Ken's Corner

+-This Week At Montreat -+

2009-07-31T11:55:00.003-05:00

By coming to Montreat this year, I have been able to grow not only as a person, but as a Christian. The best part of Montreat us going to small groups. With small groups I was able to meet many new people, and also discuss the topics of worship from the keynote that we had just seen, and also the sermon from the night before. The more we discuss these things the more they stick in our heads and help us to understand what we had heard. The theme this week is "The World is on Fire." This phrase can either be used in a positive way or in a negative. When the week started off the leaders of worship used it in more of a negative way, so they showed all of the bad and detrimental events going on in the world (such as Global Warming, Violence, Racism, Sexism, etc.)
The great thing about worship at montreat is that they are able to give the phrase "The World is on Fire" a positive side too. They described how The World is on fire with God's love and how everyone should be able to spread/start the fire within ourselves - and help put out the negative fires in our world. I feel that by coming to Montreat this week I have been able to learn more about being a Christian and also how to go about living my life in a positive manner.

-Todd Hughes

Free Afternoon in Montreat

2009-07-29T20:20:00.004-05:00

Today we had a free afternoon; so we decided that we would venture up to Asheville. We did some window shopping around town and we found the Mast General Store and we just had to look around. I left there with my pockets a pound and a half heavier. In the Mast General Store there were barrels after barrels of candy which I was unable to resist. We then proceeded to continue our journey in Asheville for the next four hours. On the way back to Montreat we were serenaded by the Forest Hills Church youth members that were singing to the songs on the radio. We got back to Montreat and had a little bit of time to get ready for communion. We were all putting on our best clothes and headed town to communion. It was a wonderful service to be a part of. The minister talked about his saints that he uses as mentors. These were people that in some way or another truly impacted his life. He asked us to think about who some of our saints are. His saints were Martin Luther King Jr., Dorthy Day, and Oscar Romero. When communion ended we went back to what we have been doing all week... playing rummy.

yours truly
Mr. Patrick Brittain

Wensday Afternoon, Spencer DeSpain

2009-07-29T16:48:00.002-05:00

So far, Montreat is amazing! I love the people and the environment here...it's almost like an addiction. I always look forward to coming every summer and it is the highlight of my summer. Montreat is honestly the most amazing place to be. My relationship with Jennifer Hughes, Todd Hughes, Patrick Brittian, Hannah Howell, and Jeanette Quick has gotten so much closer, it's the best bonding place. Until Montreat I never really talked to much anyone, now, I'm actually talking to everyone, including everyone from Forest Hill's youth group. If I had to pick one favorite thing about Montreat, it'd have to be the bonding and the small groups...and the food is amazing too. :) But the one person that I would like to thank out of this whole expierence and for helping us go to Montreat possible, Jeanette Quick. She's probably the best DCE, (Director of Christian Education) we've had in a while. She's like my second mother, so thanks. But otherwise, Montreat is incredible. So, I'll see everyone Sunday morning.

Much Love,
- Spencer DeSpain.

hannah wednesday in montreat!

2009-07-29T11:22:00.003-05:00

Whats up fellow Presbyterians! Everyone is having a great time here in Montreat :) In Montreat we wake up and go to keynote at 9. Keynote is where we bascially sing and dance. Then we go to small group which is a group of 30 random kids or adults from diffrent churches around the country. Small group time is usually 2 times a day but today we only have small group in the morning, so were going to Ashville! Each year at Montreat there is a theme, the theme this year is world on fire so the worship is all about fires, like fires in the world and how might might not be able to prevent world wars but how we can help put out local fires...we can all work towards eliminating racism, sexism, poverty, greed, and many other issues that keep our brothers and sisters in harms way.

Hannah Howell

Monday Night. Spencer DeSpain

2009-07-27T21:19:00.002-05:00

Well, so far everything is fantasitc. The house is beautiful, absolutely wonderful. I love the youth of Forest Hill's Presbyterian, they're great and very welcoming. My favorite part is the small groups, there's about thirty in each small groups, and I love it so much. Everyone is so helpful and very energetic. I definatly don't want to leave, but I'm pretty sure that everyone waiting for me back home want's to know how it went. Overall, I love Montreat. I'm pretty sure for my summer job, will be working at Montreat, so, thanks to everyone for sending me here.

Love, Spencer DeSpain.

Montreat Youth Conference

2009-07-27T15:56:00.003-05:00

Hey all - our adventures with the high school youth continue as we enjoy Montreat w/ our friends from Forest Hills Presbyterian Church (shout out to Beth Utley!). Check out the montreat website for a glimpse into the theme, conference leaders and music. You might even see our beautiful mugs up there! We have a small group this year, but our kids and adults are having a great time!

Posted by Jeanette

pictures!

2009-06-28T16:40:00.000-05:00

the complete file...http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87669&id=543926027&l=298e4d1d9c

enjoy!

Good Bye Scotland

2009-06-26T03:09:00.002-05:00

Good Bye to Scotland!!!

As we begin our journey back home I think each one of us will be bringing home special memories of a beautiful place and beautiful people. Thanks to all that helped make this trip a possibility. It has made a life changing impression on everyone!!

God Bless

Stuart Rush

A Day at Dun Add : Charlie Peksa

2009-06-25T17:58:00.004-05:00

Today we went to a mountain called Dunadd. This was supposedly the birthplace of Scotland where the Kings were crowned, and where the Scotti from Ireland first came. It was an extreme experience for me. Everything around me was so impossible to comprehend at the time. I took a minute for myself to find peace.( I have had a great, but rough and tiring week.)I stood at the edge of the mount and looked at the rolling hills, the gardens, with the chilly Scottish air blowing through my hair, it was the most stunningly beautiful place I have ever been in my life.

There was a songle moment I felt on top of that mountain, that everything in my life would work out and that God truly was by my side no matter what. This trip has seriously opened my eyes to what I need to accomplish in my faith and what I take for granted so much of the time. It has been an absolutely life changing experience for me and I have loved every minute of it. Truly I don't want to come back home either. I have missed all of you dearly and am overjoyed that i will be able to see not only my own family, but also all my family in the church who has helped us through this trip. Thank you all so much.

~Peace out!
~Charlie Peksa

The Sighting of Nessie!

2009-06-25T10:51:00.005-05:00

Going back to Tuesday; we didn't really see Nessie but we thought it was a cool title; the first place we went was the castle where Macbeth killed Duncan. the castle had been remodeled so that the owner could live comfortably there. The owner stays there nine months out of the year for tax purposes. Like everywhere else we went, it had a gift shop. It was a beautiful piece of property that had a river that went behind it and it had a nice garden on the side yard. Inside the garden was a elaborate maze made out of lovely green hedges. We went on a peaceful nature hike and observed the intricate gardens and amazing forest.
Then we continued our journey southward along the Loch Ness. Unfortunately we did not spot Nessie. The loch is 24 miles long and in some places 800 feet deep. There was a lot of tourist attractions near the Loch Ness. One of the attractions was a model of what Nessie might look like. It was neet-o.
lastly, we went to the Battlefields. there was a big museum that allowed us to see the weapons that they used which enabled us to grasp the importance of the battle in relation to our being Presbyterian and the course of history. The battle only took an hour and in that short time, one side lost 2000 men and the other only lost 50 men. needless to say, the British won.

