Later, Gator

Happy New Year! A little early, you say? I guess so, but I won't be blogging until New Year's Eve has come and gone. At that time, I'll be sharing pictures of our weekend trip to Washington D.C. We're taking Amtrak down and back, and the train ride promises to be almost as much of an adventure as the time in our nation's capital.

If things go as planned, Sunday morning we'll be worshiping in one of the most innovative churches in the country. National Community Church is a mult-site church meeting in four D.C. locations, including a Union Station movie theatre and their own Capitol Hill coffee house, Ebenezer's. Can't wait!

See you next year!

Out with the Old and In with the New

There are two things that really get my blood pumping this time of year. The first is my 2007 Bible in 365 card.


The second is my 2008 Bible in 365 card. That's what I'm talkin' about!

BTW, I'll be reading from the New Century Version (NCV) this year. I usually read the NIV every other year, but I decided to try another new version for 2008. I'll plan to use the NIV in 2009.

Advent - Week Four

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. In our series Who Do You Say I Am?, we celebrated Christ as The Gift of the Bread of Life.

Our text was John 6:25-35. Let me set it up for you. John 6 is the tale of two incredible days in the life of Jesus. Day One starts with Jesus feeding the 5000, and Day Two ends with many of his followers (no doubt many of them just in it for another Happy Meal) deserting him because of a difficult teaching. In between those events the disciples go boating on a stormy lake, where they are met by their Master walking on the water. The next morning, the full stomachs from Day One transition to empty stomachs for Day Two, and go looking for Jesus, finding him across the lake.

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There's a lot of good stuff (a theological term) here, but suffice it to say Jesus used their physical hunger to illustrate their deeper spiritual hunger; hunger that would only be satisfied with the bread from heaven... the bread of life.

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In the 6th, 7th and 8th chapters of John, Jesus uses three metaphors to describe himself: bread, water and light. Chapter 6: You honor Moses because he gave you bread from heaven. That's great but the bread Moses gave was a symbol - a symbol of me! Chapter 7: You honor Moses because he gave you water from the rock. That's great but the water Moses gave was a symbol - a symbol of me! I'm the real bread; I'm the real water; and (Chapter 8) I'm the real light.

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I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry... (6:35)

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If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. (7:37)

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I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness... (8:12)

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Sometimes we get the real thing mixed up with the symbol. This Christmas, as you eat more than you should, remember that the bread is a symbol of Jesus, the Bread of Life. As your family gathers around the Christmas tree, remember the tree is a symbol of Jesus, the Tree of Life. As you celebrate by the glow of holiday candles, remember the candles are a symbol of Jesus, the light of the world.

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From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

365: James (Day 355)

I am thankful that I chose to read through the Bible this year using The Message. It has been a wonderful experience. I hope you've been keeping up. We're handing out new The Bible in 365 cards this Sunday. If you're reading this blog, but you are not part of our church fellowship, contact me and I'll be happy to mail you a 365 card so you can read along in 2008. In about a week I'll share with you which translation I'll be reading from next year.

Today's reading is the book of James. Eugene Peterson's introduction spoke to me and that's what I want to share with you.

When Christian believers gather in churches, everything
that can go wrong sooner or later does. Outsiders, on observing this, conclude that there is nothing to the religion business except, perhaps, business - and dishonest business at that. Insiders see it differently. Just as a hospital collects the sick under one roof and labels them as such, the church collects sinners. Many of the people outside the hospital are every bit as sick as the ones inside, but their illnesses are either undiagnosed or disguised. It's similar with sinners outside the church.

So Christian churches are not, as a rule, model communities of good behavior. They are, rather, places where human misbehavior is brought out in the open, faced, and dealt with. [1]

This brings to mind a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer I shared a few weeks ago:

You are loved just as you are; enjoy the fellowship of others who have found the same forgiveness that you're enjoying now. You are a sinner, a great desperate sinner; now come, as the sinner that you are: He does not want anything from you, a sacrifice, a work; He wants you alone . . . He wants to be gracious to you. You do not have to go on lying to yourself and your brothers, as if your were without sin; you can dare to be a sinner. [2]

The age old question: Is the church a holy place for holy people, or a hospital for the spiritually sick?

It is both. The biblical writers recognized that there was a difference between the real church and the ideal church. In the Church of God, most of the time when we use the word church, we're talking about those who bow before Christ from all over the planet. [3] That's one way the word is used in the Bible. It is also used of the visible church, which consists of believers, seekers, and non-believers [4], real people with all their real problems, addictions, neuroses and sins.

Yes, non-believers should find love and acceptance here. We need to stop thinking of this as a failing - this is the beauty of the church.

[1] Eugene Peterson, The Message (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002), 2201.

[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1954), 111.

[3] Stanley J. Grenz, Theology for the Community of God (Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1994), 467.

[4] Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 68.

Advent - Week Three

Wow! It's already the third Sunday of Advent. Today we continued our series Who Do You Say I Am? Jesus' answer for this week? The Gift of Living Water.

