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Little Miss Sunshine (movie)

05 Aug

Dear God, I was reminded of a movie yesterday that is one of the great family dynamic movies (dysfunctional family as it may be) of all time: Little Miss Sunshine. It’s not clean. It’s profane. It shows broken people moving through a life situation together. Three generations with step children, half siblings, drug addicted grandfathers, suicidal uncles, etc. Just that sentence alone should scare me off, but it doesn’t.

We’d like to think that Christian families are different. If we love and fear you then your Holy Spirit will run all of the way through our families and make us whole, functional, loving, etc. But the truth is, for the most part, our families don’t look really that much different than this family. And this goes all of the way back to the Bible. There are very few biblical families who are much different than the family in Little Miss Sunshine. Even Jesus had a mother and brothers who thought he was crazy. David was a terrible father and husband with murder and rape among his children.

So as I think about the writer(s) of Little Miss Sunshine, the story that they were telling, and the hope to which they were trying to point us at the end, I wonder what the difference would be if the family–even one person in the family–worshipped you. Would there functionally be any difference?

My wife and I were talking last night about some of the issues in our own family and how we are living through them. And while there is not much my relationship with you can do to impact others, it can impact how I relate to others. It can impact how their actions towards me affect me. It helps me to take my eyes off of them to meet my needs and turn to you instead. I heard someone say at the beginning of COVID that we have made an idol out of certainty, but the things we try to put our certainty in will always fail us. Our economy. Our government, Our military. Our spouse. Our children. Parents. Etc. You get the idea. All of it is fragile and fallible. But you are the same yesterday today and forever. You are the only thing in which I can put my faith, and you never ever promised certainty.

Father, help me to know how to be the worshipper of you I need to be, how to be the husband I need to be, and how to be the father I need to be. Show me how to be a son, brother, uncle through my current circumstances. Show me what to do in each moment, but let it start with my worship of you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 5, 2022 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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Matthew 16:13-23

04 Aug

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Matthew 16:13-23

Dear God, I know I would not have answered these questions correctly. Heck, my wife and I were talking about it the other day. I know I would not even have been there. I would have labeled you (Jesus) a heretic and not given you any of my attention. We were talking about what it would take for us to believe a modern prophet was really a prophet. What would be my test?

I didn’t come up with many answers, but I suppose the fruits of the Spirit are one way to gauge it. Do they exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit or not? Love? Joy? Peace? Patience? Goodness? Faithfulness? Kindness? Self control? (Galatians 5:22-23)

What of the fruit that comes from following the desires of our sinful nature? Sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. (Galatians 5:19-21) Does the person have these things?

The truth is, it’s hard to know anyone behind closed doors. Anyone can put on a show. Jesus could have been putting on a great show for everyone publicly, but then behaved a different way behind closed doors.

Father, Holy Spirit, I don’t know that I’ve really resolved anything here this morning except to say that I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have believed in you if I had been there 2,000 years ago. I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for your sake and the deservedness you have to be loved and worshipped. I’m sorry for my sake that I would have missed you and if you showed up today I might still miss you. Show me how to love you. Show me how to love others. Show me how to not miss you when you show up in my life and teach me to be discerning so I do not listen to false prophets as well.

Through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 4, 2022 in Matthew

 

Jeremiah 31:1-7

03 Aug

1“In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. 2 This is what the Lord says:

“Those who survive the coming destruction
    will find blessings even in the barren land,
    for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”

3 Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
4 I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
    You will again be happy
    and dance merrily with your tambourines.
5 Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
    and eat from your own gardens there.
6 The day will come when watchmen will shout
    from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem
    to worship the Lord our God.’”

7 Now this is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Israel,
    Shout for the greatest of nations!
Shout out with praise and joy:
‘Save your people, O Lord,
    the remnant of Israel!’

Jeremiah 31:1-7

Dear God, I first read this passage from the daily Catholic readings, and they changed a key word in verse 2. They personalized it to the original Israel/Jacob. They made it sound like you were talking through Jeremiah directly to Jacob. Every other translation I looked at, including the New Catholic Edition, New Revised Standard Catholic Edition, New American Standard 1995, New International Version and New Living Translation (shown above), has you addressing the people of Israel.