A special thanks to the following:
Our awesome tour guide, Maggie McCann; if it weren't for her we wouldn't have been able to fully experience the majestic scenery and deep history of Scotland.
Members of the congregation who have supported us on our educational heritage trip.
And all of the advisors that went on the trip and keep us in line, woke us up every day, and made it a trip that we will never forget.
Thank you all!!!!

Mr. John Cooper and Mr. Patrick Brittain

Iona

2009-06-24T14:48:00.008-05:00

Today started very early. We need to be on the bus at 6:45am. Of course the sun had been up since 4:00am so it was already bright and sunny. This was expected for the whole day bright sunny and hot.We then took a short ride across town to catch the ferry to the island of Mull. Once in Mull we road the bus across the island to catch another ferry to the island of Iona. Most of us had a quick nap on the bus across Mull but, what we did see was beautiful. As we boarded the second ferry to Iona you could see the Abby in the distance on the cost line. it only a 10 min. ride across to Iona and the sea was a bright aqua blue color that reminded me of the waters you would see in the Bahamas. The Island of Iona is very small only 3 miles by one mile so the rest of the day would be on foot. For those who don't know Iona was the starting point of Christianity by Saint Columba in the fith Century. We first toured the Nunnery and then onto the Abbey. After the tours we hade some lunch and some free time. Some of us walked along the beach looking for the rare green marble found only on Iona. At 2:00 we attended a short worship service in the Abbey. Earlyer in the week we worshiped at the Saint Giles and today at the abby on Iona, two very signifigant places in our churches history. After worship we took some reflecting time by ourselves for an hour then headed back to the ferry to Mull. As we headed back we notice that most of us had gotten sun burned after being out in the sun all day.hmmm who would have though we would get sun burned in Scotland? obviousley no one. As I write this the back of my neck is on fire. I need a cold glass of ice water. All in all it was a wounderful day in a very special place for Christianity. We are off to Glasgow tomarrow.

Kevin Bridge

The Day on the Bus...

2009-06-22T16:26:00.003-05:00

Today began with the traditional scottish "breakfast." After that, we got on the bus, and stopped in Dunkeld. We visited the archives of the cathedral in Dunkeld, and there we saw the "She" bible. This is the only bible that refers to god as a she. Although it was just a misprint it is still the only bible that has ever done so. And then we got on the bus........(for 3 hours) We could see the transition from the city of Dundee to the country scenery of the city Elgin. We then toured the Elgin Cathedral. The cathedral had a very interesting background including, being nearly destroyed three times and eventually was left alone to deteriorate after the reformation. It was occupied by monks since the 13th century. The Biblical garden that we toured was a beautiful place that informed us of some of the different stories of the bible. Other than touring the two different cathedrals, and the biblical garden, all we did was ride the bus to our next destination, The Eight Acres Hotel.

~Drew Sessoms~
~Todd Hughes~
~Zach Simpson~

The Olde Course at St. Andrews -- from Kyle Rush

2009-06-21T16:45:00.002-05:00

A continuation of John's description of today...today we visited one of the most hallowed grounds in the game of golf. Because it was Sunday and there was no play we got to walk the course and take pics on the sarazen bridge. After seeing it in person the tv does it no justice. Undulation is everywhere! We also looked at the olde course museum and saw a replica of the clarit jug and the runner up trophy for the open championship. We are having a great time and are looking forward to what God has for us the rest of the trip.

But wait . . there's more!

2009-06-21T16:26:00.003-05:00

Wow! What a day we had. We woke up to sunny blue skies, warmer temps and gentle breezees. That may not sound like much, but after a few days of on-again, off-again rain and rather windy days . . this was perfect!
To top it off, we went to Sunday service at St. Giles cathedral. The sounds of that massive organ and that choir, reverberating through that gigantic stone sanctuary was amazing. We all had communion and got to participate in a service that was a bit more formal than ours, but at the same time, very familiar. (Except for the part about passing around the silver caldron of wine that we all drank from!)
We probably set a record for number of photos taken by a goup of tourists in one day! The trip over to St. Andrews passed over some beautiful countryside . . then arrival at the village of St. Andrews and going out on the Old Course, the beach, the St. Andrews Cathedral, (where perhaps the bones of the disciple reside), the castle . . . and on and on and on. We strolled Market Street, stopped for a light lunch of soup and sandwich, then took our bus to Dundee where we are spending the night.
Tomorrow we're off to discover more of the hinder-lands: Elgin and a few other places.
To our incredible congregation, and to the parents of our youth, we thank you for your continued support. We will represent you well over here and look forward to bringing back a part of our Presbyterian heritage to share with you.
Tune in later for more news and updates.
John McCorkle

Free Day in Scotland

2009-06-21T15:47:00.001-05:00

Hello!
Abbey and Caroline here...with news about our wee little shopping trip through Edinburgh! Though the exchange rate of $1.70 = £1 set us back a little bit, we were all able to buy plenty of trinkets made exclusively for tourists. Consider it a kilt-extravaganza over here! We spent part of the day at the royal mile and then ventured on to the Britainnia (the queen's yacht) for the afternoon. The Royal Mile was filled with kilted gents, loud bag pipes, pesty vendors, and William Wallace. Most of us had an expensive American lunch at subway while some of us went to Wannaburger, which took a little longer (cough boys). So we waited, and waited, and Cam, Abbey, and Caroline had a fantabulous photo shoot....with just about every phonebooth, statue, and stairs in about a 20 foot radius while all of the locals stared and laughed. The Britanna was a boat. a big boat. a HUGE boat! Here Ken was quick to join the photoshoot by posing as the captain. We also went to John Knox's house where Ken also joined the photoshoot, letting his imagination run free as he acted as John Knox himself. Well, that was our free day spent in Scotland, and we definitely needed it with our packed schedule for the rest of the week! We'll end this jolly ol' blog with a Happy Father's Day! We love you Dad! Woop Woop Shoopidy Doop!

new pictures from Jeanette....

2009-06-20T14:36:00.003-05:00

The internet cafe was wayyyy too slow, so here is a link to a small photo album so you can see a glimpse of Scotland

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87669&id=543926027&l=298e4d1d9c

more photos later!

