Happy Halloween!

May your day be full of more treats than tricks, and may all your ghosts be friendly ones!

"Death...NOOOO..." (A Rant)

My son Will and I are huge movie buffs, and over the years we have developed our own "short hand" language, using lines from movies to make specific points to one another. One of our favorites comes from Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, the mostly forgettable sequel to the most excellent Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. In the plot of Bogus Journey (and I use the term "plot" extremely loosely here!) Bill & Ted are battling the Grim Reaper for the right to not be dead. Yeah, you read that right. In one scene that are playing charades with some aliens (again, I cannot make this stuff up) and the aliens are making some wild gestures and hand signals, seeming to indicate it is a movie. Suddenly the Grim Reaper blurts out a guess- "Butch and Sundance, the Early Years!" Bill & Ted look at their teammate, shake their heads in disbelief and utter this immortal line- "Death...NOOOO..."

Anytime Will or I see or hear something that seems so completely moronic, out of place or inappropriate that we cannot believe it just happened, we will look at each other and repeat that line. It happens more often than you might think. It is our way of saying "I can't believe you just went there!" 

So what does this have to do with anything? I read a blog a while back from a guy I will call Kevin- because that is his name. I refuse to tell you more than that because I do not want to send traffic to his blog. (As a side rant, are there any other 3-2-1 Penguins fans out there who have trouble saying the name "Kev-innn" with a straight face?) In a post about the current state of the Christian church in USAmerica, he made the following statement:  

"The Jesus found in scripture would act differently and teach differently if he were in 21st century America. He would be much more conservative, much more restrained. He would focus more on sin and less on loving one another. The church needs to realize that just as Jesus would have a different focus, so must we. We need to preach hell fire and damnation. People need to understand that an angry Jesus is waiting to judge us.  Talk about grace all you want to, but trust me- we will all be judged."

"Death...NOOOO..."

We cannot re-write the teachings of Jesus (GOD!) just because they seem out of step with the church of today. Instead we must change our churches to be more in step with the radical, ridiculous love and grace of Jesus Christ. We are promised in scripture that he is the same yesterday, today and forever. I try really hard not be judgmental of others, but in this case, I believe Kevin has earned the coveted Green Weenie Award for representing the WORST the church has to offer our world. In fact, I would suggest to Kev that he check out the urban translation of Proverbs 10:19- "Speak not at all, because you are gonna' say something stupid!"

My prayer today is that God will grant me the wisdom and the strength to follow and represent the REAL Jesus. The one who came to save us, not condemn us. The one who taught us that whatever the question, love is the answer. The one who gave birth to the Church so that we might follow him, not so we can mold him to our beliefs. Thank you for loving me, Jesus.  And forgive me for my judgment of Kevin.

Because of Jesus,

Throwback Thursday: My Philosophy

Happy Throwback Thursday! Today we are blasting all the way back to June of 2015- you heard me, 2015! In one of my Saturday Shout Outs posts I shared some points of personal philosophy with my readers, including several things about the way I was seeing life back in June. Since then...let's just say there have been some serious tests of my insights. There has been a great deal of pain and suffering associated with my friends and family. There has been loss. Many nights my eyes have been watery; many days I have questioned the things I believe. But through it all life goes on, and we can choose to hide or to face the fire. You see, there have also been moments of great joy and sheer emotional exhilaration. Life is nothing if not mixed emotions. Today I will be with Lisa Jewett as she gets a CAT scan in preparation for her surgery scheduled for November 10th. With so much going on it seemed like a good day to remind myself of these principles. Perhaps they will be something you need as well...

* Philosophy Update #1: "You know life is like a train. It's bearing down on you, and guess what? It's gonna hit you! So you can either start running when it's far off in the distance, or you can pull up a chair, crack open a beer, and just watch it come!" ~ Eric Forman, That 70s Show  In the original post the next words I wrote were, "And I say bring it on!" Be careful what you ask for I suppose. But I have also been reminded that LOVE is also a runaway train...and being run over by the  love train is a blessing beyond all others!

* Philosophy Update #2: I can't even explain how much I love this quote- or how important it has become in my life. It is a brief instruction manual on seizing life and wringing the most from it, not matter the circumstances. And I find there is a great spirituality hidden in these words. Thank you, Samuel Langhorne Clemons!

* Philosophy Update #3: "Don't goin' shooting all the dogs down just 'cause one's got fleas!" ~ Brandon Flowers, Dreams Come True  It's past time to stop looking at labels and start seeing individuals. We are all uniquely created. We all have flaws. And we all need each other.

* Philosophy Update #4: No more focusing on flaws, in myself or in others. Let's focus on the joys and sorrows we all deal with, not on the smelly parts of our lives! So often we feel invisible until we do something wrong. Let's accentuate the positive in our lives!!!

