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Joseph of Nazareth

08 Dec

Matthew 1:18-25 [NLT]
18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Matthew 2:13-15 [NLT]
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

Luke 1:26-28 [NLT]
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Luke 2 [NLT]
2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
The Shepherds and Angels
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.
22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
The Prophecy of Simeon
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
30
I have seen your salvation,
31
which you have prepared for all people.
32
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
The Prophecy of Anna
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
Jesus Speaks with the Teachers
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Dear God, I just love this man. Greatest man of the Bible? I’d put him in the running. Like the Heisman Trophy voting, he might not win the award (that might go to Paul or David), but he would certainly be invited to New York. Why? Because he did all of the little things that don’t show up in the box score (another sports metaphor). He sacrificed his dreams, reputation, and comfort for the call to live a simple, poor yet unbelievably important and critical life. How much of Jesus formation as a human involved watching his earthly father?

Of course, I could go through each part of the story right now, but I’m not going to. I mean, yes, he decided to do the most honorable thing he could think to do BEFORE he got an angel visit in deciding to break with Mary quietly because “he did not want to disgrace her publicly.” He takes the pregnant wife to Bethlehem (it would have been a whole lot easier to go through the census without her being pregnant). He escapes to Egypt with her on the command of an angel. He goes through losing God’s son in Jerusalem later. And no earthly reward for him is ever recorded. Just one life, submitted to you. He lived and he died and history moved on, but the dominoes he was part of knocking over changed the whole world.

So what do I expect of my life? Do I look for greatness? Do I look for importance? Do I look for wealth and comfort? Or do I simply look to you for my sustenance and daily bread? The answer is yes to all. I confess to you that I want people to think I’m great. My ego is huge and I’m sorry for that. I want to be important and get love from people. My insecurity drives me in that way. I want to not have to worry about money and purchase the things my heart desires. My greed and covetousness can be insatiable. And then there are times like this when I repent of this and just look to you for your direction and your daily bread. I remember that you are my provider and my deliverer. You give me what I need and what I need to have to be the most effective part of your plan that I can be.

Father, I would not get invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony like Joseph would, and that’s okay. In fact, it is probably better for me to live the smallest life I can because my ego has a hard time handling any widespread acknowledgment or acclaim. So do with me what you need to do. Use my life to knock over at least one domino in your plan so that your kingdom will come and your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

[As a P.S. to anyone who might be reading this, here is a link to one of my favorite Christmas songs. It is about Joseph and what it must have been like for him. It’s called “Strange Way to Save the World” and it’s sung by 4Him,]

 
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Posted by on December 8, 2018 in Luke, Matthew, Uncategorized

 

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“Where The Streets Have No Name” by U2

23 Nov

“Where the Streets Have No Name”
U2

I want to run, I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside
I wanna reach out and touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
I want to feel sunlight on my face
I see that dust cloud disappear without a trace
I wanna take shelter from the poison rain

Where the streets have no name, oh oh
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We’re still building then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there, I go there with you
It’s all I can do

The city’s a flood
And our love turns to rust
We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled into dust
I’ll show you a place
High on the desert plain

Where the streets have no name, oh oh
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We’re still building then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there, I go there with you
It’s all I can do

Our love turns to rust
We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh and I see love
See our love turn to rust

We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh when I go there
I go there with you
It’s all I can do

Dear God, I woke up yesterday, Thanksgiving morning, and came across a video of an interview with Eugene Peterson (translator of The Message version of the Bible among other things) and Bono (lead singer for U2). They were talking about the impact and importance of the Psalms on their lives. Somehow, and I can’t remember the train of thought that got me there–perhaps it was mentioned in the interview–this song came up and I wanted to spend some time with it and you this morning.

This has always been one of my favorite U2 songs, if not my favorite. Sure, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “God–Part 2,” and “In the Name of Love” are classics that are great, but I think it’s the guitar riff that starts the song that draws me in. Football teams should storm the field to it. It’s just this great little inspiring thing. But I have to confess that I’ve never had any idea what the song was about.

I decided to use Google to search for something that anyone had written about the meaning of the song. I came across this website. Here is this person’s explanation (some of the grammar isn’t perfect for American English, but you get the idea):

There’s a mith about the streets of the city of Belfast in the Northern Ireland. You can know the person’s religion and income of a person only knowing the name of the street where the person live. In Etiopia, where Bono and his wife Ali Hewson are went for an Humanitarian visit, all the streets don’t have name. And Bono sees that this little thing leads to less separation between the people. Less differences and more integration. The lyrics of this song starts all from here.

