"The counterweight to grief is community." - Nashville Mayor Megan Berry
The words above were spoken by Nashville's mayor regarding the horrific massacre in Las Vegas this weekend. They had also been spoken by her husband just weeks earlier at the funeral of their son, as Nashville citizens shared in their loss. How grief attacks, along with fear, is by isolating a person from comfort. By internalizing the pain, rather than have a safe place for their grief to be shared and ministered to, we sorrow alone. With so many things going on in our world, that is just too heavy a burden to bear.
This statement strikes me personally this week. I've just returned from another weekend at Camp Bluebird, a camp for adult cancer survivors. We share sorrow and tears, joy and laughter (much, much laughter), we hug, sing, dance, and generally cavort. The weight of cancer is lifted by the community created. We all share equally each other's burdens. Not because we should, not because we have to. Simply because we love. And our own burdens are lifted in the process. I believe there is no power greater than the power of love, and that the power of love in community of others is unstoppable.
This doesn't eliminate the cancer. It doesn't stop the passing of dear friends, or the sadness of their loss. It does stop the grief and sometimes hopelessness from taking control. It allows us to remain stronger than that which assails us. The freedom to be more than the disease that has bonded us. That joyful release is unlike any other, and it happens because of our community. Camp Bluebird.
I pray for everyone to experience that community of love. I pray that God's church returns to that community of love, rather than the judgmental nature that seems to prevail. I pray for all my beautiful Bluebirds. Prayers and Bluebird Hugs to you all!
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Thursday, September 7, 2017
A Living Hope
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" - I Peter 1:3-4
Christians are supposed to be a happy lot. always smiling, always cheerful. Turning cheeks wherever we go. Smurfily dancing and "la-la"ing through the oversized flower garden of life. (Unless you try to touch our guns, or states rights, or individual rights, or national pride, or whatever else little niche we deem so important that our Christianity is used as it's proof, to the point where the niche is more important that the Christianity...these we guard like a Bengal Tiger over a fresh kill!)
OK, my sarcasm is on a roll here. But Christians are expected, by the world, to be happy. And we do have reason to be. So why are there days when I feel dead inside?
(In God's usual sense of humor, the moment I wrote those words, an ice cream truck was at the office, and there were freebies for everyone!)
The question still remains though. There are times when life seems overwhelming. Multiple pressures from all directions hammer us into a battered, broken pulp. Those times when it seems the only thing pulling us through the day is the end of it. When we look down, face in our hands, and cry "How long, O Lord, how long?"
The trick, it seems, is not to look down for too long. I'm not saying to ignore what's around you; that would be a lie. Even David knew "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand", but he also knew "but it will not come near you". (Psalms 91:7) He could cry out, saying "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1) then "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me". (Psalm 23:4)
What kind of faith can produce such hope? It seems like just wishful thinking. Can it be because the hope is not in our own selves, but in someone else? Not a relic of history, but in the living, breathing presence of Jesus? In the power of Almighty Father God? In the omnipresent Holy Spirit, with and among us? It is a LIVING HOPE, that carries us when we no longer have strength. Urges us on when we do. Our hope is not an impersonal ideal, not a platitude or gimmick. It is Jesus, the Christ, living presence of God. He is alive. And in His arms, in His love, so are we.
So, even when all seems lost we "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:14) And when we're hanging off a cliff and at the end of our rope, don't bother looking into the chasm below, but look up to the one pulling us out!
Christians are supposed to be a happy lot. always smiling, always cheerful. Turning cheeks wherever we go. Smurfily dancing and "la-la"ing through the oversized flower garden of life. (Unless you try to touch our guns, or states rights, or individual rights, or national pride, or whatever else little niche we deem so important that our Christianity is used as it's proof, to the point where the niche is more important that the Christianity...these we guard like a Bengal Tiger over a fresh kill!)
OK, my sarcasm is on a roll here. But Christians are expected, by the world, to be happy. And we do have reason to be. So why are there days when I feel dead inside?
(In God's usual sense of humor, the moment I wrote those words, an ice cream truck was at the office, and there were freebies for everyone!)
The question still remains though. There are times when life seems overwhelming. Multiple pressures from all directions hammer us into a battered, broken pulp. Those times when it seems the only thing pulling us through the day is the end of it. When we look down, face in our hands, and cry "How long, O Lord, how long?"
