Old Friends

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Monday, July 1, 2019

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning.  This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.  Yet it is also new.  Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it.  For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.  If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.  Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.  But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness.  Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.  1 John 2:7-11

I love mountains.  When we first moved from “Flat Florida” to North Carolina in 2000 I could not get over how beautiful it is here.  Within a week or so we took a drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and I was hooked.  My congregation suffered because of my addiction…they had to listen to me preach a sermon series (I think 19 weeks in all) about the View from God’s Mountaintops.  (If you like mountains too, I have the recordings.)

Truth be told, I was hooked much earlier than coming to Carolina.  My parents took us to a campground on top of a mountain in upstate New York back in the 1950’s.  The clear, crisp Autumn air in the pre-dawn, looking down on a Revolutionary War battlefield site near Elmira, NY is a memory that never grows old.  There is such grandeur and declaration of God’s handiwork in those hills.  They seem old, eternal – unmovable and awesome; they’re stamped with the mark of eternal hands.  They are old and always new; hard to explain, much easier to experience. 

Driving to annual conference ten days ago we came to that familiar point on I-40 where you can first see the blue haze draped backdrop of layers of mountain shadows.  I breathed deep, and sighed, hello, old friends; it’s good to see you again.  Did I tell you I love mountains? 

This mountain-top experience is one I’ve known many times in our two decades of living here, but each time there is a newness that rekindles my appreciation of what beauty God creates. 

And that is the connection here, this morning (for me), in John’s beautiful passage of the new, but old commandment to love.  This command, John says, is old, because the beginning of God’s Scripture describes God’s loving hand in creation, and His joy in walking with those he made in his own image.  Even when man became unloving in rebellion, God still loved, promising a redeemer to save.  And, for John, this ancient idea of loving became the new commandment, when Jesus showed up, lived a perfect life of love, with the ultimate loving gift of his blood for our forgiveness. 

For You Today

Take it from a mountain-lover, there is no greater mountain-top than what happened on Mt. Calvary.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com     Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

When Depression Reigns

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Friday, June 28, 2019

I cry out to God; yes, I shout.  Oh, that God would listen to me!  When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord.  All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted.

But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.  They are constantly in my thoughts.  I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.  O God, your ways are holy.  Is there any god as mighty as you?  You are the God of great wonders!  You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.  By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.    Interlude

When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled!  The sea quaked to its very depths.  The clouds poured down rain; the thunder rumbled in the sky.  Your arrows of lightning flashed.  Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world!  The earth trembled and shook.  Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!   You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.  Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20

If I sent you an invitation to a party you’d want to know what it’s about.  

If I just came right out and asked you to come to my pity-party you would more than likely have somewhere else to be….anywhere else!  Let’s face it, when depression hits, it hits hard, takes over the playground, and is the guest least likely to get the hint that it’s time to go home. 

Depression stinks!  And I can think of no person on earth more likely to be depressed than the believer who prays and hears a resounding silence from heaven.  In this Psalm Asaph wrote that he prayed all night long.  Most of us will give 5 minutes to prayer…10 if we’re hurting, and even 15 if life is falling apart.  But this guy prayed all night long.  It’s depressing to be in deep trouble; it’s a crisis of faith to be in that deep and have heaven go silent on you.

Now, if you’re there, depressed and wishing, crying out like Dives in Hell for the relief of just a drop of cool water on your tongue, but all the answers to your prayers taste like more hot sand…today’s message is for you.

Re-read this Psalm…see how Asaph’s mind replayed the video of God’s rescue of his ancestor slave nation, Israel in the desert.  Remember with the Psalmist how the Red Sea trembled, and then got out of the way so God’s kids could walk on dry land to safety.  Let your thoughts wander in God for awhile without praying…just remembering…that He is in the business of caring for you as much as He loved them.

