December 27, 2015 - along the Way ...

Well, we have come to the end of another year.   2015 will soon be only a memory, as a new year arises.  2016 is filled with anticipation for all that might be.  So as we move from one year to the next, we are confronted with the realities of time.  

There are a number of songs, which capture our preoccupation with time. 

“Time Marches On” by Tracy Lawrence which includes the line, “The only thing that stays the same is everything changes.”

“Nineteen Something” Mark Wills with the repeated line in the chorus, “I wouldn’t trade those days for nothin”

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel with the lines in the chorus, “... It was always burnin’ since the world’s been turnin’ … No, we didn’t light it, but we tried to fight it.”

        Popular culture has often mirrored our preoccupation with time.   But how should we, who follow Jesus, look at time?

In Psalm 90, the Psalmist, whom the scripture identifies as Moses, gives us some help in how we, who believe God’s promises, ought to view time.

(Read Psalm 90) p. 480

There is a simple message offered in this psalm.  The Lord is our dwelling place for all generations.  He is our home.   Yet in the midst of that simple message comes all the messiness of life.

The psalm is made of 3 parts.  

Part 1 is praise.  It recognizes God’s eternal being and His constant sovereign care.

Part 2 is a lament over the troubles and transience of life.  

Part 3 is a prayer for God’s help throughout life.

So let’s begin with Part 1 (verses 1-2): Praise

The Psalmist begins by declaring the Lord to be his home, and not only his home but the home of all who believe in Him from generations past to generations to come.   The Lord is eternal, and from everlasting to everlasting He is God.

Therefore, the Lord alone is worthy of our praise!

Yet Part 2 (verses 3-12) acknowledges the brokenness of a sin-sick world.  

Two themes offer evidence of the brokenness of our world.

Transience - We are only here on earth for a short time.  Each year that passes is one less in the number God has given us.  As 2015 comes to a close, it will never come back again.  It is gone forever, and all that will be left are memories.  And who we are now is not who we were 10 years ago, 5 years ago, or even at the start of 2015.   Things change, we change, yet God never changes!

Trouble - Not only are our days short in number, but they are accompanied with trouble.   God is good, but sometimes life is not.  I am sure everyone of us has experienced some type of hardship or trouble this year.   There have been good times, but there have also been times we wish would never have come.

Yet through it all, God is acknowledged as the One in charge, and fear is His due.  

Jewish wisdom literature teaches, “The Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 1:7)  Fear is respect, and the knowledge that God is great and I am not.  It is as one commentator has said, “I know two things for sure: First there is a God, and second I am not him.”   God is God, and fear is His due.

Finally, in the midst of the transience and trouble of life, the Psalmist leads us in a corporate prayer for help.   This is Part 3, and it is where we find our hope and our home.

Remember that the Psalmist began by telling us that the Lord is our dwelling place.  He is our home.  Well, if the Lord is our home, then He is the one to whom we should bring our troubles, cares, and concerns.  He is the One who can help in our time of need. 

Part 3: Prayer for help

Gladness for trouble (affliction)

Establishment for transience

Favor for wrath

God has granted us His grace through His Son; the eternal Word who became flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.   This is the miracle we celebrated at Christmas, and He is the miracle we celebrate all through the year. 

But as one year passes and a new year dawns, what do we, as those who believe God’s promise fulfilled in Jesus, learn from this Psalm?  

Our time on earth is limited.   We have a set number of years.  There will be trouble and hardship, and eventually our troubled days will come to an end.  Therefore, wisdom teaches us to number them, to feel them, “to taste tears and enjoy laughter”; to use them as best we can to make the truth of God’s kingdom come alive!

Our time, as are our lives, is in God’s hands.   We belong to God.  He has been our dwelling place for generations.  He is our home.  He will watch over us, and no matter what we think or feel, He will never leave us or forsake us.   

Finally, time is moving toward an end.  It is not an endless cycle, repeated over and over again, rather time is linear.  It will never be repeated, and it is heading toward a pre-determined end.   God knows when that day will be.   Jesus will return and will make all things new and all the sad things will come untrue.

Our times and our lives are in God’s hands.  We can trust Him because to Him the future is already history. 

To God be the glory!  Great things He has done, is doing, and will continue to do!

Amen.

November 10, 2015 - along the Way ...

It has been a few weeks since I have posted on my blog.   The last few weeks have been very full.  I recently started my second unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).   This second unit takes place at the Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque.   On top of the extra more than 20 hours each week for the CPE, I have participated in a few funerals, served on call with the Albuquerque Police Department, and last week drilled alongside those who serve in the New Mexico Air National Guard.