The Feast of Tabernacles celebrated two things. First, by living for a week in temporary shelters, the people of Israel participated with their ancestors in the wilderness experience. Second, it was a harvest celebration during which the people expressed their thanks to God for his provision and care, especially for the gift of rain that makes the harvest possible.

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Imagine this: It's the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The priest gets a pitcher of water from the Pool of Siloam, lifts it high and walks into Jerusalem through the Water Gate, and makes his way to the Temple Courts. Upon his arrival, the gathered people shout the words: With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). The priest pours his pitcher of water out on the ground.

Just about then, Jesus makes his presence at the Feast known by crying out in a loud voice: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him (John 7:37-38).

Living (running) water brings three benefits: 1) it refreshes, 2) brings peace, and 3) gives life. Forgive me for not developing all these thoughts fully, but I'm just going to skim the surface (so to speak).

1. Refreshment - Andrews Glacier and its beautiful lake (Andrews Tarn) sits at 11,000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park. Park information warns against drinking the water, because of possible parasites, but Janelle and I couldn't resist (thankfully, we didn't suffer any negative consequences). After the climb from our campsite (10,000 feet), that cold water really hit the spot. Isaiah wrote about God providing water in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:20). God knows how to quench our thirst and provide real refreshment.


2. Peace - For ancient humanity the sea was a source of fear frought with dangers; it's churning was caused by the presence of monsters and evil powers. The psalmist writes: ...we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. [But] there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells (Psalm 46:2-4). This passage contrasts the terror of the raging seas with a peaceful stream that comes from God.


3. Life - The town of Sychar (where Jesus met with the Samaritan woman) wouldn't have been there except for Jacob's well. While not living (running) water, it provided for the townspeople's needs along with their herds and flocks. Jesus said he was the source of internal springs of water welling up within us to eternal life (John 4:14).

The prophet Jeremiah wrote: My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water (Jeremiah 2:13).

Why is it we've been offered springs of living water welling up within us to eternal life, yet we opt for doing things our way - digging our own wells and making do with whatever muddy water we happen upon?

The disciples had a similar choice. After a particularly difficult teaching (John 6), many of Jesus' followers left him. Do you want to leave, too? Jesus asked. Peter answered: Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Christ offers us the gift of living water.

1. Is life all good? Or are you worn out physically, spiritually and emotionally? When life taps your dry, God wants to refresh you in every way and give you the strength to go on.


2. If your life had a name, would it be peace or chaos? Maybe this year you're looking forward to singing Silent Night, but your world is anything but heavenly peace. Micah 5:5 reads: He will be their peace. He wants to be your peace, too.


3. This isn't just a matter of cold drinks and chillaxin'; this is a matter of life and death. When your very life hangs in the balance, God will be there to save you.

Have a fantastic week!

How is Christ living water to your life?

Historical? Building

This cool old building sits on PA-66 across the Kiskiminetas River from Apollo, PA, and is backed up right against a steep hillside. I pass it every time I drive to our church's state camp ground and offices in Emlenton.

I'd say it's abandoned, but last summer I saw someone sitting on the second floor balcony. Was it a hotel? A boarding house?

If anyone has any information about this fascinating building, please share.

Scatter-Brained Prayer

Have you ever had trouble with your mind wandering when you were trying to pray? You are not alone.

Thomas à Kempis (ca. 1380-1471) had the same problem. He was a Roman Catholic monk, one of the Brothers of the Common Life, who wrote The Imitation of Christ, translated into more languages than any book other than the Bible.

I thought I'd share a few of his thoughts. Then I'll share a couple things I've learned to combat wandering mind syndrome.

Book Three - Internal Consolation

Oh, how I suffer inwardly when I think about heavenly things, for when I pray a multitude of carnal imaginations immediately invades my thoughts! O my God, do not be far from me or turn away in anger from Your servant!

Send forth Your lightning and scatter these thoughts - shoot out Your arrows and let all the fantasies of the enemy be put to flight.

Gather my senses and draw them home to You, make me forget all worldly things, and enable me to quickly and scornfully drive away all vicious imaginations.

Help me, O everlasting Truth, so that no foolishness will affect me.

Come to me, Heavenly Sweetness, and cause all impurity to flee from before Your face.

In mercy deal gently with me, and pardon me as often as I think of anything besides You.

For I must truly confess that I am always subject to many distractions.

A multitude of times I am not where I am bodily standing or sitting, but instead I am where my thoughts take me.

I am where my thoughts are, and commonly my thoughts are where my emotions are.

This too easily happens to me with those things that are naturally delightful or habitually pleasing.

Some tips for harnessing your mind during prayer:

1. Keep paper and pen handy to write down any nagging thoughts during prayer. Once something is written down it's easier to put out of your mind.
2. Use an acronym like A.C.T.S.: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (or as a dear friend of mine calls it - Shopping List). Such a tool can keep you focused.
3. Pray from a list. A list of concerns and praises can keep your thoughts ordered.
4. Pray out loud. It's more difficult to get distracted when praying out loud.

If you still get distracted, don't be discouraged. Talk to God about it and try again.

What about you? Do you have any other suggestions?

Fishers of... Fish?

