The Dream Factory

Love Thy Neighbor - for lack of any better title

 

I hate violence.

With my pacifist leanings, I am convinced that it is the least effective and most morally suspect way to bring about social or political change.

I hate all that goes with violence and have a deep aversion for riots, screaming, and angry outbursts,

But I am also a reader and student of history and I know that history does not always agree with my assessments or moral outrage.

Furthermore, as an amateur linguist, I know the meaning of moral equivalency and how it can be used to justify and multitude of sins. It is a key weapon in the arsenal of those who would such the life from legitimate movements and expressions of outrage.

It is very useful for those who wish to elevate temporary and isolated incidents of moral breaches to historic, persistent, and deep-rooted injustice. It can also be helpful in comparing our morality to that of others, ours being superior of course.

Friends, and if you read my blog, you are my friends, violence in the streets, as problematic as it is, will subside.

Rioters grow weary and go home.

Then, they pull back and continue to let the anger fester until it explodes again.

Perpetrators and systems of systemic injustice never grow weary and do not go home. The underlying causes continue.

When someone explodes, it is easy to direct all of our attention to the explosion and focus on it as being inappropriate and even the cause of the problem.

But, if we do a little analysis and engage in empathetic observation, we might gain a little perspective.

Gut reactions always evoke gut reactions.

Love, understanding, search for truth, pragmatism, empathy, morality, introspection, and prayerful self examination while stepping out of our narratives and boxes of thinking will take us farther down the road to justice.

We will continue to see things through our experiential and ideological lenses, but it would help to understand that we actually are wearing those lenses and take they off at least briefly to catch a glimpse of another reality.

There are many stupid things I could say to draw our attention from the issues that must be addressed in this hour. Many have already been said and some justify ourselves while condemning others who are doing the same thing we exalt. Here are a few examples:

Stupid Things I Could Say at a Time Like This #3
"England is sovereign. Law & order are necessary for a stable society. Rebelling against legitimate (or illegitimate) authority is wrong because God calls us to obey our rulers."
-Thomas Jefferson, 1776-or was that Jeff Thomarson?

Stupid Things I Could Say at a Time Like This #653.2
"If everyone would just behave and accept injustice, everything will work out alright."

Stupid Things I Could Say at a Time Like This #496.8
"Don't acknowledge the root causes of people's anger and frustration; it might be construed as condoning bad choices and responses."

Stupid Things I Could Say at a Time Like This #397.3
"Don't remind people of why they are angry and frustrated because it might make them angry and frustrated."

Stupid Things I Could Say at a Time Like This #654.8
"If native Americans had just complied with our directives to relocate, more might have survived."

Stupid Things I Could Say at a Time Like This #1
Almost Anything

But then, I hear another voice,

Love thy neighbor as thyself.

And yet, another,

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! - Amos 5:24, NIV

 

 

A Gift of GAB - Goodwill Attitude Bias

 

Do you have the gift of GAB?

It really is a gift and a skill.

I propose a philosophical predisposition for ministry, business, and now politics which I will call GAB - Goodwill Attitude
Bias.

Simply put, we check our attitudes regularly to access the level of bias toward goodwill in our actions, reactions, responses, and overtures toward others whether they are clients, constituents, coworkers, associates, parishioners, or people on the street.

Are the words we are about to speak and decisions we are about to make effecting and affecting them bathed in the sweet water of goodwill?

Do we have their best interests at heart?

Are we genuinely interested in lifting them rather than tearing them down, in building them up, and giving them tools for becoming all they can be?

Without exercising any control over people's lives and respecting their autonomy, are we concerned about them? Are we allowing God's love to flow through us toward them?

It is a well used cliche, worthy  of greater exposure that no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

Don't fake it as a "gabber;" be one.

You can gab and gab and gab, but unless there is goodwill in your heart toward those to whom you are conveying your message, it is meaningless.

I included politics because in our current environment of disrespect and uncivil childishness, no one is speaking to anyone. I understand some of it and sympathize with the frustrations of many. However, there is no movement.  Political operatives talk over people, about them, through them, and around them.

Several years ago, Senator and Episcopal minister, John Danforth wrote Faith and Politics.  He lamented the loss of the center in American  politics and the abandonment of civility when there is an illusion of certainty in  our polarized positions. Perhaps the center is not the best place for everyone, but we still need one and everyone is at the center of at least one or two issues.

It is not enough to have a great message, a great cause, a great product, or a great business opportunity. if we don't love our neighbor and genuinely care about his or her well being, wishing that person well (which is the essence of goodwill), we really have nothing worthy of saying or hearing.

Keep your strong opinions, but always listen.

Express yourself strongly but smile and laugh with your adversaries.

Fight for justice with all your might, but recognize the good and sincerity as well as the flaws in your comrades and opponents.

Cultivate goodwill as your attitude bias and live by your convictions. Not everyone will sign on with you, but many more people will be willing to hear what you are saying.

Then, you will have the true gift of GAB.

 

 

How Do You Spell Success? - Be Not Afraid.

 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. - Joshua 1:8

Modern and postmodern men  and women define success subjectively, materialistically, and temporally, but God defines it universally, spiritually, and eternally. When He promised Joshua success, He did so by His own standards and fulfilled that promise magnificently.

From Joshua’s example and from the whole counsel of scripture, we can discover that success is spelled out in biblical principles and values.

 S is for Submission to the will of God.

Unless we align ourselves with kingdom purposes, we cannot consider our lives successful no matter what we accomplish. Joshua was willing to submit.

U is for Understanding the big picture.

When God fashions a successful man or woman, He gives that person a broad view and a vision that is confined neither to present circumstances, nor to that person’s narrow world of experiences. The scriptures which Joshua was to make a daily part of His life give us God’s big picture.

C is for Commitment to the long haul. 

 We must be willing to run the race after we have run out of breath, after our legs begin to grow weak and our strength begins to fail. Discouragement and weariness are no match for a man or woman on mission from God. The conquest of the promised land was a going to require the rest of Joshua’s life and God’s mission will consume all of our days as well.

C is for Concern for people & communication.  

As a leader of people, Joshua would have to cultivate his skills as a people person. His shepherding role would be as vital to his success as his skills as a military leader and his capacity to envision the future under God.

E is for Effective expenditure of energy.

 Joshua must have had a keen concept of time. He and Caleb had been with the children of Israel since the beginning of the time in the wilderness. He also knew how fragile time and timing can be and the energy required to manage time wisely.

S is for Social responsibility.

 Joshua had a responsibility to God and to the people. God had called him to look after the well being of every family in the household of Israel. The responsibility was awesome, but it is the price of successful leadership.

S is for Sincerity of focus.

God could trust Joshua because He knew that Joshua would be able to focus on the goal and the tasks necessary to achieve that goal. Sincerity requires single-minded focus and it is also part of the price of success.

 

It Is Step by Step

 

Revised from 2007

Love the Process

Do you love the results of wisdom, but hate the process?

Wisdom is key to success in any endeavor. Without it, we falter at some point. For that reason, we all want it - and we want it right now. We want to be wise and successful. We want it immediately.

We all want good results, but it is the few who are willing to embrace the means by which good things come who actually receive the benefits.

Proverbs 12:1 says in the KJV,

"Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish."

In the NIV, the word "instruction" is rendered, "discipline." The word for "brutish" is "stupid."

The meaning is the same. If you love the results, you will learn to love the process. It is "stupid" to expect  to grow without discipline and instruction.

It takes a degree of humility to submit to mentors, teachers, and coaches. It takes a truckload of open-mindedness to ask questions when we think we know the answers. It takes great wisdom to listen with the admission that we don't know everything.

