"Scripture, Spirit, Saints and Song"

Mornings are always interesting to me. I awake with an array of ideas, agendas, hopes and an occasional, though rare, anxiety. The best wake up call are songs and hymns that have shaped me, added ballast to my faith, or simply make me smile.

On summer days in the 50's I often traveled an hour to work, each way, in the car with my Dad. The family station was Detroit’s WJR with morning host J. P. McCarthy. One of the playful songs of the era, "Standing on the Corner" sometimes still rattles around inside.
Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by
Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by
Brother you don't know a nicer occupation
Matter of fact, neither do I
Than standing on the corner watching all the girls
Watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by.
Those lyrics, sung by the Four Lads, are quite innocent compared to contemporary Hip Hop lyrics. Later, I wondered if I violated Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount teaching about adultery by singing along with the Four Lads!

This morning, though, I awoke with the memory of Highway Tabernacle’s pipe organ pealing out an introduction and the congregation singing a Wesleyan tune.
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
The lyrics invariably get caught in my throat, my eyes tear, and my spirit is revived as I and others humbly boast –
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Yesterday we wrote that God guides us with Scripture, Spirit and Saints. I would suggest that we add Song and expand the guidance trio to a quartet. And, I pray that you awake to music as transforming and powerful as Wesley’s.

Scripture, Spirit, Saints

Our friends, Bob and Judy Neuman have pastored Lansing Assembly of God, Lansing, IL (near Chicago) since 1975, shaping people with loving care and consistent example. Folk like the Neumans fly under the radar undetected. Glaring institutional lights focus on the fast and famous of the church world. Bob and Judy, like many others, are poised and prepared to mend, encourage, and help people who have been victimized on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem, or Lansing and Chicago.

Bob sends me his Sunday morning message on Saturdays. The sermons reflect careful study, are built on a worthy truth, and filled with great anecdotal material. Yesterday’s sermon was the first of several on "Success - God’s Way," from Proverbs 3. The last section of Bob’s sermon addresses the "procedure for divine guidance, God’s guidance through Scripture, Spirit and His saints." The alliterative outline reminded me of a sad encounter which ended in a delightful outcome.

In 2005 Highway Tabernacle was poised to begin work on the building where Resurrection Life Church meets. (Spring Garden Academy is expanding to that site next week.) We had listed a team opening for an administrative assistant on several web sites and Brett called inquiring about the opportunity. He and his young bride, Rebekah, attended a worship service soon after and we went to lunch following church to become better acquainted.

Brett and Rebekah had convinced me of a passionate desire to serve the Lord. Brett’s preparation in college was sound. I sensed a "calling" to a ministry vocation, but was searching for any glitches, hidden factors about which I ought to be cautious. As we ate, somewhere between the salad and entree, I asked how their home church has affirmed their calling to ministry. "Affirmed? What do you mean?" Brett asked.

I was ill prepared by what followed. I learned that they had grown up in the same church. They had faithfully served and learned some ministry skills and personal disciplines with their long time youth pastor. But, when I asked, "How has your pastor encouraged you to pursue a vocation in ministry?" they asked, "What do you mean?"

The follow-up questions included, "Has your pastor brought you to the congregation and announced his encouragement? Has he asked the people to help you with expenses in college? Have the church elders laid hands on you in prayer?" Rebekah quietly answered, with tears, "We have now spent more time with you than we ever have with our pastor." Brett went on to state, "Pastor, we just need an opportunity to begin somewhere." I will never forget that moment. It is etched into my memory forever. Brett and Rebekah served with us well for before moving into a role for which they are perfectly suited. Spending time affirming their calling, shaping them for the future, has been a pure delight.

Recently, two young men who have graduated high school and completed a "Next Generation" internship, were affirmed by Highway Tabernacle-Resurrection Life Church. The church gathered around them and prayed God’s blessing on the new endeavors. Zachary has begun classes at Messiah College. Alvin will begin training with Master’s Commission next month. The church has contributed to a scholarship to help them with their academic expenses. No young person ought to have a question about the support of their home church.

The procedure for reliable guidance ought to always include Scripture, Spirit and Saints.

The bright lights and cameras are often focused on representatives of the establishment who pass by on the other side. The Neumans, a cadre of "Next Generation" volunteers, and dozens of others whose names remain unknown, continue to mend, heal and encourage those victimized by thieves.

　

　

Character and Perseverance

Since moving to Southern Delaware, I have read the Philadelphia Inquirer on line, (The 25-cent delivery surcharge annoys me.) Now I read the Washington Post (Too much US politics, but some international news seeps in.).

