SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Category: God Speaking

  • Forgiveness To Follow

    Making mistakes, speaking before thinking, jumping the gun, and reckless abandonment are all his attributes. He was far from perfect, actually he was pleasantly imperfect.  He seemed to enjoy life and when he was in, he was all in.  So when he fell, he fell hard.  ‘Go big or go home’ seemed to be his life motto.  But he was also the one you wanted around if you were struggling.  He seemed to know what to do to help.  He was that kind of friend.   And this time, he has been hurt.  He let his fears get the best of him.  It was irrational, he knew it as soon as it happened.  It wasn’t part of his character, anyone who knew him would know this.  Regardless, here he was, trapped in his own despair, understanding the mistakes made and wondering if redemption was even possible anymore.  All he once knew had been pulled out from under him and he was left trying to catch himself.  He just wanted to be free – free of the guilt and shame, free of the despair, free of the fear, free of the chaos.  He simply wanted to be free.  So he did what many of us might do when he found himself in a difficult spot, a place where there seemed to be no resolve, he went fishing.  It was in his blood.  The water was his resolve.  He could clear his mind and focus when he was in the middle of the water simply waiting.  He wasn’t alone – good friends know when company is needed.  Fishing seemed like a good first step in a situation which felt more like a whirlwind of grief, despair, with an all too dim glimmer of hope.  It was all so confusing.  Maybe the water would have the answers.  

    Most, if not all of us, have been there.  We thought things were going great.  We felt good about our path.  We were on the right road.  Then, out of nowhere, it all fell apart.  Everything we knew collapsed.  Life as we knew it simply exploded into unrecognizable pieces, scattered as far as our eyes could see.  It’s a frightening place to be.  We long for something familiar, something to take our mind off the things which cause such despair.  We just want things to return to normal, so we seek some sense of normalcy in a place where our hope and faith is wavering, maybe now more than ever.  We cling to the things which hold familiarity and cause us to have some sense of control, even when we actually have none.  We look for solutions as we cry out to God.  

    This is the place I feel Peter has found himself in this scripture.  Jesus, his best friend, teacher, faith guide, and Messiah has abandoned him.  Jesus called him out of the ordinary and to the extraordinary and wow, had it been a ride.  He saw demons flee, dead men rise, lame people walk, blind people see.  He watched Jesus out-smart those who were in control, over and over again.  It was crazy but it was also very peaceful.  Jesus’ presence had made all the difference.  He had given him everything and just being with him made everything better.  It felt as though they could conquer the world – until they didn’t.  Peter was ready to fight for Jesus, only to have Jesus tell him this wasn’t the right way to fight – no swords allowed.  What do you do when your only weapons are not physical?  You run, that’s what happens.  You run for your life and take out anything in your path.  It was the most frightening time ever.  And you run so far that you forget the destruction you leave in your path – denials and such.  At least that’s what Peter did.  It all came apart so quickly.  And now, Jesus is back, sort of.  All of it doesn’t seem to make sense just yet – this here but not just yet.  And what does Jesus think of all this running Peter did?  Surely he knew.  Peter knew and that made all the difference.  So, he went fishing.  

    John 21:1-19

    It wasn’t really about the fish, was it?  Peter wasn’t really fishing to feed his family that day.  He just needed the familiar, something he could hold on to.  He needed to find his place one more time.  So the fact nothing was caught wasn’t necessarily a problem, probably just an annoyance – fishermen who can’t catch fish seems about right for where they are in life at that moment.  And Jesus did what Jesus does – he begins to turn it all around.  Fish appear, John proclaims it is Jesus on the shore, Peter swims ahead of the group.  The others had to be thinking – it would have been nice of Peter to help with the fish.  But they also likely weren’t surprised, this is Peter.  

    There is breakfast – Jesus made them breakfast.  Jesus spent a lot of time around a table, sharing meals with so many others.  He ate with the most despised and avoided.  He gathered around wedding tables and preparation for death tables.  He ate with friends and enemies alike.  He shared bread with those who were willing to sell him for a price.  And he loved immensely around those tables.  This breakfast would have been no different.  There are fish and bread and most of all, fellowship and love.  The table – whether a plot of sand around a fire or an actual structure in a home – was a place where stories are shared.  I don’t know this, but I am guessing Peter probably did a little more listening at this table than usual.  What did he have to say?  They had abandoned Jesus but Peter ran with full force in the other direction.  Peter had denied him.

    And Jesus continues to do what Jesus always does – he begins to heal Peter.  He begins by asking him of his love – it isn’t that Jesus doesn’t know how much Peter loves him.  It is more that Peter doesn’t know how much he loves Jesus.  And so the questioning isn’t to convince Jesus but rather Peter.  It is a part of the healing process.  It is forgiveness.  Jesus’ love doesn’t change.  It doesn’t fail.  It is perfect in every way.  It is our love that seems so fragile and situational.  It is our love which is often so flimsy and flippant.  Jesus restores Peter because he isn’t done with him yet.  Peter’s sins, his flaws, his fears, do not stop Jesus from loving him and calling him.  Jesus’ love isn’t dependent on us.  He loves us despite ourselves.  And this is what forgiveness looks like.  It looks like restoration, redemption, and healing.  It looks like Peter being called to follow, one more time. 

    We can feel so broken, so unworthy.  We can beat ourselves up for things not said or too much being spoken.  We can give up on ourselves, knowing we are not the disciples we are called to be – it’s too hard, there are too many things going on, our lives feel in utter chaos.  We may run to the safety of what we know.  But that urge, that deep longing to follow, will remain.  We can’t run far enough to escape God’s love – the Psalmist reminds us of that over and over.  There is no where we go where God is not.  We haven’t run too far or become too hopeless.  Our situation does not define us and neither do our mistakes.  We are not useless or abandoned. We are God’s.  And he isn’t done with us yet.  

    Despite what our situation may tell us or the lies in our minds may feed us, we are not too far gone.  We are a child of the King.  We are God’s beloved.  We are made for good things and called according to his purpose. We may look like are nothing more than a hot mess, but God doesn’t see what we see.  He knows our heart and our longing.  And just like with Peter, he restores us and calls us to follow.  Follow me – he says to us even when we feel like we have let him down.  Follow me – he calls when feel unworthy.  Follow me – when everything else has collapsed.  Follow me. 

    What restoration and healing do you need today?  Where have you run so far only to find there really isn’t any place to go?  How have you felt unworthy?  God is not done with you.  He sees something in you that is beautiful and treasured.  He sees good where you see flaws.  God knows you and he calls you to follow.  What will your answer be?

    Peter followed all the way to death – may we do the same.  