Those who are willing to make such an admission are those who acquire greater wisdom and more useful knowledge.

Learn to love the process even if it stretches you beyond your ordinary comfort zone. Don't just endure it; enjoy it. Make it an adventure.

There are some other proverbs in chapter 12  that help me understand the reluctance of people to learn while they profess the desire to know.

Verse 12 says, "The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit."

"Net" means "plunder." Plunder is something you take from someone else after they have done the hard work and gained it through effort and application of truth. Plunderers gather up the fruits of war that others have earned.

We tend to plunder the surface fruits of other people's discipline, but real fruit comes when the search for truth goes deep in our lives.

That is why it is the "root of righteousness" that bears fruit.

Plunder will last until the first scorching heat or freezing rain, but that which is rooted in sound discipline and the natural processes of growth will last and continue to bear fruit.

So do your own work with the people that have come into your life to guide you. Study, read, listen, ask questions, observe the masters, allow them to observe you, and accept correction.

Verse 15  says,

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise."

You can be right in your own eyes and still not prosper because your eyes have blind spots. Hating the process of discipline often manifests itself in an unwillingness to submit our ideas to the scrutiny of others and listen to their counsel.

The fool is not lacking in confidence, but it is false confidence based upon false assumptions that he is always right.

Verse 24 - "The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute."

Verse 27 - "The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious."

The lazy man may actually gain something and not be willing to do the follow-through to apply what he has gained.

Maybe you have been to a workshop and have taken meticulous notes - even made to-do lists to implement the moment you got back home or to work. Then, you put the notebook in a drawer and forgot about it.

You have not roasted your game. It just rots.

Our problem is that we have been conditioned toward laziness and we reject the process of discipline and learning because it looks too much like work. Follow-through is even harder.

IT IS WORK!

It is hard work, but it is work that produces positive results and continues to do so. Wisdom perpetuates itself because it never stops loving the process and never stops desiring more and investing in growth.

What is the PROCESS?

P - Perpetual learning.

You are a student of life for the rest of your life.You will never come to the place where you are not a student no matter how many people call you, "teacher."

R - Receptivity .

You can't pour water into a container with the lid on. Take the lid off of your attitude and drink in what is being offered. Keep your knowledge to yourself from time to time so that you can gain the knowledge of others. Proverbs 12:23 says that a prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself all the while a fool is blurting out folly. There will be plenty of time to tell what you know and impress the socks off of people. Don't waste the time for learning by spouting what you already know.

O - Observation.

Part of the process of learning is observing the world and people around you. Be a student of people and their behaviors. Imitate successful people. hang around so that you can observe. Sometimes it is just being there. Proverbs 13:20 (NIV) says, "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."

C - Counsel.

Wise people who are getting wiser are always seeking advice and counsel. The are checking our their own impressions and not relying on what they already know. They seek counsel from the old and the young, from teachers and students, and from God.  Has it ever occurred to you why lawyers don't represent themselves in  court (or doctors don't operate on themselves?). There is a saying among those in the law profession that goes like this: A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for an attorney."

E -  Eagerness.

Loving discipline implies an eagerness for it. It suggests that the individual seeks out mentors and teachers, opportunities to learn, workshops, audio lectures, books, journals, Internet sites, and companions who can help him learn and grow. The eager learner embraces correction and accountability and wants to know when he is on the wrong track.

S - Simplicity.

While the process may seem complex, it is in the sense that it organizes itself as it is lived out in life. Discipline applied from the outside is not complicated. We are given instructions and assignments and we do them. We sign up for an entry level course and are given a text book. We look at the book and think it is to simplistic for us. So we go out and gather material that is out of sequence rather than submitting to the simple discipline of the course. The result it confusion. Don't despise the simplicity that is presented to you in order to consider yourself deep or advanced. Every new discipline starts out at the beginning for us. Don't skip first base.

S- Stages.

All learning takes place in stages and some of us like to skip them. Don't. Take your steps one at a time. Occasionally, you may be able to skip one, but more often that not, you will discover later on that you missed an important building block and you will have to go back to that stage to get it.

Love the process and the process will bring you the results you desire.'

 

 

Do you love the results of wisdom, but hate the process?

Wisdom is key to success in any endeavor. Without it, we falter at some point. For that reason, we all want it - and we want it right now. We want to be wise and successful. We want it immediately.

We all want good results, but it is the few who are willing to embrace the means by which good things come who actually receive the benefits.

Proverbs 12:1 says in the KJV,

"Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish."

In the NIV, the word "instruction" is rendered, "discipline." The word for "brutish" is "stupid."

The meaning is the same. If you love the results, you will learn to love the process. It is "stupid" to expect  to grow without discipline and instruction.

It takes a degree of humility to submit to mentors, teachers, and coaches. It takes a truckload of open-mindedness to ask questions when we think we know the answers. It takes great wisdom to listen with the admission that we don't know everything.

Those who are willing to make such an admission are those who acquire greater wisdom and more useful knowledge.

Learn to love the process even if it stretches you beyond your ordinary comfort zone. Don't just endure it; enjoy it. Make it an adventure.

There are some other proverbs in chapter 12  that help me understand the reluctance of people to learn while they profess the desire to know.

Verse 12 says, "The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit."

"Net" means "plunder." Plunder is something you take from someone else after they have done the hard work and gained it through effort and application of truth. Plunderers gather up the fruits of war that others have earned.

We tend to plunder the surface fruits of other people's discipline, but real fruit comes when the search for truth goes deep in our lives.

That is why it is the "root of righteousness" that bears fruit.

Plunder will last until the first scorching heat or freezing rain, but that which is rooted in sound discipline and the natural processes of growth will last and continue to bear fruit.

So do your own work with the people that have come into your life to guide you. Study, read, listen, ask questions, observe the masters, allow them to observe you, and accept correction.

Verse 15  says,

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise."

You can be right in your own eyes and still not prosper because your eyes have blind spots. Hating the process of discipline often manifests itself in an unwillingness to submit our ideas to the scrutiny of others and listen to their counsel.

The fool is not lacking in confidence, but it is false confidence based upon false assumptions that he is always right.

Verse 24 - "The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute."

Verse 27 - "The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious."

The lazy man may actually gain something and not be willing to do the follow-through to apply what he has gained.

Maybe you have been to a workshop and have taken meticulous notes - even made to-do lists to implement the moment you got back home or to work. Then, you put the notebook in a drawer and forgot about it.

You have not roasted your game. It just rots.

Our problem is that we have been conditioned toward laziness and we reject the process of discipline and learning because it looks too much like work. Follow-through is even harder.

IT IS WORK!

It is hard work, but it is work that produces positive results and continues to do so. Wisdom perpetuates itself because it never stops loving the process and never stops desiring more and investing in growth.

What is the PROCESS?

P - Perpetual learning.

You are a student of life for the rest of your life.You will never come to the place where you are not a student no matter how many people call you, "teacher."

R - Receptivity .

You can't pour water into a container with the lid on. Take the lid off of your attitude and drink in what is being offered. Keep your knowledge to yourself from time to time so that you can gain the knowledge of others. Proverbs 12:23 says that a prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself all the while a fool is blurting out folly. There will be plenty of time to tell what you know and impress the socks off of people. Don't waste the time for learning by spouting what you already know.

O - Observation.

Part of the process of learning is observing the world and people around you. Be a student of people and their behaviors. Imitate successful people. hang around so that you can observe. Sometimes it is just being there. Proverbs 13:20 (NIV) says, "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."

C - Counsel.

Wise people who are getting wiser are always seeking advice and counsel. The are checking our their own impressions and not relying on what they already know. They seek counsel from the old and the young, from teachers and students, and from God.  Has it ever occurred to you why lawyers don't represent themselves in  court (or doctors don't operate on themselves?). There is a saying among those in the law profession that goes like this: A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for an attorney."