In the middle of severe depression Asaph’s heart was not comforted; as he gave-in to thinking of God’s rescuing hand, and the loving care of the Father who never fails, his whole heart became filled with the comfort of faith.

Most pastors I know are pretty good at spotting depressed people.  That’s because many pastors are themselves plagued with that loneliness of soul.  It’s something of an occupational reality; most times of pastoral counseling involve someone who’s troubled and needs an ear.  If you live with other peoples’ difficulties, questions, valleys of despair, and crises of faith, you are going to find that rut sooner or later, the one with the shadow of death hanging over your head.

For You Today

So, again, if this is you, and your name is Asaph today, and maybe for the last number of weeks, months or decades, listen up…seek out a pastor; our ears are used to it, and we are like the beggars who’ve found bread…we’ll share it with you, pray with you, and, if necessary just ride it out with you. 

These times of trouble have a reason; you may not understand it for a good while. But taking a lesson from Asaph can kickstart your journey into discovering God’s answers.  And it’s better than coming to someone else’s pity-party.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com     Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

A Closer Look

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Thursday, June 27, 2019

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine.  Test yourselves.  Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.  As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.  We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction.  I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive.  Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority.  For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth.  We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature.  I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t need to deal severely with you when I do come.  For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.  2 Corinthians 13:5-10

Nobody really likes examinations.  We may grow to appreciate the value of an examination to see where we stand, but who really enjoys it?  In the opening four sentences of Paul’s message he uses the word “test” or “examination” five times.  He could not have been very popular with the folks at Corinth! 

In high school, I had way too many exams for a student who thought studying was cruel and unusual punishment.  And subjects like geometry, science, and my third year taking Introduction to German…well, let’s just say breakfast on exam day seemed like what the condemned man got as his last meal.  I once had a teacher in eleventh grade who was pop-quiz-happy.  I got so sick of it that one day when he was walking into the class he hadn’t even put down his briefcase, and he began spouting the hated words:  take out a half-sheet of paper, class.  I obediently grabbed a sheet and did what he said, I took it OUT…out of the class…all the way to the General Store to drown my sorrow in a root beer float.

As much as I’m not fond of tests, I know they’re necessary; especially in the spiritual realm. 

Paul’s concern for the Corinthian believers led him to encourage them to self-test to see if their faith was genuine.  History informs us the Corinth bunch were people whose belief and behavior were hardly on speaking terms.  Paul’s not-so-subtle approach was of genuine apostolic care for their souls to remind them that saying you’re a Christian means very little if you won’t live it. 

How painfully true.  Back at Hauppauge High School, if you check the records for 1961-65, you’ll find Russell was listed as a student…but his performance hardly passed the test!

For You Today

If you get a little nervous every time you read a Scripture that deals with how your behavior ought to be consistent with your belief, it might be a good thing to follow Paul’s admonition to check how much effect Jesus’ influence is having on your daily walk.  Write it down…that’s right…take out a half-sheet of paper…

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com     Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

The Power of a Curse

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Wednesday, June 26, 2019

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Saul sent soldiers to watch David’s house in order to kill him.  To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”

They come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.  Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords.  “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.  But Lord, you laugh at them.  You scoff at all the hostile nations.  You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress.  In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.  He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.  Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons; stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees, O Lord our shield.  Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.  Psalm 59:6-12

Captured by your own pride, curses, and lies…what an incredible minefield in which to walk!  What human being isn’t trapped by his own pride?  Who among us hasn’t uttered an idle curse (either with his lips or heart)?  Has there ever been anyone but Jesus who never lied?

We live in an age where truth has gone begging; what has replaced simple truth is obscenity, invective slurs thrown at each other.  It is a mud-slinging contest with the prize of this culture awarded to the vilest potty-mouth.  I do believe my mother would have run out of mouth-washing soap!

Jesus did not have a single word of praise for such.  However, the Lord did pass a searing word of warning about how we use words:

And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.  Matthew 12:36

Now, if an idle word can get you in trouble on judgment day, imagine what judgment will happen for the mean-spirited nastiness that floods like a torrential downpour from the mouths of people in everyday life.   

