Sharing Fair-ey Tales

Fair week is special. Adults get a break from the routine; kids get a chance at rides and prizes. Families get together and camp out in the RV. Some come to show off their skills in various events, others come to gawk at what’s been entered in the events. Some come to sell their wares, some to raise money for charitable or school groups; others come to buy the best tacos-in-a-bag or freshest lemonade in the area.

I grew up in the Texas Panhandle, and our big fair was the Tri-State Fair. Folks would come from Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico to enter their 4-H projects, domestic and fine arts, baking, canning, etc. Up-and-coming musical acts and a few acts a bit past their prime would make appearances during Fair Week. The Midway would be crowded with games, rides, food booths, and displays. It might have been a little bigger than the Meigs County Fair, but it certainly wasn’t any better.

As a teenager, I worked in a booth sponsored by our local ministerial association. It was pretty simple actually. We didn’t ask for money, and we didn’t throw out lots of literature. We just did one thing: passed out cups of ice-cold water.

Although the fair wasn’t until mid-September, temperatures in the upper 90s were common. And there’s nothing like some refreshing, ice-cold water in the midst of a scorcher!

Why cups of cold water? You’ll find the answer in Matthew 10:42: “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciples, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” (NIV)

A cup of cold water isn’t much; but Jesus used this example to show how even small things matter in the kingdom of heaven. Often we are tempted to think that our actions and attitudes simply do not mean much in the grand scheme of things. After all, compared to the impact of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, my throwing out an empty soda can from my car on Route 124 is nothing! When North Korea wants to make nuclear weapons to threaten South Korea, my angry words against my wife mean nothing, right?

Wrong! My actions and attitudes do affect others, just as much as those “bigger things.” A kind deed gets bigger as its repeated, spreading goodness far beyond ourselves. And bad things also get multiplied — to the point that they become global threats.

A cup of cold water shared in Jesus’ name doesn’t seem like much – but it is! It’s how God takes something insignificant and inexpensive and makes it intimate and invaluable. The MasterCard marketing folks would tell us it’s “priceless.”

So what about you? What Fair-ey tales can you tell? In what ways have you expressed and received the hospitality that should mark every disciple of Jesus Christ?

An ice-cold cup of water, doesn’t that sound good?

How Does a Garden Grow?

First published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday, Aug. 10, 2007

Drive around this area during the summer and you’ll see garden after garden – in backyards, side yards, and even a few front yards. My wife and I joined the gardening movement last summer. We prepped an area back behind the parsonage and planted lettuce, spinach, summer squash, zucchini, and butternut squash.

Garrison Keillor (of A Prairie Home Companion) tells the story about people locking their cars in Lake Wobegon starting in late July and early August. Not because they’re afraid their cars will be stolen, but to protect themselves from a more sinister danger. It seems Ralph went to the hardware store to pick up a box of nails and forgot to lock the car. During the six minutes that he was in the store, someone discovered the back seat was unlocked and filled the entire car with green zucchini!

That’s the way I felt about all the butternut squash from last year’s garden. There was too much!!! So we were smart this year; we didn’t plant ANY butternut squash. But, lo and behold, three different butternut squash plants “volunteered” themselves to this year’s garden. Once again, my butternut runneth over!!

The growing garden made me think about spiritual growth. What makes a Christian grow? Jesus told several stories about the kingdom of God being like seeds planted in a field: “A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29).

The growth, said Jesus, happens all by itself. That means it must be God’s work to make it grow! I can prep the soil, plant the seeds, add water when needed, but the growing part – the hardest part – happens without me doing anything.

It’s the same for Christians. We can read Scripture, pray, give generously and sacrificially, worship with others, help others in need – all those things we know that we should be doing. But all of our work is in vain without God doing the divine part – growing us into becoming more like Jesus Christ. That’s what salvation is to me – growing to be so much like Jesus that there’s no room for sinful Kerry anymore.

The Apostle Paul said salvation is a process – running a race to “win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) We are intended to be growing, running, never standing still or accepting the status quo. If you feel dead, when was the last time you opened yourself to the Giver of Life? If your personal life is so full of weeds – bad relationships, bad habits, unforgiveness, bitterness – when was the last time you allowed God to prune away the junk?

