Friends

Pat and I recently attended our alma mater’s homecoming and anniversary event. As we reinforced friendships with worship services and playful fellowship for several days, one classmate mentioned that we first met 50 years ago as teenage freshmen. Each wondered, "How did the time pass so quickly?"

Since we returned home, I have been wondering, "How have we maintained friendships when we see each other so infrequently?" We meet a few of our friends at biennial church conventions. Others live near family and we enjoy the luxury sharing an occasional cup of coffee. None live within 100 miles.

Since returning home I have been stirred by the J. Wilbur Chapman song, "Our Great Savior." (I am fond of Chapman because of his association with Philadelphia.) The first verse and refrain say:
Jesus! What a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Hallelujah! What a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end. The Book of Proverbs says, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (18:24) I believe God makes enduring friendships possible as reminders that He is the One who never fails in His role, no matter how often we may falter in keeping our part of the relationship alive and well.

Chapman included foes in his poem and we may have had a few. I simply cannot remember them. What I find most remarkable is that Pat and I have been blessed with friends who have not failed. Their names are ordinary: Bob, Judy, Carley, Barbara, Jim, Rick, Abe, Patty, Nilli and James. Other friends are younger than our children: David and Laura, Edwin and Liz, Johnnie and Jennie. Life is richer, sweeter, happier because God gave us extraordinary friends with some rather ordinary names.

Play to win!

Occasionally even good teams will play to not lose rather than playing to win. The telltale signs are subtle. It may be noticed in the tenseness on the players’ faces, the tentativeness with which they play their positions or the slumping posture of key members. Confidence is reinforced with many successful repetitions but can be smashed with one bad pitch or failed catch.

Israel’s troops, King Saul and David’s brothers played hypothetical war games, asking each other, "What would happen to us if we took on Goliath?" They were approaching war with a "How do we not lose?" attitude. David boldly said, "Let’s see what God will do!"

The ten who spied out the Promise Land with Joshua and Caleb concluded that a thorough beating was inevitable should anyone dare to do battle with the people living there. Joshua and Caleb’s shoulders still were unbent, their gait was sure, and their eyes clear as they went into battles at Jericho, Ai and beyond.

Like numberless men and women before him, Daniel dared to defy the king who captured and held him as a prisoner of war. The hero of faith surely knew what the consequences would be if he lost weight or became sick while refusing the king’s smorgasbord. Those who play not to lose lose their competitive edge, and slouch their way toward the ordinary.

My friend and mentor, Owen Carr, once arrested me with a question. I had an opportunity before me and was beginning to amble about slouch shouldered and beaten. Brother Carr asked, "What keeps you from pursuing your dream?" I shrugged, "We can’t afford it." Brother Carr’s response was life changing. "If God wants it done, He can afford it!" Once I learned to ask the right question, the answers allowed me to play to win!

Why write?

Why do I write? Whom do I hope will read what I write? In short, by writing I hope to speak to issues I deem important from my grave. I write primarily for my children and grandchildren and am pleased when anyone else looks over my shoulder, or on my children’s iPad or computer monitor. Being an old Neanderthal who prefers paper and ink symbols bound into books, I too am learning from those who speak from their graves.

Most of the time I am merely hoping that others will consider issues and ideas I raise to be worthy of consideration and conversation. On occasion I have written items to put forward an outrageous idea, a gross overstatement, or a preposterous hypothesis just to stimulate thinking. I believe change always begins with an idea, a consideration of the possibility of a better way.

I remember reading about a pastor proudly reported to his church during the congregation’s annual business meeting, "This past year I knocked on over 500 doors welcoming the residents of the home to attend our church!" When the meeting chairman asked, "Are there any questions for the pastor about his report?" one person asked, "How many came to church?" "None," the pastor replied. The follow up question was, "What will you do this year to stimulate growth in the church?" "I’ll call on 1000 families!"

Huh? Dig a deeper rut? Flog away in ineffectiveness?

The writer of the Book of Hebrews cites an expectation of "better things," (chapter 6) for his (or her) readers. Later, the writer celebrates Jesus’ "superior ministry" and "better covenant" (Chapter 7) and "better sacrifice" (chapter 11). In light of the charges and counter charges of political candidates, I am doubly thrilled that I am a citizen of a "better country" (chapter 11).

I value your responses, reactions, agreement and uneasiness with my probing around the comforts of ordinary thinking. New ideas excite me and I fancy myself to be a pyromaniac who determines to light fires of redemptive change in as many followers of Jesus as possible.