  • Breathe On Me

    A message for the Sunday after Easter –

    Easter Sunday was the kickoff – the beginning of an exciting time.  We should still be in the mode of celebration – the excitement of Easter – the reminder of how Jesus has arisen.  We have been invited to see the empty tomb and walk with the disciples as they ran directly to the place where Jesus’ body once occupied.  We had the opportunity to tell the good news that Jesus is not dead, but is alive.  These are all exciting revelations of how God has conquered death and the grave!  It is life changing.  But for the disciples and Jesus’ closest followers, it also brought fear.  It wasn’t as if the following days were filled with big meals and confetti.  They didn’t run through the streets shouting – I told you he was the Messiah!  

    Actually, it seems to be quite the opposite.  There is confusion and dismay.  The disciples lock themselves in a room in fear.  They are trapped between the teachings of Jesus and the future.  They don’t know what to do next or where to go.  Their lives are out of sorts and this in-between stage is more than difficult.  It is terrifying.  So they sit and wait – for what, they are not sure.  Where do they go now?  Who are they?  Jesus was dead – they witnessed it.  Jesus was put to death because of the things he proclaimed, which they also believe.  Jesus was hung on a cross for being the person they loved.  He arose from the dead but there aren’t instructions for this.  This is unprecedented, unknown territory.  They don’t know what to do with this or where to go from here.  So they re-group, in fear.  And as he promised, Jesus shows up.  This isn’t the end, after all, this is just the beginning.

    John 20:19-31

    There are a couple of things I want to get out of the way before we get too far in this scripture.  First, we don’t want to misunderstand what is being said.  We read how they, the disciples, were fearful of the Jews.  They are not fearful of all Jews – they are, after all, Jews themselves.  This isn’t a time for hating Jews (and there, by the way, is never a time for hating Jews) – these are their people.  They have family and friends – they have loved ones who are Jewish – they have neighbors and those they eat with on a regular basis whom they adore- that are Jewish.  They are not fearful of the Jews in general.  The Jews are not the enemy as we might pick up at first glance.  They are afraid of the leadership – those in charge – those who are given the position of power to enforce what they consider to be the rules to keep things the same.  They are afraid of those who seek to hold onto the control they most value – those who want control more than they want love.  They are fearful because the One they have followed all this time – the One they have been associated with has been killed – and surely they would be the next target.  If the leadership wants to eliminate a problem – they would be among the problem.  So they are scared for their safety because those in charge of the church do not have a place for them any longer – they are not welcome here anymore.  Jews are not the problem – those in power who thrive on control are the problem.  

    Second, Thomas gets a bad rap in this Scripture.  We have dubbed him to be doubting Thomas.  That’s really an unfair assessment.  If we really look at what is going on, Thomas is the only one missing out of the first encounter in the locked room.  They are all terrified.  They are all wondering what in the world is going on.  They are all doubting.  There is a general fear which permeates the entire room.  When Jesus shows up the first time, he shows them his hands and his side.  They do not have to ask or wonder.  Jesus shows them.  Now, Jesus doesn’t just do things for the sake of doing them.  He would show them his hands and his side because he knew they needed to see to believe.  He understood their confusion and their general mode of disbelief.  He went ahead and showed them what they wanted to see.  They had seen the evidence.  Thomas wasn’t there – so all he knows is what has been told to him.  And let’s be honest, Jesus overcoming death and the grave wouldn’t have been easy to comprehend – remember, we know the end of the story.  He was living in the moment.  He knew Jesus had died.  He knew the body was missing.  This is all the obvious.  Now the disciples are trying to tell him that Jesus is alive, scars and all.  

    If we are honest, we would have likely thought they were crazy too.  I mean, they are locked in a room for fear but Jesus appears in a locked room?  You can see how this conversation would be challenging.  Thomas just happens to be the one who wasn’t there to see the first time.  He isn’t the only one who needed to see – he was the only one who didn’t have the opportunity the first time.  And notice – there is a whole week delay in him seeing.  He goes a whole week without getting the chance to see Jesus as everyone else has.  He isn’t the doubting one.  They were all doubting.  They all were scared.  Every single person had their lives turned upside down and they are struggling to understand it all.  Thomas is not unique.  He just happens to have been absent at the first chance to see the hands and side.

    Ok – now that we have that out of the way, I want to look at one of the most beautiful gifts of this scripture.  Because we can get hung up in the fear and the doubting, we may miss what is actually going on here.  Jesus appears in his new resurrected body in the locked room of the disciples.  What Jesus says and does is most important.  Follow him in the scripture.  Don’t miss his actions.  Let’s look at the gifts that are given at Jesus’ appearance:

    -Jesus speaks peace.  We have recorded at least 3 times Jesus tells them – Peace Be With You.  Why is that important?  Jesus speaks peace where there is none.  If they were peaceful, he wouldn’t need to speak peace to them.  If they were filled with peace, this would be redundant.  Jesus’ words speak to their situation.  He speaks peace because they are so at a loss.  He speaks peace because they have found themselves in turmoil and confusion.  Jesus speaks peace to them because he is the peace they so desire and truly need.  Jesus brings peace to their challenged and hurt souls.  He speaks peace over his people with the love of one who was willing to give his life for them – even though they do not yet fully understand all this.  

    Peace is the most powerful gift when all we sense is fear and confusion and turmoil.  Peace can soothe the wounds of those damaged by hatred and anger.  Peace can heal the brokenness.  The peace of Christ can change everything in our otherwise chaotic lives.  Peace be with you.

    -Jesus breathes on them.  Now, this may not sound like such a big deal at first glance. Breath is something we take for granted until we struggle for it.  To breathe is something that happens automatically for most of us.  Until someone challenges us to stop and take a deep breath, we can easily just forget the value of breathing.  A breath can calm us.  But this breath changed everything.  This was not any ordinary breath.  This was the breath of God.  What happens when God breathes?  Life happens when God breathes.  To remind us of this, I want to go back to the beginning – you know, the ‘in the beginning’ stuff we see at the start of creation.  

    Genesis 2:4-7.

    God himself created, formed, shaped humanity – and breathed his own breath into us so that we might have life.  God’s breath is our life.  From the beginning, God’s breath has meant and brought life to the lifeless.  And here we are again.  

    Jesus speaks peace to them and then….and then he breathes on them.  God breathed on them once again.  What did he bring?  He brought new life through the Holy Spirit.  He brought forgiveness.  He brought love.  He brought peace and comfort.  His breath brought exactly what he had promised all along.  He told them earlier that the comforter, the helper would come.  He promised them the gift of the One who would lead them and bring them peace.  He promised to live within them.  And here he is, breathing new life into their weary, fearful souls one more time.  Life was really just beginning for those first disciples.  And God’s been breathing life into his children ever since.  

    Do you know what that means, beloved?  Do you understand what this means for us, followers of Christ?  It means we have been given life, new life through the breath of God.  We have been given peace in our most fearful situations.  We have been offered more than we could ever understand.  We are given breath so that we might have life – and have life more abundantly.  

