My nephew loves basketball. In fact, ever since he was a little boy, basketball has been his thing. He watches it. Studies it. Practices it. Plays it whenever he can. He truly loves the game.
Last weekend, he and his Rec. League team played for the Rec. League championship. In the first game of the tournament, they trailed the entire game until close to the end when they took their opponents into overtime and eventually won the game. In the second game of the tournament, they trailed the entire game until close to the end when they pulled ahead and won. And in the third game of the tournament, they did the same thing: they stayed behind the whole game until the end of the game, when they squeaked ahead and won by only 2 points. Needless to say, the games were very intense. And, honestly, I think that everyone was surprised that they pulled off the win!
My nephew himself was especially concerned about the last game. His team was playing the #1 team in the league and they were missing one of their best players. As we left the second game, my nephew mentioned that he didn’t think his team could win the next night without the full team. I told him that I believed they could win regardless (because I did). I told him that I hoped that he would go out and play like he believed they could win—not to defeat himself with negative self-talk. Evidently, my dad told him the same thing, and my mom sent him a text saying similar things the day of the championship game.
So after the third game was over, I found it incredibly sweet and humbling to hear my nephew say to me, in his deep, changing voice: I kept hearing you and Nana and Poppy telling me not to give up—to believe that we could win—and we did!
Friends: It may seem like people aren’t listening, but they are. And we never know the impact of our words to influence a situation for the better (or worse).
May we be a people of uplifting, kind, true, and encouraging words. And may we hold to positive words over negative ones, especially in a culture that thrives on negativity and fear.
Amen and amen.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Help, Thanks, Wow! (Sermon)
If you're reading this, then you're reading something that no one else is reading. I'm not posting it on FB. Just here. To see if my three readers will let me know if it makes sense. It's a sermon that I'm writing for Sunday morning. And I'm struggling with the writing. I write all the time. I speak all the time. But for some reason, writing a sermon is a struggle for me. So...here is what I have. Thoughts? Ideas? I'd love the help.
-----
Opening
Hear these words from Philippians 4:4-9,
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Let us pray.
…
Last Spring Break, a friend and I took a trip to Phoenix to go to the Antiques Roadshow. While there, we took a day trip to Sedona to see some of the most beautiful country there is. To better catch the beauty of our surroundings, we decided to take a hike…and before I knew it, we were hiking full speed ahead up what looked like a very daunting mountain.
I don’t know about you, but I like to take my time when I’m hiking. Not only does it help me physically, but it also helps me mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. I like to go slow—really take in the sights, smells, and textures of my surroundings. Sometimes I stop to take pictures. Sometimes I stop to write poetry. Sometimes I stop to breathe. But on this hike, I wasn’t stopping for anything. The friends I was with were moving quickly up the mountain and there were strangers on my tail. I didn’t have time to do anything other than pray that I didn’t run out of breath or fall down or off the mountain. “Help, God, help” I prayed. “Help, God, help!”
Despite intense peer pressure to keep going to the mountain’s summit, I decided to stop half way up the mountain. I really had no desire to climb all the way to the top and I certainly didn’t want to do it at break neck speed. After convincing my friends that I really, truly did not want to keep going, I sat down in a little rock crevice on the side of the mountain and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Honestly, I’m still surprised that I found the courage to stand up for myself and stop the hike, but I did. And as I sat in that rock crevice, somewhat anxious about getting down the mountain alone, tears of relief filled my eyes. “Thanks, God, thanks,” I prayed. “Thanks, God, thanks!”
After sitting still and gathering my wits for about 15 minutes, I finally began making my way down the mountain. I took my time. I helped other people. I stopped and took pictures. I laid on a flat portion of rock for awhile, gazing at the crisp, white clouds in the bright, blue sky, feeling the warmth of the sun hitting my skin. I found an old river bed and imagined what it was like when water raged there. I marveled at the tree roots. I felt the smooth edges of river rock. I looked up at the mountain’s outline and wondered where my friends were. I had an absolutely glorious time alone, and all I could think was, “Wow, God, wow!” “Wow, God, wow!”
Help. Thanks. Wow. Three simple, yet almost essential, prayers of our faith.
Help
*play/sing “Lord, I Give It All To You”*
In our passage of scripture today, we find Paul in jail. He is writing to a people whose very lives are a source of worry. In the early church, in addition to the normal everyday worries of being a human being, there was added the worry of being a Christian, which meant taking one’s life in one’s hands. For early Christians, like the Philippians, being a person of faith was going against the accepted norm. It was risky. It was dangerous. It was life-threatening. Yet Paul’s solution to these worries? Prayer.
In vs. 6, Paul writes: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition…present your requests to God.
Did you hear that? In every situation. Paul stresses that we can take everything to God in prayer: We can pray for ourselves. We can pray for others. We can pray for forgiveness from the past, for the things we need in the present, and for help and guidance for the future. We can commit to God those near and far who are within our memories and our hearts. And we can pray for things that are easy to pray for as well as the things we’d rather not admit. Think about like this:
Any family with many children knows the struggles that go on daily to keep a good appearance in the front hall where visitors enter. Some convenient hiding place where all the clutter can be thrown under the stairs when company approaches is part of the equipment of any well-ordered home. To all appearances, guests find a neat house, but we would not have them see the disorder in the closet.
