The quality of a friendship may be measured by how hard it is to say, "Goodbye!" Real friends enjoy one another in all sorts of circumstances. Friends share life, both the good times and the bad. Traditional marriage vows include, "in sickness and in health," and add "for richer or poorer." Pat and I have said goodbye to congregations after being warmly embraced by them for years. It’s hard!
Pat and I are saying goodbye more often now. We have reached that age when we are no longer children but a patriarch and matriarch. Children accumulate friends naturally, like snowballs rolling downhill. Elders observe as others slip away. W. Howard Roberson, the pastor emeritus of Highway Tabernacle in the early years of our tenure there said, "Most of my friends are on the other side. I don’t have many left here." Our friends are on our prayer list. They suffer from diseases and wrestle with life-limiting realities of aging. Pat and I share some of their symptoms. It is harder to say, "Goodbye!" than to romp through the energy-filled years.
The Apostle Paul expresses heart-felt affection for people in his letters. To the church at Philippi he wrote, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now."( Philippians 1:3-5) That church was rather trouble-free, but the churches at Rome, Corinth, Colosse and Thessalonika received Paul’s letters because of problems and errors. In good times and bad, Paul said, "I thank God for you," and assured, "I will be praying for you!" Paul reinforced an important truth, spiritual siblings, easy-to-get-along-with types and burr-in-the-saddle variety are God’s provision for us.
Even though Paul had not yet visited the church at Rome, he struggled with his goodbyes. His farewells absorb most of chapter 16. The Apostle recognized Priscilla and Aquila, the two that are most familiar to us on the list of names. But we know little of the others. A woman named Mary stands out in Paul’s affection because "she worked very hard for you."
Andronicus and Junias are "outstanding among the apostles." Apparently Paul met them in prison and they took the opportunity to teach Paul some of the skills of apostleship because he acknowledges "they were in Christ before I was." (Wouldn’t you like that fact on your resume? "I taught Paul how to be an apostle!")I have never met anyone who named their children Tryphena or Tryphosa! They were women who worked hard and Paul would miss them. We overlooked Rufus as a name for our son, but Jonathan would have been a namesake of one "chosen by the Lord." I think Paul was teaching us how to say "goodbye!"
Our brothers and sisters in the faith deserve notes of assurance, recognition for their contributions to the family of faith and promises of our prayer. Paul wrote Romans 16 under the same inspiration of the Spirit as chapters eight and 10 that are quoted so frequently. When I read verse 20 my faith for my friends leaps upward as I join in prayer and affirmation, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." I believe my friends, siblings in the faith, deserve to hear those words as the Spirit speaks through me.
Pat and I have been saying a long goodbye to her father. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we travel to Indiana again. We have been watching him move away. He speaks about heaven. It may not be too long before he will arrive at the place for which he has been looking for a long, long time. It is hard to say goodbye, but we really believe "the God of peace will soon crush Satan under Roy Kolas’ feet." We are also confident that Paul’s prayer and blessing, "The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you," will become our experience.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Wisdom: Recorded and Enduring
None of us have invented wisdom! All wisdom flows from God toward people. Have you noticed that examples of wisdom bubble up in history? When considering wisdom, Solomon instantly comes to mind. By the Spirit Solomon recorded, "For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her." Proverbs 8:11 (The Message) But, Solomon is not the only proponent of sound thinking and sage decision making. They are found throughout Scripture and can be found in every age. I believe wise, God-initiated ideas and decisions are the means by which God keeps his creation from growing completely rotten.
Biography and history, accounts of God at work in every age, have powerful potential to illustrate and reinforce the wisdom of the Spirit in Scripture. I am currently finding that kind of instruction from Samuel Shoemaker who disciplined himself to write, leaving a legacy if wisdom for generations which would follow him. Reverend Shoemaker served as an Episcopalian minister in New York City and Pittsburgh between 1925 and the early 60's. He left a record of his spiritual insights and manner in which ministries formed under his leadership. The more than 30 volumes written by Samuel Shoemaker comprise a library which bubbles with wisdom.
In The Power of God, Shoemaker shares insights into the work of the Holy Spirit in his parish work in Pittsburgh. The influence of the church extended to a network of Bible classes and evangelism outreaches that swept through the steel industry and city government and led Shoemaker’s association in initiating the ministry of Alcoholic Anonymous.
As the effects of ministry began to emerge, Pastor Shoemaker observed, "When we live as we should, men will ask us living questions."1 His pastoral leadership resulted in people living out their faith in such a dynamic manner that others began to ask a reason for their different way of life. He taught people to pray listening prayers which resulted in God communicating instructions on how to advance His purposes.