    May a fresh wind of God’s amazing love bring you peace and life today.  May God breathe new life into you and your situation.  May you understand the enormity of his love, even in a small way, so that you might go from here and live.  Breathe on me, breath of God.

  • Dip Your Toe In

    This is the day…this is the day that it will happen…this is the day that no one expects but everyone has been looking for.  THIS is the day. 

    One of the first things I do when I visit the beach – after wrestling with the chairs, putting up the umbrella, and sitting down in complete exhaustion just to arrive – after all that – I go to the water.  The first time is just to feel the water.  I want to know how cold it is.  I am not one to just jump right in.  I like to know what I am dealing with.  So I dip my toe in the water.  It helps me know if I am going to put my whole foot in and eventually swim.  But first, it is just a toe.  It is my test. And I know I am not alone.  I see other people do it too.  We want to know.  If the water is too cold, I turn around and head back to the chair until I am overheated and the cold water is refreshing.  But I don’t want to step any further if it doesn’t feel good.  I don’t trust others with the temperature, either.  Children have a very different temperature gauge.  They can jump into freezing water and claim it feels wonderful – shivering and all.  I don’t let them guide me in the water.  I want to test it for myself.

    Today’s scripture pushes me to dip my toe in – but then jump in with everything else – regardless of the temperature.  The storms may come up, the winds may be fierce, and it may be high tide, but I am challenged to dip my toe in anyway…and then submerge my whole body.  It seems like a challenging, fearful proposal.  And I can’t even imagine how the children of Israel felt.  But this is the day – God tells Joshua – this is the day.  It is time.  The hardheaded folks I love so much need to know.  And today is the day, Joshua.  And it will take dipping your toe in and emerging a changed people on the other side.

    Joshua 3:7-17

    3:7 The LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses.

    3:8 You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”

    3:9 Joshua then said to the Israelites, “Draw near and hear the words of the LORD your God.”

    3:10 Joshua said, “By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites:

    3:11 the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan.

    3:12 So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

    3:13 When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.”

    3:14 When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people.

    3:15 Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water,

    3:16 the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

    3:17 While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.

    TODAY is the day to dip your toe in.  Today they will know.  Today is the day, Joshua.  It was a challenge.  It would take courage.  But God was with them.  God tells Joshua that it is time for the children of Israel to understand that he is with Joshua like he was with Moses.  First – that’s huge.  Moses was called from the burning bush.  He had led the people out of slavery.  He had held up his rod at the Red Sea watching the people cross.  They had been given the Ten Commandments because Moses went to God and got them – not once but twice.  Moses spent time with God and absolutely glowed.  He struck rocks and produced water.  God had been with Moses in miraculous ways.  And here was Joshua – who had been with Moses through it all.  But now he was the leader.  And God would be with him too.  

    It was time to cross the Jordan – by God’s timing, not by the people’s.  This was NOT the time to cross if you are looking at the Jordan.  It is harvest time.  It is the time when the Jordan floods.  The higher the water, the more torrential.  This is a serious and dangerous time.  There are times to cross – but this is not one of them.  This is the time when you find another way.  There has to be a better way.  There is fear in the air as they stand before the waters – people can smell it.  I can only imagine some of that is the fear of Joshua.  If this all goes wrong, this is going to be really bad.  There will be no recovering from this.  People will not survive this.  Their fate is staring them in the face as they see the flood waters.  And Joshua tells them to move forward.  

    But he doesn’t do it without God.  God has instructed him.  God is with him.  The people have a visual reminder that God is there.  There is the Ark of the Covenant going before them.  This is a powerful presence of God at all times.  The Israelites didn’t play with this – it was serious.  People died from handling this improperly.  So this is no joke.  Only the priests carry it.  And they go out front.  They lead the people at Joshua’s command.  And they are the first to dip their toe in the water.  They are the first to risk their lives.  They are the first to see what could happen.  And yet, they dip their toe in the water.  When they do this – and only when they do this – does the water part.  It stops.  It is halted.  The ground beneath is dry and open and ready as the priests march forward.  They are standing on holy ground, dry ground, the ground of a flooded Jordan River.  They are standing in the middle of trouble, protected by the presence of God.  

    And then the people have to cross.  Every single one of them make the trip on that holy ground.   Each one had to consider if they would make it.  Just because the person in front of them did didn’t guarantee they would be successful.  Can you imagine the waters on both sides, flooded, interrupted, and waiting to be forced back into place?  And yet, they stepped in – until they all crossed.  They made it.  They would emerge for the other side changed.

    It wasn’t Joshua who made the difference.  Joshua was a man led by God.  But Joshua wasn’t perfect – any more than Moses or Miriam or any other person.  Joshua was simply being led by God.  It wasn’t the priests who changed everything.  Yes, they had to go first.  Sure, they had to dip their toe in first.  They had to be the most frightened.  But they weren’t always the most holy.  They didn’t always get it.  They messed up too.  Just think about the first – Aaron.  He helped the people build the golden calf.  And then we get to Eli’s sons – now they were a hot mess to say the least.  The priests were not the difference.  They were human just like everyone else.  They just had this particular calling.  The people weren’t especially great either.  They spent much of their time questioning God and demanding stuff of him – as if he wasn’t the Creator of the entire world.  They were unruly, whiny, and needy – much like us today.  So they were not the difference.

    What made the difference was not the toes of those who dared enter – but God who had created those toes. God was with them.  God had commanded this.  God had created this.  He had created the Jordan and he had created them.  He knew them and still loved them.  And they were called to trust in HIM – not them.  So when they dipped their toes in the water, it wasn’t in allegiance to anyone but God.  And they moved forward on that frightening dry ground because of their powerful God. 

    It seems to me that too many times, we want to dip our toe into the water, but turn around because we are scared.  Maybe it is because we have mistakenly given our allegiance to anyone other than God.  Maybe it is because we don’t see how the waters could possibly part because no human can do it.  So we rest in our chairs and find ourselves comfortable not being challenged to move forward in faithful trust of God.  It is easier to trust in people than it is in God – because God will lead you through the waters.  People will give us a chair.  

    Do you want to dip your toe in the water?  I sure do!  As we go through the next days, weeks, months – whatever is ahead – be careful.  Don’t listen to those who tell you the water is too dangerous.  It may just be time to dip your toe in – God’s there.  And that’s all that really matters anyway.  We will emerged changed.

  • Presence

    He is everywhere.  He is here – he is there. He is with us, acknowledgement not needed.  He goes with us.  We sometimes notice, often we don’t.  Sometimes we care and then there are times when we don’t seem to.  We wonder if it is true but don’t dare talk about it.  And yet, there is something comforting and reassuring to know we are not alone.  We do not travel alone.  We do not face life’s most difficult challenges by ourselves.  We do not celebrate our accomplishments without him.  Our lives are filled with his presence.  We have a million opportunities to feel his love.  Yet, most of the time, we just miss it.  We are caught up in the other things which feel more real, which consume our minds, which fill our pockets.  Yet, he is here.  His name even tell us so.  His name is Immanuel – God with us.  

