Working Hard at Being Unproductive

The Sabbath has always been the strangest of the ten commandments. There are only ten and they are the original Big Ten. Do we really need a commandment to remember to take a day off? "Don't murder each other, Don't sleep with people you are not married to, Don't steal other people's stuff, oh, and remember to take a day off each week." The weirdest thing is that is probably one of the hardest for me to keep. Why is that? God gave the commandments to the Israelites who had just come out of slavery. Slaves are valued by what they produce. If you produce a lot of bricks then you are a valuable slave. If you don't produce many bricks you are not very valuable. I like being productive, even on my day off. I start the day with a "to do" list and at the end of the day if there are check marks all the way down I feel good. God knows that I tend to value myself by what I produce so he gave me a command. One day a week I am supposed to not work. I am supposed to be unproductive to remind myself that my value does not come from what I do but from whose I am. I am a child of God made so by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. I guess lately I have been convicted of neglecting the fourth commandment. I have a Blackberry and those things are terrible if you want to take a day off. The Blackberry may have done more than any other device to make me a slave again. Jesus died to set me free from sin but also from the need to prove my value through work. If I do not Sabbath than I am neglecting my salvation. Now, for most of you the Sabbath means Sunday. For me, it means Tuesday. I guess today I am serving notice that I will begin blogging on a different day. Tuesday I am going to turn my Blackberry off and begin working harder at being unproductive. Tuesday will be my weekly reminder that I have been set free by a Savior who constantly tells me to remember even through rest.

Yes and No

I was thinking about the words "Yes" and "No". They have both been important words in my life. I, like everyone else in the world, have heard them both a lot. I love hearing the word "Yes". But I wonder if the word "No" has been more important in the long run. Spoiled kids are rough. These are kids who have heard yes way more than no. I have been thinking about why that happens. As a Dad I love it when my kids are happy. But if I fall in love with them being happy I run the risk of saying yes too much. Saying no can be a sign of a deeper love. I was thinking of all the prayers I have ever prayed. If God had said yes to every prayer I am sure I would be a mess. In scripture Jesus said that if we being evil know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more does our Heavenly Father know how to give good gifts to us. Indeed. But to be entirely honest, some of the greatest gifts God has given to me is saying no when I desperately wanted him to say yes. There were times I pouted and sulked and mumbled how little He loved me. And yet, now at 50 years old, I can look back and see the greatest gifts ever started with the word no. So, today I am thankful for a God who has said yes plenty of times but has loved me enough to say no.

Iocaine Powder and Sin

I don't get sick often. I suppose that means I have a good immune system. I have a pretty elementary understanding of the immune system. By elementary I mean that I know Wesley (the hero from the movie The Princess Bride) spent 5 years building up an immunity to iocaine powder. That means he must have allowed himself a controlled exposure to the tasteless, odorless, but deadly powder that took out Vescini in mid laugh. It is a pretty amazing system that allows you to be exposed to harmful bacteria or viruses and eventually become immune to them. Becoming immune to harmful things is a wonderful thing but immunity doesn't work on everything. I smoked a cigarette when I was a teenager. The mother of a friend of mine smoked so we snuck a couple out of her purse one day and went out into the backyard and smoked like Colin Farrell. We were really pretty cool. Since I had never smoked I had to inhale hard to get the smoke past the part of my defense system that made it feel like I was being stabbed in the chest. I understand that pain and the reflexive cough eventually go away if you continue to smoke. I didn't, probably because I threw up after the one cigarette. Anyway, it made me think. When someone no longer feels the pain in their chest and the reflexive cough stops it probably feels like they have become immune to the poison in the cigarette. They haven't. The cilia that protects the lungs first experiences paralysis and then eventually dies leaving the lungs unprotected. I was watching a movie the other day and the language in it was pretty bad but it didn't bother me. At first I thought that maybe I had just built up an immunity and immunity seems like a good thing. But then I thought that sin doesn't really work like that. Scripture says that sin works more like smoke. The Bible calls it a seared conscience, which is more like the cilia dying. If someone stops smoking eventually the body does recover most of the time. The same is true with the spirit. I need to remember that my spirit never builds up an immunity to the toxicity of sin and when I feel immune I am in more danger than ever.