We all have something like a hall closet, where we conceal what we do not want company to see. We have ingenious ways of trying to forget what is in that closet—we keep very, very busy; we never take time to think; we seek continuous distractions and stay with the crowd. This is why Paul insists on making everything known to God in moments when we are alone and still with our decisions.
Such prayer is nothing more or less than putting ourselves in a position where ‘there is no place to hide.’ For inside each of us is that secret place where no human being can ever enter. Only God shares that. Help me deal with the mess that I am, God! Help! God! Help!
…
When we move on to verse 8, we read: Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.
I don’t know about you, but I struggle to keep my mind on things that are true, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. Instead, I find my mind wandering to the lies of fear and doubt; to the juiciness of gossip and sin; to the ickiness of the world that we live in.
Turn on the news or nighttime television for just five minutes and it’s plain to see how easy it is to focus on the things of this world rather than the things of God—
• Things that are True and will not will not let us down;
• Things that are Honest and dignified rather than cheap and attractive;
• Things that are Just and carry a duty to God and others;
• Things that are Pure and morally uncontaminated;
• Things that are Lovely—kind; sympathetic; patient; not vengeful, punishing, bitter, fearful, critical, rebuking, or resentful;
• And things Of Good Report that are fit for God to hear.
God, help us to focus on all that is excellent and praiseworthy.
God, help us to live lives worthy of your calling.
God, help us to focus on your love and your ways.
God, help us to look forward to a future of freedom while letting go of the weight of the past.
God, help us to have courage and strength as we pass through pain.
God, help us to be breathe when patience is running thin.
God, help us to stand up for ourselves when we know we are in situations where we do not feel right.
God, help us to know and to take the next right step.
God, help those we love. Please God, help those we love.
Help, God, Help!
Help, God, Help!
Thanks
But it’s not just help that we should pray for. Go back to verse six. We read: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
The church in Philippi was actually one of Paul’s favorite churches and the people some of his favorite people. They were the only church that Paul had accepted financial gifts from and they had sent gifts of money, help, and prayer to him throughout his ministry.
In his letter to the Philippians, then, Paul is not writing to clarify theological doctrine or to offer advice on how to be the church, rather he is writing to say thank you to a people he loved and missed and to declare that there is joy in Christ for all who believe.
In fact, that theme of joy in Christ runs throughout the entire book. In verse four of today’s text, we read: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Rejoice! Be thankful! Let your heart overflow with the goodness of God through Jesus Christ!
And not only that, but: Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
In other words, let your thanksgiving translate into gentle action toward all, for God is near, all around, moving and working in our every day lives, through all times and circumstances…but it is up to see it.
And how do we see God moving and working in the world around us? Through adopting an attitude of gratitude based first and foremost on our salvation and the redeeming power of Jesus Christ in our lives.
Once we have adopted that attitude, we can live a life thankful for the people, things, places, and experiences that make our lives what they are. Remember what Paul said: Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS. And again I say Rejoice! We do not rejoice because things are always perfect.
Take Paul as an example. He was in jail, awaiting a trial that very well may have ended his life, and yet he was still able to rejoice and to commend his favorite people to do the same. We, like Paul, rejoice because we have more than enough in Jesus Christ our Lord…
I want you to take out a pen or pencil and some paper if you have them. If you don’t, reach in the pew in front of you and use the little golf pencil and an offering envelope or your bulletin.
I’m going to give you two minutes to write down as many as you can of the people, places, and things for which you are thankful. Write down anything that comes to mind—nothing is too big or small. Rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS. And again, I say rejoice.
No matter what you may be going through, take two moments to rejoice now.
(wait two minutes)
Oh, God, we give you thanks today. Thanks, God, Thanks! Thanks, God, Thanks!
(pause)
Wow
A few summers ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Iceland. I’ll never forget my first overseas experience and just how beautiful it was. In fact, my first visit in Iceland, a waterfall, was so beautiful that I just stood there and cried. I couldn’t formulate any other thought than Wow. As Ann Lamott says in her book Helps Thanks Wow:
“Wow is often offered with a gasp, a sharp intake of breath, when we can’t think of another way to capture the sight of shocking beauty or destruction, of a sudden unbidden insight or an unexpected flash of grace. ‘Wow’ means we are not dulled to wonder. We click into being fully present when we’re stunned into that gasp, by the sight of a birth, or images of the World Trade Center towers falling, or the experience of being in a fjord, at dawn for the first time. ‘Wow’ is about having one’s mind blown by the mesmerizing or the miraculous: the veins in a leaf, birdsong, volcanoes.”
Wow. We’ve all had Wow moments in our lives. In preparing for this sermon, I had quite a few wow moments in my reading. This scripture passage alone is a Wow moment if you really think about it!
Remember: Paul wrote this passage to a group of people who loved and supported him but who were not living on Easy Street. Just to be a Christian in those days was quite a risk. There was only a handful of people in Philippi defending the faith against a hostile ruling class. Yet the Philippian church was faithful. And Paul saw their faithfulness and wanted to write his words of love and thanksgiving to them…all while he had been stripped of everything in the world that human beings naturally want. And still he writes:
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Wow!
Here is a man in prison, likely to be beaten and killed, writing about the joy and peace of Christ!
Wow!
There is a mystery to this joy and peace of Christ. Such a peace is really quite different from the peace that we often think about. We tend to think we want peace that passes understanding, but what we actually want is a peace that is very easily understood. We want the peace that grows out of the tranquility of our surroundings, the pastoral scene where all goes well, the peace of being made to lie down in green pastures and being led beside the still waters. But the peace that Paul had in mind was past all understanding because it was his amid tempestuous surroundings, amid riot and storm, and under the threat of the headman’s ax.
