The Gift of Summer

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Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Ecc 4:6

“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.” (AI Bernstein)

Spring was anything but relaxing if you lived in the path of a busy tornado season or had kids in school. Memorial Day unofficially marked the beginning of summer when theoretically the pace of life slows down as kids are out of school, church activities get reduced and the days are longer. Theoretically was the word I used, reality tells a different story.  The days of yesterday, when you lazily stretched out on the grass to watch white, fluffy clouds move overhead seem to be a fairy tale or at best, the figment of someone’s imagination.

For those who live in the North American region, June famously welcomes the return of those mystical little creatures called Hummingbirds. These unique little birds return after a restful vacation in South America after a long winter. Flying thousands of miles, they return to the same geographical area each year, and being gifted with amazing memories, they remember every flower and feeder they’ve visited. They are true lovers of sugar as they go straight for the glucose. These little birds eat more than twice their body weight daily, so, they are not good role models if you want to lose weight.

Hummingbirds’ survival depends upon their staying in a nearly constant state of motion. These little “charmers,” (that is what a group of Hummingbirds is called), hover over their food with wings fluttering at 50 times per second and heartbeats racing at 1,260 times per minute. There is just something relaxing about watching hummingbirds dart in and out at their feeder.

God made the hummingbirds to be in a constant state of motion but he didn’t make you or me that way. God’s final stroke to his creative masterpiece called creation was simply “rest”. The other acts of creation have the description “And God saw that it was good” but on His final act of creation He didn’t call it good, He called it “holy.”

What a difference this one day of rest should make in our rhythm of life.  “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Gen 2:2-3) John Lubbock writes, “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

You can name a lot of reasons but somehow we tend to live with a hummingbird mentality, always in constant motion. Instead, God offered a model or better yet, a God-given gift of rest. Somehow, we have been convinced that to survive we have to be in a constant state of motion. The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 74, “But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth…The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.”

Living at full speed can be physically draining, emotionally taxing, and spiritually deadening. Slowing down opens our soul more fully to God’s presence. David understood how the soul needed rest and God’s desire to give his children. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” (Psalm 23:2-3a)

“The reason speed does violence against our souls is because our souls were meant to be tended to. There’s a preciousness, a tenderness to our souls that requires a slow observation. And so, when we’re living at this chaotic pace, we don’t give our souls the opportunity to rest, to breathe, to receive the nutrients from God that we desperately need.” (Rich Villodas)

Summer months can be a reflective time to focus on God’s gift of rest. “So, they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”—Mark 6:32. Summer months can bring something magical if we simply slow life’s pace down to spend a little time reflecting, pondering, or meditating. “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace)

The summer evening harmony of crickets, cicadas, and laughing children relaxes the soul and welcomes a place where you can “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” Psalm 37:7a

The warm balmy summer evenings give you a place to release your problems and anxiety as you are reminded, “The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.” (Song of Songs 2:11-12)

The same summer months that bring the hummingbirds also bring the weeds in the garden and seemingly never-ending mowing. What you do with it becomes the question. Margaret Guenther reminds us, “Our waiting on God, then, requires ongoing attentiveness if it is to be more than an empty exercise in passivity. When we pay attention, our awareness is sharpened.”

Summer! What a great time to spread your blanket on top of the freshly mowed grass and spend a little time just pondering this beautiful creation of God. “A heart at peace gives life to the body,” (Pr 14:30a)

God is great!

 

 

America’s Sacred Holiday

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Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. Malachi 3:16

If parents were allowed to roll their eyes, I am sure the vast majority have done so or at least thought about it, if they had a young child sitting in a church service. Long before children’s church, I learned how to sit through many church services beside my mother. Hopefully, she didn’t have to roll her eyes very often!

Little boys and girls must do something to entertain themselves but not end up in trouble. You know you are bored if you enjoyed reading through the Baptist Hymnal. Drawing circles on the bulletins helped pass the time and with imagination, the bulletins could turn into a lot of different things.  However, the most entertaining exercise was always watching the people. There were a few funny moments such as the older gentleman in the choir who would fall asleep during the sermon and even once fell out of his seat. Yet, there was a comforting sense of familiarity in seeing the same people week after week, usually sitting in the same spot.

Thing-watching was always a good practice. Like most small Baptist churches, we had a table in front of the pulpit. Years later the words, “Do This in Remembrance of Me,” would impact my life greatly. It was carved into the blonde-finished table and captured my attention and forever changed my life. I would come to know the great sacrifice that Jesus paid that I might have life and it would be at this and future tables that the bread and cup would stir remembrance of what Jesus did in my life.

The disciples who were gathered in the upper room that evening didn’t fully grasp Jesus’ words about bread and the cup until much later. As they finished eating, Jesus took a piece of bread and a cup of wine offering thanks.  He then spoke the words, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me,” (Luke 22:19). Those simple words would become the remembrance of a costly sacrifice given for the following generations.