"AKINS REFUSES TO QUIT" appears immediately below yesterday’s masthead. The story is about Todd Akins, the Republican Missouri member of the US House of Representatives running for the US Senate. He made a verbal gaff relating to abortion and rape on a St. Louis TV program which was ill advised at best.

The firestorm that follows is at the same time comical and lamentable. Representative Akins’ party is wooing conservative, "right to life" voters, but is found in the awkward position of asking one of their own to quit his candidacy. On one hand the party says, "We are protecting the rights of the unborn," but at the same time is saying, "We can’t have someone so committed to the cause that we lose votes!" Even former senators of his party from Missouri have added their two-cent worth of wisdom asking Akins to resign.

It is refreshing to have a relatively unknown person call for an all-important question. "How important is human life?" Like a refreshing ocean breeze, Akins seems to be saying, "No, let’s talk about the issue, and when I make a mistake, please hear my apology."

I am apolitical. As a citizen in heaven, I carry a green card here in the USA and do my best to influence culture with prayer, personal behavior, dialogue, and my vote. I will not be distributing leaflets, interrupting my neighbors’ dinners with nuisance phone calls, or registering as a member of a political party. If you do, God bless you! It is none of my business.

But at this unique moment, with a man of principle being pressured on all sides under the banner of political expediency, I offer the following material for dialogue.

• Why is the American public having such a hard time allowing a man to apologize? An abortion has become a cultural "oops!" in comparison to a poorly chosen sentence from a man passionately committed to protecting human life. And, haven’t we allowed several womanizers to rehabilitate themselves in the public arena?

• I smiled broadly as a "liberal" TV talking head, an archenemy of conservative church attenders, pointed out that Representative Akins would not quit because, "He is being consistent with who he is!" In other words, don’t expect him to appease the party because he wants to call for the question. Consistency is a Biblical value. Convictions are worthy of sacrifice. Martyrs speak loudly from their graves. Even if the politician is errant and defeated, he has brought the conversation to the public arena and forced the establishment members to shift uneasily from one foot to another, like whooping cranes standing on hot sand.

• What has happened to loyalty, charity and camaraderie in our culture? Defiance to moral injustice ought to be a banner under which true right to life politicians rush to affirm, not to criticize and abandon. "‘When the future of our country is at stake, sorry is not sufficient. To continue serving his country in the honorable way he has served throughout his career, it is time for Congressman Akin to step aside,’" said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel." "Honorable" and "step aside" are so dissonant that they struggle to appear in the same sentence.

I am sad that Mr. Akins was so clumsy on the TV show. I am delighted that a character issue can now be discussed.

In the Bible, Daniel and his three friends wouldn’t bend, bow or burn. David wouldn’t quit dancing. Stephen’s voice was only silenced when a well-aimed stone squeezed the remaining air from a damaged lung. The writer of the Hebrews documented that "the world was not worthy" of those who persisted in their faith.

Political professionals are laughing at my naivete. Religious operatives will continue in their attempts to enlist me to their causes. I will plod forward with dogged determination toward developing mature perseverance. I am under a Biblical imperative, " . . . you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:3-4)

　

　

Songs and Stories

Israel’s history was preserved with song and story. Preliterate peoples depended on their musicians and storytellers to transmit important historic accounts. A song served as a textbook, and stories were the original encyclopedias of valued facts.

Songs serve as a barometer of the culture’s ethos and ethic. Cultural "high pressure centers," and "lows," are documented in a nation’s music. In my lifetime, music has changed more than in previous millennia. For instance, Pat and I recently watched part of a Public Broadcasting Network special featuring "Doo-Wop" music of the Fifties. A full range of voices from lilting falsettos to resonate basses "Do Oped" in complementary a capella harmony. The lyrics affirmed the then American culture’s values of beauty, masculinity, natural attraction between genders, and virtuous relationships. (I remember being told that the song, "Standing on the corner, watching all the girls go by," was inappropriate for Christian boys.) At a concert in our small town park recently, Pat and I smiled because we could understand the lyrics, and applaud the innocense of music just 25 years old.

In contrast, when I searched for the most popular Hip Hop songs, I learned that I would be ashamed to repeat them in any company, and never in print. In fact, my prayers for the safety of my granddaughters have been intensified. Vulgarity, violence and values from the netherworld sell in today’s marketplace. After reading the first few lines of three current chart toppers, I feel dirty.

The songs of Biblical antiquity documented the nature of God and celebrated the triumphs. The transcendent wisdom and power of God, His miraculous interventions and unapproachable holiness are set to music and were repeated as the people of God assembled. For example, one generation after another learned to celebrate the power of God while singing Miriam’s song. Exodus 15 records the Red Sea triumph –
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
"I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
At about the time a pubescent son or daughter was poised to sow wild oats, to renounce the confinements of home and parental faith, the reluctant synagogue attendee heard Miriam’s song in sacred assembly. The Holy Spirit has used the lyrics to keep the truth alive.

