Reading this week....

I've hundreds of books in my library. I'm running out of time to read them, so I'm going to try to read a book a week. This is my first effort. I'm also listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons - I've a ton of CDs!



I've had this book for decades (since seminary - almost 30 years ago).

Here is the opening statement of the introduction:

"In the first half of the 18th century, England was in a state of religious and moral decay. For many years the land had been sinking into darkness and paganism. Intemperance and immorality, crime and cruelty were increasingly becoming the characteristics of the age. The National Church was in such a dead condition that instead of being salt, preserving the nation from corruption, she was only adding to the immorality by weakening the restraints which Christianity imposed on the lusts of men. The teaching from the pulpit consisted of natural theology and cold morality, which were utterly impotent to awaken the Church or to stem the flood of iniquity. If the nation was to be saved, the Church would first have to be revived."

Sound familiar??????

"Letters of John Newton" 1960 edition Banner of Truth Trust price 2/6d...25cents

Secrets

Audio version here

Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. (NIV)

I have a good friend of mine, who is a counselor, and he has a great saying, “our secrets make us sick.” We all carry secrets in our hearts of moments when we made mistakes that we later regret. The burden of such guilt can cause us to be depressed about the past and anxious concerning the future. I’ve been a pastor for over 21 years and no matter which side of the Atlantic I’ve been ministering to, people are the same all over. Guilt can grind away at our souls and diminish our happiness. Shame can sever us from God and our church.

I’m glad that I’m a Presbyterian and a part of the Reformed tradition. It means that whenever I get plagued by regret at doing something wrong, or angry at myself for disappointing others, I can freely and directly come to Christ with my inward issues and release them to God. By spiritually transferring them to Him, I feel released of the burden and totally appreciative of the grace that I experience. It makes me want to learn from the situation and try to do better next time. These secret things belong to God and my spirit is no longer oppressed by them.

For some of us, a good confessor or a wise counselor can bring them to this reality, too. The gifts of discernment that have been given to some professionals enable them to gently bring secrets to the surface, deal with the issues, and discover solutions. Hope and healing can bring about a new lease of life and a better understanding of the reasons about why we make mistakes and what we can do to avoid them. In the whole process, secrets are released and given to God. Absolution and resolution are given back in return.

Whatever you’re carrying in your heart at this time, know that God can embrace your burden and liberate your weary spirit. Confession is good for the soul and whether it is done quietly and personally to God, or professionally and diligently with a trained counselor, the results can be the same – freedom from the past and faith in the future.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You died for our sins so You know every mistake that we have made. You bore the burden of our guilt, so that we could be restored to God’s love. Encourage us to seek help and healing through confession and counseling for the things that weary our souls, burden our hearts, and unsettle our minds. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Sunday Sermon - Mysterious Promises

(Based on Ephesians 3:1-6)

Last weekend, Harry Potter was all the rage and many people lined up for hours at various stores all over the world, so that they could purchase the latest and last book about this modern young magician. For the past decade, millions of these books have been sold making the author JK Rowling one of the richest people in the world. Her own rags to riches story is in itself an example of how hard work, determination, and imagination can bring about well deserved fame and success. Seven books ago, JK Rowling was an unemployed single mom writing a story in her brother’s coffee house in Edinburgh, Scotland – today, she has even more wealth than her monarch Queen Elizabeth.

I guess mostly everyone got caught up in the Harry Potter craze. I even did a quiz on the internet to see which character I am most like. As I waited for the results to come in, I worried that I would end up being Siruis Black, the notorious prisoner of Azjekeban, or Severus Snape, the teacher of the Black Arts, or worst still, little Ginny Weasley, who has a crush on Harry Potter – but in the end my test results came back with a resounding 90% that my Harry Potter alter-ego is actually Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts school that Harry attends. I guess that’s what I get for having a grey beard, teaching Sunday school and wearing robes!

But why is Harry Potter so successful? What has caught the hearts and minds of so many millions of people on the earth? Well, I think it’s because of several things. The books contain elements of magic, mystery and suspense – three ingredients that have sustained writers of books and religious communities for generations. When I was a teenager, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Scooby Doo nourished my mind with magic and mystery. Dick Tracy, Batman, and Superman satisfied the generations before mine. And if you go back far enough, Tom Swift, Tom Sawyer, and Sherlock Holmes intrigued millions of readers with their own adventures, mysteries, and magic. It’s a formula that has worked since people were drawing in caves and telling stories around the tribal fires – it’s all about good versus evil with magic and mystery thrown in to make up a great story.

The element of mystery has always intrigued us. As human beings, the great unknown has always attracted us. Why else did Columbus set off in 1492? He wanted to explore the great unknown of his age, of what lay beyond the western horizon of the Atlantic Ocean. Why else did pioneers head out on the Oregon Trail in their wagons to settle on the other side of this continent? They wanted to begin a new life, in a new place, and explore the possibility of being successful. And why else did President Eisenhower sing the Space Act on this day in 1958 in order to establish NASA? He wanted America to explore the final frontier of space – that great unknown of which we still hardly know anything, and in which we are only making small steps.

Mysteries are what make us who we are. We are attracted to them – why else do you think that Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation in the Garden of Eden? Curiosity got the better of them – the tree of knowledge was a mystery to them and they just had to experience it. They were attracted to a mystery and they were tempted by the great unknown. They wanted something they couldn’t have, and they were frustrated by it. They needed to possess the fruit and eat it because they felt incomplete, insecure, and inconsolable without it. They wanted to solve the mystery, so they stole the fruit and set humanity on a course of unending curiosity, exploration, and wanderlust that will be with us until humankind returns to the dust from which we came.

Mysteries get the better of us. They become our obsessions, our longings, and our desires. We want to know how things will turn out, which is why millions of people queued up for hours last weekend trying to get their hands on a book. They wanted to be amongst the first to read all of the 760 pages to discover how it all turned out – and if you want to know, then don’t ask a Harry Potter fan – they’re good at keeping secrets – you’ll just have to buy it yourself, or wait for the movie version to come out in 2010.

Mysteries were a way of life for the people of Ephesus, which is why Paul mentions the word here in today’s Bible passage three times. The Ephesians lived in a place that was built upon magic, superstition, and mystery. The temple of Diana was a mysterious place where ancient rituals were carried out. Sacred secrets about the temple were passed from generation to generation amongst the priests. It was a place where people came to make pledges and sacrifices, to look for blessings and benevolence, to express their love of Diana their goddess, and to ward off the wrath of other Greek gods.

You see life was a mystery to the Ephesians and the people of that time. Disease, pestilence, famine, and war were rampant throughout the region. A person could be healthy one hour and dead the next. Infant mortality was high and life expectancy was low. People felt insecure all of the time, so they clung to mystery and magic, superstition and secrets as the means to ward off evil, to escape disaster, and to prolong their lives.