That explanation really helps to unlock the whole song for me. I couldn’t tell if the place where streets have no name was Heaven or what. But this myth from Belfast is like the keycode that unlocks the cipher. I needed it.

So with that new knowledge, I want to go through this song slowly and see what you might have for me through the wisdom of some fellow Christian sojourners.

I want to run, I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside
I wanna reach out and touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
I want to feel sunlight on my face
I see that dust cloud disappear without a trace
I wanna take shelter from the poison rain

Anger and judging others can get so fatiguing. I get tired of other people doing it, but I do it too. I do it to relatives, friends, people I see in the store, and even politicians. I judge them through the lens through which I enter the world. Notice that the second line doesn’t accuse other people of doing this. He is pointing the finger at himself: “I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside.” And he knows what will be there in that place that is free from judgment and prejudice. He will feel sunlight. Evil loves the dark, but truth loves the light. The dust cloud of dirtiness and obfuscation will be gone. And he will get out of the poisonous environment that he’s leaving behind.

Where the streets have no name, oh oh
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We’re still building then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there, I go there with you
It’s all I can do

I think this chorus is referring to the idea that we will successfully build things, but then, in our humanness, we will burn it down–especially love. If we can just go to that place where we accept and love each other with your grace and your love then we will have arrived in a whole new world.

The city’s a flood
And our love turns to rust
We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled into dust
I’ll show you a place
High on the desert plain

Our love turns to rust
We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh and I see love
See our love turn to rust

The separations we put between ourselves–where we live, worship, eat out, shop, work, etc.–can’t help but put walls between us. I went back and watched the original music video for this song. They filmed it in a rough part of Los Angeles from the roof of a building the was probably three to five stories tall. Word got out and people from all over the city region came. Rich, poor, black, white, male, female, employed, unemployed, etc. all gathered as one to watch them perform this song. So many showed up that the police had to shut down the filming, but not until after they got some neat footage. But in that moment, no one cared about the address except for the fact that that’s where everyone was.

When we live lives apart and when we don’t allow ourselves to understand what is happening in Central America that is driving refugees to our border, then our love most certainly turns to rust. They have their country (i.e. their street name) and we have our country (i.e. our street name). I’m not suggesting we open up our borders, but I am suggesting that we think more about how to improve their street and reinvigorate our love for others.

Father, help me to apply this to my own life. Help me to apply it to my family relationships. Help me to be sensitive to it in my community and to those who live outside my community. And please don’t let my love turn to rust.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 23, 2018 in Hymns and Songs, Uncategorized

 

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Peter & John — John 13:18-30

19 Nov

John 13:18-30
18 “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’19 I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I AM the Messiah. 20 I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”
21 Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”
22 The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean. 23 The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?” 25 So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. 27 When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” 28 None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. 29 Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. 30 So Judas left at once, going out into the night.

Dear God, for the purposes of what I’m doing here, I am going to work with the premise that “the disciple Jesus loved” was John referring to himself. In this instance, it is interesting to note that:

  1. John was sitting next to Jesus. Had he positioned himself there? Had Jesus put him there?
  2. Peter must have been sitting at a different part of the table because he “motioned to him” instead of just leaning over and asking talking to him.
  3. Peter had just been caught talking too much when he went through the whole foot washing thing so he decided to get someone else to do his dirty work for him.
  4. Even with Jesus explaining things to a certain extent, everyone was still in the dark and could only figure it out in retrospect.

I think that last part is the key. I heard a pastor say yesterday morning something that I’ve often said about you and how you keep me in the dark sometimes. My line is, “God keeps me on a need-to-know basis, and I very rarely need to know.” In this case, Judas had something brewing and if Jesus had let everyone know what was going on they might have stopped him. They might have protected Jesus and made him leave. Jesus didn’t want that interference or temptation, so he kept them in the dark. Their intentions would have been good, but their actions would have been disastrous for all of us.