E -  Eagerness.

Loving discipline implies an eagerness for it. It suggests that the individual seeks out mentors and teachers, opportunities to learn, workshops, audio lectures, books, journals, Internet sites, and companions who can help him learn and grow. The eager learner embraces correction and accountability and wants to know when he is on the wrong track.

S - Simplicity.

While the process may seem complex, it is in the sense that it organizes itself as it is lived out in life. Discipline applied from the outside is not complicated. We are given instructions and assignments and we do them. We sign up for an entry level course and are given a text book. We look at the book and think it is to simplistic for us. So we go out and gather material that is out of sequence rather than submitting to the simple discipline of the course. The result it confusion. Don't despise the simplicity that is presented to you in order to consider yourself deep or advanced. Every new discipline starts out at the beginning for us. Don't skip first base.

S- Stages.

All learning takes place in stages and some of us like to skip them. Don't. Take your steps one at a time. Occasionally, you may be able to skip one, but more often that not, you will discover later on that you missed an important building block and you will have to go back to that stage to get it.

Love the process and the process will bring you the results you desire.'

 

 

One Question to Ask Before You Sink Your Ship

Originally from 2007

What Do You Really Want Out of This?

Sometimes in life, business, and ministry, you encounter people, situations, and attitudes that make your blood boil. Your visceral reaction is to stomp the living daylights out of that raunchy attitude, express your indignation over the unjust situation, and put that person causing you difficulties in his or her place.

Quick, harsh words will do the trick and it will be all over.

Will they? Will it be  over?

What do you want? What do you really want?

Do you want your check cashed, your order filled, or your question answered? Or do you want a fleeting moment of carnal pleasure watching someone else suffer discomfort and deflation of ego?

Do you want the problem solved or do you prefer to escalate it to the next level?

Do you want the relationship mended or maimed?

Do you prefer to make an enemy or a friend or client?

Do you want to create a bad memory or a pleasant one?

Do you wish to be destructive or productive?

Do you even like yourself enough to do what is in your own best interest?

Self foot shooting is a national sport among those who would rather bath in the sulfur baths of self-justification and indignation than back up, back off, and win.

Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

What is your goal here? Is it the brick wall of wrath that is more like swimming against a current than going with the flow? Is it escalating anger that gets you no where? Do you want to make your adversary angrier or would you prefer to make him or her a partner in reaching your goals?

It is really up to you, but harsh words and unbridled anger will never be your friends on the road to success. They form an attitude that, for many, is the one roadblock to personal progress. Those who possess it find endless excuses for not succeeding and they all involve someone or something that has gotten in their way and impeded them when, in fact, it is this attitude that has been in their way all along.

So, ask yourself and be honest, "What do I really want out of this?"

Once you know, adjust your attitude, soften your response, and go for it!

 

 

 

Sometimes in life, business, and ministry, you encounter people, situations, and attitudes that make your blood boil. Your visceral reaction is to stomp the living daylights out of that raunchy attitude, express your indignation over the unjust situation, and put that person causing you difficulties in his or her place.

Quick, harsh words will do the trick and it will be all over.

Will they? Will it be  over?

What do you want? What do you really want?

Do you want your check cashed, your order filled, or your question answered? Or do you want a fleeting moment of carnal pleasure watching someone else suffer discomfort and deflation of ego?

Do you want the problem solved or do you prefer to escalate it to the next level?

Do you want the relationship mended or maimed?

Do you prefer to make an enemy or a friend or client?

Do you want to create a bad memory or a pleasant one?

Do you wish to be destructive or productive?

Do you even like yourself enough to do what is in your own best interest?

Self foot shooting is a national sport among those who would rather bath in the sulfur baths of self-justification and indignation than back up, back off, and win.

Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

What is your goal here? Is it the brick wall of wrath that is more like swimming against a current than going with the flow? Is it escalating anger that gets you no where? Do you want to make your adversary angrier or would you prefer to make him or her a partner in reaching your goals?

It is really up to you, but harsh words and unbridled anger will never be your friends on the road to success. They form an attitude that, for many, is the one roadblock to personal progress. Those who possess it find endless excuses for not succeeding and they all involve someone or something that has gotten in their way and impeded them when, in fact, it is this attitude that has been in their way all along.

So, ask yourself and be honest, "What do I really want out of this?"

Once you know, adjust your attitude, soften your response, and go for it!

 

 

In My Opinion

Mrs. Slocombe is probably my favorite character in the British comedy, "Are You Being Served?" She would sometimes say that some thing was her opinion and that she was unanimous in that.

Many of us feel pretty unanimous about our opinions.

The word comes flows from Latin along a meandering path beginning with "opinari" which means  "think, judge, suppose,  and opine." 

I have some opinions. Don't you? Sometimes I like being asked my opinion. Sometimes I do not. Sometimes, I suspect a set-up or a prelude to an argument. Other times, I fear a rift in the making if my opinion offends someone. Other times, I think it might just be too much work to explain it and I do not want to defend it.

Then, there are moments when I feel honored to be asked and other moments when I feel conscience bound to lend my perspective so that others might weigh it in as they formulate their own views.

It is a predicament.

At any rate, there are opinions and there are statements of fact. Opinions may be right, wrong, or, frequently, neither right nor wrong.

Facts can be right, wrong, distorted, out-of-context, misrepresented,  unverified, untested, partly right, partly wrong, and misleading.

I am more inclined to dispute or defend facts.

I am less inclined to challenge, dispute, or defend opinions.

I might state an opinion, let you state yours, and say no more. I may not respond to challenges to my opinion if I feel that my responsibility was fulfilled in stating it. In the same way, my silence when you state your opinion should not be construed as agreement. I may just be letting you have your say while I have nothing more to say on the matter.

I might also do the same with statements of fact. But I may also respect and investigate challenges to my "fact" or "information-only" statements I might challenge others or ask for sources, or do my own research.

Context of the statement might also matter. Is it my platform where these things are being stated or yours? I really have no responsibility for what you do on your platform. I do for mine. I do for what I say and for what I allow to go unchallenged.

A beginning step toward helpful dialogue would be to distinguish between opinion and fact.

Opinions often begin with words such as. "I believe," "I feel," "In my opinion," "It is my assumption/conviction/bias/view that," or "The way that I see it."

Who can argue with that? It is a statement of fact that you believe that, not whether it is ultimate truth. It adds to the discussion a disclosure of your presuppositions and I can respect that you know what they are.

Of course, there is a long process of arriving at an opinion and your should be able to track yours and know what core beliefs your opinions are built upon. That is another set of legitimate questions. If an opinion is based upon false "facts," it i subject to rethinking ... but you have to think for yourself.

So, this is a position paper on part of my operating process for social discourse in social media and other stages of public  and private dialogue. Silence does not mean agreement, lack of conviction, or defeat. Stating an opinion does not mean I must be right. Stating facts as facts requires documentation and invites challenge.

At least, that is how I see it.

And furthermore, these are times when the distinction can be a matter of life and death.

 

 

Who Will You Believe? It Matters.

 

For the Record - I am deeply committed to everyone's right to their own opinion.

 

But I am also committed to truth ... and in these days, half-truths, unverified truths, speculative "truths," conspiracy theories, distrust of scientists, and many ideological interpretations of our current events can cost people lives.

 

If I pass on something that causes people great hard by lowering their guard, then I am not loving my neighbor ... so I will not participate.

 

I believe the experts. I believe them most when their facts and findings are made available with their raw data and subject to press and peer scrutiny, the scientific method, fact-checking, and correction.