There were even mystery cults all over the region that people participated in. Most of these cults involved the use of drums and music, hallucinations and visions, virgins and temple prostitutes to placate the gods and bless their devotees. In other words, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’roll were as popular then, as they are today. People believed that if they could learn the secrets of these mystery religions, then they could guarantee long life, wealth, health and fame. Penetrating the Mystery was the means of discovering the real secrets about eternal life.

And we still are like this today – think about it. Famous people and ordinary people are looking for the secret of success, the secret of acquiring wealth, the secret of staying young and keeping fit. We all want to ward of death and dying, disease and discomfort, insecurity and inferiority. We all want to be something special, do something great, complete something that will change the world. We want to know that our lives have made a difference and that our time, our talents, and our treasures have been used to the best of our abilities, to reward ourselves and take care of our loved ones. That’s why books like The Secret, or the Da Vinci Code, or the Purpose Driven Life appeal to us – we all want to feel that we’ve solved the mystery of life and why we exist in the first place. That’s why people like Madonna are drawn to the Kabbalah – old Hebrew wisdom with hidden secrets in the Bible text – or Tom Cruise is drawn to scientology – a higher wisdom and greater spiritual plane than anyone else – or even Shirley McLaine and Reba who feast upon New Age ideas in order to cast aside their insecurities and put themselves at the center of the universe. It’s all the same stuff that’s been tried for thousands of years. It’s all the same old tested and tried ways of finding the meaning of life, the universe and everything that was even ancient history to the Ephesians two thousand years ago.

But Paul touches their hearts and minds; he penetrates their souls and spirits when he uses the word mystery and links it to Christ. He tells the people that the mystery they are longing to solve can only be found in Jesus. The purpose that they are yearning to find for their lives can only be discovered in Christ. The reason for their existence in the entire world can only be revealed through Jesus Christ for, as the scriptures say, there is no other name under heaven, given to humankind, through which we can be saved.

Life was a mystery way back then. Life is till a mystery today. We cannot hope to understand everything about life, but we have a Guide who has experienced life at its best and worst who can, if we are willing, lead us through this journey of existence and bring us to the shores of eternity. As Paul himself writes,

this mystery “has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. “

In other words, what was once given to the Jewish people almost four thousand years ago, has now been given to the entire world. The magic of life and the mystery of existence are rolled into one. We live because God loves us. We exist because God wants us to love His Son. It’s as simple as that. As the old question from the catechism once put it: what is the chief purpose of man? To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

So, what have we learned this morning?
That we all love mysteries and seek to solve them.

That we are part of a mystery called life and each of us is on a unique and personal quest.

That we can look in all the wrong places and never be satisfied with anything.

That we can look to Jesus and discover that He is the key to unlocking this mystery. He is indeed the great magic of life, the universe, and everything.

Prayer:
There's Just Something About That Name

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus;
There's just something about that name!
Master, Savior, Jesus,
Like the fragrance after the rain;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Let all heaven and earth proclaim;
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there's something about that name!

Weekend Screensaver - Church of the Holy Moon

My weekend church window design project - based on the Gospel lectionary...Luke 11:1-11 this week.



Ask, seek, and knock...we're always open.

Blogachute #8 - Emergentism

Well, it’s that time of week again! The blogachute has been unpacked and I’m ready to jump into cyberspace, free falling through layers of blogs on the net. I’m starting off with some emergent blogs again, but only the good Lord knows where I’ll end up. Here goes!

Emergenimo!

8000 feet The Church of Starving Artists – I love this title. Jan Edmiston is a fellow Presbyterian blogger, as well as a RevGal (I’ll need to blogachute one week through that zone!).

She mainly writes about what’s happening in her world as a pastor. This week, Jan’s tackling the weird and wacky world of VBS. She has some great photos and humorous comments about the whole process.

Jan recently wrote a very moving blog about Tammy Faye, which is worthwhile reading. I think Jan’s portrayal of Tammy is one of the most gracious that I’ve read in the blogosphere.

Jan constantly updates her blog and is immensely readable. Worthwhile placing a bookmark or bloglink here.

7000 feet 40-Something Teenager – Todd has a great website, I just wish he would update it more often. He’s a pastor of a new emergent church, so some of his reflections are very relevant to what’s happening in Christ’s church today. The site has great links to books on the emergent church and current issues. I think I’d like to read a wee bit more of Todd’s ideas about the books he publicizes.

He’s also into Brian McLaren, the new guru of the Emergent Church. I personally don’t buy into a lot of what McLaren has to say, but then I’m an old-fogey who’ll be stepping off of this planet in a few years.

Todd has also been doing a study about freedom. His comments would make a great start to anyone contemplating a Sunday school series or House group study.

6000 feet Caught in the Middle – if I thought I was in for a smooth blogachute today, I would never have thought of landing here. There’s a lot of theological turbulence going on in this blog which I encountered immediately with a YouTube video of a Nazi Youth rally from the 1940’s. Paul uses it to humorously poke fun at the Youth camp he’s attending this week.

The site is well arranged, but it is overstocked with YouTube videos. I guess that’s what emergent folks are into these days. I remember something similar from a blogachute last month. When Paul does write a commentary, it’s very meaningful – I would like to read more of his ideas, experiences and opinions rather than look at another Youtube.

Some interesting links here and Paul’s profile makes a great read. He is a story-teller – I just wish there were more of his stories to read.

5000 feet Think. Laugh. Weep. Worship. – Now Emily Hunter McGowin is a story teller and, as she writes on her profile, a very opinionated person. This is what Christian blogging was invented for – personal expressions about life and faith. Emily writes as a Christian woman, not an extreme feminist, and presents her theology in well researched, thoughtful and intriguing ways.

Take for instance her blog entry on Greek papyri – I never thought I would ever enjoy someone writing about ancient bills and forms, but Emily tells their stories and relates it to the apostle Paul’s experiences.

This is a great site for thoughtful, articulate, and meaningful theology. She also has some useful links to other like-minded bloggers.

4000 feet internet monk – Michael Spencer hails from Kentucky, is fifty years old, not running for public office, but is willing to rule a small country. So says his VIRB site. His blog is read by many people across the world. He’s a writer, broadcaster, podcaster and commentator. He has a lot to say and write about church, especially about how it is reflecting our culture rather than affecting it.

His most recent blog Mainline Churches – We’re Having a Moment Here – should be read by every church pastor and elder/ deacon of mainline denominations throughout America. His finger is on the pulse. He writes prophetically, which is really refreshing to read in the midst of a lot of whingeing blogsites all over cyberspace that complain about what’s wrong with our ways of doing church.