Yes, this is a busy season. The garden must be harvested. Meigs County Fair is next week. School’s just another couple of weeks away. But don’t forget God’s part of your life. If you’ve taken a break from worshipping on Sunday (or Saturday or any other day of the week), then get back to church! If you’ve not read your Bible, prayed, or told someone else how much God loves them – get busy!! God’s got a lot of growing in you to do!

Bridging the Gap

First published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday, Aug. 3, 2007

Last week my four-year-old niece, Cassandra, came to visit us for the week. It was my most intense experience with a preschooler in over a decade. How quickly we forget the way things were “back then!”

For example, I’d forgotten about the importance of the bedtime rituals. My youngest daughter (now a teenager) occasionally still comes to me for goodnight hugs and kisses, but otherwise it’s each one to his or her own. I don’t even define when its bedtime anymore. Cassandra, however, has an elaborate ritual with a series of steps that must be followed in exact order at the appropriate time. Otherwise, she will not relax and go to sleep.

The first night was pretty easy. Cassandra still had the excitement of coming to visit us. The second night, all the newness had worn off and she fully realized Mommy and Daddy were not around. Homesickness set in, and I experienced a four-year-old’s expression of angst. It wasn’t very pretty.

We also had to dig out all the old Disney movies on VHS tapes that hadn’t been watched in ages. Otherwise, our house had very little in the way of easy entertainment options.

“Remember when we had so many toys that we had to convert the dining room into a playroom?” I asked my wife. “What happened to them?”

“They’re long gone dear – all except a few keepsake toys packed away in plastic buckets in the basement.”

That’s when it struck me. I’ve been “gapped” by the progress of time; I am no longer the parent of young children. Without my realizing it, a whole generation is already coming up behind me. And I’m not particularly well equipped to handle them.

I wonder if that happened to Jesus. The gospel of Luke tells us about the time people were bringing their children to Jesus, just so he could touch them. “When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” (Luke 18:15-16)

The disciples seemed ill equipped to handle the kids. Probably some of them were crying. I would guess a few of the infants and toddlers had soiled bottoms and didn’t smell very good (after all, there were no Pampers back then). As travelers, the disciples certainly didn’t have a lot of toys on hand to keep the children entertained. So it was easier to get rid of the problem by dismissing them, driving the children away.

But that’s not how Jesus wanted the children treated. He called for them, gathered them into his arms and loved them, stinky bottoms and all.

Are we embracing children in our churches today? I am blessed to have several families with young children in my church. Yes, they sometimes cry in the middle of my sermon. But that’s OK by me. I like to think of them as just breaking a little more of the kingdom of heaven into the room.

Unfortunately, we have all heard horror stories about the unwelcome environments some churches have created towards children. Sometimes it’s a subconscious thing. We just get so used to doing things our way that we forget there are other ways that might possibly be even better.

After the second night with Cassandra, bedtime went very well. I’m eternally grateful to my two daughters who took on a lot of the bedtime management tasks. My youngest daughter, in particular, seemed to enjoy being the “big sis” for once.

By the end of the week, Cassandra had adjusted to us, and we had adjusted to her. We each learned things about ourselves and one another during the week. Cassandra discovered she could be a little more independent, that she could read a letter from her parents all by herself, and that she really could eat corn directly from the cob!

I learned a valuable lesson in hospitality. I discovered some of the little ways that I can make others feel welcome even when I don’t have the ideal environment for them. I also learned how much my own habits can get in the way of hospitality.

“Let the children come,” said Jesus. And you are God’s child no matter how old or young you are. Jesus Christ bridged the gap between you and God. This weekend, go to the church of your choice and both welcome the children and experience being welcomed as a child of God.

__________

Interesting article from another person dealing with this issue: http://worshipconnection.cokesbury.com/content.aspx?dyn=1367

Important vs. Urgent

First published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday, July 27, 2007

There are three kinds of people in the world: those who can make and keep track of lists and those who can’t.

OK, you can probably guess where I fit. I’ve tried to make lists and get myself organized. I’ve had day planners, gone to time management seminars, tried computer calendar and tracking programs – but none of them have truly worked for me.

I really wish I could use a planner better. If I could get the hang of it, I might be better at doing both the urgent stuff and the important stuff. As it is, the urgent tends to crowd out the important.

