Are you OK? No, but you will be....

John 3:16 “For God loved the world in this way:^[b] He gave His One and Only Son,so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

    I'm a huge fan of sitcoms, specifically old outdated sitcoms.  For almost 40 years I have ended my day watching some mindless sitcom or other rather than the news.  That way I don't go to bed mad or depressed.  And weirdly enough these are shows that I didn't watch when they were on new.  Some years it's been Mash, other years Seinfeld, but my favorite of all time is Frazier.  
     I really can't say I have a favorite episode (unless it's the one where they thought they were Russian royalty) but there are several where, at some point one on the characters asks the other, "Are you all right?"  and the other responds, "No, but I will be."  This usually occurs after some unpleasant event has occurred where feelings are hurt and emotions are raw and damaged.
       It sounds almost like a sermon doesn't it?  Or a Pastoral counseling session.  Something happens in our lives, something bad - illness, death of a loved one, broken relationships - pick your sorrow, and we're hurting.  We're hurting badly.  Then through Jesus we learn that no matter what it is, it's temporary - because of our belief in Him.  And because of what's to come.

So, if you're hurting, If you're not all right, I'm sorry.  But as hard as this is to believe some days - if you're not OK today, you will be.

The Lord's Supper, in a slightly different way

Luke 22: 19- 20 - 19 And He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

20 In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you.

Back in the 90's, in one of my prior lives, I was a Youth Leader.  At that time, at that church, the Youth Leader was whatever parent dared to say yes.  Like most Youth (Student) programs it was a matter of weekly meetings, pizza, not losing any of the kids and "events" - we were hungry for events.  

I had heard through the church-world grapevine of "Ichthus", a Youth four day weekend at a seminary in Kentucky with Christian rock bands, seminars, t-shirts, and camping.  Attendance ran into the thousands.  Thousands of wild, weird, energetic, teenagers along with a few brave "volunteers".  There were limited "facilities", you ate what you packed or paid exorbitant prices at the food vendors - and it rained ALL WEEKEND LONG. The kids loved it - the volunteers were miserable.  Or at least I was - ALL WEEKEND LONG.

On the last morning the 22 thousand teenagers and adult volunteers gathered for worship.  After a short sermon we had the Lord's Supper.  Unlike all other Lord's Supper services I had attended this one was different.  As we sat in the mud covering this natural amphitheater huge baskets of the elements were passed.  I still describe them as "Pop-a-top Lord's Supper Kits, or MRE -Supper, Lord's for the military among you.  You peeled off the first layer for the wafer and peeled the next layer for the"wine".  There, in total silence with the sun just beginning to peak though, the ancient Scripture was read to a new generation. And the body and blood consumed.  Afterwards the Worship Leaders had an altar call and hundreds of students went forward, some from my group - one was my son.

I don't care if you call it the Lord's Supper, Communion, the Eucharist or whatever.  I don't care if it's served by men in robes with real wine or the more traditional Welch's - or if it's in the mud or a beautiful cathedral.  I do care that we do what the Man said when he said, "Do this in Remembrance of Me".

Amen.

I Am Who I Am

Exodus 3:14: God replied to Moses, I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.

We had a recent situation in my family that was, and is, unsettling.  One of our Niece's in West Tennessee has been suffering from an unidentified health condition.  It's been going on for over a month and has been VERY debilitating.  Throughout this she's gone to a variety of doctors and had a variety of tests to no result.  No answers, no relief, and very scary for the whole family.  Finally, last Wednesday her mom packed her up and drove her to Vanderbilt ER. More doctors, more tests but THIS time a diagnosis was made - a NAME was given to the malady and treatment prescribed.  Huzzah!  It was amazing how, after we had a NAME  we all felt better, we had hope, we could move forward.  Funny how a name effects our outlook, our attitude.  Names are important in everything we do - place names,  proper names, nicknames, names of family members, friends....

Subtlety, changing the conversation - there is an excellent book called, "Praising the Names of God", by Ann Spangler.  In her book she "names" God in 26 different chapters - each Biblical name describing a specific purpose/role of God.

My favorite: Abba - Father

The Kingdom of God Belongs to Such as These

Luke 18:16 - Jesus, however, invited them: "Let the little children come to Me, and don't stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

     We said goodbye to a good man this weekend.  That's what you say at visitations and memorial services - he was a good man.  This time it wasn't just something you said.
     The first time I met him was at Community Cafe where our church feeds the homeless and disadvantaged once a month.  We've done this since the beginning.  He was a bit older then me - a plus because there weren't many like that and the thing I remember most about him that day was his smile.  He just smiled the whole time we were there no matter if he was serving a meal or cleaning up or talking to one of our guests.  He showed me the ropes that day.
     I noticed him at Wednesday night services.  He was still smiling, like he knew a secret.  Looking back I realize he did.  On most Wednesday nights he helped with the children - the young, boisterous, children.  Teaching and showing them Jesus.  He did this at a time in his life when he could have left it to the parents or the "volunteers", whoever they were.  But he didn't.  He stepped in and rolled up his sleeves and the children loved Mr. Earl - and he loved them.  After all, they are the future of the faith.
     I believe the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these too.  He was a good man.

Whatever You Did For The Least of These...