Our nephew and his family recently spent an evening in our home. He, his wife and twins sat and talked for more than three hours. As the evening was winding down, Max, the 6'-5" tall twelve-year-old said, "Uncle, tell us more stories about growing up!" Max’s grandfather and I are brothers and I suspect Max was trying to gather material for some playful blackmail. My nephew’s family wanted to reach back into their history, their story. Our stories are records of God’s grace, transcendent power and wisdom, and compassionate interventions. We have a worthy story to tell and, in the process of telling, an opportunity to redeem the culture’s vocabulary and values from vulgarity to virtue, from base crassness to beautiful celebration. Great Christian story tellers seek to stretch their vocabulary, search for new images, prowl about hunting for worthy idioms and pray that words are converted to redemptive experiences and memories.

Last Sunday I dedicated Ivy, a newborn baby girl, the daughter of pastor friends of ours. As I held the little life, I was humbled and deeply stirred that her parents, and I, and everyone forming her with presence and example, were influencing her history, her story. If Jesus doesn’t return, and someday Ivy is an adult, she will be able to tell her story of her encounters with God and those who shaped her life.

Holy Shabby

One of my favorite lines outside of Scripture was penned by D. Elton Trueblood, "Holy shabby is still shabby." The good Quaker had a way with words!

When I was a child, a temporary US Army base was built along a well-traveled road a few miles from our home. The barracks were obviously not designed for long term use, but they were painstakingly maintained. Curbs lining the roadways were painted white. The fencing was taut. Vehicles were clean. Every row was straight. Not a scrap of paper was to be found on the ground.

Pat and I have been privileged to visit several vacation destinations. The thing that first impressed me at the Disney theme parks was the well-manicured lawns and landscaping. The parks set the standard for cleanliness in large open places. Hilton Head Island in South Carolina is gorgeous because of the community’s attention to detail and rigid adherence to codes and commitment to small items. While Broadway theaters may be ancient, owners who maintain them most meticulously give the performers a head start as appreciative customers notice and relax knowing that care has been given to assure a pleasurable experience.

Homeowners project a message to neighbors and visitors by the way they keep their properties. People subconsciously form opinions about car owners by the way their cars are kept. After employing hundreds of volunteers, I have learned a lot about people by how they care for their tools, and mine. Paint brushes left uncleaned after use, tools strewn about at the site of the last use and materials haphazardly stored account for more waste than I care to catalogue.

The network newscasters always look as if their words were about to shape world opinion, and they often do. A misspelled word or incorrect verb tense is as rare as an errant blade of grass in our favorite theme parks. Those who excel are aware of an image and understand the importance of details.

Dr. Trueblood’s observation, "Holy shabby is still shabby," is too often ignored by people with a genuine passion for God and doing good works. Attention to detail, neatness, cleanliness, and beauty make a difference. I have more opinions, many of them rather strong and passe, and applications for thoughtful people to consider, but our garage needs to be reorganized and grass is creeping over the edge of the blacktop.

Make Disciples

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The ministry does not happen in a vacuum. I listen, and wonder when folks speak about the Holy Spirit without a context! I wonder, "How do we think the Holy Spirit will change our lifestyles, including spending habits, use of time, attitudes, and activities?"

The following observations may be worthy of consideration, and application.

• The eleven were where they were told to be. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. Obedience is always a prerequisite. The eleven were reinforcing the obedience habit. I am convinced that the most important thing a parent can teach their children is obedience. Happiness is found in obedience, not understanding.
• One doesn’t need to be perfect to meet with Jesus. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Jesus comes to ordinary worshipers, people with hang-ups, fears, anxieties, doubts. Great comfort, there is room for the imperfect, unsure and unsophisticated.
• Jesus comes to those who are where they are supposed to be. Then Jesus came to them. One needn’t imagine what would have happened if Jesus had not appeared, because He did! He always does!
• What Jesus says when He meets with people is of world-changing importance! All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. It is rather easy to implore, "Oh Lord, send the Holy Spirit," and significantly more difficult to sincerely pray, "I’ll obey every word you speak!" The altar response at the end of sermons may be the most critical moment in the hearer’s spiritual formation.

Those who desire spiritual authority and power must remember that the primary reason for that power is to be applied for the purpose of making disciples. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.
The guarantee of the presence of God is specific. Jesus promised to be with those who are engaged in making disciples. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Disciple makers form people by spending many hours, days, weeks and years teaching truth, influencing by example, encouraging with assurances, and holding his student accountable. For years we used the following equation as a template for forming interning students of ministry.

