“SPRING FASHION SHOWS!!”
I find Spring a marvel of God’s redemptive resurrection power. New life springing up out of winters death at every corner. Seeds sown in death growing to life. Buds popping out on what appear to be lifeless limbs. Green blades of grass surging forth from ground bedraggled with the guck of winter.
Spring’s redemptive resurrection power becomes a simple prelude to the Easter announcement. Miracle of miracles. Neither death, the devil, or a tomb could hold him in! Jesus rose from the dead so that believers can know the transforming power of His Spirit, of resurrection life and experience our own spring renewal each day!
I liked this little piece by Jan Kane. I spotted it in a hospital lobby one day.
“Spring Fashion Shows”
“Spring is a really choice time to put on a fashion show. A time when nature begins to arouse from her winter death-like sleep and burst into her own splendid show of color and life.
“Tulips and daffodils dance in their new spring hats, covering the hillsides with a rainbow of color.
“Forsythia are proud to display their new yellow frocks.
“Magnolia and flowering crab compete with each other to see who can come up with the most beautiful spring outfit.
“And tall graceful trees, not at all embarrassed about their high hemlines begin to display their glorious green; starting out with a delicate pinafore or light green soon changing to a lush forest green robe.
“This yearly display is always very moving, for it is a reaffirmation of Christ’s rising from the dead and his promise that we too, through his grace and mercy, shall have an eternal spring after our winter sleep. We too shall be gifted with life after death.
“As winter drags on, I begin to get bogged down in small worries and plans for this and plans for that. By the time winter ends, I have everything planned out for the next ten years and I’m worrying about all the details now.
“But as spring blossoms, I feel a great relief and joy. I feel like running and enjoying and savoring the changes that each day brings. The new leaves on the trees, the flowers sprouting up through the ground, the early blossoms.”
With you, I’m waiting spring’s full miracle. And even more so the more wonderful miracle of Easter.
T. O. M.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Blunders, Grace and Humility
Maybe you’ve seen the new story of an awkward moment between the second-ranking general in the US Army and Valerie Jarrett, White House adviser. Both were dinner guests at a White House dinner when this incident occurred.
Ms. Jarrett was seated at a table when Four-star General Peter Chiarelli happened to walk by. Ms. Jarrett saw only the striped pants of his dress uniform mistaking him for a waiter. So she asked him to get her a glass of wine.
This is where it could become a “really awkward moment” –- rebuke, embarrassment, chagrin. You can use your imagination to picture the possible next scenes.
Instead, the general smiled, walked away and came back with the glass of wine that had been requested. In his brief absence, Ms. Jarrett had been advised of her blunder. Beet red and holding an acute sense of needing to set the matter right, she began the apologies to General Chiarelli. With a degree of class, good humor and in order to defuse her discomfort, General Chiarelli acknowledged her honest mistake and invited her to a meal at his home.
Questioned about the gaffe, the General told a CNN reporter, "It was an honest mistake that anyone could have made. She was sitting. I was standing and walking behind her, and all she saw were the two stripes on my pants - which were almost identical to the waiters' pants, really. She apologized and will come to the house for dinner, if a date can be worked out in March."
General Chiarelli displayed a whole lot of class in this situation, more than most people would be able to muster under the circumstances. In fact, columnist Bob Green captured that sense in a title, “4-star general, 5-star grace.”
Too often our emotions get in the way of a truly humble and graceful response to such situations. Too often we react in less than helpful ways to cover our own embarrassment or our own pride.
Jesus walked the way of humility to serve others. The “Son of God” wasn’t embarrassed or to prideful to stoop to the level of humanity to serve our deepest need – the gift of grace to over come our sin. And in his living, dying and rising, Jesus gave us an example for our lives. The example is summarized in I Peter 5: 5 (NLT) "Serve each other in humility, for 'God opposes the proud but favors the humble’.”
Ms. Jarrett was seated at a table when Four-star General Peter Chiarelli happened to walk by. Ms. Jarrett saw only the striped pants of his dress uniform mistaking him for a waiter. So she asked him to get her a glass of wine.
This is where it could become a “really awkward moment” –- rebuke, embarrassment, chagrin. You can use your imagination to picture the possible next scenes.
Instead, the general smiled, walked away and came back with the glass of wine that had been requested. In his brief absence, Ms. Jarrett had been advised of her blunder. Beet red and holding an acute sense of needing to set the matter right, she began the apologies to General Chiarelli. With a degree of class, good humor and in order to defuse her discomfort, General Chiarelli acknowledged her honest mistake and invited her to a meal at his home.
