thousands of men and women running the Chicago Marathon this weekend? Because there is a sense of great joy and accomplishment that comes from knowing that you were able to finish such a daunting task. What a great feeling it is, they say.

Well, likewise, the rewards of living a life of faith are tremendous:

- Liberated from the dead weight of dead stuff.

- Greater understanding of the roll God plays in blessing you every day

- Helping others through your generosity

- A real faith in the eternal life given to you through Christ

- Receiving a hundredfold more than enough of the things you need to live.

Drop your stuff and come and run the race. Don't miss out on this life of faith another day!

Let's Play Two

Both the Cubs and White Sox played doubleheaders this past Wednesday. It's the final week of the baseball season and they needed to get the games in. There was a time in baseball history when several doubleheaders were scheduled right into the calendar for every team, long before the season began. But that doesn't happen any more. With the exception of Ernie Banks, players hate doubleheaders, managers hate doubleheaders, owners hate doubleheaders and the media hates doubleheaders. So, guess what, doubleheaders are planned today only when there are simply no other options.

I've had a week of doubleheaders in my own life this week and now that they are behind me I can understand where all these baseball folks are coming from. It is exhausting to change topics and switch gears on a dime. There is no time for batting practice before the second game of a doubleheader. The lineup cards need to be filled out for both games long before the first pitch of the first inning. From "Eleanor Rigby" to Ghost trailers... from Jesus' prayer for unity to youth learning to pray... from Clarence earning his wings to Peter denying Jesus three times... it's a lot to keep straight.

But what's cool, looking back, is that God has blessed me with the chance to have valuable conversations with youth and adults; with men and women. We talked about God and we talked about life. Connections were made and seeds were sown. I saw people this week I hadn't seen in months. Friends shared stories about their thoughts and struggles. It was an honor to be part of all that. Now that the week of doubleheaders is behind me I sit back and thank God that I didn't play the trailer for Paranormal Activity for the junior high kids learning about baptism.

Yeah, Let's play two. It's better than not playing at all. And hey, Ernie always seems to be smiling.

Sunshine Cleaning

I saw the movie "Sunshine Cleaning" a week ago. It's about two sisters who, down on their luck, start a cleaning business specializing in tackling the nasty messes left behind after moments of extreme violence. I expected to like the movie, but I didn't.

There's a scene early in the film where a white-collar man, obviously having a bad day, goes to a gun shop looking to purchase a shot gun. "Ahhh..." we wonder. Is he looking to off his wicked boss? Has he finally come to the end of the line with his cheating spouse? No... it's neither of those. Taking a 12 gage shotgun shell out of his pocket he quickly puts it into the shotgun and without hesitation kills himself.

The next scene involves police detectives, including one who's mistress (the star of our show) has money problems. He decides to suggest that she go into the lucrative and well paying clean-up-blood-and-guts-and-brains business the next time he meets up with her at the local Motel 6. In the mean time this black comedy has our stereotypical gun-shop-workers nonchalantly discovering more pieces of our now deceased while-collar gentleman. "Ah... here's a little more of his brains over here."

I didn't like this movie. At its core it looks at the question of how people face the various and many problems that we all have. Our hero's father faces his problems through delusional dreams of making it rich someday. The main character's sister, a partner in the business, chooses to walk through life in a coma-like clueless state. Even our main character, though responsible enough to start a business and do fairly well at it, regrets her past but still desires the approval old girl friends and remains the plaything of his old (now married) high school boyfriend.

The people we don't get to know in this movie are the one's who choose to tackle their problems in ways that leaves a big mess: the murdered lover, the recluse mother who dies without anyone noticing for months, the white collar worker who has run out of options.

What horrible hopelessness. I wonder how many others in this world feel cornered like many of the characters (and victims) in this movie. And I certainly hope they are capable of making some better choices.