I thought my blog has been pretty serious lately, so I thought I'd share this amazing video. I was introduced to this video by my friends at Church for Men - Florida. I thought it was amusing, though, that these guys refer to someone else (not present) as Country Bumpkin! Enjoy.

Dead Man Walking

In M. Night Shyamalan’s 1999 thriller The Sixth Sense, tormented youngster Cole Sear (played by Haley Joel Osment) remarks that he sees dead people. The only thing is these ghosts don’t know they’re dead.

Sister Helen Prejean, one of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille, wrote Dead Man Walking, which was made into the 1995 movie by the same title. It is the true story of a nun serving as spiritual counselor to a man on death row, while at the same time feeling compassion for the family of his victim. “Dead man walking,” is the traditional cry of a prison guard escorting a prisoner to his execution; in other words, he’s already dead, the state just hasn’t yet made it official.

Growing up in Harbor Creek, Pennsylvania, I was surrounded by Concord grape vineyards—we were just a few miles from Westfield, NY, grape juice capital of the world. In the early autumn we would roll down our windows and drive up Route 20 along Lake Erie enjoying the fragrance of the ripe grapes ready for harvest. It was like breathing in grape juice. Every roadside stand had displays piled high with concord grapes, which we’d eat like candy. We’d hold a grape between our fingers, press it to our lips and pop the succulent, juicy interior into our mouths, throw away the skin and then start all over with another. They were incredible.

In John 15:1-10 Jesus refers to himself as the vine and us as the branches. In this passage we are admonished to stay connected to the vine. The thing is we can become disconnected and still look beautiful... for awhile. Think of a centerpiece vase of fresh cut flowers. Depending on when they were cut they may still look vibrant and full of life, when the truth is they’re already dead; they just don’t know it (or look it). Those grapes from the roadside stand smell and taste delicious, but they’re dead already, too. They started dying the minute they lost their connection to the vine.

That’s the way it is with people. We get disconnected from the vine, but there is no immediate consequence; we still look and feel okay, so we go on our way not recognizing the call, “Dead man walking.” If the consequences were immediate and readily visible, maybe we’d heed the warning and stay connected, but most of the time we don’t realize the danger until it’s too late.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me (John 15:4).

How do you stay connected to the vine?

Advent - Week Two

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Our Advent Series comes from the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:15 – But what about you? Who do you say I am? As we prepare for Christ’s coming, we have his personal challenge to decide for ourselves, Who is this Jesus?

John 8:12 reads: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Have you ever had a long, dark night? Maybe you’ve been sick, or you’ve nursed a sick child or spouse through the night. Maybe your child was out past curfew and you sat by the phone waiting some word about where he/she might be. Years ago Janelle and I shared a concert in an Ocala, Florida church. We were originally supposed to stay in the pastor’s home, but his family was sick, so the church put us up in a hotel instead. We appreciated their concern for our health, but… TOO LATE! Janelle got sick as a dog. She spent most of the night vomiting, while I was watching reruns of The Courtship of Eddie’s Father. It was a long night for both of us.

The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, or just over 669 million miles per hour. If light is so fast, on those long dark nights of the soul, why does morning take so long to get here?

The psalmist writes: Weeping may last for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5b). The message here is that even though the night may seem like it stretches on forever, it doesn’t. You’ll know joy once again. The people of Israel had to feel that same way under Roman oppression. Will this long night ever end?

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Isaiah 9:2).

You may be living through a long dark night right now. It might involve your health, your finances, your relationships, or any number of things. Hang in there; hold on. The One who said, Let there be light, can bring light to your darkness. Even now, God is on his way with your deliverance. Your Redeemer draws nigh.

Confession - Good for the Fellowship (5 of 4)

Okay; I know 5 of 4 isn't really possible, but I felt I had to add one more thing to this discussion.

The Church of God is one of the few church communities that still practices foot washing. It is a wonderful object lesson in service and humility. But it goes far beyond that. At left is Gilbert W. Stafford, Director of the D. Min. program at Anderson University School of Theology. His writings have helped inform some of my thinking on today's subject.

Read John 13:1-10.

Peter was ashamed to have his Lord and Master wash his dirty feet. According to Stafford, this was a practice performed by the lowest slave in the household (usually a woman and a foreigner), and Jewish slaves were not required to wash anyone’s feet—it was beneath the dignity of even a slave, if she were Jewish. [1]

Notice that after Peter relents and asks that his head and hands also be washed, Jesus tells him that’s not necessary. He’s already clean. Just his feet need washed. In our world of taking a shower every morning and wearing socks and shoes, even though we drive almost everywhere we go, it’s hard for us to relate to a society that bathes weekly at best, where people suffer from chronically dirty feet.

Jesus is teaching his disciples another lesson—one removed from servanthood and humility. As we walk through our day-to-day lives, we can pick up dirt, too. How many times has your mother cried out, “Wipe your feet!”? We also need to wipe our feet spiritually—hence foot washing. Sometimes this is a hard pill to swallow for those of us raised in the holiness tradition, but even we need to get rid of the dirt on our feet that we pick up every day. This dirt is composed of attitudes, temptations, and small acts of disobedience; it may be the riches, worries and pleasures—from the parable of the farmer—that, over time, choke the very life out of us. The foot washing of confession and repentance is necessary for our ongoing vital relationship with Christ. [2]

We don’t need re-converted; we don’t need re-baptized; we just need to wash our feet, and stay clean before our God. That’s what daily confession and repentance is all about.

