The Whole Thing

In the days when I was visiting Dairy Queen way too many times, my favorite treat was a parfait consisting of layered pecans, hot fudge, caramel and vanilla ice cream.  It was a version of the old treat called the Pecan Mudslide (doesn't that sound great!).  When I served St. Luke in Montgomery, there was a Dairy Queen just across the street.  It was not good for my concentration or my waistline.

There was an art to properly eating the Pecan Mudslide, if you were to get the full effect.  To fully enjoy the treat, you needed to relish each layer.  Pecans, hot fudge, ice cream, caramel sauce, and then repeat the whole thing.  It is way better than it sounds (and it sounds pretty good).

I was reflecting on this joyful treat, when I thought of two things.  First, a C. S. Lewis quote about reading old books.  "Every age has its own outlook.  It is specially good at seeing certain truths, and specially liable to making certain mistakes.  We all, therefore, need books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period."  He is saying, in a manner, we should stop demeaning the value of either old or new books, because they both have value and worth to where and when we are living.  It would be a mistake to ignore either the old or the new.

Second, the Bible understands this universal truth.  Isaiah 43:19 says "See, I am doing a new thing ..." as God proclaims the newness of His plan.  But God precedes this "new" message with a reminder of His history with the people.  "I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom ... (Isaiah 43:3)."  Do you see what God is doing?  God is saying, the present situation and the future hope of newness is built upon who/what God was in the past.  Over and over again, Scripture proclaims the connection to past, present and future, all held in the hands of a loving God.

Let me relate this to the Pecan Mudslide (and old books).  You will miss the point of the treat if you only ate the pecans that are sprinkled on the top.  You will go right past the genius of this dessert if you skip the hot fudge.  It only works properly if you eat the whole thing!

Last Sunday, at 1st service, we sang This Little Light of Mine (1920), All My Tears (1993), My Jesus I Love Thee (1864), I Will Wait for You (2018) and Above All (1995).  The 2nd service shared similar musical range with The Church's One Foundation (1866) and How Majestic is Your Name (1981).  I am honored by a music team that gets this eternal truth!  And I hope you are getting the point that the treat (and the depth) is better when we "eat the whole thing!"  

There is a parallel between old books and old music.  There is value in old, new and in between.  I could repeat C. S. Lewis' words about books, replacing "books" with the word music.  "We need music that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period."  So ... we eat the whole thing, realizing the value in all generations of music.  And, we read "all" of Scripture, realizing that Biblical truth and hope is built upon a God who commands our worship as demonstrated by the four living creatures in Revelation 4:8,  as they said ... "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."  AMEN!  Randy

Responses

It has been interesting to listen and watch as people formulate their responses to the war in Ukraine.  Some respond with distrust.  Some respond by giving.  Some respond by doing/saying nothing (yes ... that is also a response).  Some are outraged.  Others say, "It is the Russian leaders being who we know they are."  You can add your response here, but responses are telling!

When we enter Acts 4, the Church has seen/experienced some pretty telling events.  In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit descends on the Church, Peter preaches truth to all gathered in Jerusalem and "about 3,000" are added to the Church.  The people respond by gathering in fellowship, praying, Bible study, miraculous signs, worship and there was a sense of revival.  In Acts 3 Peter heals a crippled beggar and preaches another powerful sermon.  In Acts 4, Peter and John are seized and taken before the Sanhedrin, where they are told "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus."  Peter and John are released because "all the people were praising God for what had happened."

From the mountaintop of revival to the valley of persecution to the uncertainty of the future, all in the space of a few days.  What do these new believers do about this "new thing" God had planted?  What is their response?  I believe we can learn a lot from their responses as we decide how to be led by God in our responses.

Here's what God's word says!  First, in verse 4:24, we read this ... "When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God."  They prayed, in the context of fellowship with one another.  There is power and community in that kind of prayer.  When friends, family and our brothers and sisters pray together, God does some pretty wonderful things. When we (the Church) pray in unison and unity, we can stand back and see what God does!  Prayer is a great place to start!