The trick, it seems, is not to look down for too long. I'm not saying to ignore what's around you; that would be a lie. Even David knew "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand", but he also knew "but it will not come near you". (Psalms 91:7) He could cry out, saying "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1) then "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me". (Psalm 23:4)
What kind of faith can produce such hope? It seems like just wishful thinking. Can it be because the hope is not in our own selves, but in someone else? Not a relic of history, but in the living, breathing presence of Jesus? In the power of Almighty Father God? In the omnipresent Holy Spirit, with and among us? It is a LIVING HOPE, that carries us when we no longer have strength. Urges us on when we do. Our hope is not an impersonal ideal, not a platitude or gimmick. It is Jesus, the Christ, living presence of God. He is alive. And in His arms, in His love, so are we.
So, even when all seems lost we "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:14) And when we're hanging off a cliff and at the end of our rope, don't bother looking into the chasm below, but look up to the one pulling us out!
Friday, September 1, 2017
There's A Fly In My Primordial Soup
I read this week where they are remaking the book and film "Lord of the Flies" with an all female cast. As one would expect, this has not gone without controversy. First, many are upset with Hollywood that a script for an all female cast is being written by two men. OK, I can see that. Second, many women are upset at being presented as becoming so vicious and violent. They counter that women would not behave that way. They would separate into natural groups and exist peacefully. My wife is still laughing at that one.
So let's start with the assumption that there would be tension, even violence, with the caveat that it may manifest in different ways that men would exhibit. That would still prove William Golding's original premise correct. Without control, people will fall to their basest instinct. This would be true for men or women, black or white, red or yellow, or any other groupings that can be considered. In essence, if you're human and you know it, clap your hands. (Clap, Clap)
This is the Bible's premise as well. All are broken, and have been since the fall of Adam. I speak a lot about God's love, and His forgiveness and grace. My favorite verse is from Isaiah 61:1, and quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19. "He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted." But for there to be healing, there must first be something broken. And we are, all of us. Even after He puts his new heart within us, we will sometimes slip and fall short of His goals. No one has ever achieved His perfection. And yet we seem to see perfection in ourselves, and notice the shortfalls in others. Remember the verse about the mote in the eye? (Matt 7:3)
I'm seeing much more groupings of hatred than I ever remember before. It's not that these didn't exist, but I think the barriers, the CONTROL, that held them back is no longer as strong, and the hate has become bolder. To stand against this, and we must stand, we cannot allow ourselves to fall into the same pattern of hate. That only creates more. An eye for an eye only causes two people to be blind. So how do we fight hate with love, if all of us are on the same broken playing field?
The love we need only God can provide. Only He loves not because of what we have done, but because of Whose children we are. Only His love can be greater than hate, His light greater than darkness. To find it means to empty ourselves of pride and bigotry, and to think of people, not groups. Individuals, not generalizations. Love each person as God loves you, quirks, faults, and all. (And I mean YOUR quirks, faults, and all. I of course am faultless.) See how easy it is to forget. 😃
Next time someone or something causes hate (not necessarily anger, there is a difference) to rise in you, make sure to step back and breathe. Pray. Ask how God would want you to approach it. Listen to what HE says. Take that fly out of your soup, and Go with God.
So let's start with the assumption that there would be tension, even violence, with the caveat that it may manifest in different ways that men would exhibit. That would still prove William Golding's original premise correct. Without control, people will fall to their basest instinct. This would be true for men or women, black or white, red or yellow, or any other groupings that can be considered. In essence, if you're human and you know it, clap your hands. (Clap, Clap)
This is the Bible's premise as well. All are broken, and have been since the fall of Adam. I speak a lot about God's love, and His forgiveness and grace. My favorite verse is from Isaiah 61:1, and quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19. "He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted." But for there to be healing, there must first be something broken. And we are, all of us. Even after He puts his new heart within us, we will sometimes slip and fall short of His goals. No one has ever achieved His perfection. And yet we seem to see perfection in ourselves, and notice the shortfalls in others. Remember the verse about the mote in the eye? (Matt 7:3)
I'm seeing much more groupings of hatred than I ever remember before. It's not that these didn't exist, but I think the barriers, the CONTROL, that held them back is no longer as strong, and the hate has become bolder. To stand against this, and we must stand, we cannot allow ourselves to fall into the same pattern of hate. That only creates more. An eye for an eye only causes two people to be blind. So how do we fight hate with love, if all of us are on the same broken playing field?