Father, help me to be at peace in my ignorance, help me to welcome all that you bring into my path, and help me to not mess up your plans. I don’t want to get in your way. I don’t want to have my good intentions cause you problems. Guide my heart. Guide my actions. And please be faithful to the prayers I bring to you in private. I trust you, Lord.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 19, 2018 in John, Peter and John, Uncategorized

 

Romans 8:34-39 – “Nothing is Beyond You” by Rich Mullins

10 Oct

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:34-39

Dear God, “neither death nor life…” Nothing can separate us from your love.

On his last album before he died, Rich Mullins had a song called “Nothing is Beyond You.”

“Nothing is Beyond You” by Rich Mullins

Where would I go? Where would I run?

Even if I found the strength to fly

And if I rose on the wings of a dove

And crashed through the corners of the sky

And if I sailed past the edge of the sea

Even if I made my bed in hell

Still there you would find me

Cuz Nothing is beyond you

You stand beyond the reach

Of my vain imaginations, my misguided pieties

The heavens stretch to hold you

And deep calls out to deep

Saying that nothing is beyond you

And time cannot contain you, you fill eternity

Sin could never drain you, death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain how you came to love me

Except to say that nothing is beyond you

Nothing is beyond you

And if I should shrink back from the light

For I can sink into the dark

If I take cover and I close my eyes

Even then you could see my heart

You cut through all my pain and rage

The darkness is not dark to you

The night’s as bright as day

Cuz Nothing is beyond you

You stand beyond the reach

Of my vain imaginations, my misguided pieties

The heavens stretch to hold you

And deep calls out to deep

Saying that nothing is beyond you

And time cannot contain you, you fill eternity

Sin could never drain you, death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain how you came to love me

Except to say that nothing is beyond you

Nothing is beyond you

This was instantly my favorite song on this record after he died. Beyond what I think is some pretty great poetry is a truth from this Romans passage—your plan is stupid-proof. It’s John-proof. There is so much freedom in that.

Father, thank you. I’ll do my best to see that you never have to go far to find me. I want to be at your feet. I want to be where it’s best for me—worshipping you. Please keep me from missing you at any given moment, for while I know I am not beyond you, I know it’s possible for me to let you down.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 10, 2018 in Uncategorized

 

Funeral Songs (Part 6) – “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” by Henry van Dyke (and Ludwig van Beethoven)

16 Aug

Dear God, this will wrap up the funeral songs series I’ve been doing this week. It’s been a fun exercise to kind of go through the songs I would want played and my funeral and think through what the message is that I’m trying to send to the attendees. Frankly, I doubt any of them will get it anyway.

One thing I hope I’m accomplishing is some advice I received from a friend who was widowed much too early in life. She told me that her husband had some very common funeral songs at his funeral, and now it can be hard to go to funerals because at least one of the songs will remind her of her loss. So I’ve hopefully at least picked some songs that 1.) won’t hurt my wife should I die first and 2.) won’t bring up bad memories for others.

Regarding this song, this was also the recessional at our wedding. I think it was my choice, but I’m not positive. I know I at least had some input on it. I’ve always loved it as a song of joy, and if I’m going to have the brass quintet at my funeral, this song should sound pretty good for people as they leave.

Here are the words as written by Henry van Dyke in 1907

“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” by Henry van Dyke

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward
In the triumph song of life.

I wonder what kind of worship state Mr. van Dyke was in when he wrote these words to accompany Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Was he listening to the German words and felt compelled to put his own worship of you to the tune?

The thing about this song is that it acknowledges that EVERYTHING either is worshiping or will worship you–Earth, heaven, stars, angels, fields, forests, mountains, vales, meadows, seas, birds, fountains, and mortals. And there is so much to worship! Your love for us and our love for you melts the clouds of sin and sadness. It drives the dark of doubt away. And the last verse is just great. We get to join the chorus that the stars began. You reign over us, and our love binds us to you and each other. We are victors in the midst of strife (how great is that?).

Father, I’m not sure if this week did anything to edify me or increase my relationship with you, but I do feel like I was able to look at some of these songs in a new way and understand why they mean so much to me. I was also able to get in some good worship. So I end this series with the simple statement that I love you and I hope that I honor you and bring you glory in my life and in my death.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on August 16, 2018 in Funeral Songs, Hymns and Songs, Uncategorized

 

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Mark 6:1-13

04 Jul

1He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” 5And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Mark 6:1-13

 

Dear God, the other side of the “prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown” thing is that perhaps sometimes we ascribe too much awe to the people who come to us out of nowhere.

