Refreshed and being refreshed

“A generous person will prosper;
Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
--Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)

The Secret Santa has been revealed—it's Larry Stewart, a successful businessman from Lee's Summit, Missouri. Prior to the Christmas season of 2006, Stewart announced that he is the Secret Santa who has been anonymously doling out $100 bills to the needy every Christmas for the past 26 years. After years of anonymity, he decided to go public with hopes of inspiring others to become Secret Santas. So how did this practice begin?

In the winter of 1971, Stewart was working as a door-to-door salesman. The company he was working for went out of business, and he quickly ran out of money. Stewart hadn't eaten in two days when he went to Dixie Diner and ordered a breakfast he eventually admitted he couldn't pay for. Ted Horn, the restaurant owner, sympathized with Stewart. He acted as though he found a $20 bill on the floor underneath of Stewart's chair. "Son, you must have dropped this," Horn said.

"It was like a fortune to me," Stewart reflected. "I said to myself, 'Thank you, Lord.' Right then, I just made a promise. I said, 'Lord, if you ever put me in a position to help other people, I will do it.'"

Over the years, Stewart estimates that he has given away around $1.3 million. He says he has been amply rewarded in return. "I see the smiles and looks of hopelessness turn to looks of hope in an instant," he says. "After all, isn't that what we're put here on earth for—to help one another?" (1)

Stewart has been living the biblical principle of generosity. He has enjoyed the fruit of its promise. Giving of oneself leads to a generous outpouring in return. Whether it is generosity with one’s resources or being generous with a refreshing word, scripture assures us that we will experience abundant blessing in return.

Refreshing others is also a way we proclaim God’s favor and work for justice in the world. Jesus taught that the loving God wholeheartedly and loving our neighbor characterize the way of living that leads to true life (Luke 10:25-37).

God is our source of life and love. God has given to us generously. We have been called to refresh others with the resources God has given us.

Refresh us, O Lord! Grow in us Your love for all people so that we may fulfill your calling. May we be conscious of the opportunities to refresh others as they present themselves. We look to You for love, strength and generosity. Amen.

(1)Nanci Hellmich, "Santa Shares His Secret," USA Today (12-22-06).

Letting go of control

Genesis 13:8-9 (NSRV)

Who doesn’t like being in control? You and I like being the master of our own destiny, the captain of our fate. We often like to be in control of things beyond our own selves…our families, our workplace, and our church. Control issues can be major points of contention in these relationships.

Recently I read through the early chapters of Genesis. I noticed some things about Abram (later known as Abraham) I hadn’t before. For example, when his nephew Lot was kidnapped, he put together an Old Testament version of a SWAT team. He led them in a successful rescue of Lot and all the people and goods taken by his captors (Genesis 14). I never thought of Abram as a warrior before.

What Abram is better known for is his trust in God. In the scripture above, he and his nephew Lot had both been blessed by the Lord with substantial wealth. They had been traveling together for sometime and the land could no longer sustain both of their enormous herds of livestock. As you read, it was leading to conflict.

Abram became a peacemaker with Lot and his people. Notice in verse 8, he was willing to defer his control over the circumstances in order to keep his relationship good with Lot. Abram permitted Lot to choose where he would go and trusted that God would bless him in whatever land was left. Sure enough, God blessed Abram and his family in the land of Canaan, the land he got as “leftovers.”

Some Greek converts to Judaism once sought Jesus out. He had this wisdom for them about being his follower:

“Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” (John 12:25-26, NRSV)

Jesus calls us to give up the white-knuckle grip of control on our lives for life-giving service to him. Trust God to take care of you. Trust Jesus to lead you to the right places. Trust the Holy Spirit to give you the gifts, skills, talents, and experiences you need to flourish. God honors those who are able to let go of control and serve. This is the path to discovering, as Abram did, the peace and blessing that comes with trusting God for the outcome.