Whether it is a pile of stones, monuments, or specific days, history is filled with reminders to tell the next generation of a sacrifice that took place. “Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future.” (Elie Wiesel)

Jacob set up a pillar to commemorate God’s vision to him in Genesis 28. Joshua had leaders of each tribe in Joshua 4 pick up a boulder from the dry river bed and erect a memorial to remind the next generation of God’s love and miraculous intervention. Samuel set aside a large stone and named it Ebenezer to remind the next generation of God’s goodness and grace in I Samuel 7.

Today marks the United States’ celebration of Memorial Day in remembrance of men and women killed in military conflicts. If a secular government could have a sacred holiday, Memorial Day would come close to that day. Though Memorial Day is a unique holiday in the United States, I found similar types of celebrations in other countries honoring their citizens killed in action. “Remembering the past plays a vital role in the identity of any nation. Sociologists claim that a society aspiring to endure must become a community of memory and hope.” (B.K. Waltke)

The concept of a Remembrance Day for those killed in war originated shortly after the Civil War. It was originally called Decoration Day as people decorated graves of veterans who lost their lives with flowers and wreaths. Memorial Day or Decoration Day was first celebrated on May 30th but Congress moved the date to the last Monday in May of 1968 and becoming a federal holiday in 1971.

Memorial Day is a perfect opportunity to stop and reflect on the cost of freedom. It is a cost paid through the blood and sacrifice willingly given for others to enjoy freedom. These men and women in the military who were killed in action paid for freedom with their lives. For the sake of others, they paid a heavy price.

Cultural commentator Jonah Goldberg writes, “Democracy’s greatness lies in the fact it is a hedge against bad things.” It took these men and women to build hedges against tyranny, injustice, and hatred. “This is the day we pay homage to all those who didn’t come home. This is not Veterans Day, it’s a day of solemn contemplation over the cost of freedom.” (Tamra Bolton)

Historians estimate that over 1,300,000 men and women have been killed in the various wars and conflicts the United States has been engaged in since the American Revolutionary War. Each number represents a son or daughter, husband or wife, grandchild or friend that never came home. Each number tells the story of a generation that ended that day. Each number tells the story of commitment and sacrifice. Memorial Day allows us to remember those stories of courage with a heart of gratitude.

We give thanks to these men and women who gave their lives and remember even now the enduring loss and pain that exists in thousands of households across this nation.  Former President Barack Obama said it well, “Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.”

LORD, let us never forget the costly sacrifice of these men and women who died to build a hedge against evil which has allowed freedom to be celebrated. More importantly, thank you for the sacrifice of the cross that gave us freedom and life. “Your name, LORD, endures forever, your renown, LORD, through all generations.”

God is great!

 

Journey Toward Easter Promise

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But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. John 16:7 NIV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 NIV
When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them. Acts 2:1-3 The Message

Do you still have your Beanie Baby collection? What was your favorite? Do you even still remember the Beanie Babies? Those cute, iconic stuffed little creatures marked their debut in 1993 such as Legs the Frog, Squealer the Pig, Chocolate the Moose, and Patti the Platypus. Though sales started at a slow pace, by the mid-90s they became a major collectible item, even moving into the arena of a financial investment.

The hype surrounding the $5 pellet-stuffed plush toys created speculation that the value would skyrocket from the $5 cost to as much as $1,000. “Forecasts like these were so enticing that one dad invested his kids’ college funds in Beanie Babies, thinking he’d resell them later for a meaty profit.” (Molly Liebergall). Unfortunately, The Beanie bubble burst, leaving the family in a $100,000 hole. The Dad was not alone as the false hope of astronomical appreciation estimates left many investors short of cash. “An asset bubble expert and market historian remarked, “that our tendency to fall for the overinflation of a product’s value is a flaw in the human character and that no one is immune, no matter how smart you are.” (Liebergall)

False hope in investment claims may leave people broke but far worse is the false hope of religion. Religious charlatans have been around forever, peddling their products of false gods, idols, and untruths. However, when Jesus made a promise, it proved powerful, true, and eternally impactful. Fifty days after Easter, His words became reality with the descent of the Holy Spirit that marked the beginning of the Church’s mission to the world. The late British theologian John Stott wrote, “At Babel, earth proudly tried to ascend to heaven but at Pentecost, heaven humbly descends to earth…” Nothing could have demonstrated more clearly than this the multi-racial, multi-national, multi-lingual nature of the kingdom of Christ.” When the day of Pentecost came, the world would never be the same.

Yesterday fulfilled what Jesus told his disciples which is still proving true 2,000 years later. Pentecost Sunday celebrates the promise of an Advocate that would spark the unleashing of the church locally, nationally, and to the very ends of the earth. A few dozen followers have grown to over 2.4 billion Christians worldwide today. So how did just a few dozen people literally impact the world?