I was reading a memoir recently by someone who used to work at the highest levels of government. He said that once during one of his first high-level security meetings in the Oval Office with President Bush, the Vice President, the National Security Advisor, etc. shortly after 9/11, he looked around the room and considered that all of these important decisions were being made by humans who were much like anyone else. This wasn’t a knock against those in the office. He admired them. But still the fact remained that these were humans who were very capable of making mistakes, missing a detail, or drawing the wrong conclusion, just like the rest of us. In that moment, he felt a new sense that problems on this scale are often handled by common people who, through accomplishment and experience, worked their way into uncommon positions.

I say all of this because I think there is a tendency on my part sometimes to ascribe too much authority and power to those I don’t know. For example, if I write a book on a certain subject then all of a sudden I can somehow pass myself off as an expert on that subject. Even something as trivial as the football coach for a team I like can generate awe from me instead of just evaluating him as a human. A great example for me is Rich Mullins (Mother Teresa is another one). He was a Christian singer/songwriter who died over 20 years ago. I had a chance to meet him once and slobbered all over him. I literally felt sorry for him as we visited because he was having to deal with me and my fanboy-ness. But he was just a flawed guy who followed you. But he had his doubts, his vices, his selfishness, etc. Brennan Manning was another one. He had some great books about your love and grace, but when I met him at a retreat, he turned out to be really moody and could be mean. But to his credit, when he caught himself being mean, he apologized to the person publicly. And the story of Mother Teresa’s spiritual struggles and doubts are well-documented since her death. We are all just your people.

Father, as I prepare this sermon for Sunday about David and his life, one of the things I’m seeing is that he was just a common boy out in the field. He got up one morning and went to work. By the end of the day, Samuel had anointed him as king over Israel. What set him apart was his love for you and desire to serve you. But he certainly was not above vanity, lying to priests, vowing vengeance upon his enemies, murder, adultery, etc. Like other believers, he is worthy of our love, but he is also worthy of our skepticism and he is worthy of our prayers for him to work out his faith with fear and trembling like the rest of us do.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 4, 2018 in Mark, Uncategorized

 

Amazing Enough?

30 Jun

“With no one else around, his choice would always be gospel, losing and finding himself in the old spirituals. He was happiest when he was singing his way back to spiritual safety. But he didn’t stay long enough. Self-loathing was waiting back up at the house, where Elvis was seen shooting at his TV screens, the Bible open beside him at St. Paul’s great ode to love, Corinthians 13. Elvis clearly didn’t believe God’s grace was amazing enough.”

Bono, Rolling Stone Magazine, 2004

Dear God, a man wrote a good editorial about Elvis in the Dallas Morning News, and he used the quote above from Bono in a piece that Bono wrote for Rolling Stone Magazine in 2004. It’s that last sentence that gets me: “Elvis clearly didn’t believe that God’s grace was amazing enough.”

One of the things that convinces me that you are real is our deep longing for you in times of trouble. C.S. Lewis addressed it in The Problem of Pain. Humans, throughout history, have sought you out. You are there. You are watching. You care. You love. You forgive. The words “amazing grace” are a sweet, sweet sound that saved a wretch like me. All of my faults, sins, vices, arrogance, selfishness, self-righteousness, etc. are allotted for in your amazing grace. I was once lost, but I’m so grateful you found me. But I had an advantage in being found. You first found my father, and then my father showed me where you were.

I love how Bono paints a picture of Elvis being drawn back to “spiritual safety.” You are a bedrock when all else is shifting sand. Our temptation is to get off of our foundation and start expanding our dwellings beyond you. I do it as much as Elvis did–he just had more opportunity than I do. But when I’ve built something outside of the foundation you’ve laid for me, the crumbling will one day come. I’ve learned this time and time again. What nonbelievers don’t understand is that there is so much peace in seeking you and building only on the foundation that you laid. They see it as limiting, but it is our path to becoming as close to you as possible.

Father, I heard a song based on the prayer of St. Francis this morning that I want to close with. “It is in giving that I receive. It is in pardoning that I am pardoned. And it is in dying that I am born to eternal life. Make me an instrument of your peace. I want to know what it’s like to follow you. When people look at me I want them to see the light of the world inside.” (“A Simple Prayer”) And I’ll add, help me to fully understand just how amazing your grace is.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 30, 2018 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

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Leviticus 19:17

26 Jun

“Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.