So, how has confession and repentance shown itself vital to your daily walk with Christ?

[1] Gilbert W. Stafford, Theology for Disciples (Anderson, IN: Warner, 1996), 576f.

[2] Ibid., 584; Stafford doesn’t come right out and equate foot washing with daily confession and repentance, but compares daily foot washing with the need to maintain one’s “ongoing vital relationship” with Christ.

Confession - Good for the Fellowship (4 of 4)

Confession allows us to break through to the cross and to the freedom available for us there.

Bonhoeffer: Confession in the presence of a brother is the profoundest kind of humiliation. It hurts, it cuts a man down, it is a dreadful blow to pride . . . in the confession of concrete sins the old man dies a painful, shameful death before the eyes of a brother. Because this humiliation is so hard we continually scheme to evade confessing to a brother. [1]

As the saying goes: The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable. What we don't realize now, is the incredible peace awaiting us on the other side of confession. It is that dying to self that opens our souls to the light and joy and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

While pride would convince us of our right to secrecy and our need for self-protection, confession destroys pride. We cannot find the Cross of Jesus if we shrink from going to the place where it is to be found, namely, the public death of the sinner. [2]

So, what are your thoughts on the subject?

How have you found freedom through confession?

[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1954), 114.

[2] Ibid.

Two Weeks Can Make a Difference

Two weeks ago.
Today.

Confession - Good for the Fellowship (3 of 4)

Greetings from snowy southwest Pennsylvania. Why is it snow makes everything feel so much... warmer? It's 27 degrees outside, snowing, and it's wonderful!

Anyway, back to our series on confession.

Unconfessed sin destroys fellowship, and without fellowship, what’s the church?

Back to Bonhoeffer: Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him . . . Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light. In the darkness of the unexpressed it poisons the whole being of a person . . . [but] in confession the light of the Gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart. [1]

We strongly grasp our right to keep secrets because we wrongly think our sin affects no one but ourselves. There is no sin in thought, word, or deed, no matter how personal or secret, that does not inflict injury upon the whole fellowship. [2]

Keeping my confession between me and Christ does nothing to defuse the secret. It is still a bomb waiting to detonate when it can do the most harm. But in confessing to another Christian, what was a secret becomes merely a private matter. There is little fear of exposure, for the power of sin has been broken in our being accountable to another. If the private matter becomes public, there is great freedom in being able to say, Yes, I’ve confessed that to Frank, and it’s made a world of difference in my life.

How have you experienced confession as the defusing of the ‘secret bomb’?

[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1954), 112.

[2] Ibid., 89.

Confession - Good for the Fellowship (2 of 4)

This is Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I've been turning some of his writings over in my head, influencing this series of posts.

I know a family whose child was diagnosed with a mild case of Cerebral Palsy. Seeing the look on the faces of the child’s parents, the doctor offered these comforting words: Nothing has changed since yesterday. You’re still the same people; your child is the same child. CP is just a name for what you already know is going on.

Confession doesn’t make real what we’re confessing. It's there whether we confess it or not. Confession is just agreeing with God. It gives our brothers and sisters the opportunity to assure us, Yes, God has forgiven you. You are loved just as you are; enjoy the fellowship of others who have found the same forgiveness that you’re enjoying now. You are a sinner, a great, desperate sinner; now come, as the sinner that you are: He does not want anything from you, a sacrifice, a work; He wants you alone . . . He wants to be gracious to you. You do not have to go on lying to yourself and your brothers, as if you were without sin; you can dare to be a sinner. [1] Read this.

Paul writes: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

According to Paul, if I boast about (confess) my weaknesses (sins, shortcomings) I can expect Christ’s power to rest on me (I can expect help).

What’s that mean for me if I refuse to confess?

How have you experienced Christ’s help through confession?

[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1954), 111.

Cats and Dogs

Will snapped this photo today. I'm thinking maybe Tess has it too easy. Tess has grown up with my kids. She's been part of our family for 10 years... but I'm not sure how I feel about this; I mean it was after lunch and she was still in bed!


Reminds me of a joke.

A dog was sitting in the sun thinking. My human feeds me and keeps my water bowl filled; he walks me when I need it and gives me a warm place to sleep. He supplies my every need. Hmmm... he must be a god!

Meanwhile a cat was sitting in the sun thinking. My human feeds me and keeps my water bowl filled; he cleans my litter box and gives me a warm place to sleep. He supplies my every need. Hmmm... I must be a god!

Who are the furry members of your family?

Confession - Good for the Fellowship (1 of 4)

Why do we care so much about what others think? Why would we rather be thought well of than find the forgiveness and cleansing that comes with confession? Because we’d rather look good than feel good. We’d rather save face than find the joy and healing and wholeness that come with being transparent.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in Life Together:

He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, notwithstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may still be left to their loneliness. The final break-through to fellowship does not occur, because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everybody must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. [1]

My paraphrase: We embrace fellowship as saints, but reject fellowship as sinners.