Tyler Staton, National Director of 24-7 Prayer USA said it well, “The Early Church congregations where Jesus’ supernatural ministry became common were made up of mostly illiterate people filled with the power of God. They had little in terms of worldly credentials, but they were desperate for the power of God. Author Simon Ponsonby, summarizing Welsh minister Martyn Lloyd-Jones pointedly asked, ‘If we have what the first Christians had, why do we not do what they did? We must conclude that either God gave them more than He has given us, or we have failed to avail ourselves of what He has given us.’ To know the experience of Jesus’ promise, we must become desperate again. Desperate enough to take risks.”

Pentecost would shake the very foundation of these new believers and spur them into action. They were desperate enough for more because of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. They left their safe environment and took the risk to tell those gathered in Jerusalem. Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, Cretans, and Arabs heard the Good News of Jesus and about 3,000 were baptized that day. (Acts 2)

The church born would be unstoppable as “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42) Changed lives that would face ridicule, persecution, rejection, torture even death yet Pentecost gave them the power to take the risk. Transformed lives that transformed society.

Aristides launched his defense of the new Christian faith to Roman Emperor Hadrian in 125 with the early Christian’s moral lives as one of the primary proofs of the truth of the faith. Aristides wrote that “Christians…have the commands of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah himself, etched into their hearts. They keep these commands, looking forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come…For they call themselves brothers, not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. They are even prepared to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Messiah.”

There are countless articles and books about the declining state of the church. People are leaving in droves according to some experts, and the impact of the church is waning in America, Europe, and other places. We can agree that a lot of people have left the brick-and-mortar buildings but the church is as alive as ever. People ask how is that possible when the statistics show otherwise. I simply say, look at Pentecost! “The most powerful means that have been employed to destroy God’s people have been rendered ineffective.” (15th-century Puritan minister, John Flavel)

Church attendance may decline, church buildings left empty, denominations left bankrupt but the church born at Pentecost will endure forever. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (I Cor 3:16)

God is great!

 

Defining True Value

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She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her; Proverbs 31:25-28 (NIV)

Would you pay 718,750 Dollars for a piece of wood? It would depend upon the wood since that’s the price someone paid at a March auction. The wood wasn’t just any old piece of wood but it was the plank that kept Kate Winslet’s character Rose out of the icy waters in the movie Titanic while Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, hung onto the edge. “The door—which the auction notes reveal was in fact part of the door frame above the ship’s first-class lounge entrance—is clung on to by the central couple as the ship sinks.” (Catherine Shoard)

How do you determine what is valuable? For a movie trivia buff $718,750 apparently is worth the money. However, for me, that sounds extravagant. Yesterday marked the celebration of true extravagance as we set aside the day to honor and appreciate our mothers. In her book, holy is the day, Professor Carolyn Weber writes “When I grow up, I mean way, way up, I hope to be a wise old woman of God. Someone who has learned not merely to seize the day but to seize the Lord.”

Spiritual maturity sets people aside from others who simply live life today. Thomas Traherne noted, “We do not ignore maturity. Maturity consists in not losing the past while fully living in the present with a prudent awareness of the possibilities of the future.” Generations before Traherne’s quote, Paul commented on his young protégé’s faith that was grounded now in the third generation with the words, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (2 Tim 1:5)

Timothy would go on to be an early leader of the church but it was the impact of his mother and grandmother’s investment into his life that made the difference in how he would impact others. Mother’s Day allows us to stop and reflect upon those women of character who poured life, hope, and ability into future generations.

There may not be a Mother’s Day observance mentioned in the Bible but scripture is filled with women of character who lived out their lives in love, sacrifice, and commitment. “It is okay to love deeply, the seen or the unseen even if this love comes with fear. For surely it will. I can’t think of a love that is worth its salt unaccompanied by any fear at all. But it is in the facing of the fear and loving still, and through it, that the loving becomes burnished to a precious seen and transformed into an ever-present gift.” (Dr. Carolyn Weber) These women of character can readily identify with the words of Dr. Weber as they faced the fears of the unknown, the uncertainty of what tomorrow might look like, yet that was what these women of faith did every day and what mothers still do every day

Love mixed with fear gave Jochebed the courage to risk her life for her infant son, Moses. Jochebed understood the requirements of the government that “every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile” (Ex. 1:22) but she chose to defy the order that saved her son who would lead Israel out of bondage.

Love, mixed with fear, gave Hannah the courage to risk ridicule to boldly ask God for a son. “In her deep anguish, Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly…LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and for forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life.” Out of her boldness to ask, “the LORD remembered her” and Samuel would be born who would become the prophet who anointed David as king. (ref story in I Sam 1)

Love mixed with fear gave Mary the courage to expose herself to being a social outcast to obey God. “You have favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” Mary bravely faced the gossip and condescending looks when she said, “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.”