Looked on with Favor

"Mary in the house of Elizabeth" Robert Anning Bell (1917, oil on canvas, Tate Britain Museum)

Luke 1.39-55

In our day it seems that those who seek to serve God don’t get a lot of recognition. Instead, the people we seem to idolize, the people we think have made it, seem to be the God-neglecting. These people often encourage us to live for pleasure—satisfy our desires—that’s what life is all about. Rock stars, superstar athletes, powerful business executives are always before us--meeting presidents, throwing big parties, making more money than we can imagine, able to go anywhere and do anything they want. At times we may find ourselves envying them.

Who ever notices that person trying to do what is right in his home and community? Who ever notices the person who’s loyal to her family and her children? Whoever gets noticed for putting in an honest day’s work for what seems like an ever diminishing paycheck? How often is one noticed for being a member of a church and serving it faithfully? He or she never makes the headlines…they never gain much power…they’re doing well just getting the bills paid by the end of the month. Who notices him? Who idolizes her? Who sets them up as the ideal of how to live?

God does! God notices and blesses those who seek to follow him and do his will. They may never be noticed by others, but they enjoy God’s favorable attention! Therefore God will bless them with something that all those rock stars, athletes and powerful business men often miss out on. God blesses his humble, faithful servants with the gift of abundant life that comes through the savior. God blesses us with a sense of hope…a sense of purpose…a sense of joy!

How can we live in Christmas joy all year long? Recognize that the greatest way God has remembered and blessed us is by sending his Son Jesus Christ. Each of us has been afflicted with the stain of sin and the pain of death. Each of us needs salvation that only God could arrange. The world needs the salvation and restoration only God can arrange. God remembered his promise to save us. God, the Mighty One, has done a great thing for us through the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

You and I can rejoice knowing that God’s grace will prevail. Jesus is coming! You and I can rejoice knowing that God’s justice will prevail. Jesus is coming! A day is coming when tyrants will be defeated and the callous will be put in their place. A day is coming when the oppressed will be raised up and the poor will no longer lack. God’s mercy and justice may not seem to be at work in the world with any consistency. But the God who has the power to bring hope and joy to a shy, teenage girl has the power to bring hope and joy into your life. Our God has the power to bring hope and joy into this fallen and conflicted world. God has promised it. God has remembered his promise. God’s grace has triumphed! Joy to the world! Let earth receive her king!

Super Bowl coaches and team owners who get it

I ran across this article on the internet which quotes Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy following the Colts' Super Bowl victory. Dungy, Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, and Colts owner Jim Irsay are all strong Christians. Each made it clear that the most important thing in their lives is their relationship with Christ. It's nice to see some sports celebrities who keep things in proper perspective.

Add another blessing

Today is the day for our congregation's joint prayer service with the Lockhart Church of Christ. I preached about the significance of this opportunity during worship on Sunday. I got a good response from our community of faith. Most unexpected was the response of our CYF (high school youth fellowship). The youth group after worship focused on 1 Corinthians 12 . . . where Paul describes the church as a body. They talked at length about division and schism. In their conversation, they discerned an invitation from God to attend the prayer service as a group. I was caught wonderfully offguard by their intentions. It truly blessed me to see them open to God's leading and their willingness to embrace a worthy cause. They will kill me for saying this, but . . . "I'm likin' the way they roll!"

Restoration Movement internet resources

I am excited about a prayer service my congregation [First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Lockhart TX] is holding jointly with the Lockhart Church of Christ. This service was planned in the spirit of recent formal conversations between the three major "streams" of the Restoration Movement begun by Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Barton Stone. In 1906, the Movement fractured into these three streams: The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Churches of Christ, and the independent Christian Churches. Like most all splits within churches, each group believed they were keepers of the true vision of our founders. That led to further bitterness and disunity. In 2006, leaders from these three streams began formal conversations to thaw the relationships and return to some sense of the unity that was a hallmark belief of our founders. It's an exciting time, and I am most excited about our two congregations worshiping together.

I have not spoken or written much about the history of our Movement. Here are some great websites that have a wealth of information.