One anecdote woven through several of Shoemaker’s books is the growth of a network of Bible studies throughout Pittsburgh. It began with a man who was shy and lacked confidence. His speech is described as "near stuttering." But God visited the man and used him. The first Bible study group had members from the steel workers union, management, and owners, something few ever had dreamed to be possible. The heyday of the steel industry coincided with the emergence of Shoemaker’s grassroots approach to ministry.
Samuel Shoemaker used a metaphor of the Holy Spirit being as a stream. He noted that the Spirit is not a raging river which sweeps one off his feet but a gentle stream where one can stand and be refreshed. The good pastor also noted that just as one cannot swim without getting in the water, one must enter the stream of what the Spirit is doing and follow the flow. Samuel Shoemaker imparted good advice, great counsel and enduring wisdom to big city congregations. May we live as wisely as he. "When we live as we should, men will ask us living questions."
Biography and history, accounts of God at work in every age, have powerful potential to illustrate and reinforce the wisdom of the Spirit in Scripture. I am currently finding that kind of instruction from Samuel Shoemaker who disciplined himself to write, leaving a legacy if wisdom for generations which would follow him. Reverend Shoemaker served as an Episcopalian minister in New York City and Pittsburgh between 1925 and the early 60's. He left a record of his spiritual insights and manner in which ministries formed under his leadership. The more than 30 volumes written by Samuel Shoemaker comprise a library which bubbles with wisdom.
In The Power of God, Shoemaker shares insights into the work of the Holy Spirit in his parish work in Pittsburgh. The influence of the church extended to a network of Bible classes and evangelism outreaches that swept through the steel industry and city government and led Shoemaker’s association in initiating the ministry of Alcoholic Anonymous.
As the effects of ministry began to emerge, Pastor Shoemaker observed, "When we live as we should, men will ask us living questions."1 His pastoral leadership resulted in people living out their faith in such a dynamic manner that others began to ask a reason for their different way of life. He taught people to pray listening prayers which resulted in God communicating instructions on how to advance His purposes.
One anecdote woven through several of Shoemaker’s books is the growth of a network of Bible studies throughout Pittsburgh. It began with a man who was shy and lacked confidence. His speech is described as "near stuttering." But God visited the man and used him. The first Bible study group had members from the steel workers union, management, and owners, something few ever had dreamed to be possible. The heyday of the steel industry coincided with the emergence of Shoemaker’s grassroots approach to ministry.
Samuel Shoemaker used a metaphor of the Holy Spirit being as a stream. He noted that the Spirit is not a raging river which sweeps one off his feet but a gentle stream where one can stand and be refreshed. The good pastor also noted that just as one cannot swim without getting in the water, one must enter the stream of what the Spirit is doing and follow the flow. Samuel Shoemaker imparted good advice, great counsel and enduring wisdom to big city congregations. May we live as wisely as he. "When we live as we should, men will ask us living questions."
Friday, January 3, 2014
Week of Prayer: Our God is an Awesome God
Fourteen years ago a small group of pastors serving in Philadelphia organized an annual week of prayer. The first full week of the New Year was set aside for a citywide prayer meeting. The round robin format took participating congregations to at least five unfamiliar cross-town neighborhoods. The format was, and remains, simple. The gathered church members worshiped briefly and then the host pastor reported victories of the past year, and shared special challenges the church was facing. And we prayed.
One evening we met at the building where Resurrection Life Church now meets. About 400 square feet of the more than 15,000 were swept clean, temporary heat and light warmed the space and we shivered and prayed. The concrete floor was too cold to kneel on and people huddled without taking off their winter coats. I don’t recall who started the simple chorus, but I will never forget the power of the simple affirmation. It began quietly,
Our God is an awesome God.
He reigns from Heaven above.
With wisdom, power and love;
Our God is an awesome God.
And then, it caught on! Simple, unpolished and unsophisticated people gathered in a basement of a building that had been abandoned sang, really sang! Again and again the melody carried an affirmation of trusting faith. If you had been there, you couldn’t forget that moment either!
Sunday night Philadelphia churches will begin their annual journey to five neighborhoods to pray. Parking is a challenge! The weather promises to be blustery. Cold winds will cut through coats, sweaters and scarves. But, people will gather and pray.
This year there will be no meeting at Resurrection Life Church in deference to other congregations, but the Spirit who prompted the primitive confession of faith in the basement under construction a few years ago has been faithfully drawing people to Jesus. People from that congregation, who walk to Resurrection Life will be praying with members of other churches in five locations throughout the city. New believers will learn to pray as they hear others pray in places they are visiting for the first time.
This 15th annual week of prayer promises to be powerful. The same Spirit who has been teaching people to pray since Pentecost will prompt intercessions and anoint one after another to share a word of encouragement or a building block for faith. Lives will be changed, people will be healed, and the Spirit will fill and equip people for lives of service. The prayers offered in an unfinished basement are still at work! Our God is an awesome God!