Mary’s words in Luke 1 capture the heart of one that understands fully love mixed with fear. “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant…His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”

How do you determine what is valuable? Charley Benetto said it well, “When you are looking at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.” A Mother’s Love is worth far more than a movie plank.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (I Cor 13:13)

God is great!

 

A Real Celebration

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There is nothing better for people to do than to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in their work. I saw that even this comes from the hand of God. Who can eat or enjoy themselves without God? Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 God’s Word

Who doesn’t love a good celebration? Yesterday the world celebrated Cinco de Mayo, ok, so maybe not the whole world, but lots of people.  Cinco de Mayo revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing, and lots of food and fun.

Why does Cinco de Mayo generate such festivities? Surely it must be a major Independence Day celebration or at least some religious holiday that would create such excitement, but it’s not. The day marks the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The win was more of a moral victory for Mexico than a strategic victory. Though a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has become a major celebration in the United States, focusing on commemorating Mexican culture and heritage. Here are some fun facts about Cinco de Mayo:

  1. Only 1 in 10 individuals know that Cinco de Mayo represents the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla.
  2. 40% of Americans believe Cinco de Mayo marks Mexico’s Independence Day.
  3. It is not a federal holiday in Mexico.
  4. Sizable crowds, street festivals, live music, and dancing are all staples of celebrating.
  5. Mole Poblano is the official dish of Cinco de Mayo.
  6. Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston are known to hold the biggest events.
  7. 87 million pounds of avocados are purchased for Cinco de Mayo celebrations, more than any other time of the year! (from Bryan University website)

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo is a lot of fun but it is only once a year.  However, another celebration takes place every week that should be just as lively and spirited. It is a festival of worship where millions gather globally to celebrate God.

Henry Sloane Coffin wrote, “If there is one characteristic more than others that contemporary public worship needs to recapture it is this awe before the surpassingly great and gracious God.” I feel Eugene Peterson translated Psalm 150 with a similar thought, that worship is a festive time of celebration.

“Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship, praise him under the open skies;

Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his magnificent greatness;

Praise with a blast on the trumpet, praise by strumming soft strings;

Praise him with castanets and dance, praise him with banjo and flute;

Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum, praise him with fiddles and mandolin.

Let every living, breathing creature praise God! Hallelujah!”

Now that is a celebration, and we get to do it Sunday after Sunday. “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Ps 118:24

God welcomes all who will come to join in the celebration, and it doesn’t matter the age, gender, social influence, economic condition, ethnicity, or education. “When we worship together as a community of living Christians, we do not worship alone, we worship ‘with all the company of heaven.’” (Marianne Micks)

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24 NIV)

Job celebrated in worship even when he found himself in a desperate situation. With everything he loved gone, “Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship.” (Job 1:20)

A poor widow celebrated in worship even in an economic crisis. Jesus “saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins…she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)

Paul and Silas celebrated in worship even in a hopeless situation. They were stripped, beaten, thrown into prison, and put in the inner dungeon cell with feet fastened in the stocks. Yet they were found, “praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:22-25)

Jesus celebrated in worship even when He knew pain and suffering lay ahead. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

Whether you celebrate Cinco de Mayo or not, it will not be a life-changing experience. However, celebrating God in worship will be a life-changing experience. Dallas Willard in The Great Omission said it well, “The first and most basic thing we can and must do is to keep God before our minds…This is the fundamental secret of caring for our souls. Our part in thus practicing the presence of God is to direct and redirect our minds constantly to Him…. If God is the great longing of our souls, He will become the polestar of our inward beings.”

Together we celebrate in worship as one “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” because “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” In this celebration of worship, we can echo the words of the heavenly angels, “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

God is great!

 

Fragrance of Real Value

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May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

Oh, the sweet aroma of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, the inviting smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning and the newly cut grass on a warm Saturday afternoon. Just as there are comfort foods, there are certain smells that touch the deepest parts of your soul.

McDonald’s fully grasps the power of smells. Fast food giant McDonald’s launched a new and rather quirky marketing campaign in the Netherlands. They have found a way to recreate the smell of their fries through a billboard. According to a company press release, “For decades, McDonald’s has seduced taste buds around the globe, making it one of the most beloved and recognizable brands out there. But the brand realized that there’s something just as memorable for consumers as their golden arches, products, or jingle: their smell.”

McDonald’s Netherlands placed a series of plain yellow and red billboards in Utrecht and Leiden that appear blank until passers-by are within a few feet and they are greeted by the distinct aroma of McDonald’s French Fries coming from inside the billboard. The billboards were strategically placed to trigger cravings close to a restaurant. “When every brand is targeting eyeballs, McDonald’s targets noses.”

Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan, CMO McDonald’s Netherlands, states: “McDonald’s is all about Good Times. We are well known for our distinctive brand assets that they are mostly visual. Smell has been proven to be more effective at sparking clear and emotional memories than images. With the inclusion of this next sense in our advertising, we found a new way to remind people of Good Times at McDonald’s.” (McDonald’s press release)

What value does the world put on a scent? For McDonald’s, it is worth millions if people are triggered to buy their food. For the wealthy, it may be a bottle of Clive Christian No. 1 which holds the title for the most expensive perfume that retails at $2,350 per ounce. However, far more extravagant is the value that God places upon the incense that comes from those who worship Him.

Living in a broken and ugly world we can become Christ’s aroma.  We become an aroma that attracts some to life but repels others. For those attracted, we become life.  “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” (2 Cor 2:14-15)

Living in a broken and ugly world we can become the incense of prayer. God hears the prayers of his followers who stand in the gap of hopelessness. What a beautiful and powerful picture of heavenly hosts holding golden bowls of the incense of prayers that may seem weak to us but are received by God as a sweet aroma.  “Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” (Rev 5:8)

Living in a broken and ugly world we can become the aroma of worship. Jesus facing the closing days of his earthly ministry, was preparing his disciples when Mary interrupted the dinner in an act of worship. Pouring a bottle of expensive perfume upon Jesus, it became a holy time of worship. A costly fragrance that would have lingered for days reminding house guests of Jesus.  “And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” (ref John 12:1-11)

It would be the sweet smell of worship that would stir God’s heart for Noah. As Noah and his family walked out of the Ark to begin again, he would first stop and worship. It was through his act of worship that “The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” (Gen 8:21)

Smells can bring comfort, disgust, and warning depending upon the source. Freshly baked bread will stir hunger while the smell of rotten eggs alerts us to a natural gas leak. Yet as incenses rise to God from our acts of worship and prayer, what a beautiful reminder of who we are in God. We can become the fragrance that permeates all of life for Jesus. An aroma of worship that reminds us of our hope and future in God. Are we the fragrance of life or death?

These words from CeCe Winans song, Worthy Of It All, “Day and night, night and day, let incense arise” remind us of prayerful worship:

“All the saints and angels bow before Your throne

All the elders cast their crowns before the Lamb of God and sing

Lord, You’re worthy

From the rising of the sun to the going down of the sun

Day and night, night and day, let incense arise

Day and night, night and day, let incense arise

You are worthy of it all” (CeCe Winans, Worthy of It All https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oKYx0PXz5I

Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. (Daily prayer of St. Teresa of Calcutta)

Together we can become Christ’s sweet fragrance, bringing life to a broken and ugly world.

God is great!

 

God’s Gift of Time

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Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

If I only had a little more time! These words have echoed across centuries – just a few more minutes would help. Richard Swenson in his book Margin wrote, “Forty years ago, futurists peering into their crystal balls were still predicting that one of the biggest problems for coming generations would be what to do with their abundant spare time. I remember hearing this prediction often. In 1967, for example, testimony before a Senate subcommittee claimed that by 1985 people could be working just twenty-two hours a week or twenty-seven weeks a year. Exactly when they stopped talking this way I am not sure, but they did stop. No one sits around today trying to figure out how to spend their free time. On the contrary, the topic of conversation is usually how to get some. Virtually everyone I know is time desperate.”

Thankfully the world timekeepers have heard your plight and are working on a plan. Unfortunately, they are going to take time from you. Clocks may have to skip a second—called a “negative leap second”—around the year 2029. This will be the first time in history timekeepers have had to consider subtracting time from the clock. Daylight saving time doesn’t count since they take an hour but give it back to you in the fall. In an article in the journal, Nature said it is due to the planet rotating just a tad faster than it used to.

Duncan Agnew wrote, “This is an unprecedented situation and a big deal. It’s not a huge change in the Earth’s rotation that’s going to lead to some catastrophe or anything, but it is something notable. It’s yet another indication that we’re in a very unusual time.” (from an article by Seth Borenstein)

Seconds didn’t make a difference in life until atomic clocks were adopted as the official time standard in 1959.  Judah Levine of the National Institute of Standards and Technology wrote, “The fights are so serious because the stakes are so small.”

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) does a great job keeping America on time. Two people can look at their Apple watches and be synchronized. We take uniform time for granted now, unlike the 1800s. At high noon on October 18, 1883, William Allen united a nation, not politically but by setting their watches.  Until then every train station set its clocks by the sun so it could be noon in New York, 11:58 in Trenton, and 11:56 in Camden. It took eight years for Allen to convince the nation to adopt the time zones that we have today.