First Day in Edinburgh- From Carly Ledford and Cam Farrar

2009-06-20T11:21:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone,
Sorry this is late the computer didn't want to agree with us last night but here is everything that happened June 19th

Early in the morning we had to meet in the lobby by 8:45 to leave Glasgow for Edinburgh. We enjoyed a nice bus ride as we looked at the Scottish highlands. We then stoped at the overlook of Edinburgh and took lots of creative and beautiful scenic pictures. Then the bus took us through the Royal Mile(a long mile with lots of shops and restaurants) and dropped us off at the Edinburgh Castle. We were then able to look at the extravagant architure and learn so much about Scotland's rich history. After lunch the group took tours of St. John's and St. Giles cathedral. they were both abosulutely breathtaking. Lucky for us we will be attending St. Giles for a church service Sunday morning. We then walked to the hotel for a much needed three hour rest before dinner. We dined at a local sports bar called Foot Lights. after that we met in front of St. Giles to go on an underground ghost walk. It wasnt as scary as expected but we had a lot of fun. The walk took us to vaults underneath a bridge where many poor families lived and died horrible deaths. We then took a scenic walk back to the hotel in the pouring rain. All in all it was a great day with many interesting experiences and millions of memories! So far Scotland has been great!

Love,
Carly and Cam

Scotland from Caryn Peksa and Sara Katherine Kirkpatrick

2009-06-18T14:56:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone! We arrived in Scotland this morning, and our first sight was the oldest building in Glasgow. We toured th e Glasgow Cathedral which is where St. Mungo set up a community 1500 years ago and we marvelled over the beautiful stained glass windows and the ornate Gothic architecture. This is one of the only cathedrals that survived the Reformation. When the Protestants came to destroy the cathedral, the Catholics risked their lives to save their church by circling the cathedral with stones and sticks, promising that the Protestants could have the cathedral, only if the Catholics could be buried under it. It is now a Presbyterian church.

Next, we enjoyed a citywide tour, while our tour guide Maggie McCann explained the significances and interesting facts about the city and later we enjoyed a traditional meal of fish and chips in St. George Square. Lastly, we arrived at the hotel to check in, had dinner and now we're off to bed!

PS. I would like to send a speacial birthday wish to my mother Sallye Kirkpatrick on her birthday!!!! Happy Birthday mom, I love you!!!!! Love, Sara Katherine

We're Here!!!!

2009-06-18T09:24:00.003-05:00

Hello to everyone! The Scotland group made it succesfully to Glasgow. Arrived in London at 1:30AM (6:30am Local time) and made it to Glasgow around 10:00AM local time. Toured Glasgow Cathederal ate fish and chips for lunch in between rain drops. Weather here is scattered showers and 58 degrees. Everyone safe and sound although a bit tired.. Good Day to all!!!
Stuart Rush

we're off!

2009-06-17T11:17:00.002-05:00

Dear Parents - Thanks for the great opportunity to spend a week with your high schoolers in Scotland! They are going to have a great time and learn so much about the history of Presbyterianism...and I will too! Please pray for the group, for their leaders and for our faith and perspectives to deepen this week.
Jeanette

2 Days and counting

2009-06-15T21:38:00.000-05:00

Looking forward to a great trip!!
Stuart Rush

Ken's guest bloggers....follow us in Scotland!

2009-06-09T14:27:00.003-05:00

Guest writer: this post is from Jeanette!

As many of you know, our high school youth are taking a trip to Scotland to learn more about their Presbyterian heritage. They have fundraised, and fundraised and are so grateful to the congregation for making this trip possible! We are on our way June 17th! We (meaning the youth) will be posting here while we are in Scotland and I hope you'll follow along and enjoy the trip with us! Here is our itinerary -

June 17/18 - Raleigh - London - Glasgow!
June 19-20 Edinburgh, we'll be worshipping at St. Gilles Cathedral on Sun morning!
June 21 St. Andrews
June 22 Dunkeld & Elgin
June 23 Culloden, Oban
June 24 Isle of Iona
June 25 back to Glasgow and then home on the 26th!

You'll be reading and seeing the details of our trip from our youth as we travel!

The Space

2007-05-03T08:51:00.000-05:00

Stephen Covey tells of a life-changing experience that happened in a library, of all places! He had some time on his hands one day and decided to wander through the local library. Pulling a book from one of the shelves, he read the following words:

Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response.
In those choices lie our growth and our happiness.

He writes, “An awareness of our freedom and power to choose is affirming…it can also threaten, even terrify, because suddenly we’re responsible. If we’ve taken shelter over the years in explaining our situation and problems in the name of past or present circumstances, it is truly terrifying to think otherwise. Suddenly, there is no excuse.”

To a great extent, we have given up the concept of responsibility in our culture, and replaced it with the concept of blame. If we can blame someone else for our behaviors, we don’t have to take responsibility ourselves. This is the point of my previous blog concerning the firing of Don Imus – we made him a scapegoat for our own love of titillation and the outrageous. The rise in lawsuits, blaming others for our own irresponsibility (like supposedly not knowing the coffee in the cup would burn us if we spilled it!), is another case in point. Too, if I can blame my parents for my problems, then I don’t have to take responsibility for changing them.

But, in the process of giving up responsibility and replacing it with the mindset of victimism and blame, we have given up something else, something we claim to love, something we say we will even die for, and that is freedom. When we play the victim, when we place blame for our actions on others, when we think the responsibility for our choices lies outside our control, we give up our freedom and become slaves to our genetics, our environment, our upbringing, and our education (or lack thereof). We talk about being the “product” of our “nature or nurture.” While these factors do play a part in how we see the world, and, at times, the range of choices we have, we are only defined by our genetic make-up or by our upbringing if we choose to be defined by them.

There is still that space between what happens to us and how we respond to it, and that space is sacred – it is our God-given gift of freedom; freedom to try a different response; freedom to do things differently than our parents did, or our culture does, or even what our own appetites and urges would have us do.

In Deuteronomy 30:19, after Moses has finished sharing with the people of Israel all of the laws that God has given him on the mountain, Moses gives this charge to the people: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.”

From the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, God has given us freedom – the freedom to choose. And, from the very beginning, when the man and woman made bad choices, they tried to place blame outside themselves, the man blaming the woman and the woman blaming the serpent.

But, the downside of blaming, of not taking responsibility, is that we also give up our freedom…our freedom to choose life, and if we do not have the freedom to choose, where is our hope for a future that is different from the past?

Twelve step programs have a wonderful definition for insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Our hope for sanity and life is not in helplessly claiming we are who we are and there’s nothing we can do about it, but in using that space between stimulus and response to try a different way, to make a different choice.

May we always be aware of the space that lies between what happens to us and our response to it. May we always be aware of the freedom we have to choose life, to choose a different way, even when that means taking responsibility for our wrong choices.