Second, God responded.  Verse 31 says, "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken."  God still shakes things, including people and His Church.  Also, "They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."  God's response not only shook the early Church ... it filled and emboldened them!

Finally, all of this God-activity manifests itself in the people of the Church in a way that is contra-world (and really contra-human nature).  The people share everything!  Verse 32 says, "All of the believers were of one heart and one mind ... they shared everything they had."

What I hope to highlight with this short little blog is ... when the Spirit moves, the result is community.  It is 1) ordained by God, 2) inspired/enabled by God, 3) part of our Christian response and 4) a manifestation of who God is in His people.  It brings fellowship.  It causes us to bind together with those of like mind.  It is contra-world and counter-culture.

So, I will leave you with some questions.  How can we invite God's Spirit to lead us to be this counter-culture movement?  How does this happen in a way that we go together as a people of "one heart and one mind?"  Let's talk Sunday about some of these answers!  Randy

Barry and the Storm

In Florida I had a friend named Barry.  He was a great guy.  He loved life and his family.  He also loved fishing.

I never got to fish with Barry.  He did the kind of fishing I didn't have the time or inclination to do.  He liked to fish at night for flounder, and he and his buddies would brave the night and the cold, to catch their prizes.  One such night he was out with a friend and wind came up, capsizing their boat and dumping them in the cold water.  They struggled for hours, finally making it to shore, hypothermic and in need of medical help.  The ambulance took them to Sacred Heart.  They were treated for exposure and exhaustion, but doctors found something else.  Barry had cancer.  Over the next four years, Barry would tell the story of how getting caught in that storm gave him multiple years with his family and friends ... years he wouldn't have had if he had not been caught in that storm.  He died, knowing that his "storm" had been life-giving.

I bring this up because our media, our peers and our world focus on hype.  Everyone seems to get excited about the moment, wanting to "do something."  We often fail to reflect upon the lessons we can glean from the hard times.  We love God and people, but we are called to love God with our hearts, our souls, our mind and our strength.  I wonder if we, too often, think we are being smart by a quick reaction and fail to receive the lesson the crisis is teaching.

In Experiencing God the authors (Blackaby and King) describe our faith journey as pivoting on what they call a "faith crisis."  They remind us that we all come to faith crises, sometimes multiple times.  Something bad happens.  Something good happens.  A decision is placed before us.  How will we decide/react?  In Experiencing God, the authors recommend we sift those decisions on Scripture and the leading of God.  This is solid advice!

Last Sunday I presented a faith crisis happening in the United Methodist Church.  Our General Conference has been, yet again, postponed, and the governing body of the UM Church will not meet to make decisions until 2024.  This was the second postponement. The decision is largely seen as unacceptable by many in the church (and remember, we are diverse so some do not share this view).  How will we decide what to do with this decision?  How will we invite everyone to journey through this decision?  Here are some ideas for our perusal, all related to doing/viewing things from a God-perspective.

First, in Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good."  Do not underestimate God's ability to use faithful people embroiled in bad situations to do good (even great) things!  Joseph has moved from being outcast in a well, to being in prison, to becoming Governor of all of Pharaoh's stuff.  Yes, it is rags to riches, but the story is more than that.  It is God's pursuit (prevenient grace), God's rescue (justifying grace) and God's equipping (sanctifying grace).  Let's look at things from a God-perspective and see what good thing God is planning and unfolding.