One evening we met at the building where Resurrection Life Church now meets. About 400 square feet of the more than 15,000 were swept clean, temporary heat and light warmed the space and we shivered and prayed. The concrete floor was too cold to kneel on and people huddled without taking off their winter coats. I don’t recall who started the simple chorus, but I will never forget the power of the simple affirmation. It began quietly,
He reigns from Heaven above.
With wisdom, power and love;
Our God is an awesome God.
And then, it caught on! Simple, unpolished and unsophisticated people gathered in a basement of a building that had been abandoned sang, really sang! Again and again the melody carried an affirmation of trusting faith. If you had been there, you couldn’t forget that moment either!
Sunday night Philadelphia churches will begin their annual journey to five neighborhoods to pray. Parking is a challenge! The weather promises to be blustery. Cold winds will cut through coats, sweaters and scarves. But, people will gather and pray.
This year there will be no meeting at Resurrection Life Church in deference to other congregations, but the Spirit who prompted the primitive confession of faith in the basement under construction a few years ago has been faithfully drawing people to Jesus. People from that congregation, who walk to Resurrection Life will be praying with members of other churches in five locations throughout the city. New believers will learn to pray as they hear others pray in places they are visiting for the first time.
This 15th annual week of prayer promises to be powerful. The same Spirit who has been teaching people to pray since Pentecost will prompt intercessions and anoint one after another to share a word of encouragement or a building block for faith. Lives will be changed, people will be healed, and the Spirit will fill and equip people for lives of service. The prayers offered in an unfinished basement are still at work! Our God is an awesome God!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Ruminations on a faulty calendar
One of our newer family traditions is receiving a photo calendar. A large wall calendar with photos of four bright and photogenic grandchildren is a huge improvement and happy relief from the generic variety sent from local restaurants and funeral directors. The 2014 version of "The Giunta Family" calendar will be posted proudly for all our guests to admire.
The 2014 edition of the Giunta Family gift has a large flaw. The photos are "showstoppers," nothing wrong there, but January 1 is wrongly placed on Tuesday instead of the correct day, Wednesday. Someone made a "human error." If we used the otherwise beautiful work of art that kindles memories and warm affection we would likely show up a day early to appointments and worship alone on Saturdays! The pace of life is fast enough already!
I suppose we could ask everyone to adjust their calendars to ours. After all, ours is the most beautiful and satisfying to us. That suggestion is laughable! Jesus, the One who was present at the creation and who created all that is with His Father and the Spirit, taught his followers, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15) Jesus set the standard for behavior as "what I command."
As the Times Square ball dropped and 2014 arrived I was reflecting on the massive changes in world culture in the past 25 years. In the early 80's our church purchased a rather primitive computer, the first church in our district to own one. The District Superintendent called and asked what we were doing! Now, my telephone has greater capacity than that first computer. Information, old and new, is flying about like scraps of paper in a hurricane-like force, but what Jesus commanded remains forever.
The church calendars of our childhood and ministry now look quaint and outdated. All-night prayer meetings and times of corporate waiting in the presence of the Spirit, especially following Sunday evening services are now memories for many. A whole generation emerges that will likely never experience what defined the church that formed us. Systematic Bible study is now often replaced with thematic curricula focusing on self-improvement. Technology allows changes to occur more quickly than ever.
Change is not wrong and is needed. Change usually includes improvements. Calendar changes are routine. Last year began on a Tuesday, 2014 on Wednesday. At the same time we must remain aware of the constants. "Obey what I command," has no substitute. God’s Word, like the Wegner-Guinta birthdays remain on June 2, 12, 21 and 22 year after year. Anniversaries and July 4th are immoveable. While we live in a self-based culture which insists on recklessly redefining marriage, morality and mores, Jesus keeps saying to us, "The words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:24)
This year I suggest that we who are serious followers of Jesus devote ourselves to growing in knowledge of God’s Word, that we rediscover the benefits of silence and reinforce the discipline of quiet reflection. It is essential that the Spirit of God finds His opportunity to speak while we are still. Let us believe someone, somewhere will suggest a new forum for corporate waiting, quiet seeking . . . to reintroduce a format for open-ended time of lingering and loving the Presence. It needs to catch on just as much as the 2014 Giunta Family calendar needs to be changed!
The 2014 edition of the Giunta Family gift has a large flaw. The photos are "showstoppers," nothing wrong there, but January 1 is wrongly placed on Tuesday instead of the correct day, Wednesday. Someone made a "human error." If we used the otherwise beautiful work of art that kindles memories and warm affection we would likely show up a day early to appointments and worship alone on Saturdays! The pace of life is fast enough already!
