Light...is it usually so bright?

I get up first in the morning at our house. That has not always been the case but it is now. Even on Saturdays and Sundays I am the first up with one exception, the dog. We now have nicknamed her chicken dog as she tries to go to sleep when the sun goes down and is up to greet the sun at its rise. That means she thinks I should get up too and greet the sun. During the week that is 5:15, it’s still dark at 5:15 but Annie is ready to go and being a beagle sniffs the world. I sometimes think a bomb could go off while she smells the great outdoors and she would not know it. The last few days have included a full moon and with clear skies the “moon shine” is very bright. Now it is not my custom to carry a light with me but when there is a full moon and clear skies reading the paper even with old eyes is not a problem no light needed.

I have recently, like Black Friday, purchased a Smartphone. To tell you why I need one, it took me two days to figure out how to answer a call. I was double tapping the icon on the screen and nothing happened. Turns out I have to tap and drag to answer a call. Yes, it took me two days to figure that out (STOP LAUGHING NOW AND READ). In my defense I have been using the speech to text feature with great success. That feature is cool. I tell you all this for my custom is to carry my phone as a clock. Lately with the cold I have wondered how cold it is so this new phone gets the real time temp from Accuweather® on the face of my phone. The problem is that display is soooo bright when all around me is sooo dark. Even with a full moon looking from the phone to the dark around me, it takes a few seconds until I can see again. Are they usually so bright…the light that is?

Light it brings us hope in a dark room or unfamiliar surroundings. It seems so bright when all around has been so dark. As a Boy Scout we went on a high adventure to Philmont Scout Ranch. As a stop in the trail we went into an abandoned mine. Our guide turned off the light and we were in absolute darkness. No vision because we had no light, I did hold my hand to my face in an attempt, it was dark. Then a single light was on and every eye darted to it taking in its small but brilliant glow. One by one more came on and we were off to another part of the tour. Light captures our sight and our attention away from the darkness.

Earlier in the week I wondered why we decorate our homes with lights. For some so many lights that we spend extra money paying for the electricity to have them on. Thousands and thousands of lights of multiple colors, shapes and sizes outlining the tree, bush, home, shed, car well whatever. It brightens the yard, the neighbor’s yard and half the street and we enjoy it. Light brings hope!

Christmas lights remind us that the season is one filled with hope for all mankind. Lights on our homes brighten the night reminding us of hope that may have faded. But no string or strings of lights can shine as bright as the reason for the season, Jesus. It’s not just his birth to celebrate this Christmas but him, his light, his love and most importantly his hope. Hope that the night in our lives can become the morning of a new day. Hope that the darkness of our existence can be overcome with joy, beauty and brightness. Jesus is the light of the world and for those of us who are followers his light is within us waiting to be revealed, uncovered turned on in a dark tunnel. When you uncover his light, all eyes in a dark world will be drawn to the flicker no matter how small. His glow will illuminate their hearts with light so bright they will be blinded. If they dare look away they will see nothing but the white hot core of the glow, that one light shining brightly in the darkness of their lives.  

Eugene Peterson paraphrased John 1:4-5 this way

“What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.”

We have a task to shine! Not to shine George, Mark of Sam or Betty but rather to shine only Jesus. His light is life and the darkness cannot put it out! Just like the full moon these last few mornings. It emits no light all of that glow so bright you can read by is reflection of the light of the sun. Christmas is our time to reflect the light of the Son in a dark and dying world. No, it’s not usually that bright but it’s Christmas!

In HIS Service and Yours,

The Rev

I think I am...but I am not

 Faithful that is. It is my guess that most of us think we do this or are good at that but in reality are not. Like counting calories, everybody does a great job counting calories until we get on the scale. There is the proof and yes we did not count well. I’m sure it was a glitch in the computer and that double fudge, pumpkin latte with crème was oh so good but may have had more calories than we thought.

It happens all the time. That friend who you have been meaning to call but just didn’t do it, one week becomes two and three and so on until it has been months and yet you still have made no call. It is strange in the age of connection we live in with instant 24 hour access to communication that a single call could not be completed. “I was going to do it,” came from your mouth as a matter of explanation or is it excuse. The fact is you did not get it done and therefore you are unfaithful. So am I, two peas in a pod.

You know I just made a call I had on the “to do” and am blessed by the conversation and for the call. When we are faithful he pours out the blessings in a deluge overwhelming us with grace like rain, when we are faithful. But what about when I am not?