I’ve been reading through The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis. This is what caught my attention and then pushed me back to Bonhoeffer: The person who cares nothing about the approval or disapproval of people enjoys great peace of mind. [2]

But we do fear that disapproval; we fear being rejected by fellow church members. After all, what might they say?

Thomas again: You are not more holy when you are being praised, or more worthless when you are disparaged. [3]

Why does it matter more to us what others think than what God thinks?

[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1954), 110.

[2] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, ed. Harold J. Chadwick (New Brunswick, NJ: Bridge Logos, 1999), 84.

[3] Ibid.

Happy New Year!

Advent. Only a few more weeks until Christmas as the year winds down. Not for the church. The First Sunday of Advent is the first Sunday of the Christian Calendar, so Happy New Year!

Advent is about preparing for Christ's coming... coming to Bethlehem in the Incarnation, coming into one's heart in conversion, and coming in the Parousia--the second coming or second Advent. This is a time to get ready to receive Christ.

Christmas can be disappointing for kids. If it weren't, every family would have a pony! Sometimes our expectations don't match up with reality. I remember a disappointing Christmas as a kid in the 60s. There was a great toy on the market that allowed a kid to make his own mini action figures. It involved a mold, plastic pellets, and the main part: a device that melted the plastic pellets into molten plastic allowing it to be injected into the mold. After it cooled, you had your action figure.

I wanted it so bad.

Flash forward to Christmas morning. I opened my present. It was a refill kit of the little plastic pellets. The toy was such a hot seller that my parents couldn't find one, so on Christmas morning I got the refill kit--and a promise. As soon as it's back in stock, we'll get it for you. Now 40-some years later, I don't know why, but let's just say I'm still waiting.

Peter had expectations. Because of his Jewish upbringing he expected the Messiah to be the Son of David establishing a kingdom that would never end. In so doing, Peter expected this conquering hero to free Israel from Roman oppression. On a retreat to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, Who do you say that I am? Sometimes our expectations can obscure the realities standing right in front of us, but Peter had already begun a journey of discovery that would last a lifetime, as he re-evaluated his expectations of the Messiah in light of his one-on-one Christ revelation. Peter's answer: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

What are you expecting for Christmas?

What are you expecting from Jesus?

(I owe some of the ideas in this post to Janet Lilly Wanner of Women of the Church of God. Thanks, Janet.)

Thanksgiving Family Florida Trip (Part Two)

While most people in America were Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving, we decided to visit Universal Studios. Ben and Will have been to Disney, Universal and Sea World several times, but were so young they don't remember. We spent the morning at Universal, and then after lunch (at Hard Rock Cafe) we spent the rest of the day in Universal's sister park Islands of Adventure.

Below is the Hulk coaster at Islands of Adventure. It about gave Ben a concussion.

My mom lives in Genesis Pointe across the street from Warner Southern College where I earned my BA in Church Ministry. These cranes (below) live there, too. They're worse than roosters as they stroll around the development hunting up breakfast. Some people just can't keep quiet while they eat.

These last three pix are from another of our favorite places. Highlands Hammock State Park is about a half-hour drive from my mom's house. The boardwalk trail only takes about 20 minutes and takes visitors through cypress swamps and alligator ponds.

Thanksgiving Family Florida Trip (Part One)

Again, I took a forced vacation from blogging. We traveled to Florida to spend Thanksgiving with my mom. Four days on the road didn't allow any time for blogging. Even though our hotels had Internet access, I was so tired from all the miles we logged, I didn't feel much like unpacking my computer. My mom actually does have Internet, but it's dial-up. My kids had never heard the tones made by a computer modem trying to find a phone hook-up. We had an enlightening discussion about the good old days when all Internet usage required a phone line.

Now that we're home I have some catching up to do, but I thought I'd share a few pix from our time away. For now I'll limit scenes to Savannah, Georgia and nearby Tybee Island. At the top left is the Tybee Island lighthouse. Below that are scenes from the Tybee Island Pier and finally a couple shots from one of our favorite restaurants, The Crab Shack. It was cold when we left Pennsylvania, so dining outdoors on the deck was a real treat. The bottom photo is the tree branch roof over our table.

The How-To's of Being Blessed (Part Two)

We're in Savannah, Georgia on our way to spend Thanksgiving with my mom in Florida. We drove 650 miles yesterday so we could spend part of this morning on the Tybee Island beach and eat lunch at The Crab Shack -- "Where the Elite Eat in Their Bare Feet." Hopefully it will be warm enough to eat out on the bayside deck.

Anyway, here's installment #2 on the Beatitudes. As with Part One, I offer a paraphrase and then a question or two on which each of us might need to percolate. But first, read Matthew 5:6-8 to get started. As Rob Singleton writes, Read it; then come back. Go ahead, I'll wait.

My paraphrase:

How fortunate are those unwilling to settle, not satisfied with where their relationship with God is at right now, those whose reach for righteousness exceeds their grasp, those unwilling to quit until they've got all of God, because that kind of hunger and thirst for God isn't for nothing -- it will result in being truly satisfied.