Leviticus 19:17

Dear God, the second part of this verse is interesting. I get the first part about not nursing hatred, but the part about confronting so that I don’t join in by adding to the wrong they’ve done is a concept I overlook.

I have a relative right now who is out of relationship with almost the entire family. It’s hard for me to know how to reach out to him. You know the whole thing so I don’t need to recount it here. I guess I probably need to think more about what my role is in reaching out to him.

Father, having been on the receiving end of passive aggressive hatred from family members, I can appreciate the idea of confronting directly. Help me to encourage others to confront me when it’s necessary, help me to respond well to the confrontation, and help me to also confront in a healthy way when the situation calls for it.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 26, 2018 in Uncategorized

 

Presenting the Gospel to MTV

21 Jun

Excerpts from Chris Pratt’s MTV Generation Award Acceptance Speech

9 Rules from Chris Pratt, Generation Award Winner

2. You have a soul. Be careful with it.

3. Don’t be a turd. If you’re strong be a protector and if you’re smart be a humble influencer. Strength can be weapons. And do not wield them against the weak. That makes you a bully. Be bigger than that.

5. It doesn’t matter what it is, earn it. A good deed. Reach out to someone in pain. Be of service. It feels good, and it’s good for your soul.

6. God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you. Believe that. I do.

8. Learn to pray. It’s easy. And it’s so good for your soul.

9. Nobody is perfect. People are going to tell you, “You’re perfect just the way you are.” You’re not! You are imperfect. You always will be. But there is a powerful force that designed you that way, and if you’re willing to accept that you will have grace. And that grace is a gift. And like the freedom we enjoy in this country, that grace was paid for with somebody else’s blood. Do not forget it. Don’t take it for granted.

 

Dear God, I am humbled by this speech. It presents your Gospel better than I ever have to anyone. It’s simple, to the point, and, although I didn’t list #s 1, 4, and 7 here, they were just silly things he through in to not lose the audience. But six out of his nine rules were spot on.

Father, help me to learn from this message and help me to be as effective at sharing it. We have souls and we need to be careful with them. What a great way to put it. If we have strength we need to use it well. Everything, even if it is a gift, must be earned–even if it is through taking on the mantle of increased responsibility as a result of the gift. You are real. Praying is important to do. And finally, my grace was bought with your blood. I should experience it and not take it for granted. And I should share all of this wisdom with everyone I can.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 21, 2018 in Miscellaneous, Uncategorized

 

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“You are My Supply”

08 Jun

“You are My Supply” (Antioch Community Church version, not Chris Tomlin version)
The seasons have dried my soul
The Sun is hard beating down
And my temptation
Is to look at all that’s gone
But you are here,
You are here

You are my supply
Your my fountain of blessing
to the ends of the earth
You are my supply
And you wipe away my tears
And you take away my fears
With the strength of your love
The strength of your love

And after all is said
After all’s been done
I sit here empty
But my heart is yours
And you are here.
You are near.

And you are my supply
You’re my fountain of blessing
To the ends of the earth
You are my supply
And you wipe away my tears
And you take away my fears
With the strength of your love.
The strength of your love
Your perfect love drives out all my fear
Your perfect love drives out all my fear

 

Dear God, this song has meant a lot to me in the past. I love the opening words to the first verse: “The seasons have dried my soul.” Talk about poetry using six words to say what would otherwise take me 300 to explain. I’ve had some remarkably dry seasons. This, thankfully, isn’t one of them, but when I look back on the times when the seasons dried my soul the most I can take some lessons from those times. So the dry seasons weren’t wasted.

While I guess I can go back and give specific lessons from each drought, I think the overarching lesson is the chorus–you are my supply. And you have room for my soul to be dry. You understand I’m not always going to be at the top of my game. I could even consider some of those trials as training for later in life. One of the things top athletes will tell you is that practice should be so hard that the games or competitions are easy by comparison. Well, my lessons learned in the past have certainly prepared me for challenges that came later in my life.

Father, I just want to sing this chorus with confidence and conviction this morning: You are my supply. You’re my fountain of blessing to the ends of the earth. You are my supply. And you wipe away my tears–you take away my fears–with the strength of your love. Your perfect love drives out all my fear.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2018 in Hymns and Songs, Uncategorized

 
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