Michael is Missional which to me means that he has been chosen by God to communicate a message that will stir up the church and shakedown our communities. I think ‘revival’ is what it used to be called.

I will be linking this internet monk to my own blog…I’d like to stay here for a while, but my blogachute wants to go on.

3000 feet Monastic Mumblings – a Friar’s Journey – I thought I was falling through the emergeosphere, but I seem to be meandering back into the mainline mainstream.

The blogger (unidentified) is a member of the Blogging Episcopalians ring. He is a widower with three grown up children, who is hoping to enter into a monastery or a religious order soon.

The writer confronts evangelicals with some challenging grace. He tackles the issues of immigration, and gives some great viewpoints in his “Fear? Islamists to Immigrants” entry. At the end of the blog, he offers this profound thought:

“Maybe we should be less concerned with a person's immigration status, and more with their spiritual and eternal status.”

The Monastic Mumbler also has a great entry about Mary Magdalene, who’s day of commemoration was recently celebrated on July 22.

A very-thought provoking and challenging site.

2000 feet Jolly Blogger – David Wayne is an EPC pastor whose heart and soul are passionate about Christ. The site is well laid out – typepad seem to have cornered the market on this – and very pleasant to read through. He obviously takes time to flesh out his ideas on the screen, which makes the blog reader-friendly.

He’s an evangelical with a jolly heart. He comes across as a cyberspace Friar Tuck. He’s serious about what he believes, but he doesn’t play the Bible thumping and pounding game. He’s one hundred percent dedicated to Christ, and David seeks to attract others to Jesus through rational, thoughtful, and articulate blogs.

I like what he has to communicate and enjoy his humor. He also has some great underwater photographs that convey his passion about scuba diving.

1000 feet Levellers – I must be getting close to terra firma with a blog name like this. Michael Westmoreland-White is a peace educator who was formerly a soldier. He is married to Katie, a Baptist pastor.

Michael’s blog is about confronting injustice in a peaceable way. His comments about the recent Whitehouse policy changes with regard to torturing prisoners are very candid and challenging. Michael cares a great deal about using non-violent means to change the world, as well as US policies.

The blog has also a plethora of links to peace sites all over cyberspace. I might use it as a springboard for my next blogachute. Michael also usually lists a Church history “today in history” blog.

There are excellent resources, comments, and material at this blog for anyone contemplating a Sunday School series for peacemaking.

Zero feet – Phew! That was amazing! Glad to get back on the ground. My head is swimming with creative ideas…see you next time.

Grey Day

Audio version here


Acts 14:17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." NIV

This morning’s commute to work was the usual rush and traffic mess. Weaving in and out of trucks is not something that I enjoy, and being pressurized from the driver behind to speed up is something that I loathe. The sky was its usual blank grey, so everything looked mediocre. Just another day, another dollar, another drive to work.

But for some reason my heart was elated. I felt good about being alive, so I smiled a prayer to God in the midst of all the hustle and bustle.

Sometimes we take our lives for granted and forget the day-to-day blessings that God benevolently gives to us. Paul and Barnabas proclaimed to the Greeks that God had been with them throughout their history. His kindness brought them rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. Every generation had been sustained by God’s grace, even although they did not know Him.

So I’m thankful for life today. I have work to go to. I have family and friends who love me. I even have a car to get stuck in the middle of traffic on a grey morning. That’s why I’m elated and really feel blessed. I guess the old hymn is true:

Count your blessings; name them one by one;
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Prayer: Lord God, there is no life without Your grace. There is no blessing without Your goodness. Thank You for what we have. Thank You for what we experience. Thank You for life, which is a precious, holy, and sacred gift. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

The Look

Audio Version here

Acts 14:9-10 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. (NIV)

I once had a friend who worked as a detective in the Scottish police force. He was trained to observe people during interviews, in order to tell whether or not they were lying. Small movements of the eyes, mouth and hands were general indicators that something was wrong, deceptive or false. For instance, people usually smile when they are lying – not a broad smile, just a mere flicker of a smile. Whenever my friend saw this in the interview room, he recognized a lie. I found that fascinating and promised myself never to play him at poker.

What I also find amazing is Paul’s response to the crippled man in today’s passage. What does he see in the man’s face, eyes, or body that makes the apostle realize that the cripple has enough faith to be healed? Was it a look of desperation or devotion? Was it a glance of expectancy or exhilaration? And does this passage prove that if we don’t have the same kind of faith, we cannot ever be healed? This is a puzzling thing to me and very mysterious. It makes me wish that I had the same gift of discernment as Paul, so that whenever I see anyone with that kind of faith, I can help with their healing.

The look of faith is something that our world desperately needs right now. I mean a genuine look of faith, not some zealous, fanatical, and insanely religious grimace, but a look of hope, kindness, expectancy and compassion. It’s too easy to be religious and severe; it’s far more difficult to be faithful and patient, but that is what our crippled, broken and shattered world needs right now – a look of hope, a look of faith, a look of love.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to see the needs of other people before we focus on our own. Enable us to look for love amongst the lost and to find hope with those who are helpless. Give us compassionate hearts and faithful feelings, so that we may act as real Christians in the world. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Prophetic Sky

Abstract of Middle Eastern Visionary, sitting cross-legged at the left hand bottom of the drawing, looking up and interpreting the Night Sky.

Unyoked

Audio version here

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? NIV



Sometimes Paul reminds me of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Old Testament. They were the messengers of God who ‘purified’ the Jewish people by casting out foreigners from their community. Men, women and children were all thrown out of Jerusalem if they did not have “pure” blood in them. Paul does the equivalent here by insisting that unbelievers and Christians should never be partnered or yoked together. Paul wants to keep the faith pure; he doesn’t want any ‘outsiders’ influencing the church.

Over the centuries, this scripture has been used to shun outsiders and isolate the church from the popular community. It’s been emphasized by spiritual elitists who have used it to promote racism, abuse, and intolerance all over the world. Whatever Paul originally intended, his words have been used to justify lynching blacks, destroying families, killing Jews, and even promoting White supremacy. I wonder if Paul realized what his words would one day represent, would he have retracted them from this letter?

It seems to me that Jesus had a different mission from Paul. Jesus was constantly surrounded by unbelievers, sinners, and outcasts. His ministry tended to reach out to those who were unholy and He sanctified them (made them holy) with His love, mercy, and grace. There was nothing elite about Jesus; there was nothing that suggested supremacy. In fact, we are constantly reminded by Paul of all people that Christ humbled Himself to come among us. The Sinless One came to save sinners. The Perfect One came to die for the imperfect. The Holy Son of God came to make unholy people sons, daughters, and heirs of God’s Kingdom.