RESPONSIBILITY + ACCOUNTABILITY = MATURITY

Making disciples involves spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical formation. Disciple makers form, mold, shape the present and affect the destiny of individuals. Present learners go on to reproduce after their kind. Each of us is here because of the unbroken chain of disciple makers. The unbroken strand began with eleven obedient men who went on to be filled with the Spirit and applied themselves to Jesus’ command. My prayer is, "Oh Lord, send your Spirit so that the chain of faithful disciples reaches another generation."

IF!

"If" is a huge two letter word. "If" establishes conditions, alerts everyone that some attitude, or action must be met before what follows is in effect. It seems important that John wrote, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." (Emphasis mine)

Confession of sin is the condition upon which Divine provision is put into effect. Confession strikes to heart of sin, pride which is quick to deny, blame others, or excuse unacceptable behavior. A Philadelphia Inquirer writer rightly applauded Johnson & Johnson’s recall of Tylenol because of the remote possibility that the product could be tainted. The cost of the recall in 1982 was $100 million. Practically, Johnson & Johnson said, "We are not sure if we mistakenly tainted Tylenol or have mishandled our product, but we will assume responsibility for the safety of our customers." Johnson & Johnson’s market share nose-dived from 35% to just 7%. Most economic prognosticators and industry specialists forecast the brand’s end. But, within one year, the market share was again above 30%. Johnson & Johnson simply did the right thing!

Penn State responded infamously when one of their football coaches was known to be molesting young boys. It seems that everyone involved chose to look away or actively engaged in a cover-up. The whole university is under a cloud. Many of the best football players have transferred to other schools. The head coach’s statue has been removed. More than 100 victories have been vacated. Wins in record books are recorded as losses, forfeits.

An open confession of a problem, tainted medicine, is being celebrated and used as an example in business courses. Unfortunately, the second if in 1 John 1, is the also proven true, "If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." Isn’t it too bad that someone in the Penn State hierarchy didn’t have the knowledge to courageously properly apply the if clause to the university’s challenging circumstances?

Beware of the Doctor Cuticles

Herman Melville authored White Jacket, an autobiographical account of his experience aboard a nineteenth century sailing ship. Melville’s novel is a thinly disguised critique of the conditions to which sailors were then exposed. For instance, when White Jacket was published, he made sure every member of the United States Congress received a copy. As a result, legislation was passed outlawing flogging as punishment aboard all ships flying an American flag.

The story occurred aboard the ship "Neversink." Three chapters of White Jacket are devoted to medical malpractice. The key personality is "Cadwallader Cuticle, M.D., Honorary Member of the most distinguished Colleges of Surgeons ... Surgeon of the Fleet." The story focuses on the misfortunes of a sailor who took an accidental bullet in the thigh.

Dr. Cuticle, the sailor’s treatment plan was defined quickly. The leg must be amputated. Gravatai was added to the circumstance by inviting doctors from other ships berthed in the harbor. The consultation served to draw attention to Cuticle’s self-importance and smug sense of surgical expertise. None of the consulting physicians agreed, but were intimidated by Cuticle’s seniority and artificially inflated importance.

Dr. Cadwallader Cuticle was openly bored with life as a ship’s doctor. Dispensing medicines for common ailments never satisfied him and sailors proved to be very hearty folk. The good fortune of an errant bullet piercing a limb was energizing and exciting news for the frustrated medic. (Kind of makes one wonder about those who enjoy cutting on people, doesn’t it?) The consultation ended with doctors recommending the extraction of the bullet, but the senior surgeon proceeded to announce surgery the following morning.

The details of the procedure were explained in detail as the patient listened, was scalded with boiling water and oil for pre-op hygienic purposes. An assistant pointed out the patient’s suffering, his lapses into unconsciousness, and waning strength during the procedure. Cuticle kept enlarging his surgical credentials, explaining the fine points of his procedures, and boasting of qualifications to impress the young men attending.

At last, the surgery ended, the patient was taken to another place to rest and recover. The doctor continued lecturing, inflicting his self-aggrandizement on a captive audience, and establishing his place in the pantheon of self-importance. While announcing a postmortem on the severed limb for the following morning at ten o’clock, one of those attending the patient reentered the operating room announcing, "The patient is dead." To that, Cadwallader Cuticle quickly, cooly replied, "The body also, gentlemen, at precisely ten. I predicted that the operation might prove fatal; he was very much run down. ‘Good morning!’" and departed.

The moral of the story, "Surgery is a necessary procedure for keeping patients alive." When the purpose is violated, the procedure becomes a malpractice issue. As a lifelong churchman, I believe it is absolutely imperative that church leaders assess how well the church adheres to her purpose. To excel "doing church" while losing the purpose is to inflict fatalities. More later, maybe.