    How might life look different if we realized that God is really with us?  Would we make better choices?  Would we hold our tongue?  Would we more readily forgive?  Would we become more bold or more quiet?  Would we listen or would be rebel?  Would we even care?  

    Today, we are taking just a glimpse into the life of Moses.  Moses has had some pretty incredible experiences with God – probably more than many will realize. God was with him as he was born and as he was raised in a palace. God was with him when he fled to the countryside.  God was with him as he married.  And God reminded him very evidently as he approached him through a burning bush.  God sent plagues, right before the eyes of Moses.  God split a sea – right in his presence.  Moses had felt God’s power in some small fraction as he held the rod.  He had experienced his anger as the people did what they wanted and built a calf to worship.  Moses had been in God’s presence enough to glow – actually change his countenance after being with God.  Moses and God spoke often.  And God showed Moses what to do and how to do it.  This seems to be a unique relationship.  This bond reminds Moses he doesn’t want to do this alone.  After being with God all this time, he wants even more time with him.  He wants more of a relationship.  He wants even more of a deep experience.  And he asks for it, even refuses to move forward without God.  

    Exodus 33:12-23
    33:12 Moses said to the LORD, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’
    33:13 Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”
    33:14 He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
    33:15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here.
    33:16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.”
    33:17 The LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
    33:18 Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.”
    33:19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
    33:20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.”
    33:21 And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock;
    33:22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by;
    33:23 then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

    Moses essentially tells God that he cannot move forward without him.  He doesn’t want to proceed unless God is there.  He doesn’t want to take another step unless God is present.  He has been with him enough to know in God’s presence is exactly where he needs to be.  He doesn’t want to make it alone.  He can’t make it alone.  

    Moses asks to experience God’s glory.  He wants even more of God.  He wants to embrace the goodness of God in all fullness.  God realizes that Moses heart is to know he is known and loved.  And God helps him to realize this.  He helps him to experience, at least as much as he can, the goodness of God.  He gives him a sense of his might and power in a moment.  But that is all it takes, really.  None else is needed.  This is more than sufficient.

    Do you believe God is with us – all the time?  Most of us would say we do.  We would want to believe it.  We say it is true.  But we don’t actually act like it.  I mean, we get caught up in the day’s activities and forget it.  We don’t audibly hear him so surely he can’t actually be there.  How can he lead us without speaking to us?  It must mean that God has given us more than just hearing – more than just speech to communicate.  It seems to me that we have put God in a box and decided he can only communicate like us.  But that isn’t at all how God shows Moses his glory.  No words are needed for this moment.  It is an experience.  There are sights, sounds, feelings, emotions, smells all wrapped into a moment – words not needed.  Experiencing God is often most noticed in silence.

    If that is true – if God is most evident in silence – then why do we limit him to speech and to English for that matter?  Why do we decide he isn’t near because we can’t hear him? Why do we feel like he can’t lead unless he is speaking?  What about the subtle yet powerful things which happen all around us?  Are they not enough?  Do they not say something to us?  Does God’s creation not speak to us if we simply stop and sense it?  Sure, God doesn’t speak audibly – at least not in my experience.  But God is not limited to speaking through words.  And we shouldn’t put that binding on him.  He created it all so we can experience him through it all.  

    That would mean God is evident all the time – always with us – if we pay attention.  We may see the signs and smell the signals.  We may sense the direction or feel the need for forgiveness.  We may taste the bread of redemption.  We may feel the waters of baptism.  We may be cleansed of mistakes through the powerful winds that blow.  It just might be God is speaking to us every so loudly without ever speaking a word in our language.  It might be we have limited him so much that his voice has become indistinguishable.  And that may just be what is wrong with us.  God is near – we just don’t get it.

    So maybe we start back at the beginning.  God created and it was good.  God created it all and uses all of his creation to lead, guide, and direct.  God loves.  He shows his love through so many ways that we need to acknowledge.  The simplest things bring the greatest joys.  His greatest love has already been given to us in Jesus.  And he tells us his name is Immanuel – God with us.  

    May God’s presence overwhelm you.  May his presence be sensed without any words needed.  May he guide.  May he show us love so we can love him and our neighbor.  And may we be awakened to his presence.  Show us your glory, Lord.  Show us your glory.

  • The Unworthy

    One of my favorite people to read about in the Bible is Jonah.  That may sound strange because what most of us know about him deals with the whole whale of an incident.  But that is only one small blip in his life.  It’s interesting to say that smelling fish guts for a few days while God puts you in time out is a blip.  But when we consider the scope of his life, we really know very little.  What we do know of Jonah reminds me of his humanity. 

    We often think of Jonah as the disobedient one.  We think of him as the runner – the run as far and fast as you can from what God wants you to do kind of guy.  We think of him as the one that God had to teach a lesson.  That may all be true, but that misses what Jonah was running from, what he was called to do, and what he never really wanted to do.  It misses that Jonah was given this mission he didn’t really want, he didn’t really believe in, and he never fully accepted.  It wasn’t because he was a horrible guy.  God used him in a mighty way.  He may have been one the worst speakers but God had a plan for him.  Jonah didn’t like the plan and God still used him.  I think it was because Jonah had some redemptive qualities that God saw.  Jonah had potential that even he didn’t recognize.  And the lesson I learn from Jonah is one that leads and guides so much of my life.  

    Where we will join Jonah in his story this morning is after the most famous and known part of his journey.  He has already been called by God to go to these particular people that he did not want to help.  He has run the other way, jumped a ship, thrown overboard, spent time with the fish, and found himself on the shore.  What a ride.  But that isn’t the end.  He does go to the people of Nineveh – though more than reluctantly.  God gave him another chance to do the right thing (and maybe God gives him a swift kick to get it done).  So he does it, in what seems to be a half-hearted attempt.  And God used it.  God used the seemingly pitiful message.  The people of Nineveh heard it, took it to heart, and changed.  They repented.  They heard that God cared about them and destruction was coming – they listened.  Even the King got the message and made a decree – everyone would be in on this.  They would change their ways.  Great news, right?!  Yes, for everyone but Jonah.  

    Jonah 3:10-4:11

    3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

    4:1 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.

    4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.

    4:3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

    4:4 And the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

    4:5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.

    4:6 The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush.

    4:7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered.

    4:8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

    4:9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” 

    4:10 Then the LORD said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.

    4:11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

    Don’t miss this.  God saved the people and the land of Nineveh.  The proclamation of Jonah was heard.  He did what he was sent to do and the people heard it and changed.  God did not bring the destruction he had planned.  They were saved.  That should be reason to celebrate.  But Jonah was angry.  Yes, you heard that correctly – Jonah was angry.  He was angry with God.  He basically tells God that he knew this would happen.  God is too kind and merciful and loving.  He just knew God wouldn’t destroy them and that’s why he didn’t want to do this in the first place.  How dare God be so loving and kind!