There is no question that trains and planes need to run on synchronized schedules, that stores should open on time, and that you know when to get to your meeting as scheduled. However, the writer of Ecclesiastes captured a more important time zone outside the NIST-designated time zones, God’s time zone. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 gives a great list of God’s time zones, “a time to.” Mabel Boggs Sweet, mother of writer Leonard Sweet put it wisely, “God’s clock keeps perfect time.”

Time may have been easier when people depended upon the sundial and they went to bed when it got dark. However as far back as 200 BC people complained about not having enough time. Roman playwright Plautus turned anger into poetry:

“The gods confound the man who first found out how to distinguish hours!

Confound him, too,  who in this place set up a sun-dial

To cut and hack my days so wretchedly into small portions.”

Even though He operates on eternal time, God created earth and life to be in time segments. “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.” (Psalm 90:4) I think God is pretty smart to give us training wheels for time as we prepare for what eternity time looks like.  Segments of time are understandable for our finite minds and beautifully lay the foundation for helping us appreciate the concept of eternity.

Ancient civilizations may have understood the value of time better than our modern world. They lived their life in segments of days, seasons, years, and finally death. Our modern civilization may have time down to the microsecond and even track those seconds perfectly but somehow in our micro timekeeping, are we in danger of losing the very value of time and far worse, the hope of eternity?

In his book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer writes, “When the sun set our rhythms of work and rest, it did so under the control of God; but the clock is under the control of the employer, a far more demanding master…I used to read biographies of great men and women from history who got up to pray at four o’clock in the morning—Saint Teresa of Avila, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon. I would think, Wow, they are way more serious about Jesus than I am. True, but then I realized that they went to bed at seven o’clock! After nine hours of sleep, what else was there to do?”

Moses understood the blessing of time:

“Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures…Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:10a,12)

Peter understood the blessing of time:

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9)

God understood the blessing of time:

[God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  Ecc 3:11

Time! What a great gift from God. Time, may we use it wisely to savor the beauty of creation, listen well to the sounds of life, and pause just a little to reflect upon all the blessings of God.

God is great!

God of Wonder

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The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. Psalm 65:8

You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. Psalm 77:14

“Wonder is the heaviest element on the periodic table. Even a tiny fleck of it stops time.” Last Monday would seem to have proven Diane Ackerman’s quote when a large swath of the United States stopped what they were doing and looked skyward to take in the solar eclipse. April 8 was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the 31.6 million people who found themselves living in the pathway of totality. This narrow corridor of about 115 miles wide through the heartland of America allowed residences and visitors to experience a few minutes of total darkness in the middle of the day. Eclipse totality happens in a particular spot on Earth roughly once every 400 years, give or take a year.

This unique phenomenon caused schools to be out for the day, workers to take longer midafternoon coffee breaks, and major networks to send their TV personalities to cities on the route of totality to report on the events. A common thought shared by the media personalities was what a great shared experience witnessed by the people. Others reported on this particular conspiracy or what this eclipse meant for the future of mankind.  However, what was missing in most of the commentaries was simply amazing wonder. Have we lost the sense of wonder? When did we lose our sense of wonderment?

Wonder began with the words, “In the beginning God created the heavens the earth. (Gen 1:1) God is a God of wonders and even a casual reading throughout the Bible showcases God’s wondrous acts. It is hard to read Scripture without being overwhelmed by the wonders of God.

Jesus lifted the little child on his lap and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven,” This has layers of applications but I think one that is often overlooked is the beautiful reminder of keeping alive curiosity and questioning, just like children. “What was wonderful about childhood is that anything in it was a wonder. It was not merely a world full of miracles; it was a miraculous world.” (G.K. Chesterton)

Children are the keepers and givers of wonderment. The least little thing found on a walk with a child creates excitement and lots of questions.  The thing leads to a litany of why and how questions that flow into an easy conversation. “Childlike faith is opening our eyes to the wonder of seeing our God everywhere and whenever He shows us a new dimension, choosing to add that to our worldview. In doing this, our capacity increases and we grow up into His image. This kind of faith is okay with God’s revelation being a run-on sentence that at times seems like a contradiction.” (Chuck Ammons)

Monica Parker author of The Power of Wonder uses the term “wonderbringers,” finding anything that brings you wonder. “People who embody the wonder trait of curiosity tend to be more engaged, infuse more excitement into meeting new people, and are more likely to seek and build on what they learn about a person.”

Somewhere along this journey of life, wonderment is lost to the gritty details of life, the hurry-to-get-it-done lifestyle, and the curiosity of simply asking why. David captured the wonder of God as he wrote,

“All your salvation wonders are on display in your trophy room. Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer, Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser, Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash, of mobs in noisy riot—Far and wide they’ll come to a stop, they’ll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, “Come and worship.”   (Psalm 65:5-8 The Message)

There is no argument that the eclipse was a spectacular occurrence. However, what is even more stunning is waking up every day living with wonderment knowing God is a God of wonder and amazement. People begin to see us as the very essence of a dictionary definition of wonder, “arouses awe, astonishment, surprise, or admiration; a marvel.” Oswald Chambers wrote, “You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.”