* Philosophy Update #5: "When you get up in the morning and you see that crazy sun, keep me in your heart for a while. There's a train leaving nightly called when all is said and done, keep me in your heart for a while."  ~ Warren Zevon, Keep Me In Your Heart

The late great songwriter composed those words after he knew was dying with mesothelioma. The song is an anthem to holding tight the people and the memories that matter because we simply do not know what tomorrow holds. David Letterman once asked the terminally ill singer if he understood more about life as he approached death, and if so, what advice he might offer. Zevon's famous answer? "Enjoy every sandwich." The past few months have made those words ring true in ways I could have never imagined back in June...

That's it for today. So to sum up our philosophy lesson- laugh, love, forgive, never regret a smile, don't label people, focus on the positive and enjoy every sandwich. Kissing slowly is optional. :) Those are my new goals each and every day. Have a blessed day, and I do hope you'll stop by again soon. If not, then please do "keep me in your heart for a while..."

Because of Jesus,

Asleep at the Wheel

There are many of us who pray every day that there would be a Jesus Revolution in our land. Today I want to focus on one of the primary reasons such a revolution is so slow in coming. It's at least in part because we Christians have a tendency to fall asleep at the wheel...

In Mark 14: 32-40 we read about Jesus going to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. This was right after the "Last Supper" and just prior to his arrest. As was often the case at the most important moments in his ministry, Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. They were his guys- his inner circle. As Jesus goes off to pray, he asks them to wait on him there. Three times he does this. Three times they are asleep when he returns to them. It seems unbelievable that his best friends could fail him like that- but they did. Jesus needed them to be there for him- but they simply fell asleep.

In many ways the followers of Christ have been dealing with the same problem ever since. We know what needs to be done. We have all of the teachings and theology that anyone could ever hope for. We read the words of Jesus that command us to love God, to love other people and to carry the message of His love to the world. We know there are things need to be done. But we're asleep at the wheel. Our lives motor down the highway accomplishing "important" things that make us more significant in the eyes of man, but we are fast asleep as we pass the exit signs that say Jesus Revolution. We tell ourselves that others will take care of that stuff. We fool ourselves into believing that after we become successful and powerful that THEN we will honor God. We go to work, we manage our lives, we manicure our lawns and we amuse ourselves. And then we give Jesus what is left over. But there seldom is anything left over- so like the disciples, we sleep.

The institution of the Church (in USAmerica, anyway) is not much better. We are often so busy with buildings, committees, fundraising and "minding the flock" that ministry to the lost and hurting takes a back seat. Too many of our churches today believe that the best way to take Jesus to the world is for us all to be "nice." Christians are nice. We can do nice in our sleep- and that is exactly the problem! Followers of Jesus should be loving and respectful, but we should also be RADICAL! We prefer taking political stances and preserving our "Holy Huddles" to actually taking the risky, radical, world-changing love of Jesus to our communities. Listen to these words from the late, great Keith Green:

The world is sleeping in the dark, and the church just can't fight

Cause it's asleep in the light, How can you be so dead?

When you've been so well fed

Jesus rose from the grave

And you, you can't even get out of bed

The teachings of Jesus seem wild and sometimes outright ridiculous when compared to the standards of the world we live in. If your faith and your belief-system make you feel comfortable and safe, then you need to go back and take a look at the things Jesus taught. You may well be "asleep in the light." If there is going to be a Jesus Revolution that brings hope, peace and joy to those who are sleeping in the dark, it is going to have to come from those who claim to be disciples of the risen Savior. If we are to live out Matthew 25 and minister to the homeless, the hungry, the naked, the criminal and the rest of the "least of these," then we are going to have to get off our couches to do it. If we are going to change this world in His name, then we need to stop arguing politics and theology and wake up to the challenge of sharing God's love with everyone. 

It's time to realize that for far too long we have been happy to play church and take our naps. Nap time is over. The world needs Jesus, and it is time for some spiritual No-Doze. Who's with me?

Because of Jesus,

I Am Not

When Moses asked God who he should say sent him to save the people of Abraham, God responded "tell them I AM sent you. Yahweh is the "I AM," the God who was and is and is to come; the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I am none of those things, and neither are you. We are but tiny parts of God's plan, like so many before us and so many around us. When John the Baptist was asked if he was the promised Messiah, he replied, "I am NOT...but there is one who will come and reveal everything God has promised." We, like Moses and John and Peter and so many other giants of our faith, are NOT. But we know the great "I AM." As you worship today, be WIDE OPEN to the fact that God is God...and you are NOT. Open your hearts that God might use you so His will can be accomplished on this earth. Submit yourself so that Jesus might have His way with you and that you might quit trying to have your way with Him. Only then can His light shine its brightest. Only then can Jesus truly be the hope of the world.  A sign I used to have up in my office said The Main thing is to keep the Main Thing the Main thing! I pray this prayer today in the hope that it will keep me focused on the things that truly matter.  I hope you will pray along...