Today, we are all going to meet other people. When we do, let’s try to reach out with grace and love, tolerance and mercy. It’s not going to be easy, especially when we come across folk who are radically different from us, but with practice we will learn the art of tolerance, love, unity and peace. And aren’t those goals worthy of our Savior? Aren’t those qualities why the Church exists?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to get out of our spiritual comfort zones and reach out to those who are on the ‘outside’ of Your church. Grant us the courage to get along beside them to offer them help in times of trouble, cheer in times of gladness, and love in times of fear and uncertainty. Remind us that we were all unbelievers at one point in our lives and that without someone reaching out to us, we would never have known of Your acceptance, forgiveness, grace, and love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Tubular Polls

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Forgive and Heal

Audio version here

Matthew 9:5 Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? (NIV)

Forgiveness is an easy thing to talk about, but a hard thing to do. I’ve known people, including myself, to be shackled to the chains of unforgiveness, which can paralyze emotions, diminish relationships, and destroy love. The bane of bitterness is fed by our inability to say or hear the word “sorry.” A sad fact about life is this: forgiveness can be the key as to whether or not we lead healthy, productive, and faithful lives. What we do with forgiveness sometimes molds who we are and what we will become.

Recently, I’ve known someone to be forgiven something very serious and shown a great deal of mercy. I thought that this would bring them back into church, praising and thanking God for the clemency this person was given. Several Sundays have passed and they haven’t come to worship God. This person has taken forgiveness for granted and that saddens me. I think if I was forgiven as much, I would be first in line to get into the sanctuary on Sunday morning. Heck, I wouldn’t even wait till Sunday – on the day I was forgiven I’d be back in church!

When Jesus deals with the paralytic man, He not only cures him of being a cripple, He also heals the paralytic’s broken soul. Sometimes the lack of forgiveness and the burden of guilt can seriously affect the body. Was this man’s paralysis brought on by a relentless guilty conscience? I guess we’ll never know, but from the scripture, it seems very important to Jesus that forgiveness be given first and restoration be experienced later.

Perhaps you’re experiencing something similar. Perhaps you need forgiveness for something you intensely regret, or maybe you’ve been waiting on forgiveness for such a long, long time. Whatever the case, know that Jesus has both the power to forgive and to heal. If you sincerely come to Him with what bothers you today, He will be merciful; He will show compassion to you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything about our lives. You know the hurts we carry in our hearts and the mistakes that still burn in our minds. Forgive us and heal us. Be merciful and compassionate. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Harry Potter alter-ego

You scored as Albus Dumbledore, Strong and powerful you admirably defend your world and your charges against those who would seek to harm them. However sometimes you can fail to do what you must because you care too much to cause suffering. Albus Dumbledore 90% Harry Potter 85% Remus Lupin 80% Hermione Granger 75% Ron Weasley 75% Severus Snape 65% Sirius Black 60% Draco Malfoy 55% Ginny Weasley 50% Lord Voldemort 20% Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...? created with QuizFarm.com

Montreat 2007

One of the best places to go for an annual Youth Conference is Montreat College Campus, North Carolina.

Weekend Screensaver - Magdalene Morning

Mary Magdalene unexpectedly meets Christ in the Garden of the Tomb




John 20:1-18 to celebrate St. Mary Magdalene's Day

Blogachute 7 - Middle East Heaven

It’s Friday and the Sabbath is almost here. I’m geared up and ready for my weekly blogachute.

This week, I’m jumping into the Kosher-sphere. There’s a whole fascinating world of Jewish faith blogs, filled with interesting comments, articles, and links. So here goes.

Goyimino!

8000 feet Radical Torah - I love this site! The Rabbi who writes it, Brant Rosen, interprets the scriptures with his caustic comments on relevant issues. This blog lives up to its subtitle: “Sources for the Jewish Social Action Community.”

There’s also some great artwork by his wife for a comic series on the Torah. Together, they both radically interpret some of the most controversial passages of the Pentateuch. Scroll down, read a few entries, and soak in some really creative stuff!

7000 feet The Velveteen Rabbi - I must admit, the name of the site drew me in. This is a great source for Jewish wisdom, sayings, stories and practice. It’s also stock full of some great quotes:
e.g. “…the opposite of a simple truth is falsehood, but the opposite of a profound truth is another profound truth.”

Wow! And this is just in the opening entry where our blogger is studying Middot. There’s also another worthwhile entry all about Theodicy - Is God Just? Some great material for future Bible studies and Sunday School series here. Would you believe that the Velveteen Rabbi also provides a link to the beautiful Madonna Retreat and Conference center in New Mexico?

Finally, there are some wonderful Jewish prayers to be found all over the site and in the archives.

6000 feet Hasidic Rebel - aren’t these titles something else? And what about the subtitle? “Writings, musings, and ramblings from a Chasid on the edge…”

This blogger is a great story teller. I guiltily laughed all the way through his accidental experimentation about smoking pot and how he explained it to his wife the next day.

This is a place of humorous reflection in an off-beat Chasidic way. I haven’t a clue what all the Jewish and Yiddish terms mean, but I get the flavor of their meaning in the context of the blogger's remarks. A great escapist blog. Woody Allen would be nauseatingly proud.

P.S Don’t forget to read the Bibical Redactors piece. It’s hilarious!

5000 feet The Big Pharaoh - whoa, Cleo! I seem to have been blown a bit off course!

This link amazed me. Here I was falling through the Jewish Hasidic blogosphere and all of a sudden I end up on an Islamic Egyptian’s website! Talk about connectionalism!

The Big Pharaoh is one of the bravest Muslims I have run across on the internet. He diligently reports on what’s happening to peace-loving Muslims in Egypt and expresses what’s wrong with Islamic fundamentalism. This guy is sticking his neck out - talk about profound truth!

His site is a welcome addition to any peacemaking bookmarks you may have on your computer. In just one visit, I learned a lot of new information about real Muslims - those who actually want to revere and practice the Quran in peaceful, loving, and faithful ways.

If you want non-propaganda commentary on what’s happening in the Middle East, here’s a welcome place to find it.

4000 feet The Moor Next Door - I might as well go with the flow.

Nouri from Algeria writes this blog. It is mainly about the issues facing North African Muslims. Nouri is definitely not afraid to criticize things that are wrong with his culture, as well as ripping into with what’s wrong across Africa & Western society. There are also some unique political cartoons which reflect his thoughts.

I also enjoyed reading about his family. Some of his stories are very moving and intensely personal.

At the moment Nouri is covering Algeria’s successes in the All Africa Games which are going on. Whilst the rest of the world gets caught up in the British Open, Nouri’s pride in his country’s great athletes is a breath of fresh air. Watch out for Algerian medal winners in next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

3000 feet Ecce Libano - Louis Noel Harfouche is an American of Lebanese origins. He writes truthfully and painfully about the current events and turmoil in Lebanon. His purpose is to inform us about what’s really going on amidst the violence; what it means to be Lebanese and to eradicate a few of the media myths concerning Lebanon.