Questioned about the gaffe, the General told a CNN reporter, "It was an honest mistake that anyone could have made. She was sitting. I was standing and walking behind her, and all she saw were the two stripes on my pants - which were almost identical to the waiters' pants, really. She apologized and will come to the house for dinner, if a date can be worked out in March."
General Chiarelli displayed a whole lot of class in this situation, more than most people would be able to muster under the circumstances. In fact, columnist Bob Green captured that sense in a title, “4-star general, 5-star grace.”
Too often our emotions get in the way of a truly humble and graceful response to such situations. Too often we react in less than helpful ways to cover our own embarrassment or our own pride.
Jesus walked the way of humility to serve others. The “Son of God” wasn’t embarrassed or to prideful to stoop to the level of humanity to serve our deepest need – the gift of grace to over come our sin. And in his living, dying and rising, Jesus gave us an example for our lives. The example is summarized in I Peter 5: 5 (NLT) "Serve each other in humility, for 'God opposes the proud but favors the humble’.”
Thursday, March 10, 2011
“Spring Training”
While driving the other day, I was listening to reports on professional baseball’s spring training camps. The conversation was about the “basics” that the teams were practicing that day: soft lob throws, fielding dribbling ground balls, keeping the foot on the bag while catching a ball, hitting balls off a tee, fielding easy pop flies. I was taken by the fact that these seasoned players, with probably thousands of these skills accomplished over a lifetime of play, were spending their time practicing the basic skills of the game. These professionals, who have moved above hundreds of others in the game of baseball, are spending their time and energy doing fundamental, even kindergarten (hitting balls off a tee) drills.
Of course, the truth is, no matter how many times one has successfully accomplished a skill, one needs to get back to those basic skills in order to build the foundations necessary for game day situations and for skills that are more complex and difficult.
I think we all understand spring training and pre-season camps.
But when it comes to our faith life, we seem to act the exact opposite. We seem to believe that when we have learned the fundamental skills can coast for the rest of our lives. We somehow think we can be a “professional” in our faith with the things we learned in Kindergarten or third grade or fifth grade. We seem to think that there is no need to return to “training camp” once in a while to brush up on the fundamentals of prayer, devotion, Bible reading. We don’t want to let anyone think that we should be working on the fundamentals of worship, generosity, service or witness. We seem to quickly reject that notion that it would be helpful for a quick drill on being loving, friendly or passionate Christians.
You know, the church has its own version of “Spring Training”. It’s called “Lent.” Lent is a time for professional believers to take a bit of extra time to brush up on the basics. To return to the Lord who is full of grace and mercy and deepen the ties we have with our Lord. It is a time to practice the basics of a few of the disciplines of our faith – worship, prayer, Bible reading and study, generosity (see our Lenten Devotional booklet), service and witness. It is time to review the basic and fundamental event of our salvation – the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Lent sets the tone for brushing up on the fundamental principle of faith – as humans we are imperfect and we depend on the love of a perfect God to save and redeem us. Lent is an opportunity to wrap our arms around the fact that Christ has already wrapped his arms around us. It is a fresh new time to re-acquaint ourselves with ourselves and a chance to re-frame ourselves as a children of almighty God.
Professional ball players brush up on the fundamentals of the game to give them the foundation for a “winning season.” Professional believers use Lent as a time to brush up on the fundamentals of faith to insure the depth of faith that wins over sin, death and the power of the devil and brings us to the title of victory in everlasting life.
Here’s hoping to see you out and about for “Spring Training.” Here’s hoping to join you in the basic, fundamental process of being who we are called to be, the beloved of God.
Of course, the truth is, no matter how many times one has successfully accomplished a skill, one needs to get back to those basic skills in order to build the foundations necessary for game day situations and for skills that are more complex and difficult.
I think we all understand spring training and pre-season camps.
But when it comes to our faith life, we seem to act the exact opposite. We seem to believe that when we have learned the fundamental skills can coast for the rest of our lives. We somehow think we can be a “professional” in our faith with the things we learned in Kindergarten or third grade or fifth grade. We seem to think that there is no need to return to “training camp” once in a while to brush up on the fundamentals of prayer, devotion, Bible reading. We don’t want to let anyone think that we should be working on the fundamentals of worship, generosity, service or witness. We seem to quickly reject that notion that it would be helpful for a quick drill on being loving, friendly or passionate Christians.