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic are Spiritual

From my daughter Candace’s pen I was reminded of the following.
"HOW IMPORTANT IS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION? VERY!
"In 2008-09, just 48% of Philadelphia school children could read at grade level. 31% of those children are tested Below Basic, the lowest level. Philadelphia's high school graduation rate is 57%. (from PhilaCares.org)
"What can WE do?! We can provide quality early childhood education! Quality early education cuts the number of students placed in special education by 50%, and increases high school graduation rates by as much as 31%!!! (from americaspromise.org)"
Ten years ago Spring Garden Academy was established in part because of the alarming condition of the Philadelphia education system. Our discovery of functional illiteracy of high school graduates alarmed us as we considered the future of the church. It didn’t take long to realize that people coming to our altar and trusting Jesus to save them were waking up the next day unable to read the Bible given to them with strong encouragement to read. Applying for employment or a driver’s license is a huge hurdle for someone who doesn’t read. Checkbooks are written in indecipherable code for those lacking basic math skills. How does one negotiate a road trip when road signs are unclear gibberish?

While vacationing recently, I read a book by Cardinal Fulton J. Sheen who served as archbishop of New York decades ago. One of the many pungent lines that challenged me read, "For the church that does not reproduce, that is not missionary, is weaving its own shroud."¹ A "one size fits all" theory of ministry leads to colossal failure if the failure proof plan assumes everyone is academically prepared to complete lessons and in places where common societal achievements are affirmed.

Saturday afternoon I will chair a meeting of the Spring Garden Academy board of directors. We will wrestle with the usual challenges of relating to finance, personnel and property. And we will pray and dream together as we refine our passion and consider the worthiness of the mission on which we have embarked. We will discuss the findings of "Begin to Read."
"The harsh reality that 2/3 of all students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4^th grade will end up in jail or on welfare.
"85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate.
"More than 60 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate.
"Penal institution records show that inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% who receive no help. This equates to taxpayer costs of $25,000 per year per inmate and nearly double that amount for juvenile offenders. Illiteracy and crime are closely related. The Department of Justice states, ‘The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.’ Over 70% of inmates in America's prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level."²

Begin to Read’s website (http://www.begintoread.com/research/literacystatistics.html) adds the following sobering statistics.
Literacy is learned. Illiteracy is passed along by parents who cannot read or write.
One child in four grows up not knowing how to read.
43% of adults at Level 1 literacy skills live in poverty compared to only 4% of those at Level 5.
3 out of 4 food stamp recipients perform in the lowest 2 literacy levels
90% of welfare recipients are high school dropouts
16 to 19-year-old girls at the poverty level and below, with below average skills, are 6 times more likely to have out-of-wedlock children than their reading counterparts.
Low literary costs $73 million per year in terms of direct health care costs. A recent study by Pfizer put the cost much higher.
Highway Tabernacle leaders have established "The Next Generation" ministry, an intense discipleship program which acknowledges the unique challenges of making competent followers of Jesus from among those with deficits in reading, writing and basic math skills. The circumstances are spiritual and require spiritual people to act!

The initial apparent success of The Next Generation is indicated in a socially, emotionally, and academically "at risk" youth who participated the last two summers is thriving in Ground Zero Master’s Commission. Another is attending a fine Christian college. Two young ladies are scheduled to graduate from high school and are dreaming of a college education.

Why do I repeatedly address the issues mentioned? It is my passion! It is my personal conviction that until urban young people are prepared for life and ministry in the city, the urban church will continue to struggle. We must equip the next generation of Christians now, beginning at the earliest possible age. Those who have been blessed, as I have been, with a great education and familial support, must minister to those following us now and who lead others later. We must be people of an unwavering commitment, those who make sacrificial investments. The effectiveness of the urban church making disciples until Jesus returns is being determined in part by those addressing daunting educational challenges today.



　

Opening Mail, the last pleasure of a road trip

Traveling is fun. Seeing new sights, revisiting favorite destinations and exploring another "historic downtown" with friends are pure delights. After a recent trip we opened the mail which had accumulated for ten days, a paper pyramid that squirmed in several disorganized directions between the post office counter, two sets of glass doors, thirty feet of side walk and into the car.

Opening the bundle of recycled paper simulated a mini-Christmas morning experience. The stack of paper and ink included several offers for credit cards with pre-approved amounts of $1000's. My favorite bookstore sent an offer of special discounts in exchange for using their card. Several insurance companies want us to consider their Medicare Supplement plans and at least three cable companies want us to know their company’s fiber optic is much faster than the industry standard. Term life insurance, we learned, has never been cheaper for people our age. A legitimate appeal for donating blood was nestled in the bundle, but was dwarfed by the renewal notice (two years early) for AARP and two magazine subscriptions. A school neither Pat nor I attended invited us to their annual homecoming and an invoice for something we never ordered, nor want, was waiting for our attention. Politicians running for municipal, county, state or national office helped build the heap destined for the recycle bin. From the 50 or more items four or five were sent first class.

The one piece of mail that caught my eye was a handwritten note of appreciation for being a loyal customer with a national bakery where we occasionally purchase a bear claw, pumpkin muffin or loaf of seeded rye bread. My key ring tag had broken and I had asked for a new one. I love the store’s program of giving a free cup of coffee, salad or sandwich because of my loyalty. I don’t know Sarah, but her note was a favorite in my after-travel mail. It was the only piece which was hand written! Sarah’s personal touch matters with me.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthian church assuring the congregation, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." (2 Corinthians 3:2-3) Now, that is personal! That is communication Spirit to spirit! Paul’s letter, God’s Word, is profoundly personal and powerful.