• What if I wasn't so easily satisfied? What if I didn't try to "squeak by" being just a little better than the next guy in line? What if I knew I could do better, live better and love better, and then went out and did it?

How fortunate are those who don't hold grudges, or look for payback from others for the wrongs inflicted on them, those who refuse to take vengeance, who do good to their enemies even when the court of public opinion would say they were justified to punish, for those who show mercy will receive mercy from God.

• What if I treated others the way I want others to treat me? ...if rather than living by the code an eye for an eye I paid back evil with kindness? What if, rather than looking for reasons I'm justified to exact my pound of flesh, I looked for excuses to show mercy?

How fortunate are those who want only one thing -- God; those who keep their eye on the prize and are not entangled with or distracted by anything else, for that kind of single-minded devotion to God will be rewarded -- their dream will come true and they will see God face-to-face.

• What if I got my eyes off everything else and focused 100% on God? ...if nothing else mattered and nothing else could trip me up? What if I really had no other gods?

What question is the Spirit asking you?

I Wish I'd Said That

Some of my favorite reading quotes from the last six months:

• What would you be willing to attempt for God if you knew you could not fail? -- Perry Noble
• ...there is no sin in thought, word, or deed, no matter how personal or secret, that does not inflict injury upon the whole fellowship. -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Life Together, 89)
• Foolish is the person [who] takes offense when none was intended. More foolish is the person [who] takes offense when it was intended. -- Dave Marcum and Steven Smith (egonomics)
• You are the God who loves me, and loves all the people I pretend to love. -- Michael Spencer
• We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. -- Plato
• Faith can move mountains, but don't be surprised if God hands you a shovel. -- Unknown
• If we die to ourselves, in the end we come to live in God. But it is a long, slow dying. -- Morris West (The Shoes of the Fisherman)
• When we are tempted to sin, Satan's primary strategy is to convince us that it's not a big deal, and that God won't really care if we do it. After we've given in to temptation and committed the sin, Satan flips the script. Now his chief aim is to make us believe that what we've done is so bad, God no longer wants anything to do with us. This is why your first inclination after a spiritual failure is to run and hide from God. -- Steven Furtick

Have you heard any good quotes lately?

The How-To's of Being Blessed (Part One)

Sunday we started a three-part series on the Beatitudes called The How-To's of Being Blessed. Rather than re-cap these teachings, I have distilled my reflections on these passages into a paraphrase. This week was based on Matthew 5:3-5, and here's the paraphrase, each verse followed by one What if...? question for us to answer in the privacy of our own thoughts:

How fortunate are those who have realized their own emptiness, their own helplessness, those who claim no entitlements, those with no bargaining chips, those who throw themselves on the mercy of Jesus, for they have truly submitted themselves to the rule and reign of God.

• What if, rather than thinking, "How lucky God is to have me," I had the attitude, "How unbelievably blessed I am that God offers me all of himself, when I have nothing to give him in return"?

How fortunate are those who are racked by such deep sorrow that they have no pride left, no concern about what others might think, hearts broken over their own sinfulness and what that does to the heart of God - because people with that kind of unrestrained mourning will find themselves accepted and comforted in the arms of their loving heavenly Father.

• What if I had the same attitude toward sin in my life that God has toward that same sin?

How fortunate are those who are content with who they are, with nothing to prove, those in whom what you see is what you get, those who let God be God and who are willing to admit they don't know it all, for those who are willing to receive will be gifted with what's really important - right relationship with God.

• What if I quit wearing masks to cover my insecurities and self-esteem problems and just admitted I need help? ...if I quit pretending to be someone I'm not, and if I could put away my pride long enough to let God teach me a thing or two?

What's God speaking to your heart through these three verses?

Good Week!

The above picture is the view of the mountain this morning when I was walking the dogs. The picture really doesn't do God's creation justice--it was absolutely beautiful.

I shared several days ago about how swamped I was this week, but I was swamped doing things that I love. I had some visits to make, taught What Makes the Church of God the Church of God? on Wednesday night (only two more sessions left), prepared my teaching for this morning, attended Janelle's Sweet Adelines concert with The Sounds of Pittsburgh, and taught about the Holy Spirit in our Institute for Servant Leadership Doctrinal Track.

Below is Janelle's chorus mid-concert. In this picture Janelle is on the back row, second from the right. My new camera phone is much better than my old one, but it still doesn't do well from a distance in low light.

This morning I taught from Matthew 5:3-5 in the first of a 3-part series on the Beatitudes, called The How-to's of Being Blessed. I really enjoyed putting together that teaching, and I think it was received well.

How could I? I almost forgot to mention another one of my favorite things. I got to watch the Steelers beat the Browns. It was a close game with the Steelers coming back from a 15-point deficit. Life is good.

Swamped

I've been working on a teaching about the Holy Spirit that I will be presenting at the ISL (Institute for Servant Leadership) doctrinal track this Friday and Saturday at Whitehall, the Church of God's state campgrounds for Western Pennsylvania.