The love we need only God can provide. Only He loves not because of what we have done, but because of Whose children we are. Only His love can be greater than hate, His light greater than darkness. To find it means to empty ourselves of pride and bigotry, and to think of people, not groups. Individuals, not generalizations. Love each person as God loves you, quirks, faults, and all. (And I mean YOUR quirks, faults, and all. I of course am faultless.) See how easy it is to forget. 😃
Next time someone or something causes hate (not necessarily anger, there is a difference) to rise in you, make sure to step back and breathe. Pray. Ask how God would want you to approach it. Listen to what HE says. Take that fly out of your soup, and Go with God.
Friday, August 25, 2017
There Goes The Sun...
August 21, 2017. Sitting on my back porch, looking up into the sky, at least as much as those black out glasses would allow. Then from out of nowhere, it seemed, a small, curved sliver of the sun disappeared. Then more. Then more again. The moon gradually eating away at the sun. Then only a quarter left. Then less. Then still less. Then the sun makes one last gasp and...the world around me stops. I'm looking up slack jawed, staring at the hole in the sky that used to hold the sun, leaving only this little ringlet of flames. A quiet darkness all around me for the next 2 minutes and 40 seconds. It is dark, and it feels as if I'm holding my breath. Then a feeling of rebirth as the sun light bursts through like a diamond on the right side, and the process is reversed, from dark to light. I remember to breathe again. What a beautiful world.
YouTube entertainers and reality stars are suffering burn out and depression on a much larger scale than their counterparts in the entertainment industry, according to an NPR news report earlier this week. It seems by having to be "on" 24/7, there is so much pressure to always be accepted and liked, it just builds up. These people are responsible for their own writing, directing, filming, acting, editing and even marketing for shows at least twice a week, often more. One agent (yes, they have agents!) said when he sees a client nearing that edge, he'll tell them to take a break for a day. Shut off all social media. Get away. Stop being a brand for a while, and just be yourself.
I'm sure at this point some of you think I've just swallowed the red pill and followed Alice down the rabbit hole. But bear with me. We live in a society that bombards us with news and entertainment non-stop. We work more, and vacation less. Even when we do vacation, it is planned to the last minute, lest we should miss something. Our phones, which are now so much more, can never leave our sides, and our thumbs cramp up from use.
I had a friend that used to say, "Sometimes you just need sit and stare into a corner, and watch the cobwebs grow." Even God took a day off. And he told man to do the same thing. Take a Sabbath. Rest. Recharge. Connect again with yourself and the God who made you. During the eclipse, the thing that kept going through my mind was Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God." On August 21st, millions of people did just that. They stood, they sat, and all gasped collectively with awe and humility at the majesty of God's creation. Hate, politics, prejudice, greed, all shrank to the background in the collective stillness and childlike wonder.
When you feel you've lost your joy, when life is never ending pressure, then allow yourself a break. Watch a sunset, watch an eclipse, watch the cobwebs grow. "Be still and know that I am God" means more than recognizing His Lordship. It means that we can rest because He is in control. He keeps us safe. He says "Take my yoke...for my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11:29-30.
Be still, and know that I am God.
Be still, and know that I am.
Be still, and know.
Be still.
YouTube entertainers and reality stars are suffering burn out and depression on a much larger scale than their counterparts in the entertainment industry, according to an NPR news report earlier this week. It seems by having to be "on" 24/7, there is so much pressure to always be accepted and liked, it just builds up. These people are responsible for their own writing, directing, filming, acting, editing and even marketing for shows at least twice a week, often more. One agent (yes, they have agents!) said when he sees a client nearing that edge, he'll tell them to take a break for a day. Shut off all social media. Get away. Stop being a brand for a while, and just be yourself.
I'm sure at this point some of you think I've just swallowed the red pill and followed Alice down the rabbit hole. But bear with me. We live in a society that bombards us with news and entertainment non-stop. We work more, and vacation less. Even when we do vacation, it is planned to the last minute, lest we should miss something. Our phones, which are now so much more, can never leave our sides, and our thumbs cramp up from use.
I had a friend that used to say, "Sometimes you just need sit and stare into a corner, and watch the cobwebs grow." Even God took a day off. And he told man to do the same thing. Take a Sabbath. Rest. Recharge. Connect again with yourself and the God who made you. During the eclipse, the thing that kept going through my mind was Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God." On August 21st, millions of people did just that. They stood, they sat, and all gasped collectively with awe and humility at the majesty of God's creation. Hate, politics, prejudice, greed, all shrank to the background in the collective stillness and childlike wonder.