I suppose we could ask everyone to adjust their calendars to ours. After all, ours is the most beautiful and satisfying to us. That suggestion is laughable! Jesus, the One who was present at the creation and who created all that is with His Father and the Spirit, taught his followers, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15) Jesus set the standard for behavior as "what I command."
As the Times Square ball dropped and 2014 arrived I was reflecting on the massive changes in world culture in the past 25 years. In the early 80's our church purchased a rather primitive computer, the first church in our district to own one. The District Superintendent called and asked what we were doing! Now, my telephone has greater capacity than that first computer. Information, old and new, is flying about like scraps of paper in a hurricane-like force, but what Jesus commanded remains forever.
The church calendars of our childhood and ministry now look quaint and outdated. All-night prayer meetings and times of corporate waiting in the presence of the Spirit, especially following Sunday evening services are now memories for many. A whole generation emerges that will likely never experience what defined the church that formed us. Systematic Bible study is now often replaced with thematic curricula focusing on self-improvement. Technology allows changes to occur more quickly than ever.
Change is not wrong and is needed. Change usually includes improvements. Calendar changes are routine. Last year began on a Tuesday, 2014 on Wednesday. At the same time we must remain aware of the constants. "Obey what I command," has no substitute. God’s Word, like the Wegner-Guinta birthdays remain on June 2, 12, 21 and 22 year after year. Anniversaries and July 4th are immoveable. While we live in a self-based culture which insists on recklessly redefining marriage, morality and mores, Jesus keeps saying to us, "The words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:24)
This year I suggest that we who are serious followers of Jesus devote ourselves to growing in knowledge of God’s Word, that we rediscover the benefits of silence and reinforce the discipline of quiet reflection. It is essential that the Spirit of God finds His opportunity to speak while we are still. Let us believe someone, somewhere will suggest a new forum for corporate waiting, quiet seeking . . . to reintroduce a format for open-ended time of lingering and loving the Presence. It needs to catch on just as much as the 2014 Giunta Family calendar needs to be changed!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Cross the street! Peace is on the other side.
Life lessons are often learned in unexpected places and at surprising times. While our children were in elementary school, we established a tradition. One day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we took them out of school and spent the day in New York City. The enchanting scenes, smells and spirit of the city are unlike any other. Those school-skipping days are in a portfolio of memories that is more important to us than a perfect attendance certificate!
We walked the streets and avenues of the city absorbing as much as we could! While others sing about "chestnuts roasting on an open fire," we know the aroma and have tasted them! "Jack Frost nipping at your nose" is a silly lyric for some, but we know the cold of New York City where the winds whine and weave through narrow streets. Brrr, I feel the chill as I write!
We oohed and aahed at the soaring twin spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral before walking through its cavernous interior. Absorbing its beautiful antique art and feeling the stillness and sacredness of a place which is surrounded by merchants, moneychangers and modern icons on the outside is a memory worthy of a special section in our album of memories. Warmed, we walked through Rockefeller Plaza with its iconic lighted angels blowing trumpets, skaters twirling and tumbling on the ice rink and the TREE! Seeing the TREE in person should be on everyone’s "bucket list!"
Our walking tour was only a few hundred yards long. BRRRR, it’s very cold after a few paces outdoors. The wind injects needle-like doses of winter through one’s skin. Candace, Jonathan and Joanna’s eyes always danced with excitement at the Sak’s Fifth Avenue windows. (Malls don’t have "windows," just a few square yards of glass for posting sales and discounts. Fifth Avenue stores have "WINDOWS," places of fantasy and fun. Mechanized models of make-believe, Bob Cratchit and Scrooge, and boys and girls romping, sliding and skating, elves and reindeer filled each window. Thousands of people exhaled clouds of vapor as they paced in zigzagging lines to get up front and close to enchantment.
Revolving doors with tons of shining brass framing thick glass twirl customers into the warm sanctuary of retail! Pages of print are needed to describe the experience. Why don’t we go together next year and you can see for yourself? We were soon warmed and ready for another bolt of icy air to penetrate the layers of shirts, sweaters, scarves and made-for-the-arctic outerwear.
A few blocks south on Fifth Avenue Macy’s windows and Toyland are awaiting boys and girls with awe-filled eyes and jittery joy on their faces. One can watch Thanksgiving Day parades on television, but one must do Toyland in person! It is spectacular! An inventory of a child’s wish list is easily assembled in Toyland. Toys, games, dolls, trucks and cars are everywhere . . . and sales associates dressed to enhance the fantasy are ready to help.
Lord and Taylor is just North of Macy’s. Retailers compete with windows. The wind shifted, coming from the West. Our young family had moved to the leeward side of Fifth Avenue skyscrapers. Everything was calm. The thermometer registered the same temperature, but we had crossed the street. A mere 100 feet from the place we stomped warmth into numb feet and wrapped scarves across freezing faces, we were warm. At that moment Jonathan looked up at me and said, "Dad, it is so peaceful here!"