I read today from Paul while in prison writing to his son in the ministry Timothy:         

I rely on this saying: If we died with him we shall also live with him: if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him. If we deny him he will also deny us: yet if we are faithless he always remains faithful. He cannot deny his own nature. 2 Timothy 2:13 J.B. Phillips

How about that, “if we are faithless he always remains faithful.” His own nature is to be faithful. God’s own nature is love. Those continue regardless of our action or non-action. 

Sometimes I think of faith and God’s response like Karma. What I give is what I get in the same proportions. But the reality of grace in the Kingdom of God is that is NOT true. Grace affords for me what I do not deserve and cannot attain for myself, God’s forgiveness. Not his love he has already given that but rather his forgiveness. Better yet, that forgiveness remains not based on my faithfulness but rather the character of God.

I think I am a good follower of Jesus. I think I am a good prayer warrior.  Think I am a fabulous preacher, musician, father etc. In reality I am not at all what I think I am. In fact I am no longer a sinner but rather a Saint who sins. I cannot follow well, preach, pray, play, father or any of those things. I am completely dependent on Jesus. I Think I am thankful for that!

I think I am thankful but I am not. I need to count on grace for that too. That’s good, grace that is!

Happy Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for that we did nothing for.

In HIS Service and Yours,

The Rev

Thanksgiving...not necessarily a compound word!

I came upon a visual this week while looking for a thanksgiving image that divided this compound word into two pieces. It started me thinking about thanks and giving.

It has always been special to me that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas. Honestly when we give thanks to God for his amazing love, care, compassion, long suffering, patience and looking the other way that is more than enough but then comes the best gift of all Christmas. Christmas, when God gives his very best to us, Christ, as our present in essence saying thank you. Is it possible God would say thank you to me? I think so. In that progression of holidays it is important to see the order.

Yes, Thanksgiving comes before Christmas that’s because of the calendar. But I want you to see thanks comes before giving in both the word and the holidays. That is the proper order. I know we make it smaller by giving thanks and stop there. But it doesn’t stop there. If I was truly thankful I would give in response to the blessings I have received, giving coming after thanking, just like the season. But stopping is what we do, isn’t it. We give thanks in some way probably not enough (quantity) and not well enough (quality) and then sit back and watch some football. We did our duty, right?

Right, we did our duty or did we? In our practice thanksgiving is not a compound word and yet thru thankfulness would be evidenced by giving. We have been blessed to be a blessing! Max Lucado* likens thankfulness to worship,

Worship is a voluntary act of gratitude offered by the saved to the Savior, by the healed to the Healer, and by the delivered to the Deliverer.

He goes on in this “worship” theme to say.

Worship is when you’re aware that what you’ve been given is far greater than what you can give.

Worship is the “thank you” that refuses to be silenced.

The Bible says,

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Psalm 107:31 NIV 1984

We have so much to “worship” God. Sometimes we are thankful and sometimes we give but what if… just what if our giving resulted from our thankfulness. We responded to the outrageous blessings of God by giving. The season primes us for the task. More folks give at Christmas. How about us folks be at the front of the pack giving because we know God, his Son and are filled with His Holy Spirit?

This Thanksgiving let’s start with thanks and compound it with giving. Then it will truly be a compound word and not only that but compound action.

 Happy Thanksgiving to you and those you love!    

  

In HIS Service and Yours,
The Rev


*Grace for the Moment © 2000 Max Lucado, J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., exclusively for Hallmark Cards. P. 346 “Saying ‘Thank You’”.

It's sad to say I forgot...

 As I turned into the driveway of FBC Springfield I looked for the four signs that were left in the yard for Pastor Appreciation. White poster board with hand lettering saying thank you to Bro. Jeff, Bro Darren, Bro. David and me Bro. George. I was looking for them because when I first saw them they surprised me and brought a smile to my face. It is the simple things that make us smile. This morning they were gone. Probably they have been gone for a while but I missed them today.

What I have forgotten to say is Thank You to First Baptist Church of Springfield for you continued love and support for me, my family and the church I pastor. You are a kind and loving people and have blessed me by being you. I also forgot to say I was not at the appreciation evening because Crossroads was hosting a pumpkin festival and meal the same evening. So I was there judging chili entries and sliding down inflatable slides. It hard I know it but someone has to do it! No, I don’t feel like a red-headed-step-child. That was my choice.