I must turn to the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. Even when we make pour choices in this life there is always a road back to Christ. He is the Sunshine Cleaner who cleanses us from our sins through his messy death on the cross. The more I live the more convinced I become that he is truly God's answer for us in contrast with the options the world leaves us with. "Sunshine Cleaning" displays many of the world's options. They are all dead ends. When rays of acceptance, community, friendship, and abiding love appear at the end of the film, however, you see a tiny glimpse of the kinda gift God gives us so powerfully through The Light of the World.

The world's options are a disgusting dead end. The options provided by Christ are a ray of Sunshine. Bask in the light and never give up hope.

A Busy Signal

Valerie said the internet was not working this morning. She tried rebooting it, but still nothing. In the back of her head she wondered whether our old, slow, antique Compaq desktop computer was finished. I said I would take a look at it. Shortly thereafter I discovered that the cable was out too. It's not our computer after all, that's a relief. Ahh, but then the phones must also be out. I checked. Yes, they were dead. The problem was with Wide Open West, and nothing on our part. Their "Triple Play" of cable television, telephone, and high-speed internet was just thrown out at the plate: out of commission. It was now 8:45am... I thought I better give WOW a call on my cell. They didn't have a grip on my AT&T cell phone, so I knew it would work.

Of course, the line was busy. And with that busy signal my mind went in directions I didn't expect. Today is September 11.

This morning I had gone about my business as I would have any other day. I went for a walk and mailed a bill at a mail box. I had breakfast with my kids and did a little laundry. The TV was not on, nor was the radio. It was just us and our usual weekday morning rituals, problems, and routines.

September 11, 2001 was a morning not all that different, except I was in the hospital with my wife and our two 4-day-old babies. (Yes, four DAYS old.) Grant was under the bili lights for phototherapy to treat jaundice. We didn't have the TV on that morning, nor any radio either. I walked down to the cafeteria to get some bagels and cream cheese. It was after 9 and things just seemed so quiet down there. The TV was on when I returned to Grant's hosptial room. You know what I saw.

Hearing that busy signal this morning reminded me that today was September 11. Maybe there were more sinister reasons why my WOW Triple Play was not working this morning. Now my mind didn't stay there for long... just a few moments, after all there was no terrorist plot against my broadband. But my mind went there anyway.

On September 11, 2001 I heard a busy signal all morning as I tried to call my brother who lived in New York City. He lived in Upper Manhattan, but often enjoyed taking the subway straight down to the World Trade Center to go to the Borders in the mall that was located in the lower levels of one of the towers. It was 100 to 1... no 1,000 to 1 chance he actually would have made the trip down there that morning. But it was a chance nonetheless. It was not until early afternoon, when I heard his voice, that I knew the odds were with him that day. There finally was a ring instead of a busy signal.

There are many people remembering this eighth anniversary today. Everyone has a memory... a story... about that day. Together we remember those who lost their lives and remember those who continue to mourn. But let us also remember that every day is a blessing from God to be embraced. You never know when you are going to get a busy signal.

The Black Hole Revisited

Last summer I posted a blog entry about how the summer months seem to become a black hole for me when it comes to blogging. After that post I thought to myself, I'm not going to let that happen again. Well... it's happened again... over a month without a blog entry. Oh well... I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I could have posted entries about lying on the beach with my wife, visiting the Art Institute of Chicago for the first time, taking my son to see the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, visiting Hershey Chocolate World with my family and in-laws, or worshiping at a church as visitor and being touched by the preacher's message on the old "Feeding of the 5,000" text. Let's see... all kinds of good topics there: in-laws, art, marriage, sermons, visiting churches, father/son outings. But no... instead its all a black hole in the world of the LoveChristLiveFaith Blog. Guess I was too busy living life to write about life. Guess I didn't want to lug my laptop to a wifi spot. Maybe I need an I-Phone.

Na... I needed sabbath rest. I thank God for the chance to travel and experience all kinds of new things both with my family and by myself. It's been a great summer once again. God is great!