 

I am committed to a conservative approach to reopening our public places, use of precautions, and mutual sacrifice for the good of others.

 

Caution can save lives.

 

I have friends suffering from Covid 19 and in grave health. Some people I know and know of have died. They are not inflated their statistics. This is real. It is happening in our plain sight.

 

I know the medical people and hospitals that are making profound sacrifices and taking great risks. They are not doing it for money or to wield power over us.

 

My own non-profit has been virtually put out of business by this crisis. We have suffered and the people we serve have as well --- but I am not about to endanger their lives to save our organization or program. Things can be rebuilt. We have to share in sacrifice for the sake of community.

 

I am motivated by the Great Commandment to love God and neighbor and I know we all have to work out what that looks like for ourselves ... but I know it does not mean vilifying people who are trying their best to help and acting in courage to do so.

 

I am also motivated by logic and healthy skepticism and that skepticism includes looking with jaundiced eye and yellow journalism that calls legitimate journalism , "fake" because it does not bend in a particular ideological direction. I check multiple sources and research the background and that includes the credentials of authors and publishers I read.

 

This crisis is real. The sicknesses are real. The economic impacts are real. The deaths are real. There are real people working hard on this and, for my money, the mainstream press is doing an excellent job of keeping us informed and asking hard questions ... which is their job.

 

So, there it is, for the record, my position, or at least part of it. You can disagree with me and I will still love you ... and wear a mask around you for the time being.

 

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. - Matthew 10:16

 

And now, a little inspiration from some real heroes.

 

If My People Pray

 

I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. – I Timothy 2:1

I am as put off as any by the empty words, “thoughts and prayers” whenever those words are empty and used to dismiss one’s own responsibility to act with justice, mercy, and resolve.

Thought, however, is a very good thing, especially compassionate thoughts about others. Likewise, prayer is good, especially when one opens one’s life to being used by God to help others.

With echoes of II Chronicles 7:13-14 in the background, Paul is not calling for extraordinary prayer, but for daily, ongoing, consistent, persistent, passionate prayer for the lives of men and women and the welfare of society.

This call to prayer is for all people first. Then Paul becomes specific in commanding us to pray for people in civil authority that the church might enjoy, with the larger community, quiet, peace, godliness, and honesty.

Furthermore, we are adjured to pray because it is God’s will to bring all men to salvation and truth. God invites our cooperation, participation, and conversation in task and mission of rescuing the world.

It is sad that we need special days to remind us that we ought to be praying all the time.

I have some pills that I must take every day by prescription. I try to minimize these with good nutrition and vitamins, but because of the wear and tear of the years, my body needs these medicines to function properly – at least for now.

If I forget to take a pill for a particular malady, I can get by with it for a few hours, but at least by the second day, I will be hurting, and the reminders will be evident.

If I forget my blood pressure pill, however, I will have no symptoms whatsoever. In fact, I might be able to take my blood pressure that day and notice extraordinarily little difference. I will have no symptoms over time, but my blood pressure will begin to creep up and I will place myself in danger of a sudden heart attack or stroke down the road.

God has prescribed prayer for our own well-being, for others, and for our society. If we live in sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, we will most likely notice it if we miss a day of prayer. But the larger implications may show no symptoms at first.

We will lull ourselves into complacency and false comfort. In the meantime, our spiritual lives, and the spiritual climate around us will erode until there is some great catastrophe as the natural result of the absence of supernatural intervention. 

God’s message to us on this matter is that prayer matters.

It makes a difference.

Think. Pray. Act.

Do all three, but always, also, pray.

Then, be willing to act on your prayers.

 

 

In a Squeeze, We Squeeze It In and Squeeze it Out

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Help! I'm in a squeeze!

You've heard it.

You've said it.

The Squeeze

You are a business, social, or spiritual entrepreneur.  Perhaps are  someone's employee. You have dreams. You have deadlines. You are a volunteer.  Most likely, you have a family, a home, and "chores." You are a human being with personal and spiritual growth goals.

You are busy. Balance is an issue. You are always behind.

You are doing whatever you do in the cracks of your life between other major responsibilities. You frequently complain that you just don't have "enough time." You feel guilty when you relax. you feel frustrated about all the things you didn't get done.

You are in a self-imposed squeeze and, when it comes to building your dreams and doing what must be done. You are in a squeeze and you have to "squeeze things in."

Top that off with the troubling reality that you are not all that fond of tight spaces ... which is one reason why you ARE and entrepreneur and a dreamer so that you can get out of them.

Unfortunately, in order to accomplish that, you need to get into some ... for a while.

Let's consider some, quite impromptu ideas for coping with the squeeze and letting it even squeeze a little more greatness out of you and efficiency out of your schedule ... In fact, the first letter is S and the ...

S is for SCHEDULE.

Make it; break it; bend it; keep it as best as possible. Make it reasonable. Break it gently. Bend it whenever necessary (So keep it flexible). Keep it as a form of disciple and as a planning tool.

Q is for QUIET.

Quiet your soul. Live by grace. Receive it and give it. Relax often. Leave space in your life for God, family, self, and reflection. Whatever your spiritual, emotional, or intellectual disciplines, include a quiet time in every day. Make it the un-squeezed portion of your life.

U is for UNDERSTAND.

Do what you do with a rationale and purpose. Understand yourself:  your pace, your purpose, your passion-driven energy, and your productivity index. By knowing what makes you most effective and how to apportion your energy and time, you will be able to squeeze more out of every hour. Then, also understand the task as part of the whole project and mission and what it takes to get done what you are determined to do. Live with understanding.

E is for ENERGY.

Know that your productivity index is more about how you budget your energy than your time. Time is a necessary commodity, but if you have from midnight to 6 AM every day, it doesn't mean that such time is going to be productive because you will most likely be out of energy and much in need of rest.

E is also for EQUIPPING.

It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is just as true that an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of effort. Squeezing an empty tube of toothpaste is a useless activity. Don't become encumbered with useless expenditures of valuable time and effort. Learn what you need to learn. Read what you need to read. Plan ahead. Prepare yourself and others. Equip yourself for maximum productivity in the squeeze. It may SEEM like a waste of time to read this article when you could be making a call.  Ignore that voice that discourages you from equipping yourself and keep preparing.

Z is for ZOO

It is a zoo out there -- without the cages --- more like a zoological reserve with all sorts of wild things roaming around and creating an illusion of unpredictability. The bottom line of this proposition is that  no matter how hard you try to bring order to  your life, there will be unforeseen events and circumstances. It is predictable that these will arise and with all the information, one might be able to see these crises coming, but no one  has nor can they assimilate all the data necessary. Therefore, what may be a well ordered universe manifests itself as utter chaos from time to time. Count on it and make the appropriate arrangements to cope.

E and the last E is for EITHER/OR

That is the most important letter of all because it is about our choices which are always ours alone to make. When we are in a squeeze we must decide what we are going to do, say, think, or believe. In 15 seconds one can bend over and pick up a penny on the ground, stand back up and prepare to bend down and pick up another. One person might quip that it would be a waste of time. Another might do the math and realize that at that rate, one would be making $24 per hour. At that point you'd need to ask yourself if you could be making more in that 15 second period by jotting down a great idea, making a mental note of an insight, or even speaking to the person next to you. Any of those would be more productive than complaining, blaming, or feeling sorry for oneself.

There are always choices.

You have the same number of hours in a day as everyone else, but it seems less because your dreams are bigger, your expectations higher, and your goals loftier. You will frequently find yourself squeezed, but even in the squeezes you can make choices that will make those tight spaces wide opportunities for great things to happen.

You are a winner.

Here is some music to help you squeeze out all the juice that is in you!