Imus is Us

2007-04-13T15:58:00.000-05:00

I was a Top 40 disc jockey when I was in college, and for a year afterward. One of my co-workers subscribed to a radio industry audio “magazine” (you’d figure it would be audio in radio!) that contained various articles and interviews with people in the business, but it also included in each issue what we called “air checks.” Air checks are recordings of radio broadcasts, except they edit out the music and commercials so you only hear the announcer. For the rest of the world, that sounds like the opposite of what anyone would want to listen to, but for disc jockeys, the opportunity to listen to other disc jockeys, especially in large and lucrative major markets, was a treat.

That was how I first heard of Don Imus. In the mid-70’s, “Imus in the Morning” on WNBC, was the most-listened-to radio program in New York City. I still remember listening to his air checks and not believing the kinds of things he got away with saying; racial slurs and sexual innuendo that we would have been fired for saying in the Tampa Bay area. Yet, he was the number one morning show in New York. That was thirty years ago, and the things Don Imus got away with saying then were tame in comparison to the things we hear and see in the media today.

The shameful and offensive things Imus said last week about the Rutgers women’s basketball team have brought a firestorm of reaction and controversy from every segment of society. Some have called for (and have now gotten) Imus’ job. Others have defended, not what he said, but his right to say it, because of our constitutional right to freedom of speech.

It seems to me we are all missing the point. The only reason Don Imus has been around since I first heard him in the mid-1970’s is because people listen to him. “Shock jocks” like Don Imus and Howard Stern are only in the positions they are in, making the money they are making, because we, the American public, like to listen to the things they say. We love to be shocked and titillated by their off-color and insulting comments.

In other words, Don Imus is us. The irony is that we are all up in arms about something he said, when we’ve been encouraging him to come right up to the line, and even stick his toe across it, for the last thirty years. We, as an American public, have been egging him on, and then, when he sticks his entire foot across the line, we get all-fired self-righteous and can’t believe he said it. We shake our heads and say “Shame on him.” But, the truth is, he has only been reflecting the tastes and desires of the American public for three decades, so, if it’s shame on him, it’s shame on us.

The Bible often speaks of the evil that can come from the tongue. There are many passages warning of the widespread damage such a small organ can cause. But this isn’t really about the tongue of Don Imus, or anyone else, because, if we didn’t listen to them, they wouldn’t have jobs. This is about the trash we allow to pollute our minds and our spirits. Paul tells us in First Corinthians 6 that, even though we are free to say or do many things, that doesn’t mean those things are beneficial or positive. They don’t form us into the people we’ve been created and called to be. And then, in Philippians 4:8, Paul says, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Shame on us for being so surprised and offended by what Don Imus said last week. We’ve been encouraging him to be that way for over thirty years, so it was just a matter of time before he went too far. If more of us would follow Paul’s advice and focus our minds on those things which build up and form us into better people, the Imuses of the world would fade away.

Remembering the Passion

2007-03-22T09:09:00.000-05:00

Mel Gibson overdid it a few years ago with his “The Passion of the Christ.” Never mind the tension he created between Christians and Jews, just the way he portrayed Jesus’ suffering was overdone. He made up stuff that isn’t even in the Bible to make Jesus’ agony even more brutal and difficult to watch. He didn’t have to do that – the account we have in scripture is bad enough.

But you have to grant Gibson this: he made us stop and consider the events between Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday, and that’s something most of us no longer do. Has life simply gotten too busy to take an hour on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday to remember the passion of our Lord?

I’m afraid it is not just busy-ness, it is a loss of caring. My own Rotary club here in High Point has planned a party at a local gathering place for Maundy Thursday evening. Granted, Rotary is not officially a Christian organization, but my club is mostly good Christian men and women, who, evidently, have forgotten that, while they are gathering for drinks and good times, many of their churches will be remembering Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples, and his suffering and death at the hands of his enemies. Maundy Thursday evening just doesn’t seem the appropriate time for a party.

When Jesus was arrested, his disciples fled, and with the exception of John, the next time we see them is on Easter Sunday. I’m afraid that we, too, however unintentionally, desert Jesus during his time of suffering by only gathering to remember his triumphal entry on Palm Sunday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. We do not stay awake with him as he prays in Gethsemane. We do not walk with him as he suffers the indignities of being mocked and spat upon. We do not walk with him as he is stripped and beaten, or when a crown of thorns is placed upon his head. We do not walk with him as he struggles to carry the cross through the streets of Jerusalem. We do not stand with him as he endures the unimaginable pain of nails being pounded through flesh, muscle and bone until it finally finds its way into the wood of the cross, even though he suffers it all for us.

And, as a result, Easter’s meaning has become shallow. If there is no death, what meaning is there in resurrection? Bunny rabbits and brightly colored eggs will do. But, if we are willing to suffer with Christ, or at least walk with him as he suffers for us, Easter’s meaning truly comes to life. Watching the Christ candle being carried into the sanctuary on Easter morning only has meaning if you watched it leaving the sanctuary on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.

So, even though we don’t need to rent “The Passion of the Christ,” I hope you will go to church either on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday and remember Christ’s passion. After all, he did it for us. Remembering seems the least we can do.

The Age-Old Question

2007-03-07T11:42:00.000-05:00

In the past two weeks, we have lost two members of our church family in tragic and sudden ways. One man was killed in an automobile collision, the other man suffered brain damage after choking on food. Although there was approximately 40 years difference in their ages, both deaths have left us in shock, asking once again the old, but always relevant question, why? Why does a loving God allow such pain and suffering?

Because this is such a universal question, I thought I would share the meditation I gave at the funeral of the man, Tracy, who was involved in the collision.

“It is not fair. Something painful has happened, very painful. Something precious has been broken, and it is not fixed. It is going to take a long time to get past this, and in some ways, you never get past something like this.

“Meanwhile, we are going to let God know. We are looking death in the face, and we want God to come and give us life. We are in the dark here, and we want God to come and show us some light. We are lost and confused, and we want God to hurry up with the saving grace.

“The book of Psalms in the Bible is not only filled with beautiful, pastoral poems like the 23rd Psalm, which reminds us we belong to God. It is also filled with lament poems, voices of God’s people crying out to God for help, for understanding, for justice, for life to be fair.

“Here is what we do understand in the midst of all that we don’t: God wants us to open our hearts, to pour out our pain, our confusion, our brokenness, even our anger. God would much rather we pour out our pain than to turn our backs on him.

“Still, the question remains: why? Where is God in this?

“My best answer is to remind you of the story of Jesus’ good friend, Lazarus. Jesus receives word from Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, that Lazarus is sick, dying. Yet, Jesus inexplicably delays coming to heal his friend. We don’t know why – so many of God’s actions are beyond our understanding.
So Lazarus dies, and then Jesus comes.