When you feel you've lost your joy, when life is never ending pressure, then allow yourself a break. Watch a sunset, watch an eclipse, watch the cobwebs grow. "Be still and know that I am God" means more than recognizing His Lordship. It means that we can rest because He is in control. He keeps us safe. He says "Take my yoke...for my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11:29-30.
Be still, and know that I am God.
Be still, and know that I am.
Be still, and know.
Be still.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Take a stand
This blog is a little tough to write. It will cause disruption at the least, hate quite possible, and the loss of friends a possibility. I need however to speak my mind on something that is rooted in evil itself, spans our history, and has come again to prominence.
Groups such as the Neo-Nazis, Skinheads, KKK, and White Nationalists, like a multi-headed serpent, have again come to a very vocal and violent presence in our country and world. Even though they should be shouted down from every voice from every corner of our nation, we have some who would claim these hate mongers as "Good people". Hear me clearly, those who would advocate hate are not "Good". They are not "Christian", they are not "good citizens of America", they are not anything but purveyors of hate. My father was severely wounded, and almost lost his life (But for the strategic placement of a Gideon's Bible taking the shrapnel) in fighting against these very low level dredges of society.
Yet here they are, coming again and again, spilling their vile, poisonous venom, amplifying it with violence and murder. As a strong believer in the First Amendment to free speech, they have the right to speak, however wrong they may be. But it is then up to us, as citizens, as Christians, as humans, to counter that speech until it is driven out, and no more assails and sickens us.
If you think my denunciation of these scum as too harsh, then I would refer you to a higher source.
So why speak out? Because without speaking out, the voices, the hatred, the violence only continues and grows; growing ever more bold, ever more confident, ever more evil. If we do not speak out, we are complicit in all that follows.
One last word on this, from pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He knew this evil quite intimately, and gave his life to stand against it in Nazi occupied Germany, even when he could have escaped with his life. He said,
"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."
Groups such as the Neo-Nazis, Skinheads, KKK, and White Nationalists, like a multi-headed serpent, have again come to a very vocal and violent presence in our country and world. Even though they should be shouted down from every voice from every corner of our nation, we have some who would claim these hate mongers as "Good people". Hear me clearly, those who would advocate hate are not "Good". They are not "Christian", they are not "good citizens of America", they are not anything but purveyors of hate. My father was severely wounded, and almost lost his life (But for the strategic placement of a Gideon's Bible taking the shrapnel) in fighting against these very low level dredges of society.
Yet here they are, coming again and again, spilling their vile, poisonous venom, amplifying it with violence and murder. As a strong believer in the First Amendment to free speech, they have the right to speak, however wrong they may be. But it is then up to us, as citizens, as Christians, as humans, to counter that speech until it is driven out, and no more assails and sickens us.
If you think my denunciation of these scum as too harsh, then I would refer you to a higher source.
Leviticus 19:17-18
“You shall not hate your brother in
your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin
because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons
of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Amos 5:15
Hate evil, and love good, and
establish justice in the gate;
Romans 12:9
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
1 John 2:11
But whoever hates his brother is in
the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going,
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 4:20-21
If anyone says, “I love God,” and
hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he
has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this
commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
And maybe my favorite:
1 John 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone
who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In
this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son
into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is
love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be
the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we
also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if
we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
That is pretty specific. Someone whose beliefs include a hatred or bigotry of another person or group because of race, religion, or even just being different, falls into that category. "If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar". And Jesus was even more specific than that.
Matthew 5:21-22
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, "You fool!" will be liable to the hell of fire."So why speak out? Because without speaking out, the voices, the hatred, the violence only continues and grows; growing ever more bold, ever more confident, ever more evil. If we do not speak out, we are complicit in all that follows.
One last word on this, from pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He knew this evil quite intimately, and gave his life to stand against it in Nazi occupied Germany, even when he could have escaped with his life. He said,
"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."
Will you stay silent? Or will you take a stand?
Friday, July 28, 2017
Abstractionism and Creeds
"Abstract goals lead to abstract results" - Anon.
"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it on my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you." - Philippians 4:13-15
I have often been known to take time to daydream. (Also known as wool gathering, watching the cobwebs grow, etc.) Imagining the impressive charitable contributions I would make upon obtaining a massive fortune, after buying a house, yacht, three King Charles Cavalier puppies, and a small music studio somewhere on my own Caribbean island of course. Trouble is, I don't see that as a reachable goal at my point in life, and the path to that goal is somewhat obscure, to say the least. So I continue the course laid before me, and count it good that God has allowed me to provide shelter and food for my family, even in the midst of illnesses that have tried to put obstacles in my way.