 

 

You are a business, social, or spiritual entrepreneur.  Perhaps are  someone's employee. You have dreams. You have deadlines. You are a volunteer.  Most likely, you have a family, a home, and "chores." You are a human being with personal and spiritual growth goals.

You are busy. Balance is an issue. You are always behind.

You are doing whatever you do in the cracks of your life between other major responsibilities. You frequently complain that you just don't have "enough time." You feel guilty when you relax. you feel frustrated about all the things you didn't get done.

You are in a self-imposed squeeze and, when it comes to building your dreams and doing what must be done. You are in a squeeze and you have to "squeeze things in."

Top that off with the troubling reality that you are not all that fond of tight spaces ... which is one reason why you ARE and entrepreneur and a dreamer so that you can get out of them.

Unfortunately, in order to accomplish that, you need to get into some ... for a while.

Let's consider some, quite impromptu ideas for coping with the squeeze and letting it even squeeze a little more greatness out of you and efficiency out of your schedule ... In fact, the first letter is S and the ...

S is for SCHEDULE.

Make it; break it; bend it; keep it as best as possible. Make it reasonable. Break it gently. Bend it whenever necessary (So keep it flexible). Keep it as a form of disciple and as a planning tool.

Q is for QUIET.

Quiet your soul. Live by grace. Receive it and give it. Relax often. Leave space in your life for God, family, self, and reflection. Whatever your spiritual, emotional, or intellectual disciplines, include a quiet time in every day. Make it the un-squeezed portion of your life.

U is for UNDERSTAND.

Do what you do with a rationale and purpose. Understand yourself:  your pace, your purpose, your passion-driven energy, and your productivity index. By knowing what makes you most effective and how to apportion your energy and time, you will be able to squeeze more out of every hour. Then, also understand the task as part of the whole project and mission and what it takes to get done what you are determined to do. Live with understanding.

E is for ENERGY.

Know that your productivity index is more about how you budget your energy than your time. Time is a necessary commodity, but if you have from midnight to 6 AM every day, it doesn't mean that such time is going to be productive because you will most likely be out of energy and much in need of rest.

E is also for EQUIPPING.

It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is just as true that an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of effort. Squeezing an empty tube of toothpaste is a useless activity. Don't become encumbered with useless expenditures of valuable time and effort. Learn what you need to learn. Read what you need to read. Plan ahead. Prepare yourself and others. Equip yourself for maximum productivity in the squeeze. It may SEEM like a waste of time to read this article when you could be making a call.  Ignore that voice that discourages you from equipping yourself and keep preparing.

Z is for ZOO

It is a zoo out there -- without the cages --- more like a zoological reserve with all sorts of wild things roaming around and creating an illusion of unpredictability. The bottom line of this proposition is that  no matter how hard you try to bring order to  your life, there will be unforeseen events and circumstances. It is predictable that these will arise and with all the information, one might be able to see these crises coming, but no one  has nor can they assimilate all the data necessary. Therefore, what may be a well ordered universe manifests itself as utter chaos from time to time. Count on it and make the appropriate arrangements to cope.

E and the last E is for EITHER/OR

That is the most important letter of all because it is about our choices which are always ours alone to make. When we are in a squeeze we must decide what we are going to do, say, think, or believe. In 15 seconds one can bend over and pick up a penny on the ground, stand back up and prepare to bend down and pick up another. One person might quip that it would be a waste of time. Another might do the math and realize that at that rate, one would be making $24 per hour. At that point you'd need to ask yourself if you could be making more in that 15 second period by jotting down a great idea, making a mental note of an insight, or even speaking to the person next to you. Any of those would be more productive than complaining, blaming, or feeling sorry for oneself.

There are always choices.

You have the same number of hours in a day as everyone else, but it seems less because your dreams are bigger, your expectations higher, and your goals loftier. You will frequently find yourself squeezed, but even in the squeezes you can make choices that will make those tight spaces wide opportunities for great things to happen.

You are a winner.

Here is some music to help you squeeze out all the juice that is in you!

The 15 Minute Challenge x 4

Coloringbuddymike - Own work

 

Twelve years ago, I challenged the  the folks in my church.

I asked them and myself to identify 4 areas of their lives where they really needed to work. All dimensions of life were legitimate areas of concern.

I then asked them for an hour a day in 4 - 15 minute slots to devote one of those slots to each of those areas.

It could be reading the scriptures or professional/personal development books, exercise, family time, or anything that just wasn't getting done - things most likely that need more than 15 minutes but areas where that would be a good start and a major improvement.

What difference could 15 minutes a day make in some area of your life?

I had been readjusting to changes in my life personally, in family responsibilities, and professionally and many of my activities had suffered. I needed the challenge myself ... including in the area of blogging.

So, I wrote an article like this.

It took  about 5 minutes.

I still had 10 to go.

What's next for you?

 

 

I then asked them for an hour a day in 4 - 15 minute slots to devote one of those slots to each of those areas.

It could be reading the scriptures or professional/personal development books, exercise, family time, or anything that just wasn't getting done - things most likely that need more than 15 minutes but areas where that would be a good start and a major improvement.

What difference could 15 minutes a day make in some area of your life?

I had been readjusting to changes in my life personally, in family responsibilities, and professionally and many of my activities had suffered. I needed the challenge myself ... including in the area of blogging.

So, I wrote an article like this.

It took  about 5 minutes.

I still had 10 to go.

What's next for you?

 

 

Sin

Hieronymus Bosch: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things  Hieronymus Bosch  (circa 1450 –1516)

Oh, sinnerman, where you gonna run to?
Sinnerman where you gonna run to?
Where you gonna run to?
All on that day
We got to run to the rock
Please hide me, I run to the rock ...
... But the rock cried out
I can't hide you, the rock cried out ... 
I said rock
What's the matter with you rock?
Don't you see I need you, rock? ...
So I run to the river
It was bleedin', I run to the sea ...
So I run to the river
It was boilin', I run to the sea ...

So I run to the Lord
Please hide me, Lord

Thus sang the golden voice from the broken and troubled heart of Nina Simone. She captured that piece of our human condition that longs for re-connection with its source -- but finds that connection so illusive.

The point is, I have, more than once, regarded iniquity in my heart and have  found it difficult to find the hidden face of God.

But, there is hope.

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” - Psalm 66:18,

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” - Isaiah 59:2

“For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” - Hebrews 12:3

Sin is no friend to humanity; it dehumanizes. It is no retreat; it is a prison. It is no relief; it saps the strength of the soul. It is a fleeting pleasure and a deceptive companion.

Sin destroys relationships, especially the divine-human relationship.

It destroys our sense of human dignity and self-respect.

It is not our friend.

 “It was a word once in everyone’s mind, but is now rarely if ever heard. Does that mean that no sin is involved in all our troubles? Has no one committed sin? Where, indeed, did sin go? What became of it?”  - Karl Menninger, "Whatever Became of Sin?"

Menninger maintains that we have assigned many former "sins" to the category of crimes and put the government in charge of them.

That severely narrows sin's definition to the most repulsive and disgusting social trespasses and negates the sins of attitude, betrayal, and motive that make up most of what the scripture calls "sin."

Sin is so close to righteousness that the word used to describe it is the same as that for an archer missing a goal, even by a little. It is either off or it is on .... so the criteria must be something other than legal.

Sin is about relationship.

Do not let sin come between you and the Father today.

Do not let it linger.

Do not labor under the burden of guilt or the distraction of temptation. Sin begins in the heart and breaks the heart.

If there is sin in your heart, stop cherishing it and hiding from it. Both actions are rooted in the same deception. Let confession swell up from within you and bring you to true repentance and a renewed experience of His refreshing grace.