All these events, as well as the special days in the month of November, have me thinking about gratitude and service.

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13)

Jesus willingly laid down his life (see John 10:18) for us, His friends, and every military veteran follows Jesus' pattern in their willingness to lay down their lives if necessary for the cause of freedom.  As such, these men and women deserve our admiration, appreciation, and respect.  To all who have served, are serving, and those who one day will serve, "Thank you".

I have the privilege to serve alongside some great folks, the men and women who serve in the New Mexico Air National Guard (the "Tacos").   We occasionally recite a creed that reminds us of the seriousness of our commitment.   A line in "The Airman's Creed" says very plainly, "I defend my country with my life."

While it is our hope and prayer that no one from the NM ANG will ever have to actually give their life in defense of this country or our state, we each vow that if necessary we will defend this state and our nation even to the cost of our lives.   This is love; this is great love; in fact Jesus said there is no greater love than this.

Thank you again to all who have served, are serving, and someday will serve.   You are my heroes, and I am honored to serve alongside you as we journey together along the Way ....

October 14, 2015 - along the Way ...

Since we have covered all the seven deadly sins and their accompanying virtues, we will move onto other matters. 

This week I want to consider the definition of the church.   Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  So according to Jesus the church, which is the body of Christ, is present wherever 2 or 3 gather in Jesus’ name.  

So what does that mean?  

Too often we think of the church as a place, or a building, or a group of people (usually the same group of people) with which we gather each week, especially on Sunday.   But what if Jesus’ definition is more inclusive than that?  

What if we began to see the church, as the body of Christ, present anywhere at least two people gather in agreement in Jesus’ name?   How might our perception of the church and its purpose change?

Last week, as a chaplain with the local police, I had an opportunity to gather with some workers at a local business following the tragic death of one of their co-workers.   As I walked around, I chatted with a few different people.   It was amazing to me to see how many professed faith in God, yet others lamented that there were not many believers there, likely because they did not attend the same weekly worship gathering.   

What might happen in that business, if the believers recognized each other as brothers and sisters-in-Christ?   How might their workplace change?   How might they be able to encourage one another? 

I believe it is time we learn to see the church as Jesus defines it, “where two or three gather in my name”.   As we do, we will begin to see more opportunities to carry out the purpose of the church which is to reveal Christ and His kingdom to those around us wherever we find ourselves as we journey together along the Way … 

October 6, 2015 - along the Way ...

Today we will discuss the final of the "deadly sins" and its accompanying virtue.    The last of the seven deadly sins is wrath or anger.

Anger comes from misdirected desire because it often involves a response to something I wanted or felt I deserved but did not receive.   It is my desire to be respected and valued, which is not bad in itself, but when misdirected can lead to a sense of entitlement.   I feel I am owed respect, and when I do not get it, I get angry.

For example, the one place I recognize this most in my life is when I am behind the wheel.   If someone pulls out in front of me or cuts me off, I feel anger rising up inside of me.   I can feel my blood pressure begin to increase, and my face becoming tense and turning red.   There is a negative biological reaction to anger, and it causes me undue stress.

Yet there is a remedy for wrath.  The accompanying virtue that I must ask God to cultivate in me is patience leading to forgiveness.   Patience means seeing the value in the other person and respecting them as I wish to be respected, so that I am able to set aside my sense of entitlement and let another have first place.  

Patience also leads to forgiveness when I choose to show love for the other person, and offer them the benefit of the doubt, extending forgiveness even as I have received forgiveness from God.

Jesus highlights this when He taught us how we should pray.   One of the petitions in the prayer Jesus taught us to pray is: "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors".   We ask God to help us offer forgiveness to others as freely as we have received forgiveness by believing God's promise met in Christ.

Recently, I have learned a concept taught by Jeff Vander Stelt to the Soma Communities of which he has been pastor.   The concept is called "Gospel Fluency" and it involves four key questions that will help us navigate any situation in a Christlike manner.

1) Who is God?  (Theology) - What does the Bible say about who God is and how does God's being
                                                 relate to my situation?
2) What has God done? (Soteriology - Doctrine of Salvation) - What has God done in Christ and  
                                                 throughout history that would shed light on this current situation?
3) Who am I?  (Ecclesiology) - It is important to reflect on our identity (both collective and
                                                individual) in Christ to determine its relevance for the current situation.
4)  What should I do? (Missiology) - The church does what it is, our identity in Christ (determined by
                                                Who God is, and What He has done) shapes what we do.   This will
                                                make knowing the right thing to do in every situation much clearer,
                                                since as God's children we are called to love others as God has loved us
                                                in Christ.   Thus in this situation that would mean offering forgiveness.