Second, continuing to look from God's point of view, what can we learn about our church from what has happened?  One pastor said, "We have been too focused on a symptom of problems.  The focus on this being an LGBTQ issue is both myopic and short-sighted.  While the issues that are hyped by the news media seem large, they are only the lighting-strike that caught the roof on fire.  When the roof burned, we found out about the rotted wood, the weak structure and other foundational issues."  I agree!  My friend had larger issues than getting over the cold and wet of Choctawhatchee Bay.  In Matthew 16, Peter had bigger issues than pigeon-holing Jesus into "what everyone was saying."  Matthew's Gospel tells us that when Peter was asked (by Jesus) "Who do people say that I am?"  Peter responded, "some say John the Baptist.  Others say Elijah.  Still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?  Who do you say that I am?"  There it is!  A faith crisis!  Jesus is getting Peter to think about reality ... not what people were saying!  Peter answers, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!" Bringing the issues of the church to the surface allows us to rebuild on the solid foundation of Christ ... and that always works!

Finally, after reflecting on what God is doing and focusing on just who our Church is all about, we must ask that hard question.  Knowing we should think about God's plan/mission, remembering we are all about Jesus, who should we be as a church?  In The Revelation, Jesus reminds 7 Churches that it is time to reflect, refocus and remember who we are!  They are told "Remember your first love (Ephesus), don't fear suffering (Smyrna), discern/avoid false teaching (Pergamum), don't listen to Jezebel (Thyatira), wake up and live (Sardis), endure with patience (Philadelphia), don't be lukewarm (Laodicea)."  Jesus gave each Church the criticism and encouragement they needed to rebuild on a solid foundation.

Let's spend lots of time in God's word, learning Jesus' commands and mission.  Let's not refrain from keeping Jesus at the center of our discussions.  Let's decide who we will be as a congregation.  I will be sending lots of information out, and I encourage and invite discussion and conversation.  But I caution each of us ... let's not pool our ignorance.  Let's let this storm reveal where we need to rebuild the columns, shore up the rafters and replace the roof.  Maybe, like Joseph, our best days will happen when we follow God and endure some storms, being stronger and better in the process.  Randy

Valleys, and Why No Chickens!

In my undergraduate days in college at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, I took a course about the various stages of industry.  There is primary activity (farming, forestry) which includes many Henry county folks, secondary activity (production, like YellaWood), and tertiary activity (transport, education, health and commerce).  While, in modern business, this might be an oversimplification, it was interesting to learn about these things.

The reason I bring this up isn't to give us a primer in business activity.  It relates more to a puzzlement I have encountered in the past few weeks.  In the midst of hundreds of chicken houses and millions of chickens, why are chicken fingers scarce at Food Giant and roasted chickens scarce at Sam's?  The old saying "water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink" comes to mind.  What's up with the scarcity of chickens?  There seems to be a disconnect between growing the chickens and getting the chickens where they rightly belong ... my table!

This was my mindset as I reflected on a mountaintop experience called Discipleship Now (DNow), attended by me and some of our youth over the past weekend.  Here is my question.  Why is it that in the midst of all that worship, all that wonderful music, all the spoken-word poetry, all the preaching, all the teaching and all the people involved, we leave these events and see hope, intensity, and shared-unity fade?  It might just have a relationship to why we have so many chicken houses and so few chickens!  Here's my take!

All through the Old Testament we hear of people who live in the valley.  Mountains are hard to navigate and have conditions that are not conducive to supporting groups of people.  Moses went to Mount Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments, but he brought them down to the valley where the people were camped.  Joshua 17 recounts that the Canaanites, who had "chariots of iron," lives in the valley.  Midian (Judges 7) camped in the valley (armies did that a lot) where God told Gideon to "go down against the camp."  We leave the mountaintops, go down into the valleys and do the activities that people do, living life and forgetting the thrill, joy and even danger of the mountain.

Abbeville, while the town is on a hill, is filled with normal, good valley folk.  Agriculture and Processing (primary and secondary activities) are the foundation of our economy.  We are caught up in daily life, raising children and doing what those Old Testament people did ... living life in the valley.  But maybe it is time to do something a little different.  Because valleys are for something more valuable than just surviving ... they should be places we, as God's people, thrive.