Matthew 25:35-36Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

35 For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’

So, a few years ago we had a visitor at our church.  He was a pretty large guy and he wasn't quite what a typical visitor dressed like or looked like or acted like.  Don't get me wrong, he was a really nice guy but....  Anyway, after several weeks he had joined Sunday morning and Wednesday night Connect Groups.  He was here whenever the doors opened.  As more of us got to know him we noticed that he frequently wore the same clothes and personal hygiene wasn't the best and he was a bit elusive about work or where he lived.  Come to find out he lived in his car.  But, now pay attention, he never once asked for help.

Word spread among a few folks.  One person bought him some gas, another showed him where he could get cleaned up for next to nothing.  One guy gave him a really good coat. Being Baptist there were meals involved.  There was a haircut and the next thing you know he had a job interview.  He got the job - it was in another nearby town.  After a few weeks he was gone to the next phase of his life.

The church did good.  I'm sure there are other times we maybe didn't do so good.  And, I'm sure that there were times where we didn't fix everything for someone try as we might. And, I'm just as sure there are times like the one I described  that I know nothing about.

Those are the good times.

Always is a very Long Time

Matthew 28:20(b) .....And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.

     Back in the Sixties Social Media was the Readers Digest, the Saturday Evening Post, and Life Magazine.  You learned current events, art, science, a little bit of politics and Life in These United States.
     I vividly remember one "joke" Readers Digest published regarding an old farmer and his wife riding down the road in their pickup.  They got behind a young couple in a convertible who were sitting so close to each other an ant couldn't squeeze between them.  The young man had one arm draped over the steering wheel and the other draped over his lady-friend (yes, that's what we called them).
     As the farmer and his wife drove along behind them the farmers wife turned to him and said, "remember when we used to sit like that?"  The farmer, being a man of few words, responded, "Yep."  Then after a moment of silence the wife asked, "well, why don't we sit like that anymore?".  With due thought and consideration the farmer responded, "Well, I ain't moved."
     Think about it.

     There are times when I feel God is like that farmer - he's always there, even unto the end of the age.  And, when there's separation it's not because God has moved from us - it's because we've strayed from God.
     Think about it.

Choir Pews

John 17:21 (HCSB) 21 May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.

     When I was twelve or so the church we attended bought some "new to us" pews.  Oh my were we excited!  No longer would we have to sit in cold, uncomfortable, noisy, metal folding chairs during worship.  No longer would we hear the screech of the chairs on the linoleum tile floor as we sat down after each Hymn.  No longer would we hear the crash of the chairs as they were knocked over when we raced out after Worship.  Hallelujah !!

     There was just one small problem. These were used "white" fiberglass pews purchased from a church of another denomination.  They needed to be cleaned, sanctified if you will - all the remains of the other denomination must be scrubbed off.  I remember wearing my Playtex gloves and scrubbing off the "others" with as much Mr. Clean as I could stand along with the other Scouts of Troop 161.  And those pews sparkled as new when we were done.

     For one whole Sunday the congregation was excited as one body to finally have real church pews to sit in.  Then it began.  As part of the deal we bought six short pews to place up front for the choir.  The first Sunday the pews were positioned to face the congregation.  The second Sunday they were adjusted to face the Pastor.  It became a race from week to week to see which faction of the choir would get to church first to position the pews until, finally, one faction sneaked in on a Saturday and BOLTED THE PEWS TO THE FLOOR.  

     The church split shortly after that.  Some said it was because of the pastor, others said the choir leader, many just left without saying a word.  But from the perspective of this twelve year old boy it was just a bunch of old folks that couldn't get along and had to have their way - just like all the rest of the world.  That's when I started leaving the church.  It wasn't special anymore, it wasn't different, it was just like every where else, a bunch of old folks that couldn't get along.  

     Years later I figured out it was Satan.  I swore never to forget those pews.  

                                                      Waiting for the water to fall

Genesis 8:18-22 

¹⁸ So Noah, along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, came out. ¹⁹ All wildlife, all livestock, every bird, and every creature that crawls on the earth came out of the ark by their groups.
²⁰ Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. He took some of every kind of clean animal and every kind of clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. ²¹ When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, He said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, even though man’s inclination is evil from his youth. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done.
²² As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, and day and night
will not cease.”

     A couple of weeks ago I had a brief opportunity to fish a local tailwater for a few hours.  For those of you that aren't  familiar, a "tailwater" is the river below a hydro-electric dam. When the generators are on water gushes through the dam and you can drown and I don't wade there when they are on because I don't want to drown.  But, when the generators are turned off  the water recedes and the fishing is usually quite good.  On this particular day I arrived at the river while the generators were still running - and it was raining....  So, I found a place to comfortably sit and I waited for the generators to shut off and the water to fall.  As I sat in the rain on this cloudy, cold, ugly day I thought of Noah and his family and how long THEY had to wait for the water to fall.  But at the end of their wait they had a "new" creation", a new beginning, provided by God.  Thanks to Noah, mankind got a do-over.

     And the first thing Noah and his family did when they got off the ark to start this new beginning was to build an altar and worship.  So, this Sunday falls on New Years Eve and the following day is a new beginning.  Sounds like a great idea to start this new do-over with worship to the One who makes it possible.