Two Wonderful Things Put Together

There is a distinct difference between what is practical (utilitarian) and what is beautiful (artful), and seldom do the two meet. However I found a company, Blueberry Guitars, that has created something both practical and beautiful. As I look at these guitars I'm reminded that all God has created is both practical (utilitarian) and beautiful (artful). "Consider the moon and the stars, " he tells us in Psalm 8, and even lets us know (same Psalm) that he has crowned us "with glory and honor." As God designed creation, it all has a purpose and it all has a loveliness to it and the two are intrinsically and inseparably bound. I don't fully understand it, but I'm glad for it. Lord, let the practical and the beautiful, the utilitarian and the artful, be fully found in all there is. Amen.

The Old Cowboy

I don't always pass on stories I receive in my e-mail, but this one is pretty dadburn good. Read and think, after you chuckle. (Thanks to my dear friend Bettie.)

One Sunday morning, an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn-out old hat and an equally worn, dog-eared Bible.

The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and fine jewelry. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled by his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship in church." The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.

The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the cowboy and said, "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church."

"I did," replied the old cowboy.

"And what was his reply?" asked the preacher.

"Well, sir, God told me that he didn't have a clue what I should wear. He said he'd never been in this church."

God’s Presence at Christmas is Found in the Little Things - Christmas 2009

Prophets spoke of the coming messiah
As a powerful ruler and king of kings;
But God came to earth by a way unexpected
To show us His presence in the little things.

Born to a poor family, a babe in a manger
Cried in the night that was so still and cold;
Ordinary yet special, held close by Mary
Who felt the Lord’s presence touching her soul.

We, like young Mary, can find at Christmas
That God is still found in the little things –
Those things that can bring us a smile…or a tear
As our spirits are touched by the joy Christmas brings.

The smiles of children as they sit enraptured
By a star and a stable and no room in the inn
Can remind us God’s presence may come to us quietly
Like the hushed way they listen to the story again.

Candlelight, firelight and lights on the trees
Give us warmth and comfort in their Christmas glow,
But they also share the light of God’s presence,
His Word, his Truth in Jesus made known.

The giving of gifts to people we cherish,
Chosen so carefully and wrapped like great treasures
Is like God’s gift of Jesus to the world he created,
His presence given, a gift beyond measure.

Too often we watch, like the prophets of old,
For something much larger than what God has in mind,
So we don’t catch his presence in the things all around us –
The small things, the little things of each Christmas time.

May you be surprised by the wondrous Christ-child,
By glory found in the true unexpected,
And may you be led into God’s wonderful presence
Where you, a little thing, are greatly accepted.

That road sign is such a symbol for life! How many times have you been at a place where you've had to make a decision and just couldn't figure out which way was the best to take? And it always seems that the more we think about the choices that are before us, the more confused we get. More often than not what we're looking for is a simple kind of sign - STOP or YIELD or ONE WAY or NO TURN ON RED (one of my favorites 'cause it seems to say, "Go take a nap!"). No chance though. It's as if God knows that we can only grow through the process of decision making so he puts us into situations where we have to choose. We always have choices though. Let me give you three: 1) turn around and go back the way you came and hope an easier path will present itself (good luck with that!); 2) sit and ponder those choices 'til your head hurts and then finally make a random choice (that's always exciting - not always smart but exciting); 3) consider the choices before you and then pray for God to show you the right one (since in Jesus He did provide for us the way, the truth and the life, right?). Which one of those options will you choose because I'm personally sticking with the third one. God has prepared us a way to follow, a Spirit to lead us, and plenty of road signs along the way, visible to those who believe. (Special thanks to Chris Grabowski for the photo.)

Sunday Reflection

What makes for a "good" Sunday? Is it looking out at the congregation and seeing very few empty seats? Is it seeing a lot of nodding heads and hearing a loud "Amen!" or two while your preaching? Maybe it's the feeling that God really is present and the Spirit really is moving in your church after all. Or it could be that all the individual pieces fit together and the worship flow was a thing to behold. Or...OR when you DON'T get any calls from the people who were in the pews asking, "Pastor what exactly did you mean by .......(fill in the blank)."
Personally, I think a good Sunday is when you sit down afterward and think, "Now that was fun!" Don't get me wrong. I'm not taking the seriousness of worship lightly. We meet in church to give praise to Almighty God and to receive his blessing and encouragement through his word and his people, and that's serious business. But it can also be a lot of fun. It's fun to catch those moments when we're all on the same page and the gospel of God just makes sense. It's fun to watch people have to wipe their eyes when somebody's testimony or special music hits them right in the heart. And it's fun to stand at the door and shake hands with people as they venture back out into the real world or pray with them before they leave.
Today my wife, Sandi, asked me if I like what I do. Without blinking I said, "Yes!" And that's the truth. What else could I be doing that's this serious and this fun at the same time? Like I've said before, when it stops being fun then I'll stop doing it. So far, I don't see me stopping any time soon.

My Heroes Wear Pink!

I am not going to lie to you. I am writing this with tears in my eyes and a huge lump in my throat because I just looked again at the pictures my wife Sandi posted on Facebook that show her involvement on the 2 day / 39.3 mile Avon Walk Against Breast Cancer this last weekend. Sandi and over 2,000 people (yes, there were men walkers, also) dressed in pink joined together to become a huge witness to the need for breast cancer awareness in our nation. Did you know (because I didn't) that every 3 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer? The money raised goes toward cancer research and medical development. I'm not sure of the money these walkers raised, but I know each of them brought in at least $1800. That adds up to at least $3,600,000! Say it with me - WOW! Here's the part that gets me - As my wife walked, she wore a necklace with about 12 hearts on it, each bearing a name of someone we know who has either died from or miraculously survived one type of cancer or another. She was walking for those people who fought a disease we have yet to find a cure for, including both of her parents whom we have lost. She also walked to say, "Let's find a cure!" Sandi shared some remarkable stories she heard during the walk such as the one from walkers who walked for a friend who had been hit by 3 different cancers, and the lady who was walking even while she was waiting for results from her chemotherapy, and the man who made it his mission to walk every walk every Avon Walk in the United States! My new heroes wear pink, and they have forever touched my hearts. Now excuse me while I go wipe my eyes and blow my nose.

Oh the Atrocities of Life!

Some things just need to be left alone. Bacon - good. Chocolate - good. Chocolate covered bacon? Not a good idea. Of course, I also have a problem with deep-fried snickers, frog legs, and a hybrid bicycle-scooter. All these are things I saw at the LA County Fair, which is exactly what makes me want to go again! I simply marvel at the ingenuity of people. That's what makes it so funny that we are made in the image of God. I'm glad He has a sense of humor!