I look into the kitchen and see a mess of dishes. They’ve got to be cleaned, and it’s my job to clean them. I also need to make some phone calls, make lesson plans for a Bible study, prepare for next Sunday’s worship service, write a couple of thank-you notes, send a get-well-soon card, visit someone at the hospital (in Columbus), etc.

Every single one of those activities is important. But not all of them are urgent. Can you guess which ones are left undone? The thank-you cards, the get-well card — and the dishes. Then my wife comes into my study and asks me when am I going to take care of the kitchen? Oops! Suddenly the dishes become urgent and off I go.

Before I know it, a week’s gone by and I still have important things to do that did not get done. Then I’m hit with a further realization – what about the importance of time with God? My family? Did I let go of God and family to take care of urgent busywork?

Big sigh. Yes. I’m guilty as charged. Being a pastor doesn’t guarantee I’ve got a healthy well-balanced life. But the good news is that God doesn’t expect me – or you – to do it on our own.

Ancient words of wisdom are found in Ecclesiastes chapter 3: “There is a season for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to be silent and a time to speak.”

How well do you use your time? Have you lost track of the important while chasing after the urgent? Have you found the time for everything? God gives us all the time we need, but it must be managed in God’s way.

Jesus explains how to set our time priorities: “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? …your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:25, 32-33)

So here is my prayer: “Lord, forgive me for all the times I’m not making your kingdom first in my life. Help me to see the difference between urgent and important, and to better manage the time you have given me today to do both. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”

Will you pray that prayer today, too?

Harry Potter’s End?

First published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday, July 20. 2007

By the time this column is published, no doubt some people will have already devoured the seventh Harry Potter book. For them, this is the most important event in their lives. More important than the war in Iraq. More important than who’ll be elected next U.S. president. Maybe even more important than what’s for dinner tonight!

Granted, many of these devoted fans are too young to fully comprehend the importance of real world events. Hogwarts seems much more real than the Middle East or even our own Tri-counties! But there are others who are old enough to know better. So what gives with Harry Potter? How has a work of fiction become such an important part of our culture so quickly?

I read the first five Potter books and watched the first three movies. I enjoyed them on their own terms. I grew up reading fantasy and science fiction novels. Anne McCaffrey, Robert Heinlein and C.S. Lewis are some of my favorite authors – but they have not affected the general culture as J.K. Rowling has. Lewis’ Narnia stories are now getting more attention thanks to the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe movie released in 2005, but his books were first written a half-century ago.

Perhaps part of the Potter saga’s appeal is its seeming reality in the midst of fantasy. We identify with Harry’s conflicted emotions, the loyalty of his friends, the aloof but ever-watchful presence of his professors. We commiserate with his experience with the Dursleys. And we fear/loath/enjoy the climactic showdowns with Lord Voldemort.

All of this drama is wonderful and appropriate as long as we keep things in context. After all, this is just FICTION!!! I am embarrassed by some Christian leaders who think Harry Potter is the worst attack on Christianity since Jesus was hung on the cross. Many have made the Potter story out to be Satan incarnate – drawing our gullible culture into a perverse love affair with wizardry and witchcraft. But there is a huge difference between the fictional world of Harry Potter and the real world in which Christ died for us!

There are much more important issues for Christians than Harry Potter. The conflict with radical Islamic forces, the spread of nuclear warfare technologies, the corruption and greed in corporate boardrooms, the moral failings associated with extra-marital sexuality, addictions to drugs, alcohol, pornography – I could go on and on. But the real point of life isn’t to draw up lists of do’s and don’ts. Jesus tells us what is truly important in Luke 6:45: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings up evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks.”

I don’t know how Harry Potter’s story ends, yet. I do know how Jesus’ story ends, even though we have yet to experience its completion. Out of the goodness of Jesus’ heart, we have new life and a new opportunity to become God’s people. The same goodness of Jesus can be ours – all we have to do is ask for it!

The next time you’re faced with a moral dilemma, remember how Jesus gives you the ability to make the right choice. Remember how Christ bore the pain of the cross the next time you feel the pain of illness, disease or a broken relationship. And best of all, Jesus doesn’t need a wand, a jinx, or counter-curse to save you from evil. He simply rose from a tomb and said, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

Not even Harry Potter can match that!