“There is accusation in the sisters’ voices as each says to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” No doubt, the sisters are angry, and confused. The numbers don’t add up. They know Jesus loved Lazarus, but why didn’t he come? Why did he allow this to happen?

"If God has the power to stop this, and God loves us, why do these things happen? Where is God in our pain and the unfairness of life?

"Jesus has two responses to the sisters’ words. He goes to see his beloved friend, Lazarus, and he weeps. Jesus weeps. Where is God in our pain, in our confusion, in our tears? God weeps with us. This is a fallen world, not the world God created; not the way he intended it to be, and God weeps at the pain we experience in this broken creation.

"But then, Jesus says, 'Lazarus, come out!' Jesus brings Lazarus back to life. Pain is not the last word – healing is. Death is not the last word, life is. Despair is not the last word, hope is.

"Just as Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, so has Jesus brought Tracy back to life. In the midst of all that we do not understand, let us remember these three things:

"First, let us not turn our backs on God, but let us also say what we mean and how we feel to God. Even Mary and Martha were not afraid to speak their minds to Jesus.

"Second, let us remember that Jesus weeps with us. This is not the way he wants life to be, either.

"Finally, because this is not the way he wants life to be, Jesus has the last word, and the last word is life; life abundant; life eternal; life in his kingdom where, as Revelation 21 puts it: 'he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.'

"Thanks be to God."

Ruthless, Part Two

2007-02-21T17:51:00.000-05:00

Back in November, when I began this blog, my very first entry talked about Dallas Willard’s advice to John Ortberg to “ruthlessly eliminate hurry from you life.” My invitation was to experience Advent in a new way, without the hurried pace that seems to make the season so unenjoyable and exhausting.

Well, Advent and Christmas are long gone, but, I was wondering how you were doing with battling the demon of the hurried life. As I have continued to focus on being ruthless about living an unhurried life (notice I said I’m focusing on it, not necessarily always being that ruthless about it!), I have discovered some things about myself, and learned some things, also, about what it means to eliminate hurry from my life.

One thing I’ve learned about myself is how much my identity is wrapped up in being a busy person. I am working hard at not including the word “busy” in my answers to those who ask how I’m doing, and I’m discovering it’s hard to do. It’s a sneaky way to say how successful I am, and also to say, “So don’t ask me to do anything that will take up more of my time.” It’s a clever way to put people at a distance.

Another thing I’ve learned about myself is that I like not being hurried. I’ve had more time to spend with Suzette and my family, and that’s great. I’ve spent more time enriching my spirit and my relationship with Jesus, and that’s great, too.

Some other things I’ve learned:
1. Busy and hurried are not always the same thing. Often, being busy is energizing and fun. As long as I learn where the line is between being busy and packing my calendar so full that I’ve eliminated time for the most important things, like rest, prayer and relationships, I can handle being busy and not feel drained or distant from God or others. By the way, I’m still learning where that line is.
2. Ruthlessly eliminating hurry does not necessarily mean that I have permission to stop doing important things. It means I have to take a closer look at what fills my calendar. Eliminating hurry usually ends up meaning that I eliminate the unnecessary and unimportant time-wasters, which, when eliminated, allow plenty of time for the important things.
3. It’s easy to play the victim, to pretend it’s not my fault that my life’s so busy and hurried. And, therefore, it’s not my responsibility to do anything about it. I’m just the innocent victim of a crazy world that demands too much of me. That’s so not true, but learning to take responsibility for my draining, hurried life is still a challenge for me.
4. Related to that, I’ve come to believe that God gives us plenty of time to do all of the things God created us and wants us to do. If we don’t have time to stop and help someone, to spend time in prayer, to read the Bible, to engage in regular acts of service, then we’ve filled God’s time with activities God didn’t have in mind. It’s like money – if we don’t have enough to use it the way God intended, we’re spending too much of it in ways God didn’t intend.
5. But, that doesn’t mean eliminating play from our lives. God does want to us to play, to enjoy the life God has given us.

If Advent was a good time to work on eliminating hurry from our lives, Lent is an even better time. Why not give up hurry for Lent?

Katrina Clean-up Continues

2007-02-08T14:41:00.000-05:00

It’s been a year and a half since Hurricane Katrina made landfall just east of New Orleans, right along the Mississippi-Louisiana border. But you’d think it was only a month and a half by the level of devastation and disorientation that continues along that part of the Gulf Coast.

A group of nine folks from our church made the twelve hour drive to Orange Grove, Mississippi, just north of Gulfport, two weeks ago. We went to spend three days helping in some small way to enable people to put their lives back together. We worked on two houses that had suffered water damage when their roofs where blown off and the rain poured in for hours. Ceilings sagged and, in some places, had fallen in; walls were ruined; mold and mildew grew on the wooden studs inside the walls. Drywall on ceilings and walls had to be ripped out and replaced. Kitchen cabinets and countertops were replaced in one house, while repair of a bathroom that had been ruined in another house was completed.

The most heartwarming and rewarding part of the trip is always the appreciation we receive from the families who, with our help, come one step closer to having their homes and their lives back. It was not only heartwarming, but deeply symbolic, as well, when a couple of our team members hung a ceiling fan and light in the living room of one of the homes. When the switch was flipped and the light came on, Mary, the woman who lived there, cried out in delight and said that was the first time she had had light in her living room since Katrina came through eighteen months ago.

There is still a great deal of darkness in the lives of the folks living just a twelve hour drive away from us, and it will continue to be so for another three to five years. Just because you don’t hear about it on the news anymore doesn’t mean the problem has gone away, so let’s not forget this important way we can reach out in love, and help to bring hope out of chaos.

We have two more trips planned this year, one from June 10-16 and another in either September or October. If you can take a few days and come help us, please do so – no experience required, we’ll show you what to do! If you can’t go there yourself, prayers, encouragement, and Lowe’s gift cards are greatly needed to make each trip possible.

Let’s keep bringing light into the darkness!

What's Wrong with this Picture?

2007-02-08T14:04:00.000-05:00

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” seems to have been the philosophy of a lot of churches this past Super Bowl Sunday. Take Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis, for example. Right there in the hometown of the now-champion Colts. Instead of trying to compete with the Big Game for people’s attention, Fall Creek planned a big Super Bowl party at the church. For a small fee to cover the cost of snacks, folks could come to church, enjoy some fun and fellowship, and watch their Colts on a big screen projection TV.

Until, that is, NFL officials spotted the announcement for the event on Fall Creek’s website (do they have nothing better to do than browse church websites for copyright violations?). Lawyers for the NFL contacted the church and informed them that it was illegal to charge people coming to the event, it was illegal to use the copyrighted title “Super Bowl” in their publicity, and, it was illegal to show the game on a television screen larger than fifty-five inches wide.

Fall Creek Baptist Church, not wanting to break the law, canceled the party.