What a memory, and what an observation! Just move across the street! Many at this season are close to the truth, familiar with the story of Jesus, but "across the street" and away from the warmth of being next to Him, in close relationship with the Prince of Peace. We trust that you will know the warmth of Jesus, the Christ and Prince of Peace today and always!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We walked the streets and avenues of the city absorbing as much as we could! While others sing about "chestnuts roasting on an open fire," we know the aroma and have tasted them! "Jack Frost nipping at your nose" is a silly lyric for some, but we know the cold of New York City where the winds whine and weave through narrow streets. Brrr, I feel the chill as I write!
We oohed and aahed at the soaring twin spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral before walking through its cavernous interior. Absorbing its beautiful antique art and feeling the stillness and sacredness of a place which is surrounded by merchants, moneychangers and modern icons on the outside is a memory worthy of a special section in our album of memories. Warmed, we walked through Rockefeller Plaza with its iconic lighted angels blowing trumpets, skaters twirling and tumbling on the ice rink and the TREE! Seeing the TREE in person should be on everyone’s "bucket list!"
Our walking tour was only a few hundred yards long. BRRRR, it’s very cold after a few paces outdoors. The wind injects needle-like doses of winter through one’s skin. Candace, Jonathan and Joanna’s eyes always danced with excitement at the Sak’s Fifth Avenue windows. (Malls don’t have "windows," just a few square yards of glass for posting sales and discounts. Fifth Avenue stores have "WINDOWS," places of fantasy and fun. Mechanized models of make-believe, Bob Cratchit and Scrooge, and boys and girls romping, sliding and skating, elves and reindeer filled each window. Thousands of people exhaled clouds of vapor as they paced in zigzagging lines to get up front and close to enchantment.
Revolving doors with tons of shining brass framing thick glass twirl customers into the warm sanctuary of retail! Pages of print are needed to describe the experience. Why don’t we go together next year and you can see for yourself? We were soon warmed and ready for another bolt of icy air to penetrate the layers of shirts, sweaters, scarves and made-for-the-arctic outerwear.
A few blocks south on Fifth Avenue Macy’s windows and Toyland are awaiting boys and girls with awe-filled eyes and jittery joy on their faces. One can watch Thanksgiving Day parades on television, but one must do Toyland in person! It is spectacular! An inventory of a child’s wish list is easily assembled in Toyland. Toys, games, dolls, trucks and cars are everywhere . . . and sales associates dressed to enhance the fantasy are ready to help.
Lord and Taylor is just North of Macy’s. Retailers compete with windows. The wind shifted, coming from the West. Our young family had moved to the leeward side of Fifth Avenue skyscrapers. Everything was calm. The thermometer registered the same temperature, but we had crossed the street. A mere 100 feet from the place we stomped warmth into numb feet and wrapped scarves across freezing faces, we were warm. At that moment Jonathan looked up at me and said, "Dad, it is so peaceful here!"
What a memory, and what an observation! Just move across the street! Many at this season are close to the truth, familiar with the story of Jesus, but "across the street" and away from the warmth of being next to Him, in close relationship with the Prince of Peace. We trust that you will know the warmth of Jesus, the Christ and Prince of Peace today and always!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Mary's Song
Last night our pastor led us in an exploration of special challenges faced by the people in the Nativity. On occasion I have considered the complexities of circumstances faced by one or two, like Mary and Joseph, but last night we were asked us to consider the difficulties faced by Elizabeth and Zechariah, the Magi, shepherds, Herod and others. Everyone in the nativity story was confronted with unique challenges. Life wasn’t easy for anyone!
Life is challenging! A pastor friend, Bob, learned that a key member of his congregation passed away unexpectedly yesterday and the funeral will two days before Christmas. The brother who passed away was a church musician and board member, among the best qualified leaders in the church. Negotiating the mix of emotions, reminding the congregation of the blessing of the Incarnation while leading the same people in properly grieving the loss of a key member is challenging.
Life is challenging! Another pastor friend, Abe, began radiation treatments and chemotherapy this week, right in the middle of Advent. Everyone is waiting to learn how my friend’s body will respond. If this were going to happen, couldn’t this have waited until summer when church attendance is usually down and the church calendar is a bit more simple?
Life is challenging! Another friend and former co-worker, Marvin, is losing strength as the effects of Lou Gehrig’s Disease takes its toll. I call and talk with my pastor-teacher friend, but only after praying because I have many questions and find the challenges Marvin and his family face frustratingly complex. Sometimes I think it would be easier if they weren’t such good, devoted and dedicated followers of Jesus. I just don’t understand.