Because of that, I have not blogged for a week. I wanted to, at the very least, make contact today, so I thought I'd share a couple pictures I've snapped in the last two or three weeks. The top one was a cold, cold morning scene I shot from my backyard.

The next is of some of the Normalville windmills from a leafing expedition a couple weeks back.

And finally we have a morning shot of Connellsville from the summit on Route 201 coming into town from the West (I think--after 2 years here my internal compass is still malfunctioning).

Have a great week!

The Temptation of Christ

One of my favorite Henri Nouwen texts is In the Name of Jesus, a book on Christian leadership drawn from Matthew’s temptation of Christ narrative. He writes that turning stones into bread was Jesus’ temptation to be relevant—based in a need to be needed. I would call it the temptation to offer a quick fix. How often does my wife share a concern with me, desiring that I affirm her or take the time to commiserate with her, and all I do is say, “Here, I can fix that for you. Done. There you go.”

Jesus’ second temptation was to be spectacular—the parallel temptation in our culture is to be popular. As pastors, we are often guilty of wearing masks and allowing ourselves to be placed on pedestals all in the quest for popularity. Rather than donning a superhero costume, Nouwen encourages us to regularly confess our weaknesses and be willing to ask forgiveness when required. The pride of being spectacular cannot coexist with the humility of asking forgiveness.

Christ’s third temptation was power. Jesus was offered the kingdoms of the world if he would only bow down to the devil. Nouwen writes: It is easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people… He likens this to the natural sequence of events in our lives where, as children, we are dressed, fed, and led around by our parents, but upon reaching adulthood we exercise authority over ourselves and those around us. One of the most difficult things for growing Christians is to grow from independence to dependence. We must learn to say, No, to self and, Yes, to God.

A more traditional approach to Matthew’s temptation narrative is comparing Jesus to Israel. The writer of Matthew is very clearly contrasting Jesus’ wilderness obedience with Israel’s wilderness disobedience.

• Christ was tempted as we are tempted
• Where Israel was disobedient, Christ was obedient
• The point is not for us to feel defeated. As the Hebrews passage reminds us, because of Christ's temptation, we can approach his throne with confidence to receive mercy and find grace in our time of need

1. When tempted - go to the throne of grace for help - your Advocate is waiting
2. When you resist temptation - give thanks to God for his indwelling and empowering Spirit
3. When you give in to temptation - thank God that he still loves you, confess your failure and ask him to help you be better prepared for the next time

Family Time

A couple weeks ago we took a late afternoon picnic lunch up to Ohiopyle. Everywhere we live we look for somewhere that can serve as a retreat from life's everyday pressures and where our souls and bodies can be refreshed. In Maryland we were only an hour from Gettysburg, PA and in Georgia we would visit Callaway Gardens or hike the Pine Mountain Trail in Roosevelt State Park right across the street.

This first picture is of some low hanging clouds en route to the park. On this particular day, PA reminded me of Tennessee's Smoky Mountains.

In Pennsylvania, our special place has been Ohiopyle, which is an old Indian name which translates as Falling Waters. Frank Lloyd Wright's famous home is just a few miles up the highway. Below is the Youghiogheny River (people around here just call it the Yough, pronounced Yawk). On this particular day it had rained most of the day, but the rain had pretty much stopped by 2 or 3 o'clock. We took a picnic lunch, found a picnic table under a shelter, and enjoyed some family time. These falls are the main attraction in the park, but there's so much more.

Below is a picture of the Yough River Trail Bridge. This wonderful bicycle trail runs from Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC. It follows an abandoned rail right-of-way, so there aren't any strenuous grades. Between Connellsville and Ohiopyle there are four such bridges and some beautiful scenery.

Above Will is looking at the falls from an overlook. Below is the Yough River from High Bridge along the bike trail.

Condemnation or Comfort - Sunday Preview

This Sunday we're continuing our foray into Matthew's gospel with a look at chapter 4 -- the temptation narrative. Each of us knows temptation. We cling to the Hebrews passage: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

Those words, written for our comfort, have often been twisted to beat us down. Jesus was tempted and he didn't cave in. You have no excuse for your failure. You're pathetic!

And yet we have the words of Paul: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... (Romans 8:1)

When we read the New Testament, we cannot lift one verse out and isolate it from the rest. We must interpret individual verses, keeping them in context with the rest of the book.

Our high priest sympathizes with our weaknesses; he doesn't condemn us. He is our advocate, not our accuser. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Because Christ has been tempted: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

Jesus and the Baptizer

Matthew chapters 1-2 are all about telling us who Jesus is. The writer pulls out all the stops to show continuity between the Old Testament and Jesus--everything from a 42-generation pedigree to five prophecies fulfilled in Christ. And that word fulfilled is very important when we come to the third chapter.

Here Jesus comes to John to be baptized. There are multiple occasions listed in the gospels where the disciples argued about who was Jesus' favorite, reminiscent of the Smothers Brothers classic Mom always liked you best!

However, when Jesus came for baptism there was no vying for first place. ...John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fufill all righteousness."