Sin weighs us down and besets us at every turn.

It is our enemy.It is our common enemy We all struggle with it and can be overcome by it.

It lives in our flesh and will take every opportunity we give it to distract, sidetrack, and derail us from the way that God has set before us. But sin is rendered impotent by the power of God and when we exercise focus on Jesus Christ by grace, we find the place of repentance and renewal.

We have not, can not, and will not be called upon to endure what Jesus endured. We cannot bear what He bore, but neither do we bear our own burdens and temptations alone. It is His power within us that triumphs in the struggle with sin and it is His merciful and gracious love that forgives us when we fail and holds out the hope of a new start.

Jesus, I trust in Your life through me to overcome the sin that so easily besets me.

Father, my desire for You is greater than the lure of sin. Cleanse my heart by Your grace and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Your Name is Holy. Make me holy today. It is the deepest desire of my heart.

 

 

Let Me ... Let Me Not

 

I can pray to hear and I do.
I can embrace the peace and I do.
I can receive the salvation and anticipate the glory.
I do.

But ...Let me not turn back to folly for folly follows my soul.
Therefore, I must walk around with these words more intimately and ...
I must walk with the Word who breathed them first into the soul of the psalmist.

" Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land." - Psalm 85:8-9 (ESV)

Considering Lilies

Photo of Lilium candidum at VanDusen Botanical Garden

“And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin… ” – Matthew 6:27

Flowers, especially wild flowers, teach us of the fragility of life, but even more so, of its constancy and rhythm.

The lilies of the fields of Jesus time and place were volunteers. Without human cultivation or intervention, they bloomed freely and beautifully along the hillsides of ancient Israel.

They flourished for a season and retreated into the cycle of life and death only to reemerge in a subsequent season. God cared for them. He caused them to grow. He made them blossom and emit fragrance as they exhibited the beauty of His creativity.

All of this happened as counterpart to what might be described as cold functionality of the plant kingdom. But we know that it is more.

He lets all of this happen throughout the earth wherever His natural processes are manifest. He enters into each process to demonstrate His love and care for people. He does so to remind us that we are more important to Him that lilies and sparrows, that he knows what we need, and that He always provides.

God does all things well and within the framework of His own timing. He does all with flair and an eye for loveliness. He fashions nature as a work of art and He sees us with no less appreciation for His own creativity.

We are God’s masterpieces – not that we ought to become arrogant or inflated with self-importance. However, in God’s eyes, nothing is more precious that a man or woman in whom He sees His own image.

Do not waste a moment of springtime in unawareness of these truths. Celebrate springtime. Celebrate humanity. Celebrate God!

 

 

Don't Put Out the Fire

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

Quench not the Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 5:19

God is sometimes a wild man. God moves with fury. God speaks with thunder. God shakes the earth and heavens. God shines light so bright that it blinds the eyes. God whispers and there are earthquakes. God gently touches our hearts and those same hearts tremble with wonder and amazement.

God shows Himself in unquenchable fire and sets that fire ablaze within our souls.

Not everyone is comfortable with the raging fire of God in the midst of His people.

It figures. You cannot be neutral about fire. It is not a passive religious sentiment. We cannot settle down in it and sink into apathy.

The firs of God is out-of-control, destructive, and threatening from a human standpoint. But from God’s vantage point, it is controlled, regenerating, and life-affirming. Like a fire in the forest, it releases seeds for new trees and vegetation.

We are often frightened by it, because we don’t know where it is going. But if it is truly God’s fire, we don’t need to know. If we trust God, we can trust God's fire.

There have always been those who would quench the Spirit.

They, and sometimes we, want to harness got, tame God, and quiet God down.

We see God as wild, unpredictable, and impulsive. Yet, He is the one in our lives who leads us to God-ordained outcomes and produces the fruit of self-control.

We look at Spirit empowered people and often judge them as unbalanced. Yet it is the Holy Spirit who knocks away the false props of our lives so that we can find true balance in Him.

We are frequently embarrassed by the unbridled enthusiasm and unrestrained exuberance of new believers. Paul instructs us not the quench the Spirit in their lives. God is able to bring people to maturity and smooth over the rough edges of their character.

Rather than dousing their fire, we ought to be throwing on more kindling and long-burning logs.

Quench not the Spirit in your own life through sin, bitterness, self-interest, or neglect.

When God is at work, you will always feel slightly on edge. Learn to celebrate that and you will find yourself being weaned from false security and comfort onto the deeper nourishment of His peace that passes understanding.

Quench not the Spirit.

 

He is not safe,  but He is good.

Aslan is on the move!

 

Unready Readiness - Wrestling With Myself on a Monday in May

 

Chapel of Ease

St. Helena Parish Chapel of Ease Ruins - This image was uploaded as part of Wiki Loves Monuments 2012.

If you come to worship at the Chapel of Ease in Frogmore, South Carolina, you will find it empty and in ruins.

Nothing is easy right now and yet, some things are too easy because they are somewhere in the halfway world between real and unreal, desirable and deplorable, or hopeful and hopeless. We are uncovering a mystery that ease is not a breeze and even when the breeze blows, what flows may not be that to which we aspire. So, indulge me a wrestling match with myself as I muse through this Monday in May.

Easy Prayer

Prayer is not always easy.
At times, it can be difficult.
Connecting involves breaking through barriers. 
That can be tough.
Distance.
Cold indifference.
Lifeless words.
Soulless sentiments.
Mundane moments.
Routine.
Ritual.
Obligation.
Distracted sensibility.
These are the impediments,
The sediments of the ruins of
Yesterday's attempts to build an
Empire of prayer,
A tower to Heaven,
Babbling Babels.
Guilty self-flagellation longing for relaxed intimacy and immediacy
Cries out for something authentic.
Then, in just a moment, realization.
It has been about me ... even the efforts at devotion and upward focus - MY depth of spiritual sensitivity.
Arrogance wrapped in self-loathing.
How about a conversation about something outside of me?
How about a shared concern with an Eternal Friend whose love for our common friend
Is calling me to intercession, even mention?

Maybe then ... prayer.

And ease.

____________

Easy Violence

________________

I do hate violence.

I hate it enough to want to shake some sense into perpetrators .

I do get the irony of that and I will not act upon the urge.

Suburban. Urban. It is the same thing. Our inner city neighborhoods are terrorized and terror creeps across the tracks into the tracts.

Parents are locking their kids in. Kids are being pressured and groomed to carry out the violent intents of their handlers.

Citizens are being duped into thinking counter violence is the only solution.

Easy violence always begets  easier violence,  even in our righteous fantasy life.

Something stronger, steadier, and longer-lasting rises.

Violence makes me want to punch something ... and then, I understand the problem.

_______________

Easily Stepping Over

Maybe, I Am the Litterbug.

______________________

What if we all decided not to step over trash for a day?

I guess others had already decided. 

We could really clean up.

#itseveryonesjob

________________

Uneasy Silver Silence

________________

Silence is not always golden.

Sometimes it is silver.

Sometimes it is just plastic... and of the most disposable sort - cowardice.

Have you ever felt intimidated about stating an opinion, question, observation, or passing idea?

Have you ever calculated the fear of being judged, labeled, or categorized for having a divergent view on some subject or a doubt about some matter of ideological orthodoxy?

We have all seen people pounced on and maligned.

I tend to identify with such people and feel really bad for them, even when I am not in agreement -- but I am sometimes too big of a coward to come to their defense.

I am getting a little weary of critics, mean-spirited commentators, and ungracious quip-jockeys who latch on to any and every bit of negative evidence to prove their point against someone or something - with or without verifying their information --- and without regard to context, real meaning, or relevance.