Loving God, today I turn my life over to You. My skills, my failures, my sin and my joys all belong to You. I recognize that my life is not about me, but it is all about You. I realize that I sometimes like to play god, but that I am NOT..You ARE! Help me to understand that Jesus did not die on the cross so I could accomplish some political agenda or achieve some lofty position on this earth. Jesus died for my sins, because I am a sinner. Jesus gives me grace so that I might offer love and forgiveness to others, especially to the "least of these brothers of mine" who are in need and to the lost who think themselves to be beyond His grace. In the words of King David, himself a sinner of great magnitude, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit with in me, so that I might serve You." Use me, and I will give you the glory. Remind me today that I am NOT...but I know I AM, and that when I serve You we can offer hope to a hurting world.

In the name of the great I AM,
Amen

Even Better Than Before: "Soulmate"

In early 2015 I finished writing a novel I called Even Better Than Before. It's a story of a group of old friends reunited at the beach after years of being apart. The main character, Brent Thomas, was a famous singer/songwriter whose life and career had fallen to pieces some 8 years before this gathering. Seeing these old friends marked his return to society as he found redemption in love, friendship and the start of something new in his life. The scene below takes place near the end of the weekend as Brent prepares (after several days of requests) to sing his huge hit song Soulmate for his friends on the balcony of the Betsy B. Enjoy!

Brent stood with his arm around Keri and surveyed the crowd. He would sing one more song. But first he had one more sermon to deliver.

“Craig loves to rag on me about how all women like to believe Soulmate was written just for them. Obviously it was written with someone special in mind.” He smiled down at the beautiful woman standing next to him. “But the truth is at various points in my life it could have been written for any of the ladies here tonight. Kristen, you were my first major crush. Alicia, you were my comfort and confidant in those early days when life seemed so confusing. Ally, you were and always will be my little sister. Cassie, you were a friend I could always count on and someone with whom I could have easily fallen in love. Sharon, you know you will always hold a special place in my heart. Stephanie, you were the girl at camp that everyone dreamed about, and I was no exception. And Nina, I just met you this weekend but you are clearly my buddy Jeff’s soul mate and you fit in here so well. I’m so glad you came. The song Soulmate is about a person without whom you are incomplete- a person you cannot live without. This weekend it has become very clear to me that all of you- men and women alike- are my soul mates. I don’t want to face the future without you guys by my side. My friend Tim and I talked a lot about the parable of Prodigal Son and how that applied to me. Keri and I have talked about it too. Coming home was scary. I didn’t know how you all would react. I did some pretty stupid things. But you haven’t even asked for explanations or excuses. You’ve just welcomed me with open arms. You’ve killed the proverbial fatted calf and thrown the best party ever. And unlike the other son in that story, you are happy that life seems to be ready to give me a second chance. They say it’s during the worst times of your life that you get to see the true colors of the people who say they care for you. And I have. I can honestly say that Keri is the reason I showed up this weekend. But every single one of you is a reason I don’t want to leave. You are truly my soul mates. So if you have ever believed I wrote this song for you, I hope you will keep right on believing. This one’s for all of you.” And with that, Brent Thomas let go of Keri, picked up his guitar and launched into his most famous song.  ~ Carl Jones

Friday Frustrations

When you try to blog most every day like I do, there are going to be days when you just feel like you have nothing to say. That is normal, and those days can be dealt with fairly easily. It's days like today that are more difficult. There are lots of things on my my mind and in my heart that I could write about- things that are right on the edge of bursting out! And every single one of them is something that needs to be kept inside. Just because there are things that I need to say does not mean that you need or want to hear them. For instance...

• There are so many things on my mind about issues like politics, patriotism and nationalism. But my views would be divisive, even among my closest friends. And no good ever comes from starting arguments about politics. So I won't.
• There are so many people I could write about today. People that I love, people that are hurting, people who are angry at me, people who are disappointed in me, people who need me, and people who don't understand me- so many people. The ones who weigh the heaviest on my heart- the ones who give me reason to write- are the very ones I cannot write about today because my emotions are running too high and my heart is pounding too fast. So that must wait.
• I could write about my beloved baseball, where the World Series is about to begin. But the truth is that I have ignored baseball this summer with far too many other things on my mind, and to write about it now just so I can have a blog post today seems nearly hypocritical. Plus the Cubs are out now, so what's the point...
• One of the things that has been on my mind a lot lately is how easily we do the right things for the wrong reasons, and how sometimes what society sees as the wrong thing is exactly the thing we need to do. But that post would confuse us all- including me.
• I could write one more time about how important it is to live in the moment, to seize the day and to enjoy very sandwich. But the truth is that for me this is a day I don't really feeling like seizing. It's more of day of introspection and "what ifs?" And that's okay...

So today I'll just have to not write about any of those things. Life is filled with stops and starts, with fun and frustrations. The key is always moving forward. Have a blessed weekend my friends.

Because of Jesus,