Restoration Movement Pages--a vast collection of biographies, documents and sermons from Restoration Movement history.

disciples.org--The official web presence of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Disciples of Christ Historical Society--interesting historical articles and a good variety of links.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I ran across several websites that were interesting but had a bias against one group or another. I chose not to include them. I am looking for a website that deals specifically with the "three streams" conversation. I will pass it along if I find one.

I think you will find these three websites an excellent beginning if you are interested in digging a litte deeper into our Movement history.

90 by 50 update

My weight loss saga has been a mixed bag thus far. I'm only about at 50% of my loss pace thus far. I've lost a total of 25 pounds and have been holding there for several weeks. I haven't gained back what I have lost thus far. That is very good. There have been some unseen benefits that I have been very pleased about. I saw my doctor for a check-up on January 10. Everything looks very good. My blood pressure was excellent. Blood sugar and triglycerides in normal range. My cholesteral number was 155. So metabolically, I am also in really good shape. I was very encouraged by the visit and consider it a manifestation of God's grace that I am not suffering any serious consequences from my obesity. And it is all the more incentive for me to persevere with my exercise and diet disciplines. Your continued prayers on my behalf for discipline and the fruit of self-control would be much appreciated.

I received a little additional inspiration this week. Pam LeBlanc, "Fit City" columnist for the Austin American Statesman, featured the story of Jim Martine. Martine lost 200 pounds in 2006. He did it like I'm doing it--reduced calories and increased exercise. I didn't think one could lose that much weight in a year. It's given me new vision for the possibilities and reinforced the feasibility of my own more modest goal.

Prayer for the new year

I ran across this prayer by the great spiritual writer Thomas a Kempis. I shared it with our congregational board as an opening to the January board meeting. It seems like an excellent prayer to keep in mind as the new year unfolds.

Grant me, O Lord, to know what is worth knowing,
to love what is worth loving,
to praise what delights you most,
to value what is precious in your sight,
to hate what is offensive to you.
Do not let me judge by what I see,
nor pass sentence according to what I hear,
but to judge rightly between things that differ
and above all to search out and to do what pleases you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

May God go with you in the new year!

What "Twelve Days of Christmas" will cost ya

PNC Financial Services Group has tracked the actual cost of the items from the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" for the last 22 years. Click on this link for this year's Christmas price index.

Another sign of our voyeuristic culture

I read an Associated Press story about letters written to God found floating in the Atlantic Ocean. Apparently, these letters had been sent to a New Jersey pastor, or left on his altar, for him to pray about. The pastor and his wife have both been dead for a few years. The speculation is that someone cleaning out their house didn't want to throw them in the trash. They gave them up to the ocean instead, believing that they would never see the light of day again. Unfortunately they were found. The man who found them took the liberty of looking at a few. Some are comical, many others are heartwrenching . . . I'm sure the people who wrote them never intended anyone but the pastor to see them.

Here's the disturbing aspect. The man who found these letters is planning to auction them off on E-Bay. I think its clear that the letters were never intended for public consumption. This man is attempting to cash in on the voyeuristic tendencies of our culture. It is appealing to the worst tendencies in people. My prayer is that someone will buy the letters on E-Bay for the singular purpose of incinerating them before anyone else can see them. I might do it myself if I can afford it.

90 by 50 update

Well, progress has been a lot slower over the last couple of months. I have lost 19 pounds since I started . . . I had hoped to be 36 pounds lighter by now. But I am at the lowest point since I began and there is much time. I must be more diligent, both in regular exercise and in keeping up with my food diary. I am pleased that I have not gone backwards . . . and I recognize that this is about changing my lifestyle. That's the only way this loss will remain permanent. I'm going to work harder over the next six weeks and see what happens. I need to do this for myself, my family, my ministry . . . and now, I guess, for the world. Check out this article from the New York Times on how obesity contributes to global warming. It's a crazy notion, but the evidence is there. I guess I'm the person your parents warned you about!