    I have to pause there.  This is something we do not always hear and if we do, we are ready to cast judgment on Jonah.  How dare he act like this!  How could he make such a call on those people!  Who does he think he is!  Yet, what we don’t always consider is who they were to Jonah.  Nineveh is the enemy.  They are the opposing force.  Jonah wants them destroyed because Jonah has identified these people as his enemy.  They have sought to destroy his people.  How could God care about them?  Jonah wanted to see God wipe them out – it seemed only right to him.  He didn’t want to care about them and he didn’t want them saved.

    That sounds selfish, but I wonder how many times that happens today.  We decide who is the enemy and we want them destroyed.  We certainly don’t see how God could love them.  We don’t want to consider that God created them too and there is any potential in them.  They are the “other” and we don’t see value in “those” people.  They are the enemy.  Yet, if we believe that God is creator of the entire world, there are more people God created than just us.  There are more to love outside of our country.  There are more valuable people outside of our realm of what we consider worthy.  God actually loves the whole world – the whole entire world.  And if that is true, that means he loves those we have decided aren’t worthy.  It means those we don’t agree with.  It means those who don’t look like us or talk like us or think like us.  It means God has a plan which is good for all humankind.  That could come as a shocker to some of us who feel like the privileged and favored few.

    But the story doesn’t end there for Jonah.  God decides to teach Jonah a lesson he can grasp.  As he did with the big fish, he does with the plant.  Jonah is miserable.  He has gone to sulk.  He wanted to see them destroyed.  So he goes and sits down.  God provides him shade.  It is perfect.  It is just what Jonah needed.  It saves him for the day.  The next day, the shade is eaten by bugs.  And Jonah has to face the heat and wind without it.  He is angry.  God reminds him that Jonah cared about a shade he did not create, he did not do anything for – because it was protecting him.  God tells him that there are people in Nineveh that do not understand and that need direction.  God cares for them too.  He has good things for them too.  

    God has so much more planned than we could ever imagine.  He is using us for his good and loving plan.  We don’t always like or understand the plan.  We don’t understand how we are to love the enemy.  But this is exactly what Jesus taught.  We are to love those we consider unlovable and unworthy.  God does not appoint us as judge.  He does not give us the option to decide who is worthless or worthy.  He sees children without direction.  And he may just see that in us.  

    May God open our eyes to see others as he does.  May we show love to all – even those we consider the “other”.  May it begin today.

  • Don’t Quit

    We can be much better cheerleaders for others than for ourselves.  We will support our friends through their most difficult times.  We will stand behind our children or grandchildren in their challenges and as they seek to find their place in this world.  We know that God has a plan and a purpose for them and it is good.  We will pray for them and love them, no matter where they may find themselves.  We watch them stumble and we beam with pride as they pick themselves up and go one more time.  When they stumble and struggle, we are there to encourage them.  We believe in them.  We know they are capable of good things.  We see the beauty and the strength – even when they have no idea.  We will never give up on them.  But we don’t treat ourselves the same.

    It can be that in becoming an encourager of others, we forget to encourage ourselves.  I am not talking about a false sense of pride.  I am not talking about a “look at me and how good I am” type of encouragement.  We don’t encourage others in that way.  When we see potential in other people, we try to help them find their best.  We try to help them live out what God has given them.  We try to direct them in the way that God has created.  But we don’t always do this for ourselves.  We don’t always look in the mirror and see potential.  We see flaws.  We see reasons we can’t.  We see the things which hold us back.  We see every reason not to do something.  We know things about ourselves no one else does.  And so we end up encouraging others while beating ourselves up.  We end up uplifting others and tearing ourselves down.  And God has called us to something different.  If only we knew what God knows about us – we might see potential in those eyes.  We might see love in our heart.  We may see joy in our smile.  We might just see God at work – in us.  

    But if only they knew… I wonder how many times we think or say that to ourselves.  If only they knew what my past looks like.  If only they knew how many times I have tried.  If only they knew how many times I have messed up.  If only they knew.  Yet, the only “they” who matters is God.  And here’s a fact – he already knows.  God knows and God still believes in you.  God still has a plan and a purpose for you.  God has not left you because of who you were.  God has not deserted you because of the things you did.  God sees something incredible in you and is just waiting for you to live it out.  He hasn’t given up on you – so why have you given up on you?

    Whenever I am struggling with who God would have me to be – or struggling with my place in this world – or just struggling with me in general – I turn to this scripture.  This particular Psalm says more to me about who I am than any other I know.  It also gives me encouragement to see someone different in the mirror.  I am given courage to look beyond the flaws and see the man God has created.  I see more because God shows me more.  

    Psalm 139:1-18 – Hear God speak life over you.

    1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
    2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
        you discern my thoughts from far away.
    3 You search out my path and my lying down,
        and are acquainted with all my ways.
    4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
        O Lord, you know it completely.
    5 You hem me in, behind and before,
        and lay your hand upon me.
    6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
        it is so high that I cannot attain it.

    7 Where can I go from your spirit?
        Or where can I flee from your presence?
    8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
        if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
    9 If I take the wings of the morning
        and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
    10 even there your hand shall lead me,
        and your right hand shall hold me fast.
    11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
        and the light around me become night,”
    12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
        the night is as bright as the day,
        for darkness is as light to you.

    13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
        you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
    14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
        Wonderful are your works;
    that I know very well.
    15     My frame was not hidden from you,
    when I was being made in secret,
        intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
    16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
    In your book were written
        all the days that were formed for me,
        when none of them as yet existed.
    17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
        How vast is the sum of them!
    18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
        I come to the end—I am still with you.

    The Psalmist concludes with:

    23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
        test me and know my thoughts.
    24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
        and lead me in the way everlasting. 

    God sees , God knows, God hears and God is with us.  Yet God does not leave us.  He does not give up on us.  He does not dismiss us.  He does not throw us into the trash heap because we are not good enough.

    We are encouraged to look for the perfect in life. We are encouraged to only take the best and to dismiss the rest.  But we miss so much when we do.  In our home, we have fruits and veggies sent to us from the dismissed.  In other words, the fruits and veggies that are imperfect – those that farmers cannot sell in the store – are packaged and sent out.  When we go to the grocery store, we look for the absolute best fruit and will not take one that has a mark on it.  There is nothing wrong with it, we just want the best.  So the fruits and veggies that are marked or didn’t grow perfectly become waste.  We want the best and expect the best and seek out only the best.  Yet, the rest of the produce is just fine.  It may not be pleasing to our eyes, but it is just as good to our stomachs – where it really matters.  But we are conditioned to only take the best.  And it happens that way in our own lives too.  