So what is the peace of God? It is our outlook on life. Paul wrote that the peace of God allowed him to be satisfied with what he had in any situation. The peace of God, then, allows us to see every situation with wisdom.
• We can see if something is really important or not, whether it is worth troubling with.
• We can see the places where we should place our attempts to do God’s will.
• We can know that no matter what happens, God is working in every situation to redeem.
God’s peace allows us to understand:
• That our lives are important, but our problems are not the only things to be considered;
• That there are things we can do to help, but we must rely on God in the final analysis;
• And that we always have help and comfort through his spirit.
The peace of God passes human understanding and is available to those who believe. Wow, God! Wow! Wow, God, Wow!
(pause)
Conclusion
Do not be anxious about anything, church, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you. Now and forevermore.
Help.
Thanks.
Wow!
Amen.
Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit now and always, and To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
-----
Opening
Hear these words from Philippians 4:4-9,
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Let us pray.
…
Last Spring Break, a friend and I took a trip to Phoenix to go to the Antiques Roadshow. While there, we took a day trip to Sedona to see some of the most beautiful country there is. To better catch the beauty of our surroundings, we decided to take a hike…and before I knew it, we were hiking full speed ahead up what looked like a very daunting mountain.
I don’t know about you, but I like to take my time when I’m hiking. Not only does it help me physically, but it also helps me mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. I like to go slow—really take in the sights, smells, and textures of my surroundings. Sometimes I stop to take pictures. Sometimes I stop to write poetry. Sometimes I stop to breathe. But on this hike, I wasn’t stopping for anything. The friends I was with were moving quickly up the mountain and there were strangers on my tail. I didn’t have time to do anything other than pray that I didn’t run out of breath or fall down or off the mountain. “Help, God, help” I prayed. “Help, God, help!”
Despite intense peer pressure to keep going to the mountain’s summit, I decided to stop half way up the mountain. I really had no desire to climb all the way to the top and I certainly didn’t want to do it at break neck speed. After convincing my friends that I really, truly did not want to keep going, I sat down in a little rock crevice on the side of the mountain and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Honestly, I’m still surprised that I found the courage to stand up for myself and stop the hike, but I did. And as I sat in that rock crevice, somewhat anxious about getting down the mountain alone, tears of relief filled my eyes. “Thanks, God, thanks,” I prayed. “Thanks, God, thanks!”
After sitting still and gathering my wits for about 15 minutes, I finally began making my way down the mountain. I took my time. I helped other people. I stopped and took pictures. I laid on a flat portion of rock for awhile, gazing at the crisp, white clouds in the bright, blue sky, feeling the warmth of the sun hitting my skin. I found an old river bed and imagined what it was like when water raged there. I marveled at the tree roots. I felt the smooth edges of river rock. I looked up at the mountain’s outline and wondered where my friends were. I had an absolutely glorious time alone, and all I could think was, “Wow, God, wow!” “Wow, God, wow!”
Help. Thanks. Wow. Three simple, yet almost essential, prayers of our faith.
Help
*play/sing “Lord, I Give It All To You”*
In our passage of scripture today, we find Paul in jail. He is writing to a people whose very lives are a source of worry. In the early church, in addition to the normal everyday worries of being a human being, there was added the worry of being a Christian, which meant taking one’s life in one’s hands. For early Christians, like the Philippians, being a person of faith was going against the accepted norm. It was risky. It was dangerous. It was life-threatening. Yet Paul’s solution to these worries? Prayer.
In vs. 6, Paul writes: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition…present your requests to God.
Did you hear that? In every situation. Paul stresses that we can take everything to God in prayer: We can pray for ourselves. We can pray for others. We can pray for forgiveness from the past, for the things we need in the present, and for help and guidance for the future. We can commit to God those near and far who are within our memories and our hearts. And we can pray for things that are easy to pray for as well as the things we’d rather not admit. Think about like this:
Any family with many children knows the struggles that go on daily to keep a good appearance in the front hall where visitors enter. Some convenient hiding place where all the clutter can be thrown under the stairs when company approaches is part of the equipment of any well-ordered home. To all appearances, guests find a neat house, but we would not have them see the disorder in the closet.
We all have something like a hall closet, where we conceal what we do not want company to see. We have ingenious ways of trying to forget what is in that closet—we keep very, very busy; we never take time to think; we seek continuous distractions and stay with the crowd. This is why Paul insists on making everything known to God in moments when we are alone and still with our decisions.
Such prayer is nothing more or less than putting ourselves in a position where ‘there is no place to hide.’ For inside each of us is that secret place where no human being can ever enter. Only God shares that. Help me deal with the mess that I am, God! Help! God! Help!
…
When we move on to verse 8, we read: Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.
I don’t know about you, but I struggle to keep my mind on things that are true, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. Instead, I find my mind wandering to the lies of fear and doubt; to the juiciness of gossip and sin; to the ickiness of the world that we live in.
Turn on the news or nighttime television for just five minutes and it’s plain to see how easy it is to focus on the things of this world rather than the things of God—
• Things that are True and will not will not let us down;
• Things that are Honest and dignified rather than cheap and attractive;
• Things that are Just and carry a duty to God and others;
• Things that are Pure and morally uncontaminated;
• Things that are Lovely—kind; sympathetic; patient; not vengeful, punishing, bitter, fearful, critical, rebuking, or resentful;
• And things Of Good Report that are fit for God to hear.