Just so, being a Christian isn't about having a vague concept of goodness, or thinking you have "made it" so you can wool gather at will. Being a Christian is about believing something, and then living like you represent it. In the early days of Christianity, there were many different ideas about just what it meant to be a Christian. Anybody could say they were a follower of Christ, but just what was that supposed to mean? It was different with every group of followers, some wildly different. The Church Fathers got together, and came up with this:
1. " I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth."
2. "And in Jesus Christ, His only son, our Lord."
3. "Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary"
4. "Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried."
5. "He descended into Hell. On the third day He rose again."
6. "He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father"
7. "From which He shall come, to judge the quick and the dead."
8. "I believe in the Holy Spirit"
9. "The Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints"
10. "The forgiveness of sins"
11. "The resurrection of the body"
12. "And the life everlasting, Amen"
Twelve statements, covering everything needed to call yourself "Christian". The very basic of being a child of God. Whatever reason you have for being a Christian, this should be your road map, your vision to the goal. Did you become a Christian out of fear of Hell? Fair enough, but rather than look back in fear, look forward in joy. Were you socially motivated? (That can be anything from peer pressure to simply wanting to look good in front of others on Christmas and Easter.) That still means those twelve tenants must be believed, not just in words, but in the heart.
Part of living a Christian life is believing that God loves you, and if He loves you, then you have purpose and meaning. And if there is purpose, it is sometimes in His vision, but not ours. He sees the path of our whole lives, while we can only see a step at a time. The creed above illuminates the path. Numbers 1,2, and 8-12 give us what to believe, and 3-7 tell us why. We may not always know what we encounter on the way, but our goal is the same: Jesus. The end of our journey is not death, the end of our journey is Him. He is our goal, our target, our prize, our victory.
Hebrews 12: 1-2 says
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
No abstract goal. Only the real, true, living Lord. Amen.
"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it on my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you." - Philippians 4:13-15
I have often been known to take time to daydream. (Also known as wool gathering, watching the cobwebs grow, etc.) Imagining the impressive charitable contributions I would make upon obtaining a massive fortune, after buying a house, yacht, three King Charles Cavalier puppies, and a small music studio somewhere on my own Caribbean island of course. Trouble is, I don't see that as a reachable goal at my point in life, and the path to that goal is somewhat obscure, to say the least. So I continue the course laid before me, and count it good that God has allowed me to provide shelter and food for my family, even in the midst of illnesses that have tried to put obstacles in my way.
Just so, being a Christian isn't about having a vague concept of goodness, or thinking you have "made it" so you can wool gather at will. Being a Christian is about believing something, and then living like you represent it. In the early days of Christianity, there were many different ideas about just what it meant to be a Christian. Anybody could say they were a follower of Christ, but just what was that supposed to mean? It was different with every group of followers, some wildly different. The Church Fathers got together, and came up with this:
1. " I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth."
2. "And in Jesus Christ, His only son, our Lord."
3. "Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary"
4. "Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried."
5. "He descended into Hell. On the third day He rose again."
6. "He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father"
7. "From which He shall come, to judge the quick and the dead."
8. "I believe in the Holy Spirit"
9. "The Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints"
10. "The forgiveness of sins"
11. "The resurrection of the body"
12. "And the life everlasting, Amen"
Twelve statements, covering everything needed to call yourself "Christian". The very basic of being a child of God. Whatever reason you have for being a Christian, this should be your road map, your vision to the goal. Did you become a Christian out of fear of Hell? Fair enough, but rather than look back in fear, look forward in joy. Were you socially motivated? (That can be anything from peer pressure to simply wanting to look good in front of others on Christmas and Easter.) That still means those twelve tenants must be believed, not just in words, but in the heart.
Part of living a Christian life is believing that God loves you, and if He loves you, then you have purpose and meaning. And if there is purpose, it is sometimes in His vision, but not ours. He sees the path of our whole lives, while we can only see a step at a time. The creed above illuminates the path. Numbers 1,2, and 8-12 give us what to believe, and 3-7 tell us why. We may not always know what we encounter on the way, but our goal is the same: Jesus. The end of our journey is not death, the end of our journey is Him. He is our goal, our target, our prize, our victory.