Choice is the gift of love God has given us. “Free Will” as we call it is a powerful and dangerous gift God gave us at creation’s beginning. John Eldridge says that choice makes God wild and dangerous. It was quite a risk on his part giving us a choice. We might not choose well.

Every parent knows this risk as their children grow towards maturity and take on more responsibilities and opportunities. Thos responsibilities and opportunities involve risk and consequences, some of which are not pleasant and life changing. But the point of raising children is to set them off on their own. It is a risky business for us and God.

We have a choice to be grateful sad to say and most days we forget our blessings. My oldest Elizabeth was telling me of having lunch with a student born in Syria. The conversation with others hung on how long it took to vote and what a yada, yada, yada it was. This foreign born student spoke up and said you have no idea what an opportunity it is to vote. The conversation stopped dead in its tracks with these words. We are just not grateful most days sad to say.

It is less than two weeks until Thanksgiving Day, so it is not too late to begin to count your blessings and say them one by one. Don’t forget to say them out loud and to those who bless your life in any way. Don’t forget it is that important. God has blessed us beyond any measure we could use and it is sad to say we forget to say Thank You to Him or anyone else.

Don’t forget anymore! Say Thank You in this season of thanksgiving.

In HIS Service and Yours,

The Rev

It's Morning and Friday...

 For many that alone would make it good. The jury is still out on that as far as I am concerned. There are several things of which I have recently become aware.

The first is from the school bus. Children are paranoid about bleeding. If there is even a hint of red on any part of them they are bleeding. The first thing out of their mouths is, “I am bleeding.” My response is “where?” That is when they stick their appendage in my face to let me see. Now I wear bifocals and it takes a bit to focus. Usually I say where? Because I see no blood, not even a red spot. They try to point out the leakage and I say, “it will be alright.” Yesterday it hit me that no matter what the bleeding will stop. It WILL stop either you will run out of blood stoppage or it will clot stoppage again. So, either way you will stop bleeding. Now I make no guarantee as to which option is to your best advantage. But the problem of bleeding will stop.

It s like a flying airplane, it will come down. How will we get down, the answer is gravity. It always works. The REAL question is under control or not. That IS the real problem. That affects the positive or negative evaluation of the outcome. I really do think about this stuff!

Another thought comes from “I’m going to die.” Well yes you will unless Jesus comes back first. Otherwise you are going to die. Most likely not now or from what it is that is bothering you but yes at some point you will die without a divine miracle like Enoch and Elijah.

I noticed a local restaurant that has been remodeling has painted. The new color is prison-jumpsuit-orange. That shocked me. I am certain I would not have chosen prison-jumpsuit-orange for the outside of my restaurant. I had such hopes for the remodel but prison-jumpsuit-orange has given me a little heart burn.

The beagle we have at our house is named Ann. We call her all kinds of names but she comes anyway, well most of the time. This morning like every other morning she was excited. She is the most excited living thing. She is a beagle and so the smells to be smelled must be the best in the morning. Most days that seems to be true.  She exhibits nowhere near that level of excitement any other time of the day, running and dancing, pawing and pushing me to get up and go. I have to say she is excited for both of us. It is way too early to be that excited. Or is it?

The last few days with the moon full and the cool air at 5:30 am the sky has been magnificent. The stars are bright with extra twinkle and the moon with its bright reflection of the sun has been amazing. We live in the country so there are more stars visible and in the cool air f the last few days they have been extra sharp. It seems the whole planet well at least what I could see was excited for the morning just like Ann. So why do I not share that excitement?

I read this morning:

^3-6 Praise be to God for giving us through Christ every possible spiritual benefit as citizens of Heaven! For consider what he has done—before the foundation of the world he chose us to become, in Christ, his holy and blameless children living within his constant care. He planned, in his purpose of love, that we should be adopted as his own children through Jesus Christ—that we might learn to praise that glorious generosity of his which has made us welcome in the everlasting love he bears towards the Son.

^11-12 And here is the staggering thing—that in all which will one day belong to him we have been promised a share (since we were long ago destined for this by the one who achieves his purposes by his sovereign will), so that we, as the first to put our confidence in Christ, may bring praise to his glory! Ephesians 1-6, 11-12 J.B. Phillips

So, It is morning a Friday morning and this is the day the LORD has made…I will rejoice and be glad in it! The dog and the planet say so.

In HIS Service and Yours,

The Rev