“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.” (Psalm 78:4)

“They knew so much but forgot to wonder,

Busy with thoughts, their world went under.

And in losing wonder, she said with a sigh,

A universe of dreams passed them by.” (Lyra Brave)

LORD, let us be like children who live in a world of aliveness. May we awaken each day to the possibilities you have for us, to enjoy the spectacular as well as the mundane, to see with eyes open to the world you created. For we know “because of Your great love we are not consumed, for your compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God is great!

Amazing God in all Circumstances

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Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV

Do we worship an amazing God? When is God amazing? Amazing, as a word, has been criticized as one of the most overused words in English, but I think it is always appropriate when applied to God! There are not enough adjectives now to truly describe God.

So, when the headline “God is an Amazing God Says Pastor Whose Daughter Miraculously Survived Car Wreck” caught my attention the other day. The pastor’s daughter narrowly escaped a horrendous accident. A guardrail pierced the entire length of the car, leaving his daughter with only minor scratches on her hands and feet.

If you looked at the picture of the car, you could also say it was a miracle she survived. I do not belittle a grateful father for describing God as amazing. I am thankful that he could praise God for his daughter’s survival. However, I started to think, Is God only amazing when things are going well? If the outcome had been different, would God still be amazing?

In the same timeframe, the daughter of a family in Georgia was brutally killed. Laken Riley a young, aspiring nursing student at Augusta University was killed during a morning run around the University of Georgia campus. Describing the incident as a senseless and avoidable tragedy, her family would have reason to question if God was amazing. Yet her Mom, Allyson Phillips shared, “My family has faced the most devastating, unimaginable loss that anyone could ever be forced to endure. I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for being with me and my family during this heartbreaking time.”

I don’t know the family but I could guess they would answer that God is amazing and maybe more so in the face of this tragedy. Mrs. Phillips went on to share, “I encourage everyone to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I give Him all the glory for getting us through this.” (Billy Hallowell, CBN)

“Jesus, as I wait today in this dark and desperate world where many dreams have died, teach me to trust even when I can’t understand, and help me, Lord, not to hide from life’s shadows and pain.” (Prayer from Lectio 365)

Finding answers as we struggle through pain, suffering, heartache, and doubt is never easy and many times, unanswerable. We all like answers that can fit into a brightly wrapped box adorned with ribbons and bows. Academically you can get a nice, concise answer on the ‘why did it happen’ but down in the depth of your soul, the only word you hear is, Why?

British pastor Pete Greig commenting upon the Matthew 27 account of preparing Jesus’ body for burial wrote, “During Jesus’ lifetime, countless people came to Him with requests—for healing, for teaching, for forgiveness, for presence, for answers and explanations. But now that He is dead there is nothing whatsoever to be gained by coming to Jesus. Quite the reverse: it’s risky, distressing, and pointless. And so, there is something particularly moving about the selfless devotion of the characters in today’s reading as they lovingly tend His corpse. It’s easy to worship when everything is wonderful, but far more powerful to do so when our hopes and dreams have died. It’s easy to be faithful when our faith makes sense, but faithfulness begins when our faith seems insane.”

Praise comes out of a heart that is nurtured in the intimacy of God as Father. It is through images of his tenderness and care that we can find the words to express our adoration and praise of God. David Roseberry writes “The Bible uses human metaphors and word pictures to talk about God. It must if we humans are to understand it! We are image-oriented people and tend to have difficulty relating to abstractions. Models help us understand how things work. This is true on a scientific level and a theological level as well. For example, if we claim—as the Bible does—that God is good, powerful, loving, and kind, we are speaking in the abstract. These statements can be accurate, but what do they mean to us? To others? But saying God is a good, powerful, loving, and kind Father helps us understand the idea. “(David Roseberry, The Psalm on the Cross)

It is in this intimacy of worship that David was able to write the Psalms. Jesus quoted Psalm 22 as he endured the agony of the cross. The words of this Psalm allowed his soul to worship God even amid his pain, humiliation, and suffering. “From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD. May your hearts live forever!” (Ps 22:25-26 NRSV)

Throughout the last several weeks as we journeyed through Lent, Good Friday, and ultimately the life-giving Resurrection, we reflected upon grace nailed to a cross.  It was in this grace that cost Jesus dearly, that the stranglehold of death and sin was broken. Hopefully, we have been reminded that as broken and sinful individuals, we could never, on our own, have the capacity to praise God. Only through God can praise come as He is the subject and object of our praise.