Why do they have such laws? Because Nielsen ratings, on which advertising rates are set, do not cover mass viewings of football games in one place. In other words, it hurts the television ratings to have people gathering in large groups and enjoying the game together, and what hurts ratings hurts revenues, and we can’t have that!

But here’s the kicker (pun intended). Sports bars can have all the big screen TV’s they want for as large a crowd as the fire marshal will allow, because they’re exempt from the law that applies to everyone else. So, you can get together with friends at the local watering hole where they can charge you for the food, the barstool, and the alcohol, but you can’t get together with friends in your local fellowship hall, even if the food is free and the environment child-friendly.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Greed is what is wrong with this picture. That’s as clear as a high definition, big screen projection television.

2007-02-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

They look like normal kids, kids we might have met on one of our church's mission trips to Peru. Poverty-stricken, wearing hand-me-down American clothes, but they are children of war.

I received the following email from Skip Queen, a member of my church. It is from an Army soldier serving in Iraq named Chauncey Calloway, and, well, I'll let him tell the story.

It is Sunday afternoon here and at first I was upset because i didn't get to go to church because we were on the road but I think I got my blessing anyway. I am going to give you the condensed version because we are at the US Embassy and my time is limited. While in the "green zone" we had to drop our interpreter off at some building and while sitting in the truck waiting four or five kids came running up to the truck. I quickly turned around and inspected them for weapons or bombs but they were completely harmless. I knew I was in the green zone but I still wasn't taking any chances. My buddy SFC King and I were the only ones in the truck. I yelled at him because he had just walked around to the other side of the truck to work on a radio. Some of the kids went up to him while the others yelled at me in the turret behind my .50 cal. "Mister, mister, candy?", they shouted. At first I was hesitant but then I thought about it, they are helpless, hungry, poor children. It was very sad. They were dirty with either no shoes or sandals. Their clothes were ragged and dirty. Everyone knows how easy-going I am. I reached in my pocket and had a couple of starburst and tossed them down to them and they acted like I tossed a hundred dollar bill to them. King scrounged around and gave them some candy and he gave them a pair of gloves. We both had little flashlights on our vest and he asked me if mine worked. I told him yes and he asked for it to give to them. Anything from the Americans was like gold. By this time King and I were rambling around the truck trying to find anything that we really didn't need or could afford to give them. I gave them a soda and hopped down from the turret to take a picture with them. Last night another sergeant gave me a box of vanilla almond cookies that I tossed in the truck just for snacks. After I took a couple or pictures with them I gave them the cookies. The kids will try to get anything from you. They asked for my glasses and my camera. I told them I can't give that to them. It was really touching and I was glad that I had something to give to them. Although they may grow up to hate Americans, I didn't contribute to it. I think that was blessing enough for me. It wasn't church, but I was spiritually uplifted.

God bless Chauncey Calloway and all those men and women like him who find themselves in such a dangerous place that even poor children pose a threat. God bless the children who find themselves the victims, and sometimes even the weapons, in a world they didn't create. And God forgive us all for the wars that have been fought through the centuries, by Christians, Jews and Muslims alike, in God's own name.

Shalom.

Karma in a Can

2007-01-26T21:44:00.000-05:00

I guess karma is making a comeback. One of the most popular TV sitcoms, “My Name is Earl,” is about this guy who realizes that all the bad things he has done to people have started coming back to haunt him, and if he wants to be happy, he’d better fix his broken karma. (If you have a broken karma, do you take it to a karma-chanic?)

Then there is Alicia Keyes’ song of the same name, and I understand Motorola has a marketing campaign that is supposed to help people improve their karma, according to the LA Times. But here’s the kicker: Karma in a Can. A guy named Andrew Loren Klamer has “invented” a line of aromatherapy sprays that consist of a mixture of seven “good herbs for good karma.” What kind of herbs improve your karma? Well, three of them are ginseng, lavender and peppermint, but Klamer isn’t revealing the others.

Although Klamer is quick to admit that you can’t really improve your karma by spraying something, his marketing agent seems to think maybe you can. She is quoted as saying, “Just with a spritz, everything is OK again.” That’s what I call instant karma.

In a way, I guess it is comforting to know that our culture has become an equal opportunity abuser of religious principles, and it’s not just Christian ideas that are being kicked around anymore. Karma is a sacred Hindu principle of action and reaction which basically means that a person’s actions return to them, that we, in a sense, create our own future. If you do positive things, you find positive things coming your way, and vice versa. And, of course, karma is also related to the Hindu idea of reincarnation – our karma may not reward or punish us until another life.

We Christians are not strangers to this action-reaction principle. Paul writes in Galatians 6, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.”

But that’s not the entire biblical teaching. The book of Job instructs us that sometimes bad things happen to us when we’ve done nothing to deserve them, and there isn’t always a direct line of cause-and-effect. But more than that, we have the good news that, because of Jesus’ willingness to take the effect of our sin upon himself, we do not have to suffer the ultimate consequences of our sin. Nor do we have to keep coming back to this world in repeated reincarnations until we “get it right.” Ultimately, we do not create our future, Jesus has created it for us.

We have been offered grace, the grace of a loving God who breaks the cause-and-effect, action-reaction cycle and removes our sin from us. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter what we do with our life, nor does it mean we are not responsible for the consequences of our actions. But, as Paul also says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” No matter how well we live our lives, we cannot of our own right actions and thoughts earn or achieve eternal life. It is a gift, a free gift. It is grace, something you’ll never be able to buy… in a can or any other way.

Limbo in Limbo

2007-01-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

The existence of Limbo is now, well, in limbo. According to Christian Century magazine (October 31, 2006), Pope Benedict XVI is expected to make an official disavowal of the idea first theorized by St. Augustine. Augustine, speculating on the ultimate destiny of unbaptized babies and those who lived before Christ, suggested that they might live “on the limbus (or border) of heaven.”

No word on whether the pope’s excommunication of Limbo will also be accompanied with an explanation of exactly where those poor babies and unfortunates born too soon to hear of Jesus might actually be. One can’t help but wonder how Augustine would react to hearing that his musings on mortality became official church doctrine for sixteen hundred years.

To determine that babies and those who lived before Christ are now anywhere but in the loving presence of God is to resort to a works righteousness that contradicts the basic biblical teaching of salvation by grace, which is certainly by faith for those who have been given the opportunity to believe, to accept the Good News. But to say that those who have not been given the opportunity to believe must therefore be outside the gates of heaven, whether on its border or anywhere else, is to deny the gracious power of God to save anyone God wishes to save.

And it hardly seems to reflect the will of the One who said, “Allow the children to come to me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” and, “Unless you become as a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Standing on the Side of the Road

2007-01-02T19:32:00.000-05:00

There are several places in the New Testament where the Christian life is compared to running a race. Have you ever thought that part of running our race as Christians is standing on the sidelines for others as they run their race?