Life is challenging! Victor’s wife passed away a few days ago. How does one sing joyous carols while the strains of favorite songs sung at a memorial services are still echoing in one’s soul? What is the appropriate way to remember a spouse and move forward? I just don’t understand!
If I were preaching this Sunday, I would use Mary’s song as my text, a song which exposes insights into how she negotiated imponderable and inscrutable circumstances of life. Mary’s song is profoundly important. Answers to Mary’s prayers become lyrical as she moves through a divinely designed path for her life. Mary sang:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.
Luke 1:46-55
Mary’s conversations with the angel, followed by prayerful pondering, resulted in worship. We often commit energy and resources on arranging an environment for worship that includes sound, lighting, seating arrangement and special effects. From deep within Mary’s spirit sprang upward in worship. While face-to-face with God she learned, "He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." I have noticed that in positive circumstances and carefully-arranged environments some remain lethargic and disinterested. In contrast, when one wrestles with complexities and prayerfully ponders challenges at hand, he discovers "God my Savior!" As Samuel Shoemaker taught, "Prayer is intended not to change God’s mind, but to find it."1 Mary found God’s mind and worshiped!
As a result of prayerful pondering Mary was able to sing, "From now on . . ." Mary’s song is an affirmation, a statement of assurance and anticipation. I have a future! Others will "call me blessed!" Mary’s role was unique, and so is each of ours. The One with whom we converse in prayerful pondering is fully qualified to orchestrate our lives to bless others. We begin to live when we pray, "Lord, help me to bless those who you arrange for me to meet today." Let us live as Mary sang, with anticipation and assurance of God’s blessing.
Mary’s song is a record of the long track record of God’s interventions. The language is brilliant. Vocabulary throbs with strength. "Mercy extends!" He "performs, scatters and brings down." The "hungry are filled with good things," and he "has sent the rich away hungry." The Lord’s activity will continue toward "Abraham and his descendants forever!" Children of Abraham, let’s sing!
Prayerful pondering energizes while the challenges are still present. Mary sang her song well before all the angel’s promises were fulfilled. A long list of questions remained when Mary broke out singing, "For the Mighty One has done great things for me!" Townspeople still chattered away in idle gossip. Joseph’s family and friends may not have been convinced about the angel’s message. The Word had not yet become flesh. Little proof of the information to which Mary was privy could be validated. But, Mary knew!
It is reported that Winston Churchill convened a meeting of his cabinet the evening it appeared that England would be invaded. German bombs had pelted London, port cities and strategic industrial sites throughout the nation. Churchill withheld no facts. The cabinet listened to the grim report, and then, he leaned back in his chair and said, "And you know, I find it all quite inspiring!" That is the kind of faith that triumphs in times of confusion and complicated challenges.
Life is challenging! Let us ponder prayerfully. Let us engage the Almighty in conversation. By His Spirit we will learn His mind and face challenges confidently. Then we will sing! We will worship! The songs we sing will be enduring, as memorable as Mary’s song!
Life is challenging! A pastor friend, Bob, learned that a key member of his congregation passed away unexpectedly yesterday and the funeral will two days before Christmas. The brother who passed away was a church musician and board member, among the best qualified leaders in the church. Negotiating the mix of emotions, reminding the congregation of the blessing of the Incarnation while leading the same people in properly grieving the loss of a key member is challenging.
Life is challenging! Another pastor friend, Abe, began radiation treatments and chemotherapy this week, right in the middle of Advent. Everyone is waiting to learn how my friend’s body will respond. If this were going to happen, couldn’t this have waited until summer when church attendance is usually down and the church calendar is a bit more simple?
Life is challenging! Another friend and former co-worker, Marvin, is losing strength as the effects of Lou Gehrig’s Disease takes its toll. I call and talk with my pastor-teacher friend, but only after praying because I have many questions and find the challenges Marvin and his family face frustratingly complex. Sometimes I think it would be easier if they weren’t such good, devoted and dedicated followers of Jesus. I just don’t understand.
Life is challenging! Victor’s wife passed away a few days ago. How does one sing joyous carols while the strains of favorite songs sung at a memorial services are still echoing in one’s soul? What is the appropriate way to remember a spouse and move forward? I just don’t understand!
If I were preaching this Sunday, I would use Mary’s song as my text, a song which exposes insights into how she negotiated imponderable and inscrutable circumstances of life. Mary’s song is profoundly important. Answers to Mary’s prayers become lyrical as she moves through a divinely designed path for her life. Mary sang:
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.