But I want to go back and consider, for just a moment, that the Catholic reading today was also right. That you were addressing the son of Isaac from thousands of years before. Before the exile. Before the split between Judah and Benjamin and the rest of Israel. Before the bad kings. Before Solomon, David and Saul. Before Samson and Gideon. Before Joshua and Moses. Before slavery in Egypt. I’m thinking about the man who stole his brother’s birthright and blessing as the first born. The guy who worked for Laban to get Rachel (while acquiring Leah at the same time). The guy who thought his son Joseph had been killed, only to find he was alive and very well in Egypt. The guy who repented to his twin brother Esau in order to save his own life at the hands of Esau. Let’s say for a moment that the words in these verses are meant for him specifically as he lives with you in the afterworld.

The conclusion I came to is that, having watched history play out over the next few thousand years, I’m sure he was overwhelmed by how little the things he obsessed over day to day mattered while some of the more inconsequential things he considered while he was alive ended up reverberating through history–not the least of which was agreeing for his family to go to Egypt for food during the famine.

Father, Holy Spirit, all of this makes me think about how simultaneously small my life really is while also realizing that the smallest decisions might just ripple through time. It’s the butterfly effect, but submitted to you. So I guess the best thing to pray today is that you will grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things [you want me to change] and the [discernment] to know the difference. And help me to continue to just let go of the things that I think define me when what defines me is only you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 3, 2022 in Jeremiah

 

James 1:27

02 Aug

27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27

Dear God, in the midst of James 1, this sentence seems a bit random. Out of the blue, James mentions widows and orphans. Not letting the world corrupt me makes sense, but the widows and orphans is interesting. I think this verse, combined with Stephen and six others being put in charge of caring for widows and orphans in the early church (Acts 6:1-6). I’ve always remembered this whenever I’ve heard about a widow in need and tried to do things for them when I learn of the need. I hope someone does the same for my wife should I die first.

It’s also a reminder that you really want us to be about loving others. We are here to be your hands and feet. We are your Plan A and you don’t have a Plan B.

Father, Holy Spirit, please show me if there is anyone today, even in the midst of our vacation, to whom you want me to be a servant. I’m sitting here thinking of some of the times in the past when my wife and I were able to be a specific blessing to someone in a desperate situation. But for every one of those examples, I am sure there are a hundred that I missed. So nudge me when I need nudged. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see.

I pray this through Jesus life, death, and resurrection, submitted to your will over mine,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 2, 2022 in James

 

Jeremiah 28

01 Aug

One day in late summer of that same year—the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah—Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, addressed me publicly in the Temple while all the priests and people listened. He said, 2 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks. 3 Within two years I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon. 4 And I will bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”

5 Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of all the priests and people at the Temple. 6 He said, “Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple and all the captives. 7 But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people. 8 The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, disaster, and disease. 9 So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the Lord.”

10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in pieces. 11 And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area.

12 Soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. 14 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’”

15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’”

17 Two months later the prophet Hananiah died.

Jeremiah 28

Dear God, what a story. If I’ve read it before, I’ve forgotten it. I have to admit, I was sucked into the narrative and Hananiah’s false prophecy. In the first verse, Jeremiah labels Hananiah a prophet so I just gave him the benefit of the doubt. But Hananiah was either unintentionally or intentionally wrong. Jeremiah told him to wait on his prophecy to see if it was true, but Hananiah decided to double down in an evocative way. That was his mistake. It sounds like you would have had room for him to be humble and be wrong, but you would not tolerate arrogant ignorance.

“Arrogant ignorance.” Those words just came to me, but they resonate. There is a lot of arrogant ignorance going around. I was curious yesterday about a nationally-known pastor who had used his credibility to support some political candidates over the last several years. He had been kind of quiet recently so I wanted to see if he was still as politically-minded. I went to his Twitter page and found that he had returned to just loving people. He was using his ministry to reach out to people in Kentucky with the flooding. He was loving wounded veterans in Alaska. His feed was back to being about bringing you into the world and loving you. I am curious to know whether he regrets his political activism. Did he repent of it? I wonder.