Inching Toward Trouble

I was turning right at a light the other day. There was someone who was wanting to turn left and was obviously anxious to do so. At this light there appears to be a mechanism under the pavement that triggers the light. The place where you are supposed to stop is clearly marked. This woman had pulled way past the line so her car was not triggering the mechanism. She was getting more and more agitated. She seemed oblivious to the fact that she was doing it to herself. She finally got to the point where unless someone came and triggered the light for her she was going to have to wait until no one was coming and then run the red light. It made me wonder how many times I have done that in my life. I don't mean with driving although I have done that too. I mean wanting God to do something so much that I become restless and decide to inch my way up until I am forced to do something silly. I think of God's promise to Abraham that he would have a son. He waited for a while then began to inch up. He inched all the way up to Hagar if you know what I mean and they had son named Ishmael. I find that I am in a much bigger hurry than God. The Bible consistently tells me to wait on God but I desperately want God to wait on me. I don't know what is going on in your life today but if you are inching up to the light I invite you to stop and wait on the Lord. My guess is He has you right where He wants you.

Happy Maewyn's Day

Maewyn Succat was born in Great Britain. He was taken captive by Irish raiders when he was 16 years old. He spent the next 6 years as a slave in Ireland mostly tending sheep in the harsh hill country. He eventually escaped and fled back to Great Britain. He experienced a dramatic conversion to Christianity and spent the next several years preparing to become a missionary. He returned to Ireland of his own free will but this time with the message of grace through Jesus Christ. Ireland was a pagan island whose national religion would most closely be identified as witchcraft. Maewyn was the first known Christian to ever attempt to share Christ. There were several character traits the Irish valued and still seem to value today. They valued courage, the willingness to fight, and joy. These are the qualities that were in abundance in the man they began to call simply Patrick. Patrick is credited with leading the Irish to faith in Christ. The Irish ended up saving civilization when the barbarians sacked the Roman empire a hundred years later. They had learned courage, joy, and the willingness to fight for what they believed in from the man who returned to his slave owners for the sake of Christ. In our nation we celebrate the life of this saint by wearing green and downing green beer. Maewyn Succat who became known as Patrick was astounding. He led thousands of people to faith in Christ. He Laughed and sang his way across an island impressing everyone with his faith which gave him such joy and courage. I think it is amazing what our country can do to the sacred. Maybe those of us who know Christ can do a little more. Maybe we can laugh and love and sacrifice some for those enslaved by sin around us. Patrick loved those who had mistreated him and by so doing led them to the Savior. It's ok to wear green today but let's be the ones that honor the life of Patrick by living like him today. So, sing and laugh and love those around you until they begin to think you are so wonderful that a hundred years from now they will be celebrating a day named after you.

Fear

There is fear in the air. If dogs can smell fear then the dogs in my neighborhood and in yours are probably getting a noseful. Along with the normal things people fear there are the added fears of an unstable economy and a shrinking job market. Fear can make you do things you would not ordinarily do. I remember walking along with my wife Karen years ago. We were holding hands and walking along the side of a road. I heard the faint jingling of metal and my mind searched to try to match the sound with something I could identify. I heard it again and this time it was closer. It finally hit me that the sound was the sound of a dog collar and it seemed like a big dog. I realized it must now be almost right behind us and I was hit with a full dose of raw fear. Without thinking I swung around to confront the dog. I swung in such a way that Karen was put directly between me and the dog. It was a tough thing to try to explain. Fear can make you do things you would not ordinarily do. I have been thinking about I John 4:18 where John says,"Perfect love casts out fear." The thing that has hit me is that I am perfectly loved and if you know Jesus as your Savior you are too. This love is not based on my performance but on the sacrifice of Jesus which means I can never lose it. It is the God of the universe who has declared that I am the apple of his eye. I wonder if I would be concerned about the economy if Bill Gates was my dad. I doubt it. But the God of the universe, the One who makes Bill Gates look like a pauper, has said that I am His son. I guess what I am saying is that my fear or lack thereof is directly connected to what I really think of God. As the economy shrinks my view of God has got to get bigger. My understanding of his love for me has got to become more realistic. He has said he loves me with an everlasting love and if that is true then what can possibly make me afraid. The economy may be jingling in your ear. It may sound like a big dog coming for you. But remember the hand you are holding is not mine but the Lord God Almighty. He has already shown he is willing to lay down his life for you. There is no way he will give you over to the dogs now. Do not be afraid.