His descriptions of his people, their plight, and his reflections upon the media coverage of the hostilities are fascinating. Louis writes about a proud, noble, and unique people who are true Middle Easterners and should not be characterized as being Arabic.

This would be a well informed site to visit when reading media articles about Hezbollah. Louis’ perspective cuts right through the propaganda on both sides.

2000 feet Across the Bay - I seem to be drifting through Lebanese links at the moment - who would have thought it when I started off in the Jewish Social Action world?

Anton Effendi is another expert commentator about the current Lebanese situation. Anton is academically into Ancient Near Eastern history and the languages of the region. This has given him a perfect background and insight into making penetrating comments about the origins and reasons behind the conflicts across the region.

Currently, he’s writing about the political debates in Congress and how the US is seeking to support the people and government in Lebanon.

1000 feet The Perpetual Refugee - some blogs are very hard to write about. This is one of them. The content is heart-wrenching and very personal. Whoever the writer is, she/ he is enduring and carrying a lot of pain. Maya Angelou with a Lebanese heart is how I would describe this place.

There is a beautiful entry about the blogger’s mother or grandmother. It is a wonderful piece about human nobility in the midst of trying circumstances. This blogger writes lyrically and effectively. She/ he caused me to reflect upon my own family's faith journey.

Zero feet - back on the ground, quiet and pensive. What a meaningful journey into the heart and soul of humanity.

Only the Lonely

John 16: 32 "But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. (NIV)

Loneliness is something that afflicts every one of us from time to time. There are moments in our lives when we feel vulnerable, isolated, and even alienated from our friends and families, as well as the people around us. Each person has to get through life as best as she or he can. Every one of us goes through this journey we call life uniquely and individually.

Sometimes our loneliness is caused by our actions. We paint ourselves into a corner through making the wrong choices. At other times, we are fiercely independent, not willing to look for help or support from our friends or families. And then there are those occasions when we stand out against the crowd, believing in things that others don’t, or struggling to be different from the rest of society.

No matter what causes our loneliness, how we cope with it reveals our strengths and weaknesses, our characteristics and personality traits. For Jesus, loneliness meant speaking out against injustice, going against traditions, and preaching an unpopular message. His loneliness was brought on by remaining true to His calling and obeying God. It’s something that Paul would later describe as being true to oneself.

In recent weeks, I’ve come across people who think, act and do things differently from what I believe, say, and do. In the past, I’ve often dismissed them as being sad, weird, and disillusioned people. I’ve not credited them with the courage to be different. I’ve not respected their wishes to walk a different path. I’ve not recognized that God makes each of us unique with a different set of characteristics, personalities, and ideas. One such person is Ngia who writes the Wayside Pulpit blog. She has written about the loneliness of being a Progressive Christian. It is a remarkable statement of personal faith.

Loneliness can be a feeling of being unloved, but it can also be a calling to explore the unexplainable, to walk the unattainable, and to believe the untraditional. In other words, there are lessons to be learned, acquired and experienced in the lonely heart that hunts for meaning, purpose, and truth.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, loneliness is a part of life. We belong to many groups, societies, and organizations, but we are still individuals who experience existence in different ways. When we feel isolated and vulnerable, give us the perseverance to endure. When we feel that we are out on a limb, alone and all by ourselves, grant us the courage to sustain our thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and opinions. And when at last we walk through the valley of the shadow of death on our own, come near to us and take us by the hand. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

UFO over Knoxville

I was taking a sunset photo tonight - captured a UFO that looks like a Star Trek shuttle over Knoxville, Tennessee.



It begs a question: if life exists in other planets in the universe, what does that do to the uniqueness of Christianity?

Evan's Highway

Audio version here

Luke 1:76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, (NIV)

Our church began a movie study yesterday, based upon “Evan Almighty.” If you haven’t seen the movie, you should. It’s very funny and there’s a wholesome family message in the story. It kind of reminded me of two James Stewart movies, “Harvey” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

The premise of the movie is all about a newly-elected New York politician being called by God to build an ark in his subdivision. It sounds crazy, but then I guess when God called Noah to build his ark thousands of years ago, it seemed crazy at that time, too.

So, why are we studying this movie? Well, there’s a new church site called “ArkAlmighty.com” which ties in to the movie. Congregations can register to be a part of a good neighbors project where church members can use their gifts and skills to help others in their congregations and communities. It’s a well organized program, developed by Willow Creek ministries. Our church has signed up for it and so we began a four-week curriculum based upon good deeds and godly faith interacting. Kindness to others and the Kingdom of God are brought together in a special way that honors Christ and evangelizes at the same time.

I hope that by doing this, our church will feel more confident about reaching out to others in our community and that the people around us will feel reconnected to God through His people. It will also help us work out what our true calling is at Erin and to go in whatever direction the Lord leads us. I don’t see us building an ark anytime soon, but I do believe that we are meant to build upon the Kingdom God has already established here though the ministry and mission of Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, we all want to do Your will and to follow Your Son Jesus into the world around us. Help us to be open to the bidding of Your Spirit and to see the needs of the people in our community. Wherever we can, enable us to fulfill those needs though deeds of kindness, love , and faith. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Celtic Crossing

Celtic Crossing

By: John Stuart

Searching

for a new

land over

the Irish

Sea, Columba and

some friends came

upon small Iona.

Establishing their community in

the center of pagan territory and

preaching Christianity faithfully,

Christ's Dove began advancing the

Celtic cause which combined his

holy faith with

land sea and life.

God created all.

Columba's

Holy Call

perfectly

ful-filled

the needs

of people

searching

for a God

who loves

the earth.

And all the

Celtic wonder

of Nature, Life

and Faith becomes

a prayerful path to

follow Christ today, to

preach the word teach the

truth and heal the people

"Come back to us Columba"

This is a picture poem, dedicated to St Columba, who brought the Gospel to Scotland by crossing the Irish Sea. The colors represent the rocks and pebbles that can still be found on the shore line of the sacred island of Iona.

Gone Fishin'

Up before sunrise to go fishing. Photo taken at Concord park, Knoxville, Tennessee. I caught no fish, but who cares with a sunrise like this!

Blogachute #6 - The Progressive Sphere

Thank Goodness it’s Friday! After a heavy week of doing VBS – Splash for Jesus – I need to get out of the spritual plane and blogachute somewhere in cyber-space.

This week, I’m heading out of my comfort zone and into the world of Progressive Christianity. This is not easy for me, for freefalling in this area of the blogosphere goes against everything I was trained for…ah, well here goes nothing!

Bultmanimo!