In a Christianity Today interview in 2011, when asked of his regrets, Billy Graham included this: “I also would have steered clear of politics. I’m grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; people in power have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no one to talk to. But looking back I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn’t do that now.” Power can be intoxicating. But Jesus never cared about power except when he saw those who were supposed to represent you (priests, Pharisees, etc.) being cruel, legalistic, and selfish. He didn’t care about Caesar, but he cared about Caiaphas.

Father, Holy Spirit, help me to turn loose of vestiges of power that I might have or covet and simply bring you into the world today through my life. Love others through me. Let it start with my wife. Then my children and their significant others. My parents. My siblings. My nieces and nephews. The strangers I meet. Let your love flow through me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 1, 2022 in Jeremiah

 

Luke 12:13-21

31 Jul

13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Luke 12:13-21

Dear God, I’m fascinated by the difference between what Jesus emphasizes as his role in our lives in verse 14 and what Christians seem to see as his role in our lives now. I get so tired of hearing the church complain that we are being mistreated or persecuted by society. First, we have zero idea what real persecution is. Second, if we are being mistreated for legitimately discipling and living out our faith, isn’t that the time we are supposed to double down and show even more love? The guy who approached Jesus in verse 13 wanted both justice and money. Jesus basically told him he was wrong to be concerned about either for himself. He saw the man as greedy, plain and simple. Jesus challenged that greed.

I’ll confess that I’ve felt some questioning in my heart about how much my wife and I are spending on this vacation as compared with what we could be giving to others. In reality, we don’t hold back on giving. I think that, by any measure, we are generous with others. But this trip does seem very self-indulgent. I mentioned this recently to a friend who does not have much money and she did not begrudge us this trip at all. And maybe that’s right.

Father, Holy Spirit, please help me to search my heart and figure out where my greed lies and what I should do about it. Show me how to love others with your love. Show me the needs around me you want me to address. Show me what my role is in the broken relationships in my life.

I pray this through the power of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 31, 2022 in Luke

 

Matthew 5:14-16

30 Jul

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:14-16

Dear God, here’s my problem. The examples I’ve seen in my life, even from the Bible, who have exhibited great faith have always seemed on the fringe of being a little kooky, or just downright kooky. I guess as I’m reading these verses this morning, combining them with a podcast I just listened to, and wondering why I do or don’t do some of the things that would be a light shining for you.

For context, I read these verses this morning and started thinking about them a little. Then a friend sent me a link to a podcast called Cultural Catalyst. The pastor was interviewing a woman named Jamila Page about diversity in the church and in the body of Christ. It was a really great conversation which I enjoyed. But the part of the interview that generated a visceral reaction out of me was the beginning when she told the story of being supernaturally healed from an affliction. If accurately told (and I have no reason to not believe her–in fact, I do believe her), it was truly a miracle. I’ve witnessed such miracles in the past. So why do I hear something like this and immediately raise up my guard? Why is it that I had to hear the rest of her interview for her to have credibility with me?

I’ll go back to the thing I started with: kooky. I’ve known a lot of people who actively preached “healing” that were a little kooky. Even those who aren’t preaching healing, I’ve known just some kooky “Jesus Freaks.” Probably the first example of this I see in the Bible is actually Abraham. If he had been my father–if I had been Isaac or Ishmael–I would have been skeptical of you. His acts of faith would have seemed incredibly impulsive and nutty to me:

  • Leave family and clan and head off into the wilderness
  • Any given decision he made regarding Sarai/Sarah and Hagar, including Pharaoh and the sister thing.
  • Taking Isaac off to sacrifice him

His acts of faith and hearing your voice must have seemed crazy to his family and slaves. For other examples there are, of course, televangelists who, well, ’nuff said. I’ve been to charismatic churches before that seem to attract those who are, well, let’s just say their personalities are not in the middle of the societal spectrum.

So back to this healing thing. I asked my wife over breakfast why I don’t invoke healing more and embrace it as a normal part of my faith and prayer time. One of the things we came up with is that, at least for ourselves, we aren’t convinced that any pain or physical ailment we are experiencing isn’t something that you need for us to experience. Should the illness I have result in my death or discomfort? Maybe. Probably. Who am I to ask otherwise?