God, help us to focus on all that is excellent and praiseworthy.
God, help us to live lives worthy of your calling.
God, help us to focus on your love and your ways.
God, help us to look forward to a future of freedom while letting go of the weight of the past.
God, help us to have courage and strength as we pass through pain.
God, help us to be breathe when patience is running thin.
God, help us to stand up for ourselves when we know we are in situations where we do not feel right.
God, help us to know and to take the next right step.
God, help those we love. Please God, help those we love.
Help, God, Help!
Help, God, Help!
Thanks
But it’s not just help that we should pray for. Go back to verse six. We read: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
The church in Philippi was actually one of Paul’s favorite churches and the people some of his favorite people. They were the only church that Paul had accepted financial gifts from and they had sent gifts of money, help, and prayer to him throughout his ministry.
In his letter to the Philippians, then, Paul is not writing to clarify theological doctrine or to offer advice on how to be the church, rather he is writing to say thank you to a people he loved and missed and to declare that there is joy in Christ for all who believe.
In fact, that theme of joy in Christ runs throughout the entire book. In verse four of today’s text, we read: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Rejoice! Be thankful! Let your heart overflow with the goodness of God through Jesus Christ!
And not only that, but: Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
In other words, let your thanksgiving translate into gentle action toward all, for God is near, all around, moving and working in our every day lives, through all times and circumstances…but it is up to see it.
And how do we see God moving and working in the world around us? Through adopting an attitude of gratitude based first and foremost on our salvation and the redeeming power of Jesus Christ in our lives.
Once we have adopted that attitude, we can live a life thankful for the people, things, places, and experiences that make our lives what they are. Remember what Paul said: Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS. And again I say Rejoice! We do not rejoice because things are always perfect.
Take Paul as an example. He was in jail, awaiting a trial that very well may have ended his life, and yet he was still able to rejoice and to commend his favorite people to do the same. We, like Paul, rejoice because we have more than enough in Jesus Christ our Lord…
I want you to take out a pen or pencil and some paper if you have them. If you don’t, reach in the pew in front of you and use the little golf pencil and an offering envelope or your bulletin.
I’m going to give you two minutes to write down as many as you can of the people, places, and things for which you are thankful. Write down anything that comes to mind—nothing is too big or small. Rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS. And again, I say rejoice.
No matter what you may be going through, take two moments to rejoice now.
(wait two minutes)
Oh, God, we give you thanks today. Thanks, God, Thanks! Thanks, God, Thanks!
(pause)
Wow
A few summers ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Iceland. I’ll never forget my first overseas experience and just how beautiful it was. In fact, my first visit in Iceland, a waterfall, was so beautiful that I just stood there and cried. I couldn’t formulate any other thought than Wow. As Ann Lamott says in her book Helps Thanks Wow:
“Wow is often offered with a gasp, a sharp intake of breath, when we can’t think of another way to capture the sight of shocking beauty or destruction, of a sudden unbidden insight or an unexpected flash of grace. ‘Wow’ means we are not dulled to wonder. We click into being fully present when we’re stunned into that gasp, by the sight of a birth, or images of the World Trade Center towers falling, or the experience of being in a fjord, at dawn for the first time. ‘Wow’ is about having one’s mind blown by the mesmerizing or the miraculous: the veins in a leaf, birdsong, volcanoes.”
Wow. We’ve all had Wow moments in our lives. In preparing for this sermon, I had quite a few wow moments in my reading. This scripture passage alone is a Wow moment if you really think about it!
Remember: Paul wrote this passage to a group of people who loved and supported him but who were not living on Easy Street. Just to be a Christian in those days was quite a risk. There was only a handful of people in Philippi defending the faith against a hostile ruling class. Yet the Philippian church was faithful. And Paul saw their faithfulness and wanted to write his words of love and thanksgiving to them…all while he had been stripped of everything in the world that human beings naturally want. And still he writes:
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Wow!
Here is a man in prison, likely to be beaten and killed, writing about the joy and peace of Christ!
Wow!
There is a mystery to this joy and peace of Christ. Such a peace is really quite different from the peace that we often think about. We tend to think we want peace that passes understanding, but what we actually want is a peace that is very easily understood. We want the peace that grows out of the tranquility of our surroundings, the pastoral scene where all goes well, the peace of being made to lie down in green pastures and being led beside the still waters. But the peace that Paul had in mind was past all understanding because it was his amid tempestuous surroundings, amid riot and storm, and under the threat of the headman’s ax.
So what is the peace of God? It is our outlook on life. Paul wrote that the peace of God allowed him to be satisfied with what he had in any situation. The peace of God, then, allows us to see every situation with wisdom.
• We can see if something is really important or not, whether it is worth troubling with.
• We can see the places where we should place our attempts to do God’s will.
• We can know that no matter what happens, God is working in every situation to redeem.
God’s peace allows us to understand:
• That our lives are important, but our problems are not the only things to be considered;
• That there are things we can do to help, but we must rely on God in the final analysis;
• And that we always have help and comfort through his spirit.
The peace of God passes human understanding and is available to those who believe. Wow, God! Wow! Wow, God, Wow!
(pause)
Conclusion
Do not be anxious about anything, church, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you. Now and forevermore.
Help.
Thanks.
Wow!
Amen.
Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit now and always, and To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Context Matters
Yesterday, as my parents and I traveled to and from my nephew’s basketball game in Apex, we listened to the Broadway station on satellite radio. Some of the songs were familiar. Most of the songs were not. Some of the songs made sense. Most of the songs did not. Out of context, even the most celebrated songs can be misinterpreted and misjudged.
Context is important. Overarching storyline matters. When we hear only part of a conversation but have no idea its context, we often misinterpret the words and read into them our own version of reality. When we read only parts of scripture but have no idea of the larger narrative, we often misinterpret the words and read into them our own version of truth.
One summer, while working at camp, I heard only part of a conversation. I heard that I needed to buy twelve and a half dozen eggs but had no idea what I was buying them for. Even after questioning the amount, I still blindly went to the store and bought twelve and a half dozen eggs. Come to find out, we only needed 18 eggs for an egg dropping competition. 132 extra eggs went to waste…because I didn’t understand the context of the part of the larger conversation I had heard.
Thankfully, buying too many eggs didn’t damage someone’s reputation. But hearing things out of context most certainly can. Thankfully, buying too many eggs didn’t lead to scriptural abuse. But reading scripture out of context, most certainly can.
May we be a people who do not settle for bits and pieces of muddy information but who seek the entire picture of contextual truth. It may take a bit of time to put things into context, but that time is well worth the effort when it leads to clear understanding of what is being seen and heard.
Oh God: Help us. Amen. And Amen.
Context is important. Overarching storyline matters. When we hear only part of a conversation but have no idea its context, we often misinterpret the words and read into them our own version of reality. When we read only parts of scripture but have no idea of the larger narrative, we often misinterpret the words and read into them our own version of truth.
One summer, while working at camp, I heard only part of a conversation. I heard that I needed to buy twelve and a half dozen eggs but had no idea what I was buying them for. Even after questioning the amount, I still blindly went to the store and bought twelve and a half dozen eggs. Come to find out, we only needed 18 eggs for an egg dropping competition. 132 extra eggs went to waste…because I didn’t understand the context of the part of the larger conversation I had heard.
Thankfully, buying too many eggs didn’t damage someone’s reputation. But hearing things out of context most certainly can. Thankfully, buying too many eggs didn’t lead to scriptural abuse. But reading scripture out of context, most certainly can.
May we be a people who do not settle for bits and pieces of muddy information but who seek the entire picture of contextual truth. It may take a bit of time to put things into context, but that time is well worth the effort when it leads to clear understanding of what is being seen and heard.
Oh God: Help us. Amen. And Amen.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
No Day But Today
My first year teaching, we were hit with a major winter storm. Cities were shut down. School was closed for a week. And I was full of angst at the reality that we would have to make up the days later in the year.
I don’t remember when my attitude changed. It may have been as I was walking Miss Dog in the snow or as I was reading The Left Behind Series, but at some point during that week, I realized that I should let go of my angst and embrace the beauty of the time off and the peaceful snow.
From that point forward, for fifteen years of teaching, I have not begrudged an unexpected weather day off; rather, I have tried to make the most of the days either by doing absolutely nothing or doing absolutely everything I’ve needed to do but haven’t had the chance or energy to do recently.
Today was one of the latter.
Instead of sleeping in, I got up to get a pedicure. Along the way, I stopped at the bank, got some quarters, washed my car, then filled up the car with gas; stopped at the drug store and picked up some medicine; met a friend for lunch; and went to two grocery stores to get a rotisserie chicken for my dad (we already had milk and bread). Once home, I cleaned out the car, cleaned out the fridge, took out the trash, unloaded the dishwasher, and washed all of the cups that had stockpiled in the dirty car and all of the Tupper Wear that had contained forsaken leftovers. Later tonight, I plan to puzzle. Yesterday, Mom found out about a puzzle competition that we might be able to enter. I must practice! I need to be a more well-rounded puzzler if I’m going to actually be in a competition!
It’s been a good day. A productive day. A day that I do not begrudge. As my favorite song from Rent says, there really is “no day but today.”
What has your day looked like? Have you done nothing or everything or something somewhere between? Whatever it’s been, I hope you’ve been able to embrace it and celebrate the day for what it’s been.
“There’s only us, there’s only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way. No day but today…”
I don’t remember when my attitude changed. It may have been as I was walking Miss Dog in the snow or as I was reading The Left Behind Series, but at some point during that week, I realized that I should let go of my angst and embrace the beauty of the time off and the peaceful snow.
From that point forward, for fifteen years of teaching, I have not begrudged an unexpected weather day off; rather, I have tried to make the most of the days either by doing absolutely nothing or doing absolutely everything I’ve needed to do but haven’t had the chance or energy to do recently.
Today was one of the latter.
Instead of sleeping in, I got up to get a pedicure. Along the way, I stopped at the bank, got some quarters, washed my car, then filled up the car with gas; stopped at the drug store and picked up some medicine; met a friend for lunch; and went to two grocery stores to get a rotisserie chicken for my dad (we already had milk and bread). Once home, I cleaned out the car, cleaned out the fridge, took out the trash, unloaded the dishwasher, and washed all of the cups that had stockpiled in the dirty car and all of the Tupper Wear that had contained forsaken leftovers. Later tonight, I plan to puzzle. Yesterday, Mom found out about a puzzle competition that we might be able to enter. I must practice! I need to be a more well-rounded puzzler if I’m going to actually be in a competition!