The first Archbishop of Canterbury of the Anglican Church was Thomas Cranmer. One of his lasting and maybe most impactful legacies was as the principal architect and author of the Book of Common Prayer. Cranmer understood that we are too broken and sinful to offer God praise, only through God comes praise.

“Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you, no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Names; through Christ our Lord. Amen”

God is great!

Journey Toward Eternity

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Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:1b-3 NIV

The iconic engineering masterpiece, The Golden Gate Bridge, spans the one-mile-wide strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The American Society of Civil Engineers recognizes it as one of the Wonders of the Modern World. The bridge is an internationally recognized symbol and is described in Frommer’s travel guide as “possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world.” (Wikipedia)

Millions of cars, trucks, bikes, and walkers have traveled across the bridge since it opened in 1937. Though famous internationally, it is also famous for the number of people who have committed suicide on the bridge.  Harold B. Wobber became the first person to commit suicide by jumping over the four-foot rail less than three months after its opening. Since then, over 1,600 people have committed suicide with an additional unknown number whose bodies were not found.

Former California highway patrol officer Kevin Briggs has become known as the Guardian of the Golden Gate. When Briggs finds someone preparing to jump to their death, he engages the person in conversation with some simple questions about their plans for the following day. He has been able to talk more than two hundred people from taking their lives. (article in Denison Forum)

The Golden Gate Bridge is easily identifiable for its beauty, but it becomes a symbol of death to those without hope. The Cross of Jesus is even more easily recognizable throughout the world. The cross designed as an instrument of death became a symbol of hope and life because of Easter.

Lent has provided us time to slow down in our spiritual journey to refocus upon the coming days of Easter. It has provided opportunities to sit and reflect upon our hope in Jesus. It is a hope not built on shifting opinions but on the rock-solid promises of God.

Jesus’ journey toward the cross would bring life to us but not without great cost to him. The pain and bodily suffering of the cross had to be indescribable for him yet just as horrendous was the pain of rejection and betrayal that he had to endure.

The pain of a kiss. Judas had sat under his teachings, watched the healings, and fellowshipped with Jesus yet rejected the kind of Messiah that Jesus would become. “And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.” (Luke 22:4). The pain of that midnight kiss must have weighed heavily upon Jesus. “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48)

The pain of a rooster’s crowing. Peter had become one of Jesus’s trusted inner circle members. Peter had pulled the net onto the boat overflowing with fish, stood on the mountaintop with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, and watched as a little girl was raised from the dead yet that morning spoke the words, “I don’t know him!” Can you imagine the pain of these words to Jesus? Also, the pain in Peter’s heart as he heard  “the rooster crowed” and then seeing as “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.” (Luke 22:61)

The pain of a yelling crowd, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The crowd! Men and women who had listened intently to his words, many had eaten fish and bread with him on the mountainside and just days before, had been willing to cry out, Hosanna! Only now to hear, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”

Yet the greatest pain of all is the silence of His Father. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The gaping wounds, the nail-punctured hands and feet, the humiliation or the mocking words couldn’t compare to the darkness and emptiness of his Father’s silence.  “The more painful our suffering and thus the less we understand why God allows it, the more we need to trust it to his compassionate care.” (Jim Denison)

The lament of Psalm 22 would minister to Jesus’ soul that dark and godless afternoon. The words of this holy Psalm would express his desolation of God being far away and yet the consolation of feeling God’s presence, even on the cross.

Charles Spurgeon beautifully captured the richness of this Psalm on the cross. “Psalm 22 may have been actually repeated word by word by our Lord when hanging on the tree; it would be too bold to say that it was so, but even a casual reader may see that it might have been. It begins with, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And ends, according to some, in the original with It is finished.

Before us, we have a description of both the darkness and the glory of the cross, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory which shall follow. Oh, for grace to draw near and see this incredible sight! We should read reverently, putting off our shoes from our feet, as Moses did at the burning bush, for if there be holy ground anywhere in Scripture, it is in this psalm.”

The cruelty of the cross has been transformed into a symbol of living hope with the words, “It is finished.” The cold isolation of a grave has been transformed into living life with the words, “He is not here; he has risen.” These symbols of death have been transformed into a living faith with the climax of this powerful prayer, “Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done.  (Ps 22:30-31 NLT)

“Christ breaks through to you, not in those places where you are strong, where your skills are well-honed and developed, but precisely in those areas in your life where you know failure or weakness. For it is there that you come close to the power of the Cross. It is precisely there that God is waiting to meet you, long to offer you forgiveness, strength, and renewal, to live and work not in your own strength, but in the strength of Christ.” (Geoffrey Tristam)

Easter!  He is Risen! This is the reason why I can end my blogs each week with the words,

God is great!

Go Quickly and Tell His Disciples by Hanna-Cheriyan Varghese