Back in the day, before my hips got old, I used to love to run. Well, jog, actually. Runners don’t have speed walkers passing them. But, still, I loved it, and for several years I enjoyed running, er, jogging, in races, from 5K’s to my longest, a thirteen mile mini-marathon. To my constant surprise, at every single race, people would show up along the route and cheer the runners on, cheer me on. People I never met would call out words of encouragement to me. Trust me, I was closer to the back than the front of the runners, and we’re not talking about the Boston marathon, these were just local races. But folks would stand along the road, applaud and call out, “Keep up the pace, you’re doing great!” “You’re almost there, don’t slow down!” “Looking good, keep going!” And you know what? It worked. Their cheers and applause lifted my spirits and my energy, and I found myself pushing a little harder.

I ran my race a little better because they cheered me on.

Nearly every one of Paul’s letters contains the word “encourage.” Either Paul is sending someone to his readers to encourage them, or he’s encouraging his readers to encourage one another. It is an important part of being a Christian to encourage those around us. An uplifting word, a hug, a pat on the back, or a compliment can do amazing things to someone for whom life seems to be an uphill run. It lifts their spirit, boosts their energy, and helps them run their race a little better.

So, it really is a part of the race we run, to stand along the road and encourage those we see working hard to run their race.

Joy for the Holidays

2006-12-28T09:27:00.000-05:00

I’m reading John Ortberg’s book, “The Life You Always Wanted,” which is a primer on the spiritual disciplines. I’ve gotten to the first discipline, which is celebration. As Ortberg says, celebration is the discipline that enables us to expand our ability for joy, one of the fruits of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22). It seems appropriate to focus on celebration right now, between Christmas and New Year’s. It also seems appropriate because I’m on vacation!

Joylessness is a sin, and it’s a sin of which I find myself far too often guilty. After all, I’m Presbyterian. Presbyterians and joy go together like fingernails and chalkboards.

So, I’m trying to think of ways I can have at least one “mini-celebration” each day, and some bigger celebrations on a more regular basis. Any suggestions you who are better celebrators than I might have would be appreciated. But, one way I’ve thought of is to learn at least one joke each day. This works nicely because I already subscribe to a little thing called A Joke a Day (go to www.jokefiles.com) which emails me a joke every day. The thing is, I almost never open the thing and read the joke. So, I’ve started opening that email each day, starting today.

And, since we all need to celebrate more (well, we Presbyterians, anyway), I thought I’d share the joke for today. Enjoy.

While in his hometown for the holidays, this guy goes into a restaurant to enjoy a special Christmas breakfast. After looking over the menu he says to the waitress, "I'll have the Eggs Benedict." His order arrives a while later and it's served on a big, shiny hubcap. With an astonished tone in his voice he asks the waitress, "What's with the hubcap?" Breaking into song the waitress replies, "Oh, there's no plate like chrome for the hollandaise!"

May we all find more joy in the New Year.

The Virgin Birth

2006-12-20T10:26:00.000-05:00

A college student was in the midst of a faith crisis, so he made an appointment to see his campus chaplain.

“I have problems with the virgin birth of Jesus,” said the student. “Do I have to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus in order to believe in Jesus?”

The chaplain thought for a minute, then answered, “In one sense, no, yet, in another sense, yes. We ask you to believe in the virginal conception of Jesus and, if we can get you to swallow that without choking, then there’s no telling what else we can get you to believe. Come back next week and we’ll try to convince you that the poor are royalty and the rich are in big trouble, that God, not nations, rules the world, and on and on. We start you out with something fairly small, like the virgin birth, then work you up to even more outrageous assertions.”

I like the chaplain’s answer. In one sense, you don’t have to believe in the virgin birth to be a Christian. On the other hand, if you have trouble with the virgin birth, how in the world are you going to be able to accept the rest of the story? If you’ve ever had a hard time with the virgin birth, but seem to accept the fact that God became flesh, that Jesus is the Son of God, you’ve somehow managed to swallow a camel while choking on a gnat. The doctrine of incarnation, of God becoming human, is so much more difficult to accept than the doctrine of the virgin birth.

Imagine an artist painting a masterpiece, and then becoming a little speck of paint on his masterpiece. I don’t mean painting a little spot and saying, “that spot symbolizes me,” but actually turning himself into a little point of paint on the canvas.

Imagine George Frederick Handel composing his incredible work, The Messiah, and then Handel actually becoming a G above middle C in one measure on one bar on one page of the "Hallelujah Chorus." That note doesn’t just represent him, George Frederick Handel actually becomes that note.

“Impossible!” you say. And I agree.
“Preposterous!” you say. I agree once again.
“Inconceivable!” Absolutely right.

But that is exactly what we’re saying when we say that Jesus is the Son of God. You cannot say it much more clearly than John when he says, “In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God; and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

The artist has become a blob of paint; the composer has become a note in the music; the Creator has become a part of Creation, a tiny speck of biological matter lying in a manger.

If God can do that, the virgin birth is a cinch.

Disappointing Others

2006-12-12T20:35:00.000-05:00

Consider this question for a moment: who in Jesus’ life did he not disappoint?

The first story we have of Jesus after the accounts of his birth, when he is twelve, is about his disappointing his parents by worrying them while he’s back in Jerusalem talking with the rabbis. Later in life, when Jesus has begun his ministry, his family tries to make him come home with him because they think he’s lost his mind. That’s a pretty big disappointment.

Jesus was always teaching his followers lessons they couldn’t understand, disappearing to pray when they needed him, telling them he was going to go to Jerusalem and die, which really ticked Peter off. And then there was the night he slept right through the storm and the disciples woke him up saying, “Don’t you care that we are about to die?” Jesus was constantly disappointing the disciples.

There were those who thought he should have been more political, those who thought he should have been more mainstream. Some thought he shouldn’t socialize with sinners, and others thought he should have healed everyone who asked for it. There were friends who thought he should have come more quickly to heal their loved one.

There were tons of people who found Jesus to be very disappointing – so much so that some of them finally decided to take his life.

In those times when it seems that, no matter how hard you try to please everybody, there’s always someone who is disappointed in you, who criticizes you, who finds fault with you, and conspires against you by complaining to others that you’re just not who they had hoped you’d be, remember, the only One Jesus never disappointed was his Father.

So, if someone's not disappointed in you, you're probably doing something wrong...like spending too much of your energy trying to make everyone happy with you.

Of course, we’re not Jesus and we are going to stumble and fall. Sometimes others’ disappointment in us really is our fault. But, still, when you’re running around trying to keep the customers, the church members, the supervisor, the boss, the spouse, the kids, the parents, the teachers, and the friends happy, and nothing ever seems to be good enough, remember, you’re in good company, because Jesus turned out to be a great disappointment to a great many people, too.