Paul understood the difference between vile language and helpful language.  In Acts 9 the Apostle is breathing out words of death and destruction to Christians, followed by the deeds of oppression and execution.  In a heartbeat Paul’s soul is converted when he met Christ, and the conviction that brought down the enemy of Jesus and His church, becomes the instrument of building up that same church he persecuted.  Here’s good advice from this once foul-mouthed Pharisee, who’d learned how to clean up his act (and his mouth):

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29

For You Today

A little more advice from a formerly trench-mouthed apostle of doom, who had learned what really should proceed from our lips; he learned that if you want good stuff to come out of your mouth, you need to fill the heart with that good stuff, because that’s where all the words have their birthplace.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Philippians 4:8

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com     Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

Patience for the Empty Times

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Monday, June 25, 2019

“Surely the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.  The sparks of their fire will not glow.  The light in their tent will grow dark.  The lamp hanging above them will be quenched.  The confident stride of the wicked will be shortened.  Their own schemes will be their downfall.  The wicked walk into a net.  They fall into a pit.  A trap grabs them by the heel.  A snare holds them tight.  A noose lies hidden on the ground.  A rope is stretched across their path.  “Terrors surround the wicked and trouble them at every step.  Hunger depletes their strength, and calamity waits for them to stumble.  Disease eats their skin; death devours their limbs.  They are torn from the security of their homes and are brought down to the king of terrors.  The homes of the wicked will burn down; burning sulfur rains on their houses.  Their roots will dry up, and their branches will wither.  All memory of their existence will fade from the earth; no one will remember their names.  They will be thrust from light into darkness, driven from the world.  They will have neither children nor grandchildren, nor any survivor in the place where they lived.  People in the west are appalled at their fate; people in the east are horrified.  They will say, ‘This was the home of a wicked person, the place of one who rejected God.’”  Job 18:6-21

The over-arching message of the Book of Job is that God is in-charge, and ultimately will balance everything; good will be rewarded, and evil will also be recompensed.  It’s the law of the harvest…you reap later than you sow, you reap more than you sow, but you definitely reap what you sow!

At some time in our lives most of us look at the world’s culture and shake our heads in disbelief; it must have been that way for Job.  I must confess that last week at Annual Conference I did a little head-rattling questioning myself.  The question is more of a shell-shock exclamation – if you’d told me thirty years ago things would be like this, I would’ve told you, YOU’RE CRAZY!

And then reality hits, and you are still in shock, but you must begin to admit that the culture in which we imagined we were still living no longer exists.  And you’re smack-dab in the middle of one of those empty times.  The insides have been ripped from you, and your legs are too wobbly to stand, and you lift your face heavenward to ask, what’s up with this, God…what do I do now?

That’s where our friend Bildad comes in.  When it looks like everything’s come unglued, when it looks like game-over and you’re on the short stick, and nothing will ever-again make sense, Bildad says, hold on, Bud; you’re forgetting Who’s really in charge.  Have a little faith in God.  You don’t want to be an evil person who rejects God…that’s what tossing your confidence in the Almighty really is; you’re being a rejecter (who is going to be rejected)!

The bottom line for Job was the last chapter of his story…not the first, or the ensuing pain of losing his family, position, wealth and even children.  That was the entrance to the valley of questioning, struggle  to hold-on, questioning of everybody around him, and the war to keep the faith.  Eventually Job’s life turned back to blessing; it even turned out better than it was before!

For You Today

If you find it hard to keep the faith sometimes, put this on your tool belt and pull it out when the battle gets really hard and you don’t know if you can hold on.