Hebrews 12: 1-2 says
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
No abstract goal. Only the real, true, living Lord. Amen.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Fly, Bluebird, Fly
"Spirits high, Bluebird. To the sky, Bluebird. Free, you and me. Lord, I want to be winging free." - Gary Mills
Sometimes, it's tough to be a Bluebird. By that, I'm talking about Camp Bluebird, the adult cancer survivor camp that is held twice a year. These are some great friends, and we share, in its many forms, the unique bond of cancer survivor. For two weekends a year, we ARE the norm, not the ones set aside by the label "cancer". For two weekends a year, we laugh, cry, pray; sometimes all at once. These are friends that go beyond "acquaintance". These are friends that I love to be with, and am proud to be a part of, even if my membership dues of cancer were rather steep. (To me, anyway.)
Today, we have lost a member of our group. I won't give the name, out of respect for the family. She was a sweet, funny, beautiful lady, with a heart so full of love it burst out of her, overflowing. The cancer came back for her, unexpectedly, and took her away. It was quick, and left us with a sudden vacuum where she had filled our lives. But part of being in this group is celebrating when a person is cancer free, and celebrating when they pass on as well.
I know so many who have had cancer, that want to act as if it was never there, and avoid anything that brings it up. I have a co-worker here, who also had colorectal cancer, and she looks away anytime I'm around. The fear of it coming back is for many, I believe, so great that avoidance is the only answer. But cancer will not be avoided, or ignored.
I recently read a devotional talking about cancer in trees. Sometimes, you may see, on a tree trunk, a large ballooned out part, looking like the tree just bulged out at that spot. That, according to botanists, is cancer. It hits a tiny spot, then spreads out in every direction. It looks ugly and deformed. But woodworkers actually love those cancerous spots. Their wood is multi-colored, and swirls, and can be crafted into magnificent works of art.
Don't get me wrong. I don't like cancer. I don't like that it takes lives. I don't like the toll it takes on families, finances, emotions, strength. But God can make good out of anything, if we give it to him. Without cancer, I would have never found such wonderful friends as those from Camp Bluebird. Without cancer, I would have never found my voice as a writer and blogger. Without cancer, I would have never found my voice as a pastor. I would never have had the guts to even try.
In the things we face in our daily lives, sometimes the cancer is all we can see, whether it be disease or stress or hardship or loss. Step back, and know that God is seeing from a different viewpoint. Let His vision guide what you comprehend. That is why He speaks of "peace that PASSES understanding". (Emphasis mine.) Rest in Him, and fly.
Sometimes, it's tough to be a Bluebird. By that, I'm talking about Camp Bluebird, the adult cancer survivor camp that is held twice a year. These are some great friends, and we share, in its many forms, the unique bond of cancer survivor. For two weekends a year, we ARE the norm, not the ones set aside by the label "cancer". For two weekends a year, we laugh, cry, pray; sometimes all at once. These are friends that go beyond "acquaintance". These are friends that I love to be with, and am proud to be a part of, even if my membership dues of cancer were rather steep. (To me, anyway.)
Today, we have lost a member of our group. I won't give the name, out of respect for the family. She was a sweet, funny, beautiful lady, with a heart so full of love it burst out of her, overflowing. The cancer came back for her, unexpectedly, and took her away. It was quick, and left us with a sudden vacuum where she had filled our lives. But part of being in this group is celebrating when a person is cancer free, and celebrating when they pass on as well.
I know so many who have had cancer, that want to act as if it was never there, and avoid anything that brings it up. I have a co-worker here, who also had colorectal cancer, and she looks away anytime I'm around. The fear of it coming back is for many, I believe, so great that avoidance is the only answer. But cancer will not be avoided, or ignored.
I recently read a devotional talking about cancer in trees. Sometimes, you may see, on a tree trunk, a large ballooned out part, looking like the tree just bulged out at that spot. That, according to botanists, is cancer. It hits a tiny spot, then spreads out in every direction. It looks ugly and deformed. But woodworkers actually love those cancerous spots. Their wood is multi-colored, and swirls, and can be crafted into magnificent works of art.
Don't get me wrong. I don't like cancer. I don't like that it takes lives. I don't like the toll it takes on families, finances, emotions, strength. But God can make good out of anything, if we give it to him. Without cancer, I would have never found such wonderful friends as those from Camp Bluebird. Without cancer, I would have never found my voice as a writer and blogger. Without cancer, I would have never found my voice as a pastor. I would never have had the guts to even try.
In the things we face in our daily lives, sometimes the cancer is all we can see, whether it be disease or stress or hardship or loss. Step back, and know that God is seeing from a different viewpoint. Let His vision guide what you comprehend. That is why He speaks of "peace that PASSES understanding". (Emphasis mine.) Rest in Him, and fly.
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