I hope these thoughts have been helpful for you.   I invite you to share your own challenges, and how God has taught you how your identity in Christ can shape what you do in each situation, as we journey together along the Way ...

September 29, 2015 - along the Way ...

This week we look at the deadly sin of "sloth".

Sloth is interesting because it deals with wrongly directed desire that is really a lack of desire.   Sloth is the lack of desire to do something; be productive; use God-given gifts for God-glorifying activity.
Sloth is apathy, and a refusal to be responsive or responsible for one's calling.

The corresponding virtue to sloth is diligence; following through on one's responsibilities and calling.
Diligence should not be confused with overworking, which is often motivated by greed.   Diligence is willingness to serve in any capacity in order to bring the most glory to God.   It is not self-directed work, rather it is God-directed kingdom pursuit.

Consider Ephesians 2:10.   Following the important declaration in verses 8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith, a gift of God, not by works, Paul follows up with these words,

"For we are God's workmanship (poetry),

created in Christ Jesus,

to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do."

God's grace is not merely aimed at the personal salvation of individual believers.   Our salvation is not the end, but rather the means toward God's greater ends; the accomplishment of the good works God has prepared for us.

On the one hand, diligence recognizes this responsibility and seeks to pursue these ends seeking first God's kingdom and His righteousness.   Sloth, on the other hand, ignores God's call and chooses to disregard this kingdom responsibility. 

So I encourage each of us to pursue God's kingdom wholeheartedly, and not allow sloth to prevent us from accomplishing God's good purposes for His glory.  

These have been my thoughts, and I invite you to share some of your own as we journey together along the Way ... 

September 22, 2015 - along the Way ...

GREED.  It is one of the most dangerous of the Seven Deadly Sins, but most often it is ignored in our lives and our preaching.  

Jesus said, "No one can serve (worship) two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other,
or you will devoted to the one and despise the other.   You cannot serve (worship) both God and money (things)."   - Matthew 6:24

Greed is desire that has gone in the wrong direction.   Instead of focusing on our love for God and others, greed causes us to focus on ourselves, our wants and our desires.

Jesus also said, "pagans run after all these things" (Matthew 6:32a).   Greed defines the pagan by what they do, not who they are.  So greed is most dangerous because it can take us away from God.

In contrast, following up on His statement about pagans, Jesus says, "... and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His (God's) kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you (all) as well." (Matthew 6:32b, 33)

This leads us to the corresponding virtue that God calls us to cultivate in opposition to greed.   The virtue is generosity.

Generosity destroys greed from the inside out because it forces us to look away from our own wants and desires to see the needs of the people around us.  Generosity seeks first God's kingdom and righteousness to come alive in the lives of others, and trusts God to provide what we (all) need for each day.

So if you feel weighed down by greed, I encourage you to ask God to make you generous.   God has given us all we need for each day, and as we learn to share generously God's kingdom will come alive to more and more people.

These are my thoughts, and I am certain you also have thoughts to share, so I invite you to share some of your own thoughts as we journey together along the Way ....

September 15, 2015 - along the Way ...

Envy is also identified as one of the "Seven Deadly Sins".   Envy begins with desire and quickly goes the wrong way.

Envy is not only desire for something someone else has, it also includes contempt for the person who has what you desire.  Envy can be deadly because it can lead to something much worse.

In the book, "Not the Way it's Supposed to Be: a Breviary of Sin" by Neal Plantinga he retells a story of a woman who envied another woman so much that it led to murder.   She murdered the woman and the man she wanted from the woman.   Granted, this is a very extreme example of how envy can go wrong, but a real life example nonetheless.

On the other hand, kindness is a desire we can cultivate in opposition to envy.   Kindness wants the very best for the other.   Kindness is even willing to sacrifice to see another's needs met, and celebrates with the other in their happiness.

So what about you?

Are you envious of anyone?   Are you allowing that envy to poison your soul?    If so, you can do something about it.   You can pray that God will develop in you a kindness that seeks what is best for others and not just yourself.   You can choose to bless rather than curse, and in so doing you can be a light in a world that often seems very dark.

These are my thoughts, so what about yours?   I invite you to share your thoughts as we journey together along the Way ...