8000feet Shuck and Jive – this is Pastor John Shuck’s progressive Christianity blog. John is a pastor like me in East Tennessee. We have crossed theological swords from time to time, but without any real animosity. I think he is leading the flock under his care astray, but that’s just my opinion.

The site, however, is well written and John does a lot of progressive reading. He’s willing to debate issues of faith, and does so in a jocular manner. Currently, he’s in a theological discussion about evolution, creationism, and a whole bunch of other worthwhile topics. Be warned! – John gives as good as he gets.

7000feet Fides & Veritas – written by H.H. Patriarch Anthony, who’s in the process of raising money for an online church. I think Anthony originates from the orthodox church, so his blogs are very academic and intensely progressively theological. He suggests that his blog is like looking down the path to an unknown end. (I think that’s a pattern amongst progressive Christians – not sure of where they’re going).

Anthony has started a new job working at some building complex. His observations are startling, expecially about those who don’t look after their children.

Nice aesthetic looking site though, and the bookmarks are user friendly. Talking about bookmarks, you need to check out his current reads. Plenty of food for thought there.

6000feet The Wayside Pulpit – I liked the title of this because it reminded me of several churches who used an outside bulletin board to get their messages across to passers by. The anonymous blogger writes this about the site:

This wayside pulpit is not a space for traditional Christian beliefs and theologies, rather it is a place to press beyond these traditional views. This is a space of both play and radical exploration. It is a place to throw faith against the wall and see what sort of ink blot is left behind. You won't like all the twisted and strange shapes that emerge, neither will I, but together they'll form their own unique graffiti.

The blogger wears his/her heart on their sleeve. This week, there is a very insightful blog called “Why a god?” it seems to reflect a lot of the loneliness that Progressives encounter.

5000feet Left of Calvary – definitely not for the faint-hearted. This is the Al Franken site for progressives. A lot of anger is vented against conservatives. Presently, the blogger (Father David Jennings) is writing about the Christian protest of the Hindu chaplain praying in Senate. All I can say is “Holy Cow!”

Very thought provoking and clever thinking here.

4000feet Ponderings on a Faith Journey – Bob Cornwall is a Disciples of Christ pastor and a church historian. I like the current religious news angle of this blog. Some of the progressives I’ve read just seem to want to bash conservatives and George Bush all the time. Bob’s writings are less vitriolic and have more value because of his scholarly knowledge. This is a site that I will bookmark and visit often.

3000feet Faith in Public Life – a resource center for justice and the common good. This is a social justice site founded, as it states, by America’s diverse faith leaders to strengthen faith movements sharing a call to pursue justice and the common good.

This is Progressive Christianity at its best – a resource providing lots of information about events, issues, and ministries that seek to better society and change our world. It’s an advocacy group which seeks to bring controversial issues to the attention of Joe Public and Roger Right Wing.

Torture is the current issue, especially the continued incarceration of foreign prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The site contains breaking news and blog links, a calendar of protest events, as well as promotions for new Progressive books. Quite an interesting site and well presented.

2000feet Street Prophets – another site not for the faint-hearted. This is a bunch of blunt Progressives who have partnered together to produce a radical blog full of articulate, opinionated left wingers. If the Right really wants to know what the left thinks theologically, then this would be a key site to read, digest, and ponder.

These guys (and gals?) base their theology on the call of the prophet Amos, who troubled the establishment and authorities in Israel. They’re busy writing about the Hindu Chaplain and advocating on his behalf, some even going as far to say that we’re all the same….but how does a person who worships God and one who worships animal deities be classified as the same?

1000feet Religious Right Watch – this site is the equivalent of jihad watch and may be considered as the theological ‘moveon.org’ site. I get the feeling that they really don’t like RWs here…the blog proudly declares that they do what they do in order to secure the blessings of liberty.

The site contains many contributions from different bloggers and a whole host of facts and figures about why the Religious Right is ruining America, especially its reputation abroad. There are the usual writings from agnostics who are unsure about God and comments on the homosexual ordination issues. It’s a clever site, but nothing really original. Maybe I’ve been in the Progressive blogosphere too long today.


Zero feet - Down to earth, with a few bumps on the way! Whew, I’m sure glad this is over. Now I can get back to ruining America by sticking to my Christian beliefs….

Promises, promises

Audio version here.

2 Corinthians 1: 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. NIV

My Grandmother, Rachel Stuart, whom we all called “Grandma,” was a great wee person. She looked like Dorothy’s mother, Sophia, from the TV show “The Golden Girls.” She raised a large family of seven and had umpteen grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My grandparents were married when they were sixteen and seventeen years old, and they enjoyed almost seventy years of marriage together.

Grandma Stuart had a number of sayings, but one of her best was: “He’s a great promiser, but a bad fulfiller.” She usually applied that to national politicians, but she also wanted her grandchildren to learn this important lesson – sometimes what people say they will do is vastly different from what they end up doing.

When Paul writes to the Corinthians about the promises of God, he writes from a background of belonging to a people who longed for God to fulfill His promises. They had waited hundreds of years for a Messiah to come into the world to save Israel, but time after time, they were disappointed. For some, it must have seemed as though God was a great promiser, but a bad fulfiller.

Paul firmly believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that God fulfilled all of His promises through Him. The Christ that the people had been looking for, was the person they crucified. The Messiah that they had all been hoping for, was the Resurrected Son of God, Jesus Christ.

After two thousand years, we still wonder if God will fulfill His promises and when Christ will return. The world needs Christ the Peacemaker, Judge, and Savior to come back into history and put an end to all wickedness, war, and waste. Faith is required for those who wait expectantly for Christ to return - a faith that believes God is not just a great promiser, but a true fulfiller of all that He has said. Or as Paul so effectively wrote it: ‘no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.’

Prayer: Father God, Time to You is a mere twinkling of the eye, but to us who wait on earth, it can seem like ages. We know that You have Your own plans about when Christ will return to earth. Grant us patience and enable us to live each day as if it will be the moment of the final fulfillment of Your great and everlasting promises. In Christ’s Name, we expectantly pray. Amen.

Candid Camera

Romans 1: 7a To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: (NIV)

I’ve written to you before about St. Jude, the Roman Catholic patron saint of lost items and hopeless causes. My mother taught me to pray to him if I needed to find my keys. Over the years, despite being a Presbyterian pastor, when I get exasperated looking for something I’ve lost, I hear my mother’s words and say a silent prayer to St. Jude. Within a short period of time, I’ve always found what I’ve lost.

Well, at least that was the case until last weekend. My eldest daughter Lynsey was moving to Blacksburg, Virginia to begin her graduate course at Virginia Tech. The town is beautiful and the college buildings are exceptional. It all looks Ivy League to me.