A lot of this comes from my tribe, but it is not tribal. It is a not the product of any one ideology. All tribes have those who succumb to the temptation. All of us have done it. Our technology makes it easier to practice it and, often, at the same time, to be victims of it --- which makes us want to practice it more. We need to resist it and be as gracious, loving, reasonable, and balanced in the public arena as most of us are face to face with real people --- because we really ARE face to face with REAL PEOPLE.

And I said, "weary," not angry, but beat-up, demoralized, and tired of fighting ... today.

I struggle with this, and then ...

Tomorrow brings a new burst of energy and enthusiasm to love and speak truth in love.

In the meantime, we probably ought to be able to address any issue from our perspective without fear of being labeled or thought of as an enemy -- or part of some sinister conspiracy to deprive our neighbors of their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We might even be able to change each other's minds on a thing or two.

At least we can get all the points and counterpoints out there and help the opposition sharpen their arguments even as we sharpen our own ...

... and we might make a friend along the way.

In the meantime, I bracing myself for a season of nastiness.

________________ 

Unready Readiness

The Greatest Unease

________________

 I am in a state of unready readiness ... paradoxically speaking!

God of readiness, of constancy, and of mystery,
Invade me, overthrow my stubborn reluctance and
Disperse my stagnant sentries who stagger the soul
And stalwartly resist that which you insist will set me free.

Mercy and grace be Your weapons of invasion,
My only defense is pretense.
Lower the flag that flies over the castle of my heart
Declaring autonomy and replace it ...

Raise the flag of liberation and spontaneity!
Raise the flag of serendipitous joy!
Raise the flag of righteousness and peace!
Raise the flag of readiness for I am ready to be made ready!

I am ready and I am rising from the place to go to the next place ...

And then .....

 

 

Safe Thus Far

 

Photo by Gabriel Gurrola on Unsplash

In these days of crisis, fear, global pandemic, and widespread concern, one of the most common phrases we are hearing is, "Stay safe."

We mean it.

We care.

So far, we are safe.

We take every precaution. We reject stupidity. We walk with our eyes open through our days. We live with our restrictions. We reject fear. We embrace life.

We do what we can and we help each other.

We all want to be safe and have our loved ones remain safe. It is not an unknown concept in scripture.

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. - Psalm 40:2

I tread cautiously on the subject of safety, for real safety is an ultimate value, not a temporal one. It is often misunderstood as the absence of danger or trouble or even risk. That is not the characteristic of the Christian life.

Rather, Christianity promises ultimate safety and the safety of ultimate things. He has brought us, by His grace, through dangers, toils, and snares. These we have experienced fully and yet, safely, unscathed spiritually by external circumstances and with the confidence that His grace will lead us home to eternal safety.

And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. -Ezekiel 34:27

There is a time and a place for safety without ‘playing it safe” throughout life.

It is grace, God’s grace that brings us to the safe place for He Himself is the rock of safety for our lives. The struggles are present to teach us the source of our strength. The hardships train us to know that He is the LORD. We have come this far to realize that we must trust Him for our deliverance.

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. (Proverbs 21:31) The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. -Psalm 4:8

While we look for false and temporal assurances, we miss the full impact of what peace, sleep, and safety in Him really are. When we trust in what we can control, we falter.

Grace has brought us safe thus far. Nothing else could. We neither earned it nor deserved it. It was simply grace, unmerited favor toward unworthy human beings whom He happens to love passionately and unconditionally.

What a blessing to be counted among them.

Stay safe, but stay grounded. Be careful, but not so careful that you stop living. Love your neighbor. Take every precaution, but do not fear. Be wise, but be gentle.

Grace has brought us safe thus far.

Grace will lead us home.

 

 

Born Before Christmas ... or After Christmas

 

About four years ago, I was having a conversation with my ten year old grandson.

He asked a rather perplexing question, "Was I born before Christmas or after Christmas?"

Poor kid -- asking an esoteric thinker such a question!

"Both," I said in a way he is used to being answered by me, stretching his thinking.

"You were born after Christmas of the year before you were born which was closer to Christmas than the year you were born and you were born before that particular Christmas."

"But was it before or after Christmas?" He insisted on the simplistic.

"I already gave you a nuanced answer," I replied.

Grandma quipped, "Look it up," both of us knowing that he would and would soon be using it on us.

Do I rest on the first or the last day of the week?

Yes.

My body and spirit seem to demand Saturday off -- like I am wired for Shabbat as we all are.

Sunday was not my Sabbath. That was when I worked and worshiped.

Calendars are man-made and have changed with time, but God makes 7 day cycles of the earth and the sun and every seventh cries out for rest and refreshment -- whatever that is to you and me (Sometimes a meeting -- usually not --- but whatever it is).

I am not a legalist, but moments of legalism tend to point us to higher law, rooted in relationships and principles.

When is it? Well, it depends on when you start counting, but I have always figured that a weekend was a great way to start a week AND a great way to end one as well.

And I have found my Sabbath Rest in the One who said.

"Come unto me ... and rest."

 

 

A Banner of Truth

Johnson's New Chart of National Emblems - Public Domain

“Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. “- Psalm 60:4

We all march under one banner or another.

In a battle, it takes a courageous soldier to carry the banner, flag, or ensign. To do so, one becomes a target for the enemy always wants to take down the symbol of the opposition.

Why? Because the enemy knows that the banner gives the army its moral strength, determination, and encouragement. The army’s tribal flag is its rallying point. Around it, the company gathers. Beneath its furls, they march.  Under its signal they fight to the death.

The banner waves in the breeze to announce that the people still stand as one with determination and fortitude for a common cause.

A flag has great significance for those who love their country or tribe and the principles by which it is governed. For Americans, it stands as a symbol of freedom, constitutional democracy, and justice under law. It points to our governing documents which declare that government is of, by, and for the people.

It is, for many, a symbol of something greater than the pattern and the cloth that make it recognizable, but it is only a symbol. The realities that are represented by symbols are greater than the symbols themselves.

As significant at the stars and stripes banner is to Americans, there is a more meaningful banner under which the people of God come together. It is the banner of God’s truth, the flag that announces that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.  It is the hope that whatever we face, God is with us.

God’s banner, for those who reverence Him, is a reminder that we are not and never shall be abandoned, that we have a purpose and that we are led by an invincible leader.

The spangled banner of God’s truth waves still over the land of those who have been set free by Jesus Christ, the truly free and the truly brave.

It is the banner of truth.

It is the banner of sacrifice.

It is the banner of love.

It is the banner that reminds us of our ultimate loyalties - that are neither national nor partisan nor tribal. Out loyalties tie us to larger family that we can imagine. It is international, multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-lingual, broad, and deep.

Let us march on.

 

 

Glitches to Switches - The Good Shepherd and Last Sunday's Service

 

 

We are all experiencing glitches these days. I did Sunday when my screen sharing was not working on Zoom or Facebook Live.  So, I switches to what worked. It was a good thing I had something to say because talking to the camera was all I could do.

If all my glitches turned to switches
And all my botches turned to bricks
I'd build my castles without hassles
And soon be back to my old tricks.

My point is, if I have one, that we always need a backup plan.

The key to the plan is content.

If Marshall McCluhan was entirely right and the medium is the message (sometimes pronounce similarly to "massage"), then the content is irrelevant. But if John is correct, as I affirm it to be so, "In the beginning was the Logos."

The Word becomes flesh and not the other way around.

So, if we have content, it can be delivered through any of many media.

It happened Sunday and the result is - Part 1 is my talking face and Part 2 is the presentation of scripture and music I prepared. YouTube is making sure the artists get their royalties and  I am trying to make sure you get the content, namely this:

Beware of the impostor and be aware of the Good Shepherd.