You know, the church has its own version of “Spring Training”. It’s called “Lent.” Lent is a time for professional believers to take a bit of extra time to brush up on the basics. To return to the Lord who is full of grace and mercy and deepen the ties we have with our Lord. It is a time to practice the basics of a few of the disciplines of our faith – worship, prayer, Bible reading and study, generosity (see our Lenten Devotional booklet), service and witness. It is time to review the basic and fundamental event of our salvation – the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Lent sets the tone for brushing up on the fundamental principle of faith – as humans we are imperfect and we depend on the love of a perfect God to save and redeem us. Lent is an opportunity to wrap our arms around the fact that Christ has already wrapped his arms around us. It is a fresh new time to re-acquaint ourselves with ourselves and a chance to re-frame ourselves as a children of almighty God.
Professional ball players brush up on the fundamentals of the game to give them the foundation for a “winning season.” Professional believers use Lent as a time to brush up on the fundamentals of faith to insure the depth of faith that wins over sin, death and the power of the devil and brings us to the title of victory in everlasting life.
Here’s hoping to see you out and about for “Spring Training.” Here’s hoping to join you in the basic, fundamental process of being who we are called to be, the beloved of God.
Friday, February 25, 2011
“At the heart of worship is a heart for God”
While I was visiting an individual the other day, we got around to the topic of worship. The individual shared with me something that is attributed to the theologian Soren Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard said something to the effect that we tend to think of church as some kind of theater: we sit in the audience, attentively watching the actors on stage. If sufficiently entertained, we show our gratitude with applause. Church, though, should be the opposite of theater. God is the audience for our worship.”
It is true, isn’t it, that what matters most in worship takes place in the hearts of the congregation – not “on stage.” The question that we should ask ourselves after worship is not “What did I get out of it?” The real question is “Was God please with what I offered?”
In the Old Testament animal sacrifice served as a way to indicate that God is the center of Worship. Yet God didn’t need the animals, they were already his. What God desires is the sacrifice of the heart, an internal attitude of elevating God to God’s worthy place (the word worship really comes from an old word which means “worthy”.)
Ultimately, the goal of our worship is nothing more than to meet God and to please God with the offering of ourselves in fellowship, song and praise.
It is true, isn’t it, that what matters most in worship takes place in the hearts of the congregation – not “on stage.” The question that we should ask ourselves after worship is not “What did I get out of it?” The real question is “Was God please with what I offered?”
In the Old Testament animal sacrifice served as a way to indicate that God is the center of Worship. Yet God didn’t need the animals, they were already his. What God desires is the sacrifice of the heart, an internal attitude of elevating God to God’s worthy place (the word worship really comes from an old word which means “worthy”.)
Ultimately, the goal of our worship is nothing more than to meet God and to please God with the offering of ourselves in fellowship, song and praise.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Counting the Stars:
The other day I heard a person talking about the stars and the amazing number of stars that dot the galaxies of our universe. The number 1 trillion came as a round number to number the stars.
The question was raised, “Do you have any concept of what 1 trillion is?” Well, of course I don’t.
Think of it like this, I learned. If a person could count from one to 1 trillion, saying 1 number every second (of course that would be hard when one gets to 575,637,438, for example – but for the sake of this illustration say that it were possible) it would take 30,000 years to count that far. That’s right, it would take 300 plus life times to count from 1 to 1 trillion, to number the stars, if you will.
Chris Tomlin in the song “Indescribable” says of God, “You placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name....”
Can you capture that? God not only created this wonderful universe, but he took the time to ‘name’ every one of the stars. I have to think that his naming process wasn’t as flippant as a name every second. I think he poured over his creation and thought deeply about the names he’d give even the stars. And after giving those names, he remembers and knows those names.
I recently had a conversation with an individual whose extended family of grandchildren and great-grandchildren has grown into the range of 30. The individual said, “I can’t even keep their names straight any more.”
But God can. He keeps the names of the stars straight and he keeps our names straight.
If you’re ever having one of those days when you feel like you don’t count. Please know you do count. Not only do you count, God knows your name, your hurt, your weakness and your needs. And God will tend to you because he not only created you, but he knows you by name. More than that he knows you well enough to die and rise again for your eternal well-being, your eternal destiny.
The question was raised, “Do you have any concept of what 1 trillion is?” Well, of course I don’t.
Think of it like this, I learned. If a person could count from one to 1 trillion, saying 1 number every second (of course that would be hard when one gets to 575,637,438, for example – but for the sake of this illustration say that it were possible) it would take 30,000 years to count that far. That’s right, it would take 300 plus life times to count from 1 to 1 trillion, to number the stars, if you will.
Chris Tomlin in the song “Indescribable” says of God, “You placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name....”
Can you capture that? God not only created this wonderful universe, but he took the time to ‘name’ every one of the stars. I have to think that his naming process wasn’t as flippant as a name every second. I think he poured over his creation and thought deeply about the names he’d give even the stars. And after giving those names, he remembers and knows those names.