Top Chef, Season Two

I'm not a big reality show guy, but one that has captured my attention is Top Chef on Bravo. A dozen up-and-coming chefs compete for a number of prizes including $100,000 in seed money to start their own restaurant. They compete, naturally, by cooking through several challenges. I really enjoyed season one, and was expecting a let down for season two. I've been pleasantly surprised.

The second episode of season two has won me over. The competitors and judges worked through an ethical dilemna. I won't tell you exactly what went on because they are still playing the episode this week. See for yourself. I was impressed by how seriously both contestants and judges treated the dilemna and how they ultimately practiced accountability. I recommend the show, particularly if you are a foodie. Here's a link to the Top Chef website if you are interested in learning more.

"Where do you see God calling us to serve?"

During Sunday's sermon, I gave my congregation a few minutes to reflect on the question, "Where do you see God calling us to serve? The question was in response to Mark 10:35-45, where Jesus teaches his disciples that the way of the kingdom is through service. I asked people to record their thoughts and hand them in to me. Here is a compilation of results:

Abused/neglected children
Benevolence ministries for the needy
Collecting socks for the homeless
College students
Calling on inactive members
Helping people get in touch with spirituality
Inviting people to worship with us
Prayer groups interceding for people in need
Serving people in our community
Serving people in our families
Serving people in our workplaces
Supporting parents--parenting assistance
Teaching evangelism--how to show God's love
Working with youth

There were multiple comments focused on serving our local community, benevolence ministry, and various ways to serve children.

I'm interested in hearing more specific ideas for service. What do the results of this informal survey suggest to you? What is happening in Lockhart and the surrounding area that we can get involved in to serve our community? Where do you see us getting something going as a congregation? Just click "comment" and tell me what you think!

90 by 50 update

Today was my official 12 week weigh-in. My goal was to have lost 18 pounds by this point. The official scale at the Old Texas Barbell Company indicates a loss of 16 pounds. I'm really not discouraged. This last six week period included two church camps, one mission trip and a two-week vacation! I am working the plan pretty well. I did my walking a few times on vacation and I did my weight training three times at a nice fitness center in Shoreview MN. On most days I kept my food diary. I've never done these things on vacation before . . . they seemed to really help. Keep prayin' for me. God has been merciful and good.

Expresso meets technology and is found wanting

I'm on my yearly pilgrimage (vacation) to Minnesota to see my parents and some of my wife's relatives and friends. Our habit is to spend the first night at a nice La Quinta Inn in Norman, Oklahoma. I have another tradition associated with this stop--visiting the Starbucks located in the Barnes & Noble store next to the hotel for my morning coffee before making the next leg of the trip to Kansas City.

My stop in Norman proceeded according to habit until I got to the Starbucks counter. I ordered my Cafe Americano. The young lady who took my order took two steps to their new computerized expresso machine . . . pressed a couple of buttons . . . and viola the machine very quietly delivered my coffee to the cup. And, to be honest, the taste was indistinguishable from the coffee produced by the old fashioned method.

Something was still missing for me--the process. For me, a significant part of the experience has been the sound grinding expresso beans, the smell of freshly ground coffee that follows, and the sound of steaming water infusing with the ground beans. Buying coffee this time was sterile and mundane.

I count expresso as one of many things for which a major infusion of technology doesn't improve . . . and may perhaps detract. And I would include church in that list, particularly virtual expressions of Christian community. I'm obviously no Ludite--this blog should certainly speak to my embracing technology at some level. I don't think that virtual community will ever adequately replace real community. Virtual community will always be missing a part of the process of community. In virtual community you don't have to grind out interpersonal conflicts. You can't always smell whiffs of Christ's presence and love being shared together. You miss the delightful sounds of the Spirit infusing with people in worship, service together, and face-to-face fellowship. These are things so important for the vigor of a Christian community. They are what keep Christian community from being sterile and mundane.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this. No one has asked me to pastor a church on myspace.com or anything. Just sharing an observation. I would love to hear your reflections on these thoughts. Why not click on "Comments" below and share them with me.

Prayer as paying attention