    We dismiss the good in us because we don’t feel like we are the best at something.  We don’t want to pursue something because we may be just okay.  We don’t see God at work in us because we have bruises and imperfections.  Yet, God sees so much more.  He doesn’t care about all that stuff.  He sees good.  He sees possibility.  He sees opportunity.  He created you for something amazing – amazing in his eyes, not the worlds.  We have to change our vision.  We need correction to see the possibilities.  We must stop seeing the reasons why not and see what God is up to.  We may see a completely different person – loved and called by God.  

    God has not given up on you.  That I can promise you.  He sees someone that he created and he loves.  He is encouraging you to follow, serve, and live out all that he has for you.  This isn’t about  – “look at me and all I have done” – but rather “look at what God is doing.”  God has something good – and it just may be looking you in the mirror.  Let’s move forward, children of God.  There is work to be done.

  • Who Am I?

    I wonder how often we doubt we are capable of accomplishing something because we see our own shortcomings.  We know our down falls.  We have clear knowledge of the times we have failed.  Anything that challenges what we know scares us – I know it does me.  We think we have a clear grasp on our skill set.  We feel good about our training.  We may have taken the quizzes to know what gifts we have and we are good sticking to that.  What happens when all we think we understand is challenged?  What happens when what we think we know about ourselves is pushed to the limit?  

    There have been many times in my life where I thought I just couldn’t do it.  I have wanted to back out of the situation because it was pushing me where I wasn’t sure I could go.  I felt this pressure that frightened me – what if I fail?  What if I disappoint?  What if I have misunderstood?  I wondered how in the world I got here and how was I going to get out of it.  I wanted to run but my feet felt so grounded in my current place that I couldn’t move.  

    Today’s scripture is about Moses, not about me or you.  I am not saying we are Moses or that our situation in any way reflects Moses’ life.  I am not comparing our calling with his.  But I think it is helpful to see his vulnerability.  It is worth looking at his reaction and his humanity – because that is something we can relate. We can feel his struggle and we can hear his fear.  We don’t see the mighty leader, we hear the man that has run for his life and God has found him.  We hear the one that God saw where he was and still found he had what he needed to do the work that was left undone.  We begin to understand that Moses was not so much different than you and me.  That should give us hope as we seek to follow God.

    Exodus 3:1-15
    3:1 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
    3:2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.
    3:3 Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.”
    3:4 When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
    3:5 Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
    3:6 He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
    3:7 Then the LORD said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings,
    3:8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
    3:9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.
    3:10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
    3:11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
    3:12 He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”
    3:13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”
    3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
    3:15 God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

    Moses what doing what Moses did every day.  He was minding his business being about his father in law’s business.  It was there, in the middle of the normalness, that he is called to what sems like the insanity.  There are bushes on fire, there are voices, there is a removal of shoes, there is a calling, and there is God – right there.  God has experienced the suffering of his people and he will be doing something about it.  In a moment, Moses’ life is forever changed.  He had fought and killed and done many things wrong.  He had run and hid and found some sense of normalcy in his life.  And here was God, calling him, to do what seemed to be the impossible.  He had an amazing encounter with God but that did not calm his fears.  He had a clear directive yet that did not make him want to jump at the chance.  He had been given a new start, but he seemed to favor the old one.  His response of “Here I am” was not the same response as Isaiah’s.  Isaiah was willing to be sent – here I am, send me.  Moses was much more hesitant, definitely more reluctant.  He was honest with God about his insecurities.  He wasn’t ready to sign on the dotted line.  I hear…maybe next time God, but thanks for the offer.  But that isn’t what happened.  That isn’t the end of the story.  That isn’t how it went.  It was difficult.  Moses was pushed way outside of his comfort.  I am sure he wanted to go back more times than the book can contain.  But that wasn’t all the happened.  

    He did go.  He did follow God.  His insecurities did hurt him.  His fears did get the best of him sometimes.  But you know what else happened?  He had some experiences with God that forever changed him.  He glowed from the beauty of God’s presence.  He was given the opportunity to see God feed his people right in front of him.  He watched water flow from rocks and sticks turn into snakes and turn right back in his very hands.  He observed a mighty water part as he lifted that same stick.  He saw God love with an unbelievably amazing love and he felt his anger from the disobedience.  And it all started with God seeing potential that Moses felt sure was not there.  Moses experienced God but not without significant challenges and setbacks.  Nothing about the journey was easy – but God called him anyway.

    Where do you find yourself today?  What is your story?  I do know it isn’t finished yet.  There is more to be written.  There are chapters to be put together.  Is God calling you?  Are you running, still?  Have you answered and feel in the middle of a big mess and wonder how in the world you got here?  You are not alone.  God used Moses in a mighty way.  God can use you to love others.  He can show you what it means to find the joy of following God.  It begins with a simple call to follow.  Where he leads, we do not know…it does not matter.  What we do is follow.  We are just called to follow.  Still not ready to sign on the dotted line?  That’s okay.  God has more unbelievable experiences than you could ever imagine.  You just follow.

    May God show you beautiful and amazing things as you seek him.  And may you be reassured of his presence – even when you don’t know what to do or how you will make it.  May you be strengthened in the journey of love.  And may you see his fire like never before.  May you be changed.

  • Garden of Goodness

    I love planting flowers.  My favorite is when I can plant a flower this year and it brings so much joy.  Next spring, it begins to bloom and shoot up again, without anything on my part.  The seeds have become a part of the soil and it continues to bring joy year after year.  It is one of those simple pleasures in life.  But flowers are not the only things that can take root.  Some choking, hateful weeds also find their way.  They can be some of the most difficult, gnarly things and their roots seem to go on forever.  It is really challenging to get rid of them.  They seem to multiply and take over when I am not looking.  Staying ahead of them seems to be almost impossible.  If I don’t constantly take action, they will take over and the plants won’t even be recognized among the weeds.  It isn’t that the beautiful flowers aren’t there any longer, it is just you can barely recognize them among the deeply rooted weeds.  It looks like a weed bed rather than a flower bed.  It can become so frustrating how quickly they take root.

    We have some weeds in our lives that take root in us too.  We can have trouble blooming and showing our true beauty because the weeds have taken their place and overshadowing the good.  That is what hear in Jesus’ words to his disciples and those willing to listen.  May we have ears to hear and hearts to receive what he has for us today:

    Matthew 15:6-20

    6 So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:

    8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,
        but their hearts are far from me;
    9 in vain do they worship me,
        teaching human precepts as doctrines.’”

    10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” 12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16 Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

    Jesus is being pushed on the law, but not the law of God, but rather the law of man.  God’s law has been expanded to become a set of rules that worked for the advantage of the leaders rather than God.  And they wanted to impose this law on Jesus.  They wanted to catch him, to have something to accuse him of doing.  They had no true intention of following God, but rather following the rules they had created for control purposes.  And Jesus calls them out on it.