I wanted to take some photos of the town, so I took my digital camera with me (if you want to see some of my past photographs, check out my photos, cartoons and drawings at http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/ ). So, I drove the U-Haul truck to Blacksburg on Saturday morning with all of Lynsey’s furniture.

Evelyn, Lauren, Lynsey and I unpacked the furniture and set up Lynsey’s new apartment. In the middle of the afternoon, we were finished and so we decided to visit downtown Blacksburg. It was then that I sadly discovered my digital camera was missing. We hunted all over the apartment, in cupboards, boxes, purses and even the garbage bags.

I drove back to U-haul and asked if they found a camera in the truck. They hadn’t. I looked over the grounds outside of Lynsey’s apartment and even the parking lot, but the camera was nowhere to be seen or found. That’s when I started to pray to good old St. Jude, but this time it didn’t seem to work.

Glum would describe my mood for the rest of the weekend. Blacksburg was beautiful, but I was carrying my own shadow around with me. Even during worship at Northside church on Sunday morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about the camera, so when it came to the offering, I said a prayer inside of myself like this: “Lord, I give my camera to whoever has found it. May he or she enjoy using it just as much as I have done. Amen.”

St. Jude had obviously missed an opportunity to make a Presbyterian pastor happy, so I just put it down to good old Presbyterian predestination. St. Jude had greatly disappointed me, so the Calvinist within me took over. Praying to the saints is not something that Presbyterians, especially pastors, should be doing. In my mind’s eye, I could see John Knox sternly rebuking me for asking St. Jude to intercede. I felt ashamed.

And then on Wednesday morning, the U-Haul guy in Blacksburg called me to say that he had found the camera hanging under the seat of the truck. Good, old St. Jude had come through! Maybe I’m a Calvinistic Catholic after all!

All together now!...“Oh, when the saints, go marching in…”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the saints of old and for their past ministries. We know that You alone intercede on our behalf for our salvation. Thank You for saving lost souls and for the work of the saints in Your earthly church that goes on throughout the world today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen

Rejecting Rejection

Audio version here

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (NIV)

Sometimes when I read verses like this it makes me cringe. There’s a part of me that wishes Jesus never said it, and I truly wonder why He had to express His message in such uncompromising absolutes.

In today’s world, people don’t like to hear this type of life or death message. They want everyone to get along, and belong to one harmonious family of humankind. There’s enough division in the world already without Christ and Christians adding to the turmoil.

But no matter what they or I think, Jesus said it, so it needs to be taken seriously.

So, according to this verse, whoever believes in Jesus has the gift of eternal life. Whoever rejects Him, in other words, whoever willfully casts Christ aside, has no joyful place in eternity. It’s blunt, inflexible, and absolutely unequivocal. Belief in Jesus gets us into heaven; rejection of Christ puts us on the outside.

So, how do we willfully reject Jesus? Well, we can do it in numerous ways. We can do it by refusing to worship or serve Him. We can fiercely argue against Him. We can change His message and turn His words into something more acceptable. We can call Him a great teacher, but not the Son of God. We can say His life was significant, but His death meant nothing. These things might satisfy our academic or lifestyle choices, but what we are doing is transforming Christ into something He wasn’t or molding Him into something that is convenient for us. And whether we like it or not, doing those things cause us to reject who He is and where we will end up in eternity.

So, let’s ask ourselves this blunt question today: do we believe in Him, or do we reject Him?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, to have faith in You is so inconvenient, unsettling, and troublesome to our lives. Your message messes up what we want to do, think and believe. You challenge our choices and interfere with our intelligence. You confront our conceptions and radically re-shape our ways. And You do this all because You love us. All because You want us to get into heaven, to be restored to God’s favor and to enjoy His kingdom forever.

Disturb our ideas about You today and keep us from rejecting You, Your message, and Your Gospel. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

A Good Book

Audio version here

Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (NIV)

I don’t know where I would be without my Bible, or to be exact, Bibles. I’ve a whole collection of them in my study. Some I’ve had for years; others were given to me; and still others have been recently purchased. Without a Bible, I wouldn’t be me. Without God’s Word in my life, I wouldn’t be a Christian.

Now that’s not to say that I’m a sanctimonious, Bible thumping, self-righteous holy roller. I do have my moments, but the Bible is more of a spiritual guide book to me, rather than a sacred sword with which I smite my enemies. I believe in its contents. I believe it speaks more about truth than any other scripture in existence today. I know that it points out my character flaws, sinful ways, and bad decisions more than anything else in the world. It keeps my feet on solid ground, and not high up on some academic theological pedestal of my own making.

The Bible also comforts me, encourages me, and inspires me. There have been thousands of times in my life when a Bible verse, passage or story has deeply connected with my life. In times of sadness, the Bible has helped me weep. In moments of joy, the Bible has shown me how to rejoice.

When Joshua needed help to lead the Israelite people, God guided him to look to the Law of Moses. Times were changing and Joshua had to take over Moses’ leadership during a difficult period of transition. God counseled Joshua to look to the law. Why? Because in the midst of all the changes and commotion, Joshua and the people needed something that was timeless, changeless, and reassuring. The Law of Moses gave them a foundation of beliefs, ideas, and teachings to keep the people together. Without the Law, the people would have divided. Without the scriptures, the community would have diminished and scattered.

The Bible keeps me connected to God and His people through the best and worst of times. I write and send these daily devotions to build up the church and strengthen an internet faith community that exists across many states, a number of nations, and over several continents. Without the Bible, we could not do this. Without the scriptures, there would be nothing to keep us together.

Prayer: Lord God, in Your infinite wisdom, You bestowed upon us sacred writings that have become a solid base for our beliefs. Whilst we do not worship the Bible, we deeply respect its power to give us strength, encouragement, and counsel in times of need, crisis, and trouble. Let Your Holy Spirit enter into our minds today and touch our hearts with Your sacred words. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Three Witnesses

Audio version here

Matthew 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. (NIV)

I don’t remember my baptism, but I remember seeing old monochrome photographs of my parents and older sister after the event. The photos were taken with my Dad’s box camera and the prints were 2x2. In one of the photographs, my mom is holding me in her arms whilst my sister is pulling at her skirt and crying. I’m oblivious to all that was happening that day. I’ve got no idea what all the fuss is about.

As well as my family being there with the congregation and minister, there were also three very important witnesses to the whole ritual – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The old pastor who baptized me invoked their presence during the prayers, and even although I was completely unaware of what was occurring, the Holy Spirit must have touched me that Sunday morning.

Baptismal questions were asked and promises were given. And even although my parents were not church-goers, they did see to it that I went to Sunday School – well, at least my mom did anyway. They loosely attempted to keep their part of the covenant, but God made certain that His side of the sacred agreement was fulfilled.