Luke 1:46-55
Mary’s conversations with the angel, followed by prayerful pondering, resulted in worship. We often commit energy and resources on arranging an environment for worship that includes sound, lighting, seating arrangement and special effects. From deep within Mary’s spirit sprang upward in worship. While face-to-face with God she learned, "He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." I have noticed that in positive circumstances and carefully-arranged environments some remain lethargic and disinterested. In contrast, when one wrestles with complexities and prayerfully ponders challenges at hand, he discovers "God my Savior!" As Samuel Shoemaker taught, "Prayer is intended not to change God’s mind, but to find it."1 Mary found God’s mind and worshiped!
As a result of prayerful pondering Mary was able to sing, "From now on . . ." Mary’s song is an affirmation, a statement of assurance and anticipation. I have a future! Others will "call me blessed!" Mary’s role was unique, and so is each of ours. The One with whom we converse in prayerful pondering is fully qualified to orchestrate our lives to bless others. We begin to live when we pray, "Lord, help me to bless those who you arrange for me to meet today." Let us live as Mary sang, with anticipation and assurance of God’s blessing.
Mary’s song is a record of the long track record of God’s interventions. The language is brilliant. Vocabulary throbs with strength. "Mercy extends!" He "performs, scatters and brings down." The "hungry are filled with good things," and he "has sent the rich away hungry." The Lord’s activity will continue toward "Abraham and his descendants forever!" Children of Abraham, let’s sing!
Prayerful pondering energizes while the challenges are still present. Mary sang her song well before all the angel’s promises were fulfilled. A long list of questions remained when Mary broke out singing, "For the Mighty One has done great things for me!" Townspeople still chattered away in idle gossip. Joseph’s family and friends may not have been convinced about the angel’s message. The Word had not yet become flesh. Little proof of the information to which Mary was privy could be validated. But, Mary knew!
It is reported that Winston Churchill convened a meeting of his cabinet the evening it appeared that England would be invaded. German bombs had pelted London, port cities and strategic industrial sites throughout the nation. Churchill withheld no facts. The cabinet listened to the grim report, and then, he leaned back in his chair and said, "And you know, I find it all quite inspiring!" That is the kind of faith that triumphs in times of confusion and complicated challenges.
Life is challenging! Let us ponder prayerfully. Let us engage the Almighty in conversation. By His Spirit we will learn His mind and face challenges confidently. Then we will sing! We will worship! The songs we sing will be enduring, as memorable as Mary’s song!
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Small stage, huge play!
Phillips Brooks, rector of Church of the Holy Trinity1, in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, wrote "O Little Town of Bethlehem" more than 100 years ago. He was inspired to write the lyrics one evening while visiting the Holy Land and viewing Bethlehem from a distant hilltop. Brooks originally thought that the song would be sung by a children’s choir at Holy Trinity, but it quickly caught on among people of all ages.
Micah’s prophecy defined Bethlehem as "little": "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) We Americans are "big" people. Small things are most frequently viewed as "anemic" or "ill," something needing a remedy. We tend to tolerate small more than embrace little with respect for its intrinsic value.
But, we are inconsistent. We are drawn to babies and are willing to make foolish looking faces and strange sounds in order to get an infant to smile. Model railroads are an irresistible attraction for others. Miniatures are big business. But the footprint of "big box" stores trample small businesses to death. Mom and Pop merchants roll up their awnings and sell the last remnants of inventory as the heavy tromp of the big boxes smash the remaining life of village downtowns into shards of memories.
Consider Bethlehem. It is no small wonder that Bethlehem survived at all. Bethlehem was one of twelve towns inherited by Zebulon’s family when the Promised Land was divvied up. Eleven other surrounding towns included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron and Idalah. (Joshua 19:15). "Bethlehem" ends the list. Bethlehem almost looks like an afterthought. It doesn’t seem like there ever was a real estate boom. But the town survived!
Ibzan, hardly a household word, one of the judges of Israel hailed from Bethlehem. He may have gathered more ink in the Jerusalem papers if he had plied his craft in a major market. His claim to fame was that he fathered 60 children and ruled Israel for seven years. None of the kids married in the tribe. Poor Bethlehem! Chamber of commerce members had to be frustrated.
There is a story in Judges 19 about a young Levite, a native of Bethlehem, who went house-hunting. He found lodging with Micah, not the prophet, but a man who made shrines to gods from his mother’s silver. It is unclear to me if the story of a Bethlehem Levite in chapter 19 is the same. But the poor fellow got caught up an event reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah. Apparently Bethlehem’s stigma followed her youth, even when they left home!
Small town economies are fragile. A famine came into the area. People were hungry! Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons and daughters-in-law left Bethlehem for Moab in search of food. People still do that. They move from place to place in search of work. Hunger drove the family from tiny Bethlehem. The rest of the story is in the Book of Ruth. The story of Ebimelech’s family is too important to the salvation story to overlook. When reviewing it, remember, the plot includes a small village and her citizens.