There's that word fulfill. There is no Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah needing to be baptized, so what did Jesus mean? Douglas Hare (New Testament scholar from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) says we would understand this encounter better if we rendered it: It is required that you and I fulfill God's will by allowing me to be baptized. Hare asks the question: Why would Matthew regard it as God's will that the Messiah be baptized? [1]

Jesus was identifing with those he came to save. A few short years down the road Jesus would submit to the baptism of crucifixion, but here and now he was committing himself to his mission -- which Luke referred to in this way: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:10) Unlike his disciples, Jesus was not on an ego trip. The Creator submitted to baptism leveling himself with those he came to save.

If Jesus thought it right and necessary to identify with those he came to save, shouldn't we the church also find a way to identify with those to whom we've been called to minister? Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians: We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

The question is not How can I save you? The question is How can I serve you? The question is never How important am I? but How important are you that Christ would pay the highest price to purchase your freedom?

If God loves you that much, then you're someone I'd really like to get to know.

[1] Douglas R. A. Hare, Matthew, "Interpretation-A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching" (Louisville: John Knox, 1993), 21.

Lifehouse's Everything Skit

Cynthia Ware posted this video on her blog The Digital Sanctuary. Watch the entire thing; it will be well worth your while. Blessings.

Mr Bean Goes to Church

There's a new Mr. Bean movie soon to be released. Even though I posted this several weeks ago, at that point I didn't know how to embed YouTube videos directly into my blog. All I could do was provide the link. I hope you enjoy.

The Gospel According to Matthew

This Sunday we're beginning a teaching series in Matthew's Gospel. We're going to save chapters 1 and 2 for Advent (that's only six weeks from this Sunday!), and begin with chapter 3. This is fitting, because chapter 3 deals with John the Baptizer and Jesus' baptism, and we're having a baptism celebration of our own. I'm still not sure how many are being baptized, but we've got 6 confirmed. Add these to the 12 who followed Christ in baptism last spring and we can rejoice in God's goodness to us.

Our Sunday teaching is titled The Identity of Christ. Granted, not the most imaginative sermon title I've ever heard, but it fits. The first three chapters of Matthew serve to answer the question, Who is Jesus? In aswering this question, we can also examine its companion, Who are we supposed to be?

Bless your brothers and sisters in Christ by being here for our baptism service this Sunday morning. This is an excellent tme to invite friends and relatives as we celebrate God's gift of new life and community. See you Sunday!

Fayette County Fallen Firefighters Memorial

I was very blessed to be included in the dedication service for Fayette County's new Fallen Firefighters Memorial on Sunday, October 14th. This incredible memorial was erected through volunteer help and paid for by private donations. It carries the name of six Fayette County, Pennsylvania firefighters who have given their lives in the line of duty, dating all the way back to 1901.

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Why was I invited to share the dedication prayer?

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A year ago our church invited Connellsville and Connellsville Township firefighters and our EMT's and Paramedics to a special worship service in their honor. We wanted to connect with these brave men and women, and simply say, "Thank you; we appreciate what you do." After that worship celebration we treated them to a wonderful roast beef dinner, and they really appreciated it.

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On that Sunday I shared from the pulpit how I started out as a junior (I always hated that title) firefighter with Brookside Volunteer Fire Company (near Erie, PA) when I was 16 years old. Through that experience I was chosen to attend EMT training. After my first stint in college, I went back to school to become a Paramedic and worked the streets for five years in Kansas City, Missouri and Topeka, Kansas. After more than 20 years on the sidelines, I still miss the rush and the cameraderie of the fire house.

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When the dedication service for the memorial was being planned, Assistant Chief Rob Leiberger of C'ville Township VFD remembered our kindness to their department and my history as a paramedic. He said,"Hey, we ought to ask Pastor Tim to pray the dedication prayer. He's kind of one of us." It was fantastic to be invited.

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I read two scriptures: John 3:16 and its companion 1 John 3:16. I've included those verses and my prayer below.

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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16 - NIV)

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This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers [and sisters]. (1 Jn 3:16 - NIV)

Prayer:

Our God,

We come before you today, privileged and honored

to take part in the dedication of this memorial.

We thank you, this beautiful autumn afternoon,

for this moving tribute to fallen heroes,

for the tireless efforts of those who lobbied, recruited,

and raised funds to make this memorial possible,

and for those who have contributed financially

that we might stand here today.

* * *

You are our Creator,

and in your image we have been created.

The Bible teaches us that God is love,

and that the love of God is a sacrificial love.

Sacrifice goes against our natural inclinations,

and yet the sacrifice of these brave men

that has brought us together today

corroborates the Bible’s testimony

that we are indeed created in your image.

* * *

Not only do we thank you for the lives of these six men

who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of others,

asking for your peace and your presence

in the lives of their family members;

we also give thanks for every Fayette County firefighter,

paid or volunteer,

who, regardless of risk to life and limb,

daily answers the call to service,

and for our protection.

* * *

We ask your provision and protection over these brave souls,

that their lives would be long and healthy,

that their hearts would be filled with courage,

as they run toward the dangers

from which others run away.

* * *

In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Unfortunately, common sense required the memorial to be designed with space for future names to be added. Dear God, please don't let that be necessary.