These days, I get asked to baptize babies of folks who have loose connections with the congregation. I wish that some of them would make a greater effort in fulfilling their vows, but in the end I completely trust God to fulfill His part of the covenant. Some of the kids I’ll never see again, but I hope and pray that they will be touched by the Holy Spirit and ushered into God’s Kingdom at some point in their life. Our congregation tries to mentor and guide many of the kids who are part of our faith community, because it also makes a promise to do so. But sometimes getting the parents to come with the kids is an uphill battle, especially if they think, like my own parents did, that church is a leisure option instead of a lifetime commitment.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, many children will be baptized throughout the world this Sunday and sadly, some of them will never cross the threshold of a church door for years. Let Your Holiness prevail in the hearts and souls of these young ones. Let Your covenanted connection to them emerge throughout the passing years of their lives. May all the young ones, who are baptized this Sunday, become faithful servants for Your Kingdom, despite the weak church connections of their families. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Robe of Righteousness

Audio version here

Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (NIV)

Many years ago, when I attended the 428 Gospel Club on Wednesday nights in Glasgow, Scotland, several regular participants used to sing their own personal testimony songs. Ian, who ended up being the best man at my wedding, would sing “Supper Time.” Gwen would sing “I know who holds Tomorrow.” Dawn beautifully sang “Burdens are Lifted at Calvary.” I usually sang “Try a Little Kindness.”

There was also a guy called Stewart who sang a song called “Robe of Righteousness,” which was based on today’s scripture. I can’t remember all of the words, but the last line of the refrain went something like:

“When God looks at me He sees not what I used to be, but He sees Jesus.”

The song was about Christ covering each of us with His robe of righteousness and sacrificial blood, so that we could stand in God’s holy presence. Instead of being cast away forever as recalcitrant sinners, we are accepted as redeemed servants through Jesus. Whatever sins we’ve committed in the past, stay there. Whatever regrets we have or mistakes we have made do not define us forever. Christ sanctifies us, or makes us holy again in God’s sight, through His own sacrifice. We are covered and cleansed by His blood. We are made brothers and sisters to Him by His blood. We are welcomed as heirs to God’s Kingdom with His blood over us and in us.

This is what it means to be a Christian. We are accepted by God when we admit our sins and seek Christ as our Savior. His robe of righteousness covers our past and completely shields us from God’s wrath so that, in the words of the song, “When God looks at me He sees not what I used to be, but He sees Jesus.”

Perhaps you are worried about a past mistake. Maybe you still feel shame over some personal sin. Or guilt and anxiety may still be wounding your soul. Christ can cancel those wounds and wrongs. He can make all things new and let you begin again. All you have to do is sincerely ask Him for help.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes the guilt of the past wearies our souls and overwhelms our spirits. Sometimes we feel that we have let You down considerably. Touch our hearts with Your mercy and grace. Redeem us from the past and relieve us from worries. Cover us with Your robe of righteousness and bring us before God as Your servants. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Accepting the Unacceptable

Acts 15:8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. NIV

When I was at High school, I worked in a store that sold both work clothes and fashion items. It was owned by a Jewish family, the Freedmans, who had been in the business for a very long time. Mrs. Freedman, who was widowed, and her eldest son, Joe, ran the store. My job was to initially look after the stock, wash the floors, and lift the heavy wire grates from off the windows first thing in the morning. At the end of the day, I had to re-mop the floors, tidy the stock, and put the grates back on the windows.

Eventually, I also got to sell items to customers and discovered that I had a knack for making sales. The Freedmans were good people to work for; they believed in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Mrs. Freedman taught me a lot about dealing with people, especially difficult or fussy customers. Much of what she impressed upon me has helped me throughout my years of ministry.

She also taught me about Judaism and engendered a great love of things Jewish within me. When I went to university to become a minister, she was delighted. And when I let her know that I was studying Hebrew, she was ecstatic. It was almost as if I was the son who became a Rabbi that she never had. Her acceptance of me as a teenager and her respect for me as a minister were two gifts that I will always cherish.

Our denominational church is deeply troubled and divided right now. There seems to be an atmosphere of antagonism and intolerance on both sides of the ordination debate. Each side claims to be right. Each oppose the other vehemently. Acceptance is unacceptable. Toleration is intolerable.

It seems to me that Peter faced the same kind of issues way back in the past. Some of the Jewish Christians wanted the Gentile Christians to follow their own traditions. But Peter spoke out against intolerance and expressed a great truth that we seem to have forgotten: God, who knows the heart, may be more accepting of others than we are.

It is my fervent prayer that God grant our church the gift of discernment, that is the ability to know, understand, and accept these things according to His ways, and not our own.

Prayer: Lord God, the church has always struggled with itself, but throughout the ages You have given guidance about who or what is acceptable to You. During these restless days, grant us Peter’s courage to declare that where there is evidence of Your Spirit, there is acceptance by You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Fourth of July Parade

Abstract depiction of today's festivities

No Mean City

Audio version here

Psalm 13:4 “my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.”

I was devastated to hear about the terrorist attack at Glasgow airport in Scotland at the weekend. Glasgow is my hometown, a city with a rich diverse culture. Glaswegians are known for their hospitality and friendship. They even have one of the largest Islamic communities in Europe residing there.

I was angry, too, for the bombers knew that lots of innocent families would have been queuing up at the airport. Hundreds of children were waiting in line with their parents to fly out on their annual summer vacations. If the burning jeep had managed to penetrate the main doors, I dread to think how many children’s corpses would have been pulled out later.

And then this morning, I was shocked to read that two of the perpetrators were doctors! I thought that they took an oath to do no harm. What kind of inhumane, insane fanatics are being raised? How long will it take before these people come to their senses?

These terrorists are not religious people. They honor no one, nor do they respect the Quran. They are simply enemies of humanity whose wickedness has reached satanic proportions that they are willing to murder innocent men, women, and children in order to express their vile message of violence and cruelty.

They seek to overcome our way of life through fear, intimidation, and violence. They are barbaric bullies, contemptuous cowards, and pathetic parasites who malign the teachings of Mohammed, the peace of Christ, and the benign rule of God. They have sold their souls to the brazen god of fear, fanaticism, and vengeance. They have no honor, no glory, and no shame.

Glasgow is a diverse city that was built upon hardship, gumption, and true grit. The Nazis tried to bomb it out of existence in World War 2 and they failed to subdue the heart of the city. These terrorists will soon discover that the city of Glasgow flourishes in the midst of adversity and that the people will band together to overcome this evil. Wickedness will not prevail. Good will triumph over evil.

Prayer: Lord God, there are wicked people in the world who use religion to disguise their disgust for humanity. We pray that their efforts to destroy our way of life, hope, and faith will not be accomplished. Help us to confront this evil and join together with the majority of humanity to defend ourselves and overcome this wickedness. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Summer Flowers