Shocking Language Requires Shocking Love

Originally published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday July 13, 2007

Some people are into shocking others. Think Howard Stern. Paris Hilton. Madonna. The more flamboyant something is, the more those types of people like it. But not every “shock jock” is a famous personality. Some are right here with us in southeastern Ohio.

I got a big shock last weekend. Our church hosted the funeral for John Holsinger. The funeral home across the street from the church didn’t have enough room in its chapel, so we allowed them to use our larger space. And we needed all that room and more! People were packed into the pews, stood along both side aisles from front to back, and they were even three-deep along the back of the sanctuary. I have never seen the church so full!

I didn’t know John well. We met last fall at a Southern High School football game; I must admit I was somewhat leery of him. John and I looked nothing alike – and our backgrounds were totally dissimilar. John was a tattoo artist and a huge Harley-Davidson motorcycle fan. I’m a preacher who wishes he had a new Honda Accord. He was into music that I sometimes didn’t even experience as music. But as we talked, I discovered that we had something in common that transcended the shocking contrasts between us: our desire to follow Jesus and be more like him.

The crowd who came to John’s funeral included a large number of bikers. Many of them are members of the Christian Motorcycle Riders Club. They love their Harleys, leathers, piercings, tattoos, wild hair, etc. – and Jesus Christ most of all.

There were some other bikers in the crowd. And one young man caught my attention – and not because his hair, tattoos or piercings were more outrageous than others. It was his t-shirt. Written in huge letters across the front was this message: “I’m not Mr. Right, but I’ll [_____] you until he comes along.”

I cannot repeat the message more explicitly. It used language that is not fit to print in this family newspaper, and it’s a word that I do not use at all. So why was this young man wearing such a shirt, and why was he wearing it IN CHURCH???

My first reaction was shock – possibly the reaction the man wanted. My second reaction was to be offended. How dare he wear that shirt into my sanctuary!!! Then my third reaction (coming several days later) was more compassionate. Perhaps the young man in question has never lived in an environment where such language is considered rude. After all, it is a word increasingly heard in all types of public places – schools, shopping centers, concerts, at the county fair, etc. It is often used in movies, and in family rooms thanks to premium channels on cable and satellite TV. Maybe in this man’s house, such language is common and accepted.

But even if he comes from such an environment, wearing that shirt into a church is still rude. But what should I do with his rudeness? That is the vital question!! Most of the time, we respond in the same manner – rudeness for rudeness. But I don’t think that’s what Jesus would have done. Nor do I think that’s what Jesus would have us to do.

The Apostle Paul gives us some very helpful definitions of what love is and what it is not: “Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).

I do not know if that young man is a Christian; however, I am a Christian. Therefore, the expectation and God-given ability to live that kind of love is mine – not necessarily his. If I am to take this scripture seriously, I must forgive the man for his rudeness and let it go. I must pray for him and look for the ways we can connect with each other in spite of our differences. I pray that God will use me in some way to reach out to people like this young man and give him loving attention without giving into the shock.

We can stand up for respect, appropriate attire and language. But we must also reach out to those who don’t follow our rules in the ways we want them to follow. I think the really shocking thing is to not turn away the shock jocks, but to embrace them. Give them unconditional love and watch the miracle God has in store for them to unfold.

“Evan Almighty” Might Reveal Mighty Truth

Originally published in The Daily Sentinel, July 6, 2007

Earlier this week, I went to see “Evan Almighty” at the Kanauga Drive-In. I rationalized that it could be part of my sermon preparations for this Sunday. I am preaching on Noah and the Flood from Genesis 7, so I thought it would be a good idea to see how Hollywood has reinterpreted that story in a 21^st century context.

If you haven’t seen “Evan,” I don’t want to spoil the story for you. But let me tell you this much: Evan Baxter, who was the guy competing for the Buffalo TV news anchor position in “Bruce Almighty,” has been elected to the U.S. Congress. He moves from Buffalo to the Virginia suburbs with his wife and three sons.

Just as Evan is getting settled in as a freshman congressman, mysterious things start happening. His alarm clock goes off each morning at “Gen 6:14.” His congressional car tags are “GEN 614,” and one of his campaign volunteers has a baby who weighed 6 lbs 14 oz. at birth. Eventually, Evan realizes they are all codes for a Bible verse: Genesis chapter six, verse 14: “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch (KJV).