Prayer Works!

Theologians define nuances and spin eloquent explanations about prayer. Pastors spend time encouraging and inspiring their congregations, urging them to pray. Authors write books and study guides to promote more effective praying. Small groups are scattered across the landscape sitting knee-to-knee, holding hands and intoning deep, hopeful desires.

 

Pragmatists wonder, “Does prayer work?” Is anything going to happen? Sometimes life throws something akin to a Justin Verlander fastball, 100 miles per hour, high and inside. (Verlander is the Detroit Tigers’ ace World Series pitcher. GO TIGERS! About three years ago we woke up to the reality that Pat has Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and we have enlisted everyone we know to pray for her healing, and for both of us as we cope with a debilitating disease. Both Pat and I have been Jesus’ followers since we were elementary school age. We learned to pray as children and continue to grow in our prayer experience. Prayer sustains and the Spirit warms our hearts, urges us to trust, and encourages us to try again when the high inside fastball is followed by a slow breaking slider at which the best of hitters swing and miss. But the best of hitters don’t quit after strike two! Praying people don’t quit either!

 

I made an investment at a garage sale where I purchased Michael J. Fox's memoir, Lucky Man for $1.00. The actor of TV and big screen fame announced he has youthful onset Parkinson’s in the 1990's and has become an advocate for PD research and understanding in the marketplace. Explanation of symptoms and frustration from another voice made the memoire helpful, but was a difficult read for a couple of reasons. First it is laced with profanity and reveals a lifestyle hard for Jesus followers to admire. Second Fox’s experiences and ours are too painfully similar.

 

It is safe to say that Michael J. Fox does not define prayer as we have learned and experience prayer. But, he is a pragmatist! He answers emphatically, “Prayer works!” As I cruised toward the conclusion of the book, I was startled by the following lengthy quote.

 

“At one time or another, during times of personal struggle or loss, we’ve all heard people tell us they would ‘pray for us.’ Just an expression, I’d always thought, until I felt the power of that sentiment when it was offered, and meant, by tens of thousands of people. The feeling is overwhelming; I have no doubt that being on the receiving end of so much spiritual energy has gone a long way to sustain me over the last couple of years. I no longer underestimate the power of prayer.

 

“Nor, it seems, do some scientists. I recently read about an experiment in which researchers at Columbia University tested the power of prayer to help women with fertility problems. A group of strangers . . . in America, was asked to pray for a group of women in a Korean fertility clinic who had no knowledge of the experiment. At the same time, a separate control group at the clinic received no prayers. At the end of the study, fifty percent of the women who’d been prayed for got pregnant, while only twenty-six percent of the control group conceived. This is the exactly opposite of what the researchers expected – their stated intention had been to disprove the efficacy of prayer.”

 

Pat and I pray daily for friends whose daughter suffers from cancer, some who are unemployed, others whose children are unsaved, for our neighbors, and our church. Pat’s health and other challenges we and others face remain as difficult as a major league pitcher’s “cutter.” We have learned about prayer, but we are also pragmatists. “Prayer works!” Thanks for your prayers!

"Good Riddance!"

Reading the Bible in different translations has the effect of slowing me down as I confront slightly different language and nuances of truth. I was startled in my present reading of Second Chronicles in the New Living Translation. Chapter 21 concludes with, "No one was sorry when he died (King Jehoram of Judah). He was buried in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery."

Epitaphs can be amusing or sobering. On Effie Jean Robinson’s tombstone is etched sobering advice.

Come blooming youths, as you pass by,

And on these lines do cast an eye.

As you are now, so once was I;

As I am now, so must you be;

Prepare for death and follow me

Good advice, but not funny at all. But someone added:

To follow you

I am not content,

How do I know

Which way you went?

A grave marker in Boot Hill Cemetery in Tombstone, Arizona, adds local flavor and offers a bit of levity.

Here lays Butch.

We planted him raw.

He was quick on the trigger

But slow on the draw.

I suppose a fitting epitaph for Jehoram might be, "Good Riddance!" When David died, however, the nation grieved the death of their leader.

How we live determines how others feel about our passing and how Jesus will either celebrate or lament our entrance into eternity. In Matthew 25 Jesus used a very simple, but picturesque word picture to define the final judgment.

A high school English assignment included memorizing William Cullen Bryant’s "Thanatopsis." The last few lines are etched in my memory and serve as purifying influence in daily life.
"So live, that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan which moves
To that mysterious realm, where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams."
Am I feeling moribund this morning? No, I just don’t want folks brushing off my life with a "Good riddance!" And I really want to hear a hearty, "Well done!" Each day we contribute to the pool of evidence from which the verdict will be made. The Psalmist prayed, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)