I recently had a conversation with an individual whose extended family of grandchildren and great-grandchildren has grown into the range of 30. The individual said, “I can’t even keep their names straight any more.”
But God can. He keeps the names of the stars straight and he keeps our names straight.
If you’re ever having one of those days when you feel like you don’t count. Please know you do count. Not only do you count, God knows your name, your hurt, your weakness and your needs. And God will tend to you because he not only created you, but he knows you by name. More than that he knows you well enough to die and rise again for your eternal well-being, your eternal destiny.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
March 2011 Sketchings
“TAKE TIME TO WORSHIP”!!
In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January 2007 morning, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on.
About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The child stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. Several other children repeated this action, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to quickly move on.
After 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. During the time he played only 6 people stopped to listen for a short while. About 20 people gave money – a total of about $32 -- but continued to walk at their normal pace.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where people paid an average of $100 each to listen to the same man play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post (see: http://tinyurl.com/3x9s2a) as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
There are, obviously, a number of implications that could be made, and have been made, about this experiment.
For my purposes, though, I just want to say this: In our faith, we need to pause for some moments on a regular basis and to be in awe of the “greatest One” in the world. In our busyness, we miss too many things of beauty. In our busyness, we too seldom break our stride to stop and listen, to stop and be in awe, to stop and marvel at the wonder of our God in action around us.
Worship, being drawn into very presence of God, is a break in our routine to be in awe of God, to hear the wonderful “music” of God’s voice and word, to stop and see the abundance and riches that God is pouring our for us. Worship brings us into a place where we can set aside all the cares and worries of daily life to be ministered to by the God who works miracles in our midst.
As we approach Lent, as we move through life, let your Spirit be open to the presence of God and be disciplined in moving out of busyness to enter into the shadows of God’s loving grace and mercy.
In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January 2007 morning, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on.
About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The child stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. Several other children repeated this action, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to quickly move on.
After 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. During the time he played only 6 people stopped to listen for a short while. About 20 people gave money – a total of about $32 -- but continued to walk at their normal pace.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where people paid an average of $100 each to listen to the same man play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post (see: http://tinyurl.com/3x9s2a) as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
There are, obviously, a number of implications that could be made, and have been made, about this experiment.
For my purposes, though, I just want to say this: In our faith, we need to pause for some moments on a regular basis and to be in awe of the “greatest One” in the world. In our busyness, we miss too many things of beauty. In our busyness, we too seldom break our stride to stop and listen, to stop and be in awe, to stop and marvel at the wonder of our God in action around us.
Worship, being drawn into very presence of God, is a break in our routine to be in awe of God, to hear the wonderful “music” of God’s voice and word, to stop and see the abundance and riches that God is pouring our for us. Worship brings us into a place where we can set aside all the cares and worries of daily life to be ministered to by the God who works miracles in our midst.
As we approach Lent, as we move through life, let your Spirit be open to the presence of God and be disciplined in moving out of busyness to enter into the shadows of God’s loving grace and mercy.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A Meaningful Devotion:
These thoughts from Joyce Sequichie Hifler in A Cherokee Feast of Days (pg. 54) spoke to me this week:
"Turn around right where you are and face the frightening situation, the lion, on your path. Don't waver and dodge. Look the problem in the eye and call it nothing. Speak to it in definitive words so that there is no doubt that it must go. Wisdom tells us to get out of harm's way at times, but it never tells us to weep with fear. Once we turn to face it, a quieter determined strength pours in to end the terror. Fear is terrorism. It is not running from it that cripples us but refusing to call it what it is. When fear takes over it flows through all our thinking. If we have any faith at all, it is a sacred faith, but faith will grow when we charge it with determination and powerful words."
I thought about Paul's words to the Romans, Chapter 8, "Nothing (Not ONE thing) can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
If we name our fears and threats what they are in God's eyes, "nothing", they lose their power and faith grows and deepens.
"Turn around right where you are and face the frightening situation, the lion, on your path. Don't waver and dodge. Look the problem in the eye and call it nothing. Speak to it in definitive words so that there is no doubt that it must go. Wisdom tells us to get out of harm's way at times, but it never tells us to weep with fear. Once we turn to face it, a quieter determined strength pours in to end the terror. Fear is terrorism. It is not running from it that cripples us but refusing to call it what it is. When fear takes over it flows through all our thinking. If we have any faith at all, it is a sacred faith, but faith will grow when we charge it with determination and powerful words."
I thought about Paul's words to the Romans, Chapter 8, "Nothing (Not ONE thing) can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
If we name our fears and threats what they are in God's eyes, "nothing", they lose their power and faith grows and deepens.
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