It’s been a good day. A productive day. A day that I do not begrudge. As my favorite song from Rent says, there really is “no day but today.”
What has your day looked like? Have you done nothing or everything or something somewhere between? Whatever it’s been, I hope you’ve been able to embrace it and celebrate the day for what it’s been.
“There’s only us, there’s only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way. No day but today…”
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Put It In Second Place
I just finished my annual benefits meeting—you know, the one where all of your fears are tapped and you are suddenly convinced that you need every type of supplemental insurance possible? What if I get cancer? What if I have a heart attack or stroke? What if I get in a wreck and have to be hospitalized? What if, what if, what if?
The ironic thing? When I got back to my room, the song “Fear is a Liar” was playing.
It’s hard to balance: The fear of “what if” vs. reality of “what is.” Scripture tells us not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has enough worries of its own. Yet if we don’t look toward tomorrow, then we will inevitably be unprepared for something that takes advanced planning and preparation.
Scripture tells us not to be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication present our requests to God. I pray all the time. Almost literally. I say, “Dear God” all day long and I believe every thought that follows to be a prayer. And yet I still struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder…and I really don’t believe it’s because my faith isn’t strong enough.
As I was preparing for my upcoming retreat, I read something that addressed this dilemma. In The Interpreter’s Bible, it says:
“Have no anxiety” should not be taken as a counsel of perfection. Spiritual freedom of the inner life will not, for most of us human beings, put an end to all worldly anxiety, but it may put it in second place where it is more readily handled. When given first place, it can be literally the death of us. So long as we have to make a living and keep body and soul together, we have to be more or less anxious about our job and our future, our families, social injustices, and a better future for everybody. There is anxiety in our waiting for future possibilities to show themselves, but when such concern is in second place, it will not dominate our whole life and interfere with what we care most about.” (pg. 112, Philippians Commentary)
I don’t know about you, but I think this is about as good of a solution as any: Put the fear, anxiety, worry, doubt, and all manner of ickiness in second place. All manner of ickiness will always exist, and it must be addressed, and life must be lived, but let the ickiness hold less weight in the balance, for God is with us, working and creating good, existing in and revealing Love…and Love wins.
The ironic thing? When I got back to my room, the song “Fear is a Liar” was playing.
It’s hard to balance: The fear of “what if” vs. reality of “what is.” Scripture tells us not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has enough worries of its own. Yet if we don’t look toward tomorrow, then we will inevitably be unprepared for something that takes advanced planning and preparation.
Scripture tells us not to be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication present our requests to God. I pray all the time. Almost literally. I say, “Dear God” all day long and I believe every thought that follows to be a prayer. And yet I still struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder…and I really don’t believe it’s because my faith isn’t strong enough.
As I was preparing for my upcoming retreat, I read something that addressed this dilemma. In The Interpreter’s Bible, it says:
“Have no anxiety” should not be taken as a counsel of perfection. Spiritual freedom of the inner life will not, for most of us human beings, put an end to all worldly anxiety, but it may put it in second place where it is more readily handled. When given first place, it can be literally the death of us. So long as we have to make a living and keep body and soul together, we have to be more or less anxious about our job and our future, our families, social injustices, and a better future for everybody. There is anxiety in our waiting for future possibilities to show themselves, but when such concern is in second place, it will not dominate our whole life and interfere with what we care most about.” (pg. 112, Philippians Commentary)
I don’t know about you, but I think this is about as good of a solution as any: Put the fear, anxiety, worry, doubt, and all manner of ickiness in second place. All manner of ickiness will always exist, and it must be addressed, and life must be lived, but let the ickiness hold less weight in the balance, for God is with us, working and creating good, existing in and revealing Love…and Love wins.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Breathtaking
I was looking through some old poems this week when I came across a series of haiku that I wrote on my first international trip. On day one, after what seemed like an Amazing Race adventure to get there, my aunt and I climbed on a tour bus in Iceland and went to what was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. I remember standing there breathless, tears in my eyes, because I was so taken by the beauty. When I could think again, I wrote. And I kept on writing. All through the trip to Iceland and on to Scandinavia, I wrote. Because it’s the only thing I could do to try to capture the amazement of the world:
(i)
This raging water
May be the most beautiful
I have ever seen
(ii)
Rich diversity
I am beyond overwhelmed
And simply amazed
(iii)
Volcano erupt
Mold and decorate the land
Green moss, brown boulders
(iv)
It’s a big small world
People everywhere the same
Yet very diff’rent
(v)
11:45pm
Late, brilliant color
Magnificent, deep, beautiful
Baltic Sea nights.
(vi)
Nothing compares to
The majesty of nature
Unadult’rated
Friends: This world really is a beautiful place…and even the world around us will show its beauty when we open our eyes to see.
When is the last time that something captured your spirit and took your breath away? What was it? Please share. I’d love to hear.
(i)
This raging water
May be the most beautiful
I have ever seen
(ii)
Rich diversity
I am beyond overwhelmed
And simply amazed
(iii)
Volcano erupt
Mold and decorate the land
Green moss, brown boulders
(iv)
It’s a big small world
People everywhere the same
Yet very diff’rent
(v)
11:45pm
Late, brilliant color
Magnificent, deep, beautiful
Baltic Sea nights.
(vi)
Nothing compares to
The majesty of nature
Unadult’rated
Friends: This world really is a beautiful place…and even the world around us will show its beauty when we open our eyes to see.