AND -- remember, it is all about the content.

 

We need to travel light and be ready to operate without props.

The Good Shepherd will guide us.

 

 

 

Can This Be Diluted?

What if?

What if we decided to counter all the harsh, rude, vulgar statements we read online with something uplifting?

What if we determined to respond with truth to every word of misinformation and half-truth we saw and did it in separate postings?

What if we exposed every conspiracy theory by countering it with verified evidence?

What if we flooded the information market with truth, goodwill, life-affirmation, compassion, and reason. What if we held up scientists, teachers, and medical professionals as role models every time we read a criticism of them?

What if we diluted words of hate by flooding the gates with words of love?

What if we interjected positive every time we read negative?

What if we made a concerted effort to do this at least three times for every vile, ruthless, bigoted, mean-spirited, racist, misogynistic, dehumanizing online post we see?

At the very least, it might confound the perpetrators, awaken the gullible, and encourage people of good will and good sense

Can this poison be diluted?
Can this vitriol be disputed?
Can the formula be computed,
The negative refuted?

What must we do and
How must we do it?

Truth is under the gun.
Filth is having a run.
Scoffers are having their fun.
So let’s dilute it three for one.

If you are a tweeter, then try to tweet three.
If you see an insult, don’t just let it be.
Don’t try to engage it, just enrage it with glee.
Respond with three truths for every lie you see.

Counter Hate with Love

 

 

It Is a New Day

 

Good morning.

It is a new day.

Whatever you worried about last night, that kept you tossing and turning ... that glitch. that stitch in time, that hitch in your get-along, that which you dread ... it's still there but something happened in the night.

It shrank.

That's right. It is not as big as you feared.

And something else happened in the night. You grew!

So now, with God's help, you can face that thing because you must and because you should and because it is still shrinking and you are still growing.

Go get 'em, Tiger!

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

 

 

 

Think about Time

 

Photo by David Švihovec on Unsplash

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. – Colossians 4:4

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. – Ephesians 5:16

I hear people say that they have a lot of time on their hands these days. Others report that they are busier than ever. Most of us are looking at time differently and reordering our use of it.

Some of us are simply wasting it.

Others feel that they have a strong command on it.

We like to think we can control time by managing our calendars and setting our clocks backward and forward.

We cannot.

Time is ultimately beyond us and God is beyond time. Yet, He has given us the power and responsibility to redeem time in such a way that all time is dedicated to His glory and the good of others.

There are two challenges in these two verses.

The first challenge is that of the outsider.  We are to act wisely toward the person who is not among those who have faith in Jesus. Much is at stake in how we treat people outside the church. Not the least of which is our witness to that person and to the world. Do it out of love.

The second great challenge is the downward drag of evil days. Satan, the accuser, cannot destroy eternity for the believer, but  can steal our time, influence, and effectiveness. This impostor can utterly devastate our joy in service and uses some very clever and potent tools such as procrastination, distraction, laziness, diversion, and the lure of lesser things.

But do not forget the words of the psalmist:

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

Both challenges require wisdom to activate and guide the process of time redemption. The scriptures enlighten us with the very wisdom of God in this matter as we test every goal, priority, and choice in the light of His great purpose and His calling for our lives.

Check your clocks  and calendars and, thus,  redeem the time.

 

 

Gratitude

Photo by Lip on Unsplash

 

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” – Colossians 3:15

 Peace and gratitude to you!

Thanksgiving is a gift for which we can be grateful because it keeps giving. The circumstances that surround it neither negate nor generate it. It is a quality of our lives given by grace.

Sometimes it contrasts with the mood and demeanor of our times and sometimes it defies our challenges. It shakes it fist with laughter and joy in the face of our trials. It is the  turning point that distinguishes the old from the new.

You can choose to possess this gift.

You always have a choice.

It is a quality that is not subject to events, emotions, or public opinion. It will color your disposition more than any other quality in your life. It will have a role in determining whether other people are attracted to or repelled by you. It will affect your health, your relationships, and your success. It is an attitude that colors your personality in gray or in vivid brightness. It is gratitude.

If you recoil at the notion of being thankful, of counting your blessings, and of rejoicing in the Lord always, you do not have it yet and need to seek it.

If you are negative, grumpy, or critical, it is likely that you have a deficit in this area.

Once you possess and exercise gratitude you gain a new outlook on life whatever happens. You still experience the full range of human emotions; you weep, you get angry, and you feel lonely sometimes. However, there is a different kind of orientation. Your direction is positive, and you approach life with hope, energy, and joy.

Gratitude is a gift to be received and given.

In the deepest crisis or most present danger, the thankful heart can find a reason to pause and give thanks to God because God is the source of all good and perfect gifts—even those that rise from the ashes of tragedy. And He is the source of the attitude that makes gratitude possible.

If you desire to live with a positive and grateful heart, ask Jesus to fill your life with His love, forgiveness, grace, and presence. The change may not come overnight, but you will soon notice the difference a vibrant relationship with Him can make in the mundane and daily pattern of your life.

No one disputes this: You are living through hard times, challenging, stretching moments that try the very soul.

However:

Give thanks!

 

Colossians 3:1-17 (NRSV)

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

 

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

 

When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

 

Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things-- anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.

 

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

 

As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

 

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

 

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body.

 

And be thankful.

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

 

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

Let Us Pray

Baba Yetu - Our Father

Graceless Speech

“Don't criticize what you can't understand.” ― Bob Dylan

“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson 

“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” – Dale Carnegie

“Often those that criticise others reveal what he himself lacks.” ― Shannon L. Alder

“I haven't any right to criticize books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.” ― Mark Twain

So, you have an opinion? Most people do?

Most people have noses and ears also as well as parts that few see and fewer still want to see.

I have a couple of opinions myself ... some are quite opinionated. From time to time I am deluded into thinking I have a divine appointment and mandate to think as I do. Then something thoroughly contradicts me and I am released from the compulsion tell the world.

Our generation has venerated slander and consecrated verbal abuse.

We feel fully justified to speak ill of our neighbors as long as we perceive them to be ideological enemies.

We have the audacity to think that when our words are graceless, they can be godly, that we are somehow like Him or he like us when we speak against another with venom, half-truth, misquotes, presumptive assumptions, anger, or malice.

Such speech has nothing to do with God.

God is not like us that way.

Beyond graceless, ungracious is disgraceful.

Have all the opinions you need to have or want to have, but season them with grace before you take the rest of the world to task for not thinking as you do.

“You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother's son.
These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you." - Psalm 50:19-21 (ESV)

 

 

It Is as Simple as That

 

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. - John 14:5-6

Picture the candlelit room and the somber mood of twelve friends hearing the ominous words from their Master that He will soon die and that they will soon fail Him.

“Not I,” protests Peter.

“You will,” declares Jesus, “But let not your heart be troubled …”

And then He offers hope, that He is going to prepare a place for them, that He will come again to receive them to Himself, that He will ever be with them and they with Him, and that they really do know where He is going.”

At that point, Thomas interrupts, “No we really don’t know where you are going. How can we know? Show us the way.”

Thomas felt that in order to follow Jesus, he must become more of an expert in navigational theology to traverse the diverse paths leading to God. It was a frightening prospect,
“How can we know the way?”

Indeed, how can we?

Jesus simplified the answer.

He would be their compass. He would be their guide.

It was not necessary for them to know anything more that Him. If they would follow Him, He would provide the way, the truth, and the life within His own person.
The message of Jesus to us as we stumble in the darkness of uncertain ambiguity is, “Follow me.”

He will lead us through the darkness. He will lead us to our eternal home. We can trust Him and follow Him.