    They are being hypocritical because their mouths say one thing but their hearts tell a different story.  They pretend to follow God but really want is their own way.  They decide what they like and go with it so they look good.  But God will have none of it.  So Jesus uses a parable, as he often does, to teach a lesson.  He wants them to hear the message in a way that speaks in a different way rather than quoting rules or law.  He approaches them from the heart.  He wants to show them the right way.  And sometimes that means calling them out for where they have gone wrong.   Sometimes he calls us out too, if only we would listen.

    For Jesus, they are upset about the wrong things.  They are looking at how the disciples are eating that is defying the law.  But for Jesus, he is more concerned with what comes out of the mouth than what goes in.  He is not so much concerned about how they eat as to what they say.  Actions mean something.  Being fake is not okay with Jesus.  Putting on some false front does not work out in God’s kingdom.  He knows when it is fake and when it is real because he knows the heart.  He understands when intentions are to look good rather than to be loving and kind.  He gets it and he is trying to help them understand it as well.

    So he tells them that the problem is what comes out of the mouth.  We hear this echoed in the book of James as well.  It is a problem with what is spoken, what happens as a result of the things in our heart.  The problem is what has taken root in our hearts.  We may have beautiful things captured in our heart, but the weeds may be taking over.  The weeds of our lives may be so deeply embedded that our intentions are beginning to reflect the weeds.  The beauty of our lives, the goodness God has given us, the love that has been poured into us may become hidden.  How do we know?  What is in our hearts reflects in the things we say and do.

    Our of the heart comes some pretty foul, harsh, ugly things, Jesus says.  He gives some examples:  evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.  That’s a pretty rough list.  We may think there is no way we have any of that in our hearts.  But we also have to remember how Jesus defines these things.  We are in the Gospel of Matthew.  This is the same Gospel that gives us the sermon on the mount, right?  Matthew 5-7 gives us insight on how Jesus feels about these same things.  For instance, he reminds us that where there is hatred for a brother or sister, we have already committed murder in our heart…when there is lust for another, there has been adultery in the heart…when there is greed, there has already been theft…when there is anger, there has already been bad outcomes.  In other words, he may not speak directly of the actual actions of these things, but rather the intentions, the things that have taken root in us.  So anger, greed, malice, jealousy, hatred – just to name a few.  These come out of our mouths.  They show up in our lives and they are ugly.  The weeds begin to reflect in the ways we act and the things we say.  Our lives become stained by these ugly, destructive weeds.  They take root and cover up the goodness God has created.

    We may not even realize it.  We may not even see our own anger or greed or envy.  We may not see our hatred or jealousy.  We may not see how ugly things have gotten in our hearts.  What do we do?  We read the words given to us by God.  We hear God speak to us in the moments we feel guilty.  We begin to look at what we post or hear the things we say.  We begin to take a long, difficult look at what is in our heart.  It will show if we just look.  And it is ugly.

    It often doesn’t take a lot of investigation to realize where we are.  It doesn’t take much to realize the weeds that have taken root.  We know when we are being destroyed and overtaken.  We know when we are not doing the things we should or we are doing what we should not.  We know when anger has taken our hearts.  We know when envy has taken its ugly place as a resident.  We know.  We can see it too, if we really look.  God reveals it to us if we are simply willing to take a look.  If we are really ready to hear, we are told.  If we will quit denying, God reveals.

    We are not defeated, though.  The weeds do not have to take over.  They may have deep roots, but this does not mean they can’t be uprooted.  They may seem overwhelming, but God can help us to clean up and beautify.  He can help us to reimagine the garden of our hearts.  He can help us to start again.  It isn’t easy.  It is a regular struggle.  Just like the flower bed, it takes regular attention.  Think about it, if I clean up my flower bed today, how long do you think it would take before the weeds come back?  If I don’t pay attention, it wouldn’t take too long.  It is a constant process of cleaning up and getting back on track.  It is a continual weeding and getting rid of the things which can defile.  It is something we do daily.  But when God is the master of our garden, good things will grow.  Great things will happen.  There is more beauty that we could ever imagine.

    Will you join me in weeding out the ugliness of our hearts?  Will you plant the goodness of God?  We just might see God at work in our own lives if we do.

    3AEB2391-84AF-4836-AF5E-C499A1882659

  • God is with us

    Right now, for many, these are lonely times.  There is lack of physical interaction.  It is for a really good reason, but we were made for community.  So it makes it extra difficult to find our way when our view of community has changed so drastically and at such a rapid pace.  What most of us imagined as a few weeks of change has become a version of new normality.  Lunch with friends is not so easy to plan.  Vacations are revamped, if happening at all.  It can feel like we have been swallowed up in the chaos of it all.  Air hugs and distance fist bumps just aren’t the same.  But it is where we are.  So what do we do when times feel so lonely and everyone feels so distant?  What happens when we look around and see despair?

    Elijah found himself in a really challenging place in his life.  Our struggles do not compare to his, except to say that God’s Word for him can really ring true to us in our situation.  I think the life that God speaks to Elijah also bring us life if we listen…if we truly hear.

    To give you a brief background, Elijah was a mighty prophet for God.  He was willing to do what God had told him.  He had stood before 450 prophets of Baal, confident in the work that God could do.  God had shown up, in a miraculous way.  He had been strong, he had been faithful, he had conquered his fears and God had honored that.  Baal had been defeated and the prophets had been destroyed.  God was triumphant…and that was the side that Elijah was on – it is always helpful to be on the winning side.  That would mean he would be willing to go up against anyone or anything…why not?  God had shown up once, surely God would show up again.  But Elijah found himself in a place of despair…fearfulness…loneliness…helplessness.  Elijah felt abandoned even despite all that had just happened.  And it wasn’t because Elijah lacked faith.  It wasn’t because Elijah was a wimp or he wasn’t being used by God.  Elijah found himself here even with his strong faith.  Sometimes we find ourselves here and it isn’t our faith that is lacking either.

    1 Kings 19:9-18
    19:9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
    19:10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
    19:11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
    19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
    19:13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
    19:14 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
    19:15 Then the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.
    19:16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.
    19:17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill.
    19:18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

    What are you doing here, Elijah?  Remember, God doesn’t ask questions because he doesn’t know.  It isn’t as if God has no clue what Elijah is doing.  He knows.  But he needs to hear why Elijah thinks he is there.  What does Elijah think of his situation?   How is he processing what is going on around him?  And Elijah repeats his perspective, twice.  This was how he felt.  This is where he was.  This was his view of his life and he was being destroyed by it.  We hear his plea, his cry, his heartfelt fear. This was where he was.

    Elijah felt alone.  He felt as though all was against him and he was left alone.  God provided him with an encounter.  He provided him with answers in the silence.  He showed him majestic wonders.  He moved him, literally with the elements.  He spoke to him as he sat.  He spoke to his situation, right where he was.