When is the last time that something captured your spirit and took your breath away? What was it? Please share. I’d love to hear.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Thinking Cap
I keep my heat on 69. Usually, I am plenty warm, but over the weekend, I was really cold. While sitting in my office working, I put on both a hat and fuzzy lounge socks—neither of which I usually wear in the house. As the weekend progressed and I continued to work in my hat and fuzzy lounge socks, I came to think of my hat as my thinking cap. It thought me through a book, a book summary, four commentaries, and sixteen pages of typed notes…all for a retreat that I’m planning for March.
I shared a quote from my studies on Saturday, but I want to share an expanded version of the quote again here, along with a prayer that goes with it. May you read these words and be both blessed and challenged today, friends.
“We wish that God would cure all cancer…do away with hunger, disaster, and injustice. We would like the vengeful strength of God to be shown, and very mightily, against all who are lined up opposite us. But God’s strength seldom works that way; evil often falls of its own weight eventually. Usually, instead of fighting for us as we watch, he strengthens us to fight for ourselves. God’s strength is not always found in armies of angels. God’s strength is found in the consoling, the uplifting, and the strengthening of his people—like you and me.
Paul was arrested, beaten, and stoned—probably killed. Yet he rang out that God strengthened him. Strength, not in force or vengeance. But strength of Spirit and purpose.
In the face of our world, we might ask for bombs. God gives us himself instead. And at that moment, Buechner says, we look like persons who have asked for crust but have been given instead of the whole loaf of bread. For we are not given merely what God does—but God himself.
Father,
Strength of our souls, power of our existence,
Help us find your power not according to the world’s standards—
But in peace instead of war
In joy rather than bawdiness
In silence rather than the noise of conflict
Help us, because of the strength of you in us,
To do all we can as your instruments
To rely on the Spirit
To face all situations with hope—
Not the hope of vindication, but the hope of love and peace
Even as your strength works out your will.
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.”
(--taken from Devotionally Yours, Philippians, pg. 98)
We ask for crust, but God gives warm, delicious bread. We ask for what God does, but God gives himself. Thanks be to the God of Jesus, bread, and thinking caps. Amen.
I shared a quote from my studies on Saturday, but I want to share an expanded version of the quote again here, along with a prayer that goes with it. May you read these words and be both blessed and challenged today, friends.
“We wish that God would cure all cancer…do away with hunger, disaster, and injustice. We would like the vengeful strength of God to be shown, and very mightily, against all who are lined up opposite us. But God’s strength seldom works that way; evil often falls of its own weight eventually. Usually, instead of fighting for us as we watch, he strengthens us to fight for ourselves. God’s strength is not always found in armies of angels. God’s strength is found in the consoling, the uplifting, and the strengthening of his people—like you and me.
Paul was arrested, beaten, and stoned—probably killed. Yet he rang out that God strengthened him. Strength, not in force or vengeance. But strength of Spirit and purpose.
In the face of our world, we might ask for bombs. God gives us himself instead. And at that moment, Buechner says, we look like persons who have asked for crust but have been given instead of the whole loaf of bread. For we are not given merely what God does—but God himself.
Father,
Strength of our souls, power of our existence,
Help us find your power not according to the world’s standards—
But in peace instead of war
In joy rather than bawdiness
In silence rather than the noise of conflict
Help us, because of the strength of you in us,
To do all we can as your instruments
To rely on the Spirit
To face all situations with hope—
Not the hope of vindication, but the hope of love and peace
Even as your strength works out your will.
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.”
(--taken from Devotionally Yours, Philippians, pg. 98)
We ask for crust, but God gives warm, delicious bread. We ask for what God does, but God gives himself. Thanks be to the God of Jesus, bread, and thinking caps. Amen.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Words of Affirmation
I had a performance with my Kindergarten and 1st grade students on Monday night. 110 students showed up to sing and dance for their “teachers, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, next door neighbors, and friends,” and I was very proud of them. They’d been working hard to share their learning, and in the moment of truth, they showed up.
After the performance, I was exhausted. I went home and tried to sleep, but I couldn’t. I always feel vulnerable after performances—wondering if what I did was “good enough,” fearing that it wasn’t, preparing for complaints, secretly longing for compliments and words of affirmation…
As I stood in the car rider line on Tuesday afternoon, a grandfather rolled down his window and asked if I was the music teacher. I said that I was. He then told me how wonderful the program had been the night before. I almost cried.
Then I received an e-mail from a parent that did made me cry:
“Hello! I just wanted to say congratulations on a job well done last night! You made everything look so easy from beginning to end! So many people were so impressed at how well the kids knew their songs. I can speak for all the kindergarten teachers when I say that we love how you find ways to incorporate our learning objectives into your music!
I kept trying to figure out how my daughter knew how to skip count by 2’s. Her teacher told me they haven’t focused real hard on that yet. Now I know it was YOU! She has figured out, on her own, how to count by 2’s to 100! And... even though she tortures my soul with the non-stop skip counting...(every time we get in the car to go somewhere🤪), both me and my husband are so glad she so fortunate to have such a fun and amazing music teacher!!!”
Teachers put a lot of effort and intention into what we teach. We log many long hours at work and then log many more at home. I am somewhat fortunate to work in a performance field where my work can easily be commended and applauded, but classroom teachers often are not given the accolades they deserve. Many teachers often only hear criticism—and wonder if they are good enough, fearing that they aren’t, while secretly longing for compliments and words of affirmation.