More happens: A set of wooden carpenter tools arrives on the front steps. Lumber is delivered to the house (from 1-800-GO-4-WOOD) without being ordered. Evan is flustered and frustrated – then God shows up. “There’s gonna be a flood,” says God, “and I want you to build an ark.”

Evan resists. Funny things happen. Then Evan stops fighting and starts cooperating. But that only makes his life both funnier and more difficult. If you want to know how the story ends, go see the movie for yourself. Like I said, I don’t want to spoil it for you.

Following the movie, I was left with two thoughts:

1) Following God can be a risky thing. Whether it’s Noah in the antiquity of Genesis, or Evan in 21^st century America, God makes demands that are often hard to follow. God can make things risky for you and me, too. Can I really afford to tithe when gasoline costs over $3 a gallon? When Jane and Jill and Jennifer come over and talk about how awful Mary has been, am I willing to risk saying gossip is wrong? When Sam wants me to pay him in cash so he can avoid paying income tax, will I tell him no?

2) Following God is ultimately a rewarding thing. Noah experienced the covenant of the rainbow and the resurrection of life on the earth following the Flood. Evan experienced …. Well, I don’t want to give it away!

What about your experience? What about mine? Sometimes we experience blessings and rewards in the right now – sometimes we don’t recognize them until much later. But ultimately, every person who genuinely follows Jesus Christ and professes him as Savior will receive the ultimate reward of salvation.

God didn’t promise Noah that following God would make Noah’s life easier. God didn’t promise that to Evan; and God doesn’t promise that to us. What God does promise is to be present with us through the risks, the troubles, the broken relationships, the cancers and disasters that may come our way.

We are like Evan. When we’re flustered and frustrated, God shows up. But are we too self-absorbed in our troubles to notice? Look for the small things that show God’s presence: a smile, a hug, an act of random kindness. And do the things that show God’s presence: a smile, a hug, an act of random kindness. Interesting, those lists are the same!

America, Bless God

Published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday, June 29, 2007

When Irving Berlin wrote his first version of “God Bless America” in 1918, I imagine he never expected that song to be even more popular today almost a century later. Through the years, “God Bless America” has become the unofficial national anthem. It was the most popular song at memorial services following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the New York Yankees play it during the “seventh-inning stretch” of every home game.

We sing “God Bless America,” but how often we do think about America blessing God? Can we bless God? Absolutely! Every time we do a kind deed for another person without thought of reward, we are blessing God. Every time a child is hugged and told that he or she is loved, we bless God. Whenever we put the interests of others ahead of our own, we bless God.

So what is a blessing? It’s an action or experience that points towards divine approval. Jesus taught “ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.” (Matt 7:12, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language). I like the way Eugene Peterson paraphrased this verse. We are to grab the initiative in doing good for others, not wait for others to do good for us. We bring our actions into divine approval and, in a sense, make God more visible to others.

More often than not, even as Christians, we tend to act out of self-interest rather than other-oriented-ness. We put a “numero uno” sign above our heads and act as if others are unimportant – or worse – downright inconveniences that get in our way. That kind of behavior certainly doesn’t point others towards God.

Is it any wonder that we live in a society that doubts God’s existence? Check the recent New York Times’ bestseller list. God is not Great by Christopher Hitchens is in the top ten. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins is #52 at Amazon.com even after being out for more than 18 months. Not a book reader? Then how about the recent Discovery Channel special on the “Lost Tomb of Jesus” that claimed DNA evidence proved archaeologists had found Jesus’ real grave (and that of his wife and child). Never mind that other scientists scoffed at this James Cameron-produced “documentary” and that it was more about creating controversy and generating big bucks than practicing real science.

We live in an age of skepticism of all things religious because we are not a people who bless God. You and I have rendered God invisible by looking out for our own interests instead of the interests of others. When we practice a “what’s in it for me?” mentality, there’s nothing left for anybody else.

So as you prepare for next week’s July Fourth parade, barbeque, and fireworks celebration, I invite you to do one additional thing: grab the initiative in doing something good for others as you would have them do for you.

America, isn’t it time to bless God?