    We might think that this would do it for Elijah.  We might think this would be the renewal he needed, the boost to continue to move forward.  We might would imagine this would lift his spirits so he would be ready to face anything ahead.  But it wasn’t.  Even after his encounter with God, he still felt all alone.  That did not change him like you might would think it would.  God does not give up on him, though.  He does not leave him alone in his despair.  This speaks to God’s compassion for Elijah.  He doesn’t berate him for not being comforted.  He doesn’t tell him he is on his own now.  He doesn’t scold him or tell him to stop his complaining.  God doesn’t give up on him and I love this.

    He, instead, lets him know that there is support, there are others, God has not abandoned him nor the others.  His mission is not complete.  There are others that are in the same situation.  There is a community.  This is not the end for Elijah or the Israelites.  I hear God tell Elijah to pick up your head and see your tribe.  Lift your eyes to the hills, that is where your help comes from.  Lift up your heart, for God has provided all you need.  This is not the end, you are not alone.

    It is not easy to hear you are not alone when you feel so alone.  Even when circumstances tell you differently…even when God tells you differently.  It can be challenging when you feel pressed to continue going.  So many times, we can find ourselves just wanting to hide out.  We feel alone.  This scripture reminds us that God is not only with us, he provides those along the journey to accompany us.  We may not realize it.  We may not easily see them.  But God provides others.

    I believe that God reminds us that he is with us.  What does it mean to have God with you?  It means that no matter what you face in life, he does not abandon you.  It means that when you feel like you can’t go on, he helps to nurture you and bring you along.  It means that when you can’t take another step, he provides rest and renewal so you can continue the journey.

    I also believe that God tells us to lift up our heads, there are sights we have missed.  Lift up our eyes to the hills, God’s help is here.  Lift up our hearts, we have others with us on this journey.  You are not alone because there are others that travel this journey too.  You have a tribe.  You have people that love and support you on this difficult road.  You do not face this alone.  Look up, my friends, your tribe awaits.  Your tribe can consist of family and friends…people you haven’t even had a chance to meet yet.  It can be your church and your community.  Your tribe also consists of professionals that help you along the way.  Sometimes when we feel all alone, we need help that mental health can offer.  There is no shame in that – only grace.  God has given women and men gifts to help guide and direct us to a better mental place.  It often is that prayer and faith lead us to these gifted people that can help us with therapy and medication.  And there is nothing wrong with that…actually there is so much right with it.

    Today, church, know that you are not alone.  Whether you are hearing this on your phone, your computer, or in person…you are not alone.  Whether you are hearing this alone or with someone else, you are not alone.  God is with us.  God will not leave us.  We are not abandoned.  Lift up your heads, church.  Lift us your eyes, friends.  Lift up your hearts – for God has provided what you need.  May God be with us all as we seek him and find those with us on this journey.

    Amen.

    3AEB2391-84AF-4836-AF5E-C499A1882659

  • The Invitation

    There are advantages to being small.  When I was a kid, I was really little.  This didn’t pay off in sports, of course.  It didn’t really helped me attract the ladies.  It didn’t make me all that noticeable.  But it did make me really great at hide and go seek.  I guess you have to excel at whatever you can.  I could fit in the most unbelievable places because I was so short and thin.  It wasn’t really a big deal for me to wedge myself into a tight space and win the game.  So as long as I could hide, I was good.  I could stay there for a long time.

    Hide and seek is an interesting game, if we really think about it.  Someone tries to find another person or person(s) that is right in front of them.  Short of giggles or coughs, sneezes or other noises, a person could be right around the corner and no one know.  They are hidden in plain sight sometimes.  Eventually they are found or they stop hiding and just come out.  It gets boring when you hide and no one can find you after quite a while.  I think this childhood game can teach us something from the scripture today.  It is about seeking and finding…the invitation and answering the invitation.

    Isaiah 55:1-9

    Ho, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
    and you that have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
    Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
    2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
    Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
    3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
    listen, so that you may live.
    I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    my steadfast, sure love for David.
    4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
    a leader and commander for the peoples.
    5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
    and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
    because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has glorified you.

    6 Seek the Lord while he may be found,
    call upon him while he is near;
    7 let the wicked forsake their way,
    and the unrighteous their thoughts;
    let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
    8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
    9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

    In this reading, Isaiah is talking to the remnant of Israel – those who are left after exile and all that has happened.  They are hungry for something…they are likely discouraged and distraught.  They need encouragement. They need a word from God that reminds them they are not forsaken, not forgotten.  They are not alone.  God speaks life to them with these words.

    Isaiah tells them to seek the Lord.  This is a command we hear more than once in the scriptures.  We are told…seek and you shall find…knock and it shall be opened…ask and you shall receive.  This idea of seeking is not new.  It is familiar.  To seek is active.  It is something we do.  I think the most interesting concept of seeking is that God is not hidden.  He is in plain sight.  Yet, we miss him all the time.  He is not playing hide and seek with us.  He is not hiding, waiting for us to come around the corner.  He is not crouched behind something waiting to come out and shout boo.  God is here.  God is with us.  God is in us and around us.  God is working through us.  God is here.  Yet, we miss him all the time.  I believe we miss him because we are not looking for him.  We miss what he is doing because we are not seeking him.  We may be busy with our own agendas.  We are living our lives so we do not see what he is up to.  We have our own plans and our own goals, so we miss that God is here.  We get in the way of seeing God.  He is not hidden, we just choose not to see.  We make the decision not to acknowledge his presence all around us.

    But the invitation is there.  The invitation to come and see is there.  We are not excluded.  Our sins, our shortcomings, our problems, our greed, our selfishness, our stubbornness may all be a hinderance – but God still offers the invitation.  An invitation means something.  An invitation means that someone wants us there.  They have thought of us for their event.  Our presence is being requested for something important, often quite significant.  There is something going on that someone thought we should be a part.  We are invited.  And over and over again, Isaiah repeats the invitation.  Come and see.  Come and experience.  Come and dine.  Come and be loved.  Come and find out all the God has for you.  Come and take your place at the table.  Come and listen to the goodness of God.

    This is a powerful invitation from the Creator.  It is an invitation to experience God.  We are not excluded.  When we accept the invitation, he cleans us up and gives us all we need to truly live an abundant life.  When we walk through the open door, he has a feast of joy waiting for us.  It is all right before us.

    Don’t misunderstand me, though.  This invitation is not about money or power or earthly gain.  This is an invitation from God.  He has plans that are good and abundant and filled with life.  But earthly treasures don’t mean anything to God.  He has much more important things awaiting.  So the invitation…the seeking…does not result in a bigger house or more money or monetary gain.  The invitation is to something so much more important.  The invitation is to a life of fulfillment by following God.  We are taken care of because we are seeking God.  We experience life in a whole new way because we are seeking and following him.

    The invitation has been issued.  God is right before us waiting for us.  Will you seek and will you follow?  The next move is up to you.  Choose wisely.

    3AEB2391-84AF-4836-AF5E-C499A1882659