If you know a teacher, consider sending him/her some accolades today—especially if you are a parent of a school-aged kid. It’s not teacher appreciation week. It’s nothing special that I know of. It’s just a Thursday…but I have a feeling that it’s a good day for affirmation.
After the performance, I was exhausted. I went home and tried to sleep, but I couldn’t. I always feel vulnerable after performances—wondering if what I did was “good enough,” fearing that it wasn’t, preparing for complaints, secretly longing for compliments and words of affirmation…
As I stood in the car rider line on Tuesday afternoon, a grandfather rolled down his window and asked if I was the music teacher. I said that I was. He then told me how wonderful the program had been the night before. I almost cried.
Then I received an e-mail from a parent that did made me cry:
“Hello! I just wanted to say congratulations on a job well done last night! You made everything look so easy from beginning to end! So many people were so impressed at how well the kids knew their songs. I can speak for all the kindergarten teachers when I say that we love how you find ways to incorporate our learning objectives into your music!
I kept trying to figure out how my daughter knew how to skip count by 2’s. Her teacher told me they haven’t focused real hard on that yet. Now I know it was YOU! She has figured out, on her own, how to count by 2’s to 100! And... even though she tortures my soul with the non-stop skip counting...(every time we get in the car to go somewhere🤪), both me and my husband are so glad she so fortunate to have such a fun and amazing music teacher!!!”
Teachers put a lot of effort and intention into what we teach. We log many long hours at work and then log many more at home. I am somewhat fortunate to work in a performance field where my work can easily be commended and applauded, but classroom teachers often are not given the accolades they deserve. Many teachers often only hear criticism—and wonder if they are good enough, fearing that they aren’t, while secretly longing for compliments and words of affirmation.
If you know a teacher, consider sending him/her some accolades today—especially if you are a parent of a school-aged kid. It’s not teacher appreciation week. It’s nothing special that I know of. It’s just a Thursday…but I have a feeling that it’s a good day for affirmation.
Monday, February 3, 2020
Semicolon Superfan
I went to see Brooke Simpson at church last Sunday. As I spoke to her after the service, she interjected, “I like your earrings.” I said, “Thank you. There’s more to the story, eh? There’s more to come.” “Yes!” she exclaimed. “Yes!...”
A few years ago, I became a semicolon superfan. Until that point in my life, the semicolon was just a grammatical tool used to “separate two independent but related clauses or to replace the comma to separate items in a complicated list.” I was a fan of semicolon and used it often in my writing, but it wasn’t until I heard this that I became a semicolon superfan:
“The semicolon is a symbol used as a message against suicide and other mental health issues and represents choosing to start a new chapter in your life…” (Merriam-Webster)
In 2013, a movement called Project Semicolon began as a movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to those who were struggling with depression, anxiety, suicide, addiction, and self-injury. It was started to encourage, love, and inspire.
The movement chose the semicolon as its central icon because a semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end his sentence, but didn’t.
The message, then, is that the author is the individual and the sentence is his/her life.
When someone has a tattoo or other form of a semicolon on her body, she is saying that she is choosing to finish the sentence with new life rather than letting depression, anxiety, suicide, addiction, or self-injury defeat her.
She is saying that there is more to the story and that she is choosing to write it. She is saying that there is more to come…
A good friend of mine knew that I was a semicolon superfan and gave me my earrings as a result.
Now, whenever someone sees me, they can know that I am choosing not to let my anxiety/depression defeat me; rather, I am choosing the rest of the story.
Likewise, whenever I see someone with a semicolon, I know that they are choosing the same.
God, may we each hold to the rest of the story and know that you are working with us to write it. Help us to be a people of encouragement, love, and inspiration to those who need it most, and help us to accept encouragement, love, and inspiration from those around us. I love you. And I thank you for the semicolon. Amen.
A few years ago, I became a semicolon superfan. Until that point in my life, the semicolon was just a grammatical tool used to “separate two independent but related clauses or to replace the comma to separate items in a complicated list.” I was a fan of semicolon and used it often in my writing, but it wasn’t until I heard this that I became a semicolon superfan:
“The semicolon is a symbol used as a message against suicide and other mental health issues and represents choosing to start a new chapter in your life…” (Merriam-Webster)
In 2013, a movement called Project Semicolon began as a movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to those who were struggling with depression, anxiety, suicide, addiction, and self-injury. It was started to encourage, love, and inspire.
The movement chose the semicolon as its central icon because a semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end his sentence, but didn’t.
The message, then, is that the author is the individual and the sentence is his/her life.
When someone has a tattoo or other form of a semicolon on her body, she is saying that she is choosing to finish the sentence with new life rather than letting depression, anxiety, suicide, addiction, or self-injury defeat her.
She is saying that there is more to the story and that she is choosing to write it. She is saying that there is more to come…
A good friend of mine knew that I was a semicolon superfan and gave me my earrings as a result.
Now, whenever someone sees me, they can know that I am choosing not to let my anxiety/depression defeat me; rather, I am choosing the rest of the story.
Likewise, whenever I see someone with a semicolon, I know that they are choosing the same.
God, may we each hold to the rest of the story and know that you are working with us to write it. Help us to be a people of encouragement, love, and inspiration to those who need it most, and help us to accept encouragement, love, and inspiration from those around us. I love you. And I thank you for the semicolon. Amen.
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