Dark Times and the Noon Day Sun

I don't know if you have been watching the news lately but things are not good. There seems to be a growing sense of fear and dread particularly regarding the economy. People are pulling their heads in like turtles and preparing for what seems like it may be some long dark months. How should a Christian act at this time? What makes us different? Jesus was always teaching a different way to think and a different way to live. Many times it was the opposite of what seemed to make sense. If you want to save your life you must lose it. If you want to lose your life then try to save it. The way up is down. The way to heaven is to admit there is no way you can get there. So, how about now? Recently we have had 3 different mission trips return. One from Haiti, one from Italy, and one from New Orleans. They all rolled back into town with light in their eyes and joy shooting from their finger tips. Try to talk with them about the economy and they will quickly turn the conversation to the amazing things God did in and through them on the mission trip. I have seen it happen before but in the present environment it is even more pronounced. It makes me think of Isaiah 58 where he talks about what God really wants. "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry,and bring the homeless poor into the house. When you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh. Then your light will break out like the dawn and your recovery will speedily spring forth. And your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like the noon day sun." Do you want to get out of the doldrums then find someway to give yourself away. How does a Christian respond to these times? We find times of adversity to be tremendous opportunities to serve and we will be the ones singing at the top of our lungs with joy shooting from our fingertips.

Spring is in the Air

Today in northeastern Ohio it is nearly 65 degrees and sunny. I have seen several people do what I have done today which is just to stand outside with my hands in my pockets and experience pleasure. After four months of winter all it takes is one day like today to remind me of the pleasure that comes from just standing in the sun. I have long had a theory about pleasure that I call the pleasure spectrum. I believe God has given all of us an amazing array of things that are intended to give us pleasure. As we get older and wealthier that pleasure spectrum narrows significantly. When I was in high school any car gave me pleasure even my powder blue Plymouth and when I say powder blue I mean the blue came off on your hand or on your clothes if you brushed up too close. Now, I have developed a taste for cars that do not have splits in the upholstery or sound like a Harley. My pleasure spectrum has narrowed. It is a battle to open up a pleasure spectrum. It is tough to go back to economy after getting used to first class (so I am told). It is difficult to ratchet back vacations. The great thing about living here in Ohio is that every year God stretches out my pleasure spectrum for me. He does it with four months of winter so days like today make my heart leap and I find myself just standing outside and breathing and smiling. I guess I never get over not only how good God is but how smart He is. He has filled the world with good things for me to enjoy and if left to myself I would slowly narrow it down until very few foods, or friends, or vacations, or clothes, or cars would bring me pleasure. But God in His infinite mercy takes the time each year to spread out my narrowness by giving me cold, freezing, cloudy weather and by the time Spring rolls around I am ready once again for joy. So, go ahead and stand outside and enjoy but don't forget to thank Him for the last four months that has made today all the better. As a side note, God can use the economy to do the same.

The Mystery of Prayer

This past Sunday I was reminded again of the mystery of prayer. I have blogged before on prayer. It has always been something that has been hard to wrap my head around. I get to talk to the God of the universe. The One who spoke the galaxies into existence, who thought up the 17 cascading steps to blood clotting, who designed human beings with free will and yet this God still maintains absolute sovereignty. Anyway, not only do I get to talk with him but I make suggestions like a grunt to management about how things in my life should be going. But prayer is His idea, He is the one who tells us to pray and to bring our requests to Him, so we do. I led the congregation in prayer this past Sunday. I decided to just give them different things to pray for and leave them a few moments to pray for those things. We thanked God, I had them pray for all the children in the building, and then I mentioned the mission team we had coming back from Haiti and the one leaving for Rome. After the second service a woman came up to me and said,"Hey, don't forget to pray for the team going to New Orleans. Some of them are leaving today." It was a good reminder so the next service I added the team going to New Orleans. A woman came up to me after the third service and said she had received a call from her husband during the service. She walked outside to take it. He was one of the men heading to New Orleans. He called her to ask her to have people pray. They were driving through white out conditions and he had just fishtailed the trailer all over the highway. She said,"They just prayed for you in the service". He asked when everyone had prayed. She said about 10 minutes ago. He said,"That is probably why we are still alive." I may not completely understand prayer but I really love it. It reminds me that God is interested in our lives. It reminds me there are not nearly as many coincidences as people think. So today, go ahead and pray. You don't have to understand it but it only takes a couple amazing things to make you really love it.