Then there are others. I have a woman at my job who is experiencing great discomfort. I’ve prayed for her relief and that the doctors would be able to help her, but I told my wife this morning that I haven’t bothered to ask you, directly, for her immediate healing. Why not?

Father, Holy Spirit, I’m going to make the rest of this prayer about my coworker. I ask that you please move through her body. Touch it right now, on this Saturday morning at 9:00am her time, to touch her, heal her, and make her whole. Holy Spirit, move now, please. For her sake, but also for your glory’s sake. Of course, I don’t want to ask for anything out of your will. So I ask that you please will it. Please heal her. Help her to feel your presence. Help her to feel your smile. And whether your will it or not, help her life (and my life as well) to be lights for others to be drawn to you.

In Jesus’s name I come and boldly ask this prayer,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 30, 2022 in Matthew

 

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Psalm 119:92

29 Jul

If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.
Psalm 119:92

Dear God, this was the verse before the “verse of the day” from Bible Gateway. It really spoke to me this morning. There have been times when I have been completely miserable. Some of them in the last year. Some the last 10 years. Outside of the miscarriage my wife experienced 27 years ago, my most miserable moments in life have come in the last 10 years. But you were there. I don’t know that I would say your “instructions” sustained me with joy through these times, but you certainly sustained me.

There were two years when I didn’t do these journals to you. I didn’t walk away from you during that time, but my misery put me in a different place. I remember praying to you that I wasn’t mad, but I just couldn’t get myself there. Looking back, it reminds me of the poem “Footprints in the Sand” when the author Carolyn Carty says (quoting you):

“My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”

Father, Holy Spirit, thank you for walking with me. Thank you for sustaining me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for joy in the midst of misery. Thank you for using this misery for your good, for my good, and for the good of those I love even though most of the time I cannot see what you’re doing or how it is good. Thank you for being my comforter, my counselor, and my God. Thank you for giving me something bigger than myself. Thank you that I am not the center of the universe, but I am your grateful servant, ready to give everything to you.

I pray all of this through the Son, who lived, died and was resurrected for my redemption,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 29, 2022 in Psalms

 

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Philippians 3:14

28 Jul

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:14

Dear God, I think this is two days back-to-back that the verse of the day from Bible Gateway was been the two theme verse from the two Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) national conferences I attended in 1986 and 1987. What are the odds? Holy Spirit, are you trying to tell me something? Are you getting my attention from verses that hit my radar 35-ish years ago?

The connective tissue for these verses is giving myself a chance to perform. From Hebrews, throwing off the things that tie me down. From Philippians, persevering. To quote the movie Galaxy Quest: “Never give up, never surrender!” But I just need to make sure I don’t do these things in my power. It’s not by my strength that I press on. It’s not by my virtue. I need you.

Father, Holy Spirit, I’m about to start a vacation, but I don’t want it to be just sunk time of self-indulgence. Help me even in this moment to press on into you. Use this time to shape me and teach me. Help me to learn from my wife. Help me to learn from those I meet over the next 17 days. Help me to bring you into their lives as well. Be glorified through me and show me what work you have for me to do, both in my vocation and in my personal life.

I pray all of this by the privilege the Lord Jesus afforded me through his life, death and resurrection.

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 28, 2022 in Philippians

 

Hebrews 12:1-4

27 Jul

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
Hebrews 12:1-4

Dear God, what is the weight that slows me down? Hmm. Maybe I don’t want to answer that question. I like some of that weight. What I’m thinking about initially are some of the time-sucks like streaming YouTube videos in the evening. Playing Sudoku. Really, a lot of things that involve my iPhone. For a productive tool, it can certainly be a time-suck.

Outside of these things, there are also the pieces of emotional baggage that tie me down. Worrying about loved ones and family who are out of my control. Although the worry does drive me to pray for them, which is good. But sometimes it can consume me and demotivate me to work on other things, which can be bad. I can also get distracted by politics and other things over which I have no control. Now that I think about these examples, distraction from things over which I have no control is probably a common theme in my life and the lives of most people.

Holy Spirit, please nudge me each time today when I am giving into something that slows me down. Show me how to run with perseverance. Show me how to wholly commit everything I do to you. Do it all for your glory so that my limited time on earth might be productive for your kingdom coming and your will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 27, 2022 in Hebrews

 
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