Crops, supplying the entire nation, are grown in the valley.  Bordering the valley, fruit trees bear their crops.  Cotton and peanuts are produced on the level ground.  And (maybe) we should learn to bear fruit in those valleys and lowlands too!  150 children and numerous adults left the DNow mountaintop and have gone back to the valley.  They have returned to their churches, and some (hopefully) have now decided to "follow Jesus" (we all sang that song Friday).  How would Jesus lead us from the mountain into the valley?  How would Jesus lead us so that we would bear the fruit of the harvest ... souls for the kingdom and unity for God's people?  I have an idea, but I need your help.

First, pray for me/us to make connections with some of the brothers and sisters I met over last weekend.  Pray we will find a way to bring the fruit of unity from the mountain to the valley.  This will not happen if we all do business as usual.  So pray (Matthew 9 ... "pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest, to send out laborers into His harvest.").

Second, be willing to "sow seeds" that (in Matthew 13) might fall into places that are not conducive to growth.  Some of our work will come up empty, because our seeds will fall on the rocky soil, the path or the shallow soil.  But (like the farmers in Henry County) we still sow, realizing we must trust "the Lord of the harvest."  If God is calling us to this work, it can produce "a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times what was sown."  Because it is His harvest!

Finally, we must remember one important thing about farming.  I learned this, hoeing red-clay dirt clods, robust weeds and pruning tomato plants.  Farming is hard, sweaty and uncomfortable work.  One must give up time, recreation and other things, so that the seeds can grow and prosper.

Back to why we have no chickens in the stores?  Too few workers at the processing plants ... an impaired and inadequate delivery system (worker shortages, high fuel prices).  Some of you have your own theories, and I won't delve into the extreme theories I have heard.  But one thing I do know. In the last two weeks I have heard credible accounts from people I know that they could not get chickens at Sam's or chicken fingers at Food Giant.  That is serious stuff that strikes me right where I live ... the dinner table!

So ... "pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  Pray ... realize laborers are needed ... remember that this is the Lord's harvest.  

Lessons from the Deck

Each week I am on the lookout for things that God is sending to teach us about His Word and His Truth.  Several of us have been in discussions about the wood deck at the parsonage, and some needed repairs that have been approved by the Trustees.  In assessing what we need to do, I have learned several things.

The most pressing deck-related issue is that some of the wood support posts are deteriorating.  That is not surprising, since the deck has been here for a very long time.  But this reality does invite a discussion about why wood deteriorates.  In the case of the deck, the wood posts are cladded by cosmetic coverings that make the columns look larger and more decorative.  The downside?  Cladding holds in moisture, the number one enemy of wood products.

Every week I meet with people and see people who are wearing "cladding."  By this I mean that their outside does not reflect what is on the inside.  I confess to be like this more than I would like.  It is our human nature to try to look better than we really are.  We put on a happy face, and being upbeat is a pretty good thing. But one of the people I met this week said something that brought this blog to life and reminded me of two Scripture passages.  The person said (and I paraphrase) "I have been holding in the real things that are bothering me, and they seem to come out anyway."  

The first lesson here is simple.  Rather than clad ourselves with things that make us look better, cover ourselves with Christ, so we may (transparently) let people see Christ in us.  Ephesians 4:24 says, "put on the new self, created after the likeness of God, in true righteousness and holiness."  Translation ... we are new creations, changed and conformed to the God we should reflect.  That likeness offers a transparent exterior.  When we hide our identity (cladding our interior with a false exterior) we hide who/what is inside.  Jesus said, be authentic.  "Let your yes be yes and your no be no" Matthew 5:37 says.  When we cover up who we are, the interior rots while the outside looks like nothing is wrong.