But even the most depressed of villages may experience a change of fortunes. Tourism is big there nowadays! Good things began to happen. David was anointed King of Israel in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16), one of the first positive events the Bethlehem Historical Society was able to record. It was followed by the account of David’s mighty men who risked their lives to fetch a flask of water from Bethlehem’s well. Some entrepreneur ought to start bottling "Agua Beth!" I may share my idea with Restoration Hardware! They are into stuff like that. There is a dollar to be made!
I think the storyline of Bethlehem has potential for some mini-series. Philistines occupied the town for a while during one of the many skirmishes with Israel. The cemetery at the edge of town has some notorious people, and heroes, buried there. The townspeople were patriotic too. When Ezra was enlisting workers to rebuild the walls and Temple in Jerusalem, Bethlehemites responded.
There is much more to Bethlehem’s story. But, the one event that changed the little village forever was the one Phillips Brooks had in mind when he wrote the Christmas Carol. Micah’s prediction came to pass and from that tiny epicenter of salvation the Savior of the whole world was carried in Mary’s arms into the center stage of history. The events of the night Pastor Brooks memorialized changed the world’s calendars. Note "BC: before Christ," and "AD: anno Domini" or, "year of our Lord," is a watershed of history, one greater than any other. Those who belittle things deemed too small ought to remember that Bethlehem’s stage was small, but the play was huge!
Micah’s prophecy defined Bethlehem as "little": "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) We Americans are "big" people. Small things are most frequently viewed as "anemic" or "ill," something needing a remedy. We tend to tolerate small more than embrace little with respect for its intrinsic value.
But, we are inconsistent. We are drawn to babies and are willing to make foolish looking faces and strange sounds in order to get an infant to smile. Model railroads are an irresistible attraction for others. Miniatures are big business. But the footprint of "big box" stores trample small businesses to death. Mom and Pop merchants roll up their awnings and sell the last remnants of inventory as the heavy tromp of the big boxes smash the remaining life of village downtowns into shards of memories.
Consider Bethlehem. It is no small wonder that Bethlehem survived at all. Bethlehem was one of twelve towns inherited by Zebulon’s family when the Promised Land was divvied up. Eleven other surrounding towns included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron and Idalah. (Joshua 19:15). "Bethlehem" ends the list. Bethlehem almost looks like an afterthought. It doesn’t seem like there ever was a real estate boom. But the town survived!
Ibzan, hardly a household word, one of the judges of Israel hailed from Bethlehem. He may have gathered more ink in the Jerusalem papers if he had plied his craft in a major market. His claim to fame was that he fathered 60 children and ruled Israel for seven years. None of the kids married in the tribe. Poor Bethlehem! Chamber of commerce members had to be frustrated.
There is a story in Judges 19 about a young Levite, a native of Bethlehem, who went house-hunting. He found lodging with Micah, not the prophet, but a man who made shrines to gods from his mother’s silver. It is unclear to me if the story of a Bethlehem Levite in chapter 19 is the same. But the poor fellow got caught up an event reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah. Apparently Bethlehem’s stigma followed her youth, even when they left home!
Small town economies are fragile. A famine came into the area. People were hungry! Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons and daughters-in-law left Bethlehem for Moab in search of food. People still do that. They move from place to place in search of work. Hunger drove the family from tiny Bethlehem. The rest of the story is in the Book of Ruth. The story of Ebimelech’s family is too important to the salvation story to overlook. When reviewing it, remember, the plot includes a small village and her citizens.
But even the most depressed of villages may experience a change of fortunes. Tourism is big there nowadays! Good things began to happen. David was anointed King of Israel in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16), one of the first positive events the Bethlehem Historical Society was able to record. It was followed by the account of David’s mighty men who risked their lives to fetch a flask of water from Bethlehem’s well. Some entrepreneur ought to start bottling "Agua Beth!" I may share my idea with Restoration Hardware! They are into stuff like that. There is a dollar to be made!
I think the storyline of Bethlehem has potential for some mini-series. Philistines occupied the town for a while during one of the many skirmishes with Israel. The cemetery at the edge of town has some notorious people, and heroes, buried there. The townspeople were patriotic too. When Ezra was enlisting workers to rebuild the walls and Temple in Jerusalem, Bethlehemites responded.
There is much more to Bethlehem’s story. But, the one event that changed the little village forever was the one Phillips Brooks had in mind when he wrote the Christmas Carol. Micah’s prediction came to pass and from that tiny epicenter of salvation the Savior of the whole world was carried in Mary’s arms into the center stage of history. The events of the night Pastor Brooks memorialized changed the world’s calendars. Note "BC: before Christ," and "AD: anno Domini" or, "year of our Lord," is a watershed of history, one greater than any other. Those who belittle things deemed too small ought to remember that Bethlehem’s stage was small, but the play was huge!
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