But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed.  You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you.  These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me.  I, the Lord, have spoken!  Isaiah 54:17

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com     Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

Annual Conference 2019 Lake Junaluska, NC - Part 1

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Friday, June 21, 2019

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.  Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.  Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.  For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.  There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.  Ephesians 4:1-6

Arriving at Lake Junaluska is always a joy.  There is so much that is welcoming about this place.  June’s normally hot weather in the Triad is replaced by cool, bordering on chilly evenings and the lake waters, surrounded by mountains develop those cooling breezes.  

The mountains proclaim the glory of God’s handiwork while the Rose Walk has a special beauty which only our loving Father could bring forth.  These all speak of the hospitality that awaits by the staff of this wonderful place, smiles and cookies greet you when you walk through the door.  And all that pre-shadows the collegiality that awaits as you bump-into old friends and are introduced to new.

Of course, there are a few moments that wait for you that are less special; they do, after all, demand your credit card.  And there are those inevitable lags in some of the plenary sessions where Roberts Rules of Order are given a higher place on the agenda than Genesis through Revelation!  This is when the petitions hit the floor.  Petitions divide the assembly between humanish-created factions, the current names are progressive, centrist, and traditionalist.

As I reflected on the petitions that will get an up or down vote this Friday I’m reminded that the resolutions/decisions that come out of the voting process really do divide the body.  It depends upon which side of the “winning vote” you stood.  The question is always asked:  How can anything that divides believers be good?  And the thoughts took me to recalling that Jesus himself

Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.  Matthew 10:34

There is nothing that divides like a sharp sword.  That is, next to the division that is coming some day in Heaven, when Jesus divides the sheep on one side and the goats on the other.  This is the shadow of the supreme eternal division between Heaven and Hell.  By the very definition of petition, resolution and rules, division is not always bad; not if God is making the decisions.

For You Today

Join me as I run the list of stuff I’m grateful is in my life today:

     ·      Lake Junaluska is a great place to have time away from what you usually do, time to reflect and put things in perspective in a magnificent setting.

     ·      I’m reminded (and humbled) by all the Methodist clergy, laity, and worship experiences that surround and support me and all point to how blessed I am to have a place to serve God with all I’ve got.

     ·      And, frankly, I’m thankful for the treasurer of our church who will reimburse me for the expenses of being here this week; because that reminds me my church understands the importance of it and backs it up with generosity.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Russell Brownworth photo     Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

Finding Rebekah

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Thursday, June 20, 2019

Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.  One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh.  Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.  Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”  The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home?  Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”  “No!” Abraham responded.  “Be careful never to take my son there.  For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.  If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine.  But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”  So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions.  Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim.  There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled.  He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town.  It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.  “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.  See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water.  This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’  If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife.  This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”  Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder.  She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.  Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin.  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again.  Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.”  “Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.”  And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink.  When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.”  So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.  The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the Lord had given him success in his mission. Genesis 24:1-21

You know that Christmas prayer of a 9-year-old:  Lord, I don’t want anything else but a pony.  If you’re a parent you know this isn’t like him asking for a hamster.  In my parent’s case, it wouldn’t have mattered if I’d prayed for a B-52 bomber; they hardly had the wherewithal to buy the small gifts we did get.  But I prayed that prayer; and I’m still waiting at 72.  

In fact, until several years ago I hadn’t even been close to a horse, much less owned one.  Then, on a vacation whim, Elizabeth and I rented a ride, and Big John tolerated me for the afternoon.

Abraham’s servant wasn’t praying for a pony; he was praying to God that he would complete his holy task of finding a bride for his master’s son Isaac.  The servant was specific and asked that the one who God had picked out for Isaac would say this and do that.  Genesis tells us she showed up even before the servant of Abraham finished his prayer and did exactly the specific things he’d asked God for in his prayer.  Verse 21 of the text always makes me smile:

The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the Lord had given him success in his mission.

He had prayed – God had answered – but the servant guy just had to double-check if this was really God!  You gotta love Christmas pony prayers!

For You Today

When you pray, try not to second-guess God’s answers!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com     Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©