The second lesson from this observation is the solution to the problem.  When we hold in the truth, things tend to rot.  The solution is one that Jesus offers.  "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and the truth will set you free! (John 8:31)."  Friday, I will be meeting with 115 youth-aged young adults.  They will, hopefully, be looking for the truth.  We will share God's word, and especially Jesus' words.  Jesus' words reveal us.  Jesus' words challenge us.  Jesus' words expose the real warts, flaws and burdens we carry around so hidden by our masks.  Pray that they will learn transparency, kindness, grace, patience, and love.  We sometimes forget that we were made by a good God in His image, and when we hide that image we try to be something that dishonors God's design.  So Friday I will share music, my love, my warts, my hopes, my dreams and my God with those children of the King.  Pray that I will honor that God by offering myself in a real and authentic way.  If I do that, maybe they will see a little of Jesus in me, and maybe they will let me see them too!  Randy

Love ... Greatest of All

Two weeks ago, Nicey expressed that she was a big sports fan.  I share that interest and am drawn-in by a good sports tale.  Here is one sports tale and another that draws from the well of sacrifice.

Yesterday a young African-American woman named Erin Jackson won an Olympic Gold Medal for 500 meter speed skating.  She is an incredible athlete, but her success is remarkable.  She didn't step out on the ice until she was 24, 5 years ago.  While she did practice online skating, most of those she competed against had been ice skating since they were small children.  Her inexperience wasn't her only obstacle though.  As she competed in the Olympic trials for the United States, Erin slipped, and failed to qualify for her only event.  Enter Brittany Bowe, another American skater that did qualify for the 500 meter event.  Brittany decided that her place in the event, the likelihood that she could win gold for the team, and her love for her friend caused her to make a decision.  She gave up her spot so Erin could compete and chase her dream.  It worked out pretty good for all, as Brittany Bowe saw her friend skate to 1st place, winning gold.  It is a beautiful story!

But there is another February story, remembered by soldiers who understand the meaning of sacrifice.  On February 3rd, 1943, the USAT Dorchester was torpedoed by a German U-Boat in the cold waters of the North Atlantic.  About 900 people came to face the probability that they would die right there and then.  But this isn't just another war story of a tragic loss of life, though many did die that day.  With a shortage of readily-available life vests, frigid waters and the certainty that the Dorchester would surely sink, four chaplains rose to the occasion to practice what they preached.  One Jew, one Catholic and 2 Protestants saw the hopeless situation and the confused people, immersed in the chaos of trying to find gloves and life vests.  The four chaplains, by eyewitness accounts, began handing out life vests, finally parting with their own life vests, sending others to possible safety, in full knowledge that their sacrifice was a death-sentence.  Despite the fact that such an event would almost surely kill all on board, 230 of the people on that fated ship did survive, and many told of the bravery and sacrifice of four chaplains.  In 1944 all four chaplains were awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Cross.  In 1948 there was a stamp minted in their honor and February 3 was designated Four Chaplain's Day.  "Greater love has no one than this ... that one lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)."

From a sports story, to a war story, to the greatest story ever told, we find a common theme ... love.  Brittany Bowe loved her friend, and she loved her team, wanting to give all a chance to compete and possibly win.  Four chaplains loved their people and their God enough that they witnessed His goodness, grace and love, by "preaching" with their lives ... lives that were temporary here but are eternal in glory.  John 15 reminds us that we are branches of the "true vine" that (though hated by the world) expresses itself in love.  Then, Jesus gives us a command (that is what Jesus calls it) ... "These things I command you, that you love one another (John 15:17)."

Maybe this is the reason I love events like the Olympics.  As we see rule-breaking, judges making scoring mistakes, countries trying anything to get a leg-up on the competition, it really comes down to stories like this.  I won't remember most of the winners of events in this playing of the Olympic games.  I might remember some of the controversy, and even be tempted to become cynical.  But I will ignore the politics, political correctness and scoffers, as I tip my hat to give respect for a young woman who gave up her place for another.  It reminded me of a story from my friend Jay Eller who told me about four chaplains who loved God and people.  Their love was so great that they valued that love more than life itself.  Hundreds were saved!  And it made me recall the greatest sacrifice of all ... Jesus, who gave His life so I could live eternally with the God who created love.  That sacrifice saved a whole world!  Amen!