Embrace the Rudolph in You!

2006-12-07T11:37:00.000-05:00

Did you know that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was almost named Rollo? And, he is only 67 years old? It seems like Rudolph should be as old as Santa. But, actually, he was the creation of one Robert L. May, who, back in the 1930’s was a copywriter for the old Montgomery Ward department store chain. As a Christmas promotion, his employers asked May to come up with a storybook to give to children shopping in their stores.

May created the story of a reindeer who was rejected and made fun of, a sort of autobiographical character because May himself had grown up being teased and excluded for being small and shy. The sadness of this reindeer also reflected the great sadness in May’s personal life, as his wife died after an extended illness during the time he was writing this story, leaving him with a four-year-old daughter named Barbara. May tested his story on Barbara, and when she loved it, he submitted it to his supervisors, and over the next half-dozen years, six million booklets were distributed in Montgomery Ward stores.

In 1947, still deeply in debt from his late wife’s medical bills, Robert May persuaded Montgomery Ward to give him the copyright to his story. That same year, Rudolph became a nine minute animated movie shown in movie theaters. Two years later, May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, turned the story into a song which Gene Autry recorded and the record became the second-largest selling Christmas song of all time, surpassed only by “White Christmas.” Then, in 1964, Burl Ives narrated the television special and Rudolph did, indeed, “go down in history.” Robert May, Rudolph’s creator, died in 1976.

I found it particularly interesting to learn that the original story May wrote did not exactly match the song we all know and love. For one thing, Rudolph was not a member of Santa’s reindeer herd at the North Pole. He lived with his family in a regular reindeer village somewhere. He came to be chosen for his special mission when Santa arrived at his house to deliver presents, and noticed a strange glow coming from Rudolph’s bedroom. Santa was getting worried because the fog outside was growing thicker, so he invited Rudolph to help him deliver the rest of his presents by guiding his sleigh through the fog.

I like that story better, that Santa would come to Rudolph where he lived, and found in Rudolph a special gift which, up until that point, seemed more like a curse to its owner. It kind of reminds me of another One who came to where we are, and saw in us a preciousness we don’t always see in ourselves; a preciousness worth dying for, in fact. And his Spirit keeps returning to us, keeps seeing in us gifts we may sometimes think are curses, and calls us to use those gifts to help him in his work.

In the truest sense, you and I are all Rudolphs, often feeling as imperfect and embarrassed as though our noses were glowing red for all the world’s amusement. But Jesus comes to us and says that our weaknesses are his greatest strengths, and invites us to join him in sharing his love with all the reindeer we know.

Accepting his invitation may not mean we will go down in history, but we will surely go down in His Story.

(Information about Robert L. May and Rudolph from www.snopes.com)

Without Wax

2006-11-29T12:54:00.000-05:00

I find the origin of words fascinating, and often so helpful in understanding the full depth of meaning within the word. And, sometimes, the story of how the word came about is just fun to learn. Like, the word, “sincere.”

“Sincere” comes from two Latin words, “sin” which means “without,” and “cere” which means “wax.” The story behind the word is that the Romans used to love ancient Greek sculptures, and there was a high market demand for them. Of course, the better condition they were in, the more money they would draw. The problem was that many marble sculptures had been chipped and cracked through the years, so, some less-than-honest sellers would melt wax and pour it into the chips and cracks to make the sculpture look better than it was. Not until the buyer got it home did the wax become apparent and the customer realized they had been had. But if there was no attempt to hide the imperfections in the stone, they would label it sin cere, without wax. No surprises. What you see is what you get.

Great story. But it really came home to me when I then opened my Bible software to do a search of the word “sincere” in the Bible. The very first verse on the list was in Matthew 22:16 when some disciples of the Pharisees come to Jesus, trying to trick him. They say, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.”

My first reaction was, “Wow! Does that hit the nail on the head! They are saying to Jesus, ‘We know that you are “without wax,” there is nothing fake or false about you. You are who you are, and you never try to impress people.’ That is exactly what Jesus was – without wax, what you see is what you get.” But then I realized the irony of these people who had come to Jesus to trick him, and they’re saying this to try to soften him up. They’re the fake ones, the ones with wax all over them, trying to impress, trying to manipulate Jesus.

How I want to see myself as those guys described Jesus, sincere, without wax, true and authentic and not trying to impress special people, but being the same with everyone. But how often I catch myself being like those guys themselves, covering the imperfections, hiding the blemishes, afraid to just be me, and trying way too hard to impress those who have wealth, popularity, or power…the cool people.

The good news is that God sees me exactly for who I am, chips, cracks, blemishes and imperfections. And God accepts me with all those faults. I need no “wax” with God. I pray for God’s strength to be who I am, chips and cracks and all, and try to impress no one by being someone I’m not. If I’m good enough for God the way I am, I guess I’m probably good enough for everyone else, too.

And, of course, so are you.

Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry

2006-11-22T14:43:00.000-05:00

They did a research project several years ago at Princeton, entitled The Good Samaritan Study. Students were asked to deliver a package to another building on campus. Some of the students were told that the package needed to be delivered ASAP, the people needed it yesterday, and they were waiting for it. Other students were told that they had plenty of time to deliver the package, the recipients were not expecting it until later in the day.

Along the route each student took, a participant in the study pretended to have something happen to them in which they needed someone else’s help. The question the researchers wanted to answer was, would the level of hurry the different students felt affect their tendency to stop and offer assistance to the person in need? The results were clear – those who were in a “high hurry” state almost always passed by the person in distress, while those in a “low hurry” state were much more likely to stop and offer help.

I thought of that experiment last week as I watched a video with John Ortberg, in which he told the story of asking Dallas Willard, a well-known writer on spirituality, what was the one thing Willard could recommend that would bring new energy to Ortberg’s spiritual life. Ortberg says that Willard’s reply was “shocking in its simplicity.” Dallas Willard looked him in the eye and said, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life, for hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our world today.”

I think Dallas Willard is right on target. In fact, hurry not only keeps me from being as spiritually alive as I could be, it is often a god for me, and most of us. We constantly talk about how busy we are, even brag (though we would never admit that that’s what it is!) about how hectic our lives are. It seems sometimes that the busier we are, the more important that makes us.

At no time of the year does hurry affect us like during the month of December. At just the time of the Christian calendar when we celebrate the gift of life, we do everything we can to squelch the life of the spirit by filling the calendar so full there’s no time for prayer, no time for listening to God, no time for reading the Bible, and certainly no time to help someone else we might meet along the way.

This Christmas, and this coming year, one of my goals is to “ruthlessly eliminate hurry” from my life, and, in the process, make myself more available to God and others. And, perhaps, find greater spiritual life and growth in the process.

Care to join me?