Shouting Wisdom

Last week we shared about the fundamental and foundational wisdom of following God's word.  Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."   For the coming week we will stay in the Proverbs and share Proverbs 1:20-23.  The passage says "Wisdom shouts in the streets.  She cries out in the public square.  She calls out to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate.  How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded?  How long will you mockers relish in your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge?  Come and listen to my counsel.  I'll share my heart with you and make you wise!"

In my message on Sunday, I shared that we worship a God that wants to be known.  God has given us His Word, sent His Son and filled the world with His Spirit.  Yet, we have the habit of leaning on some things that are not godly and are not profitable.  Proverbs 1:20-23 asks, "How long!?"  A holy God (the one who wants to give us a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path) waits hopefully for us (God's people ... God's Church) to seek His counsel!  

I'll take three quick truths from Psalm 119 and Proverbs 1.  Here they are!

    1) God shouts!  An old Out of the Grey song called "He Is Not Silent" says, "He is not silent, he is not whispering, we are not quiet, we are not listening."  The gist of the scene in Proverbs 1 is a crowded street, busy with activity and bustling with human pastimes.  I can see it in my imagination.  Crowds of people being amused, distracted and distant from God.  They are shopping, gossiping, sharing their theories about what is wrong with the world.  They are posing worldly solutions to spiritual issues.  All the while God shouts!

[I can't help chasing the rabbit of the "loafing shed" in Mt. Olivet, Kentucky.  It was a place where men gathered in the morning and solved the problems of the world.  In Proverbs 1 I can't help thinking about the picture of "mockers" who "relish in their mocking."  In the loafing shed, opinion, gossip, speculation, conspiracy, prejudice, and loudness drowned-out wisdom.  And (and this is the point) our cities, our nation and our world still have the same issues that plagued us in 1994 when I visited the "loafing shed.  Those voices were heard over the shouts of wisdom."]

    2) Sometimes God leads our steps.  In Psalm 119, "God's word is a lamp to guide our feet."  Sure, we want to know it all, all at once!  We pray for patience and we want it now!  God sends us goodness and wisdom, a little at a time.  Maybe God is teaching discipline.  Maybe, God is asking us to learn to seek and observe!  God does this because God teaches discipline to those He loves (Hebrews 12:6 and Proverbs 3:12).  When all I have is a lamp, I must watch where I am placing my feet.  Sometimes life is a trail in darkness that doesn't have much light, and sometimes human wisdom disguises itself as light.  But God's light is pure, good, patient and just right for the situation.  It is just a lamp, but it shouts to us, "I want to direct your steps ... trust me!"

    3) Sometimes God lights our way with a shout that is a beacon of light.  Lo Alman recites a poem about sharing God in the Harvest.  It is a resurrection poem where He says, of Jesus, "You became the darkness that was, and died, so that she (the girl in the poem) would have the brightness of His love." An earthquake.  A Centurion that said, "Surely this is the Son of God."  Bright angels on a stone that was rolled away.  An empty tomb.  A Bible lesson on the road to Emmaus.  A fire where Jesus cooked breakfast on the side of a lake.  A bright and blinding light on the road to Damascus.  Maybe you can add your bright light to the list.  Shouts in the midst of our foolishness, in the business at the gate of the city.

One of my professors described our lack of attention to God's guidance and "light" as "three blind men feeling around in a cave for a bear that is really there."  Let's realize that while we drown out God's wisdom with lots of things, 1) God shouts, 2) sometimes God is a gentle lamp for our way and 3) sometimes, God lights our path with something so bright we have to work to ignore it.  My advice?  "Come and listen to God's counsel.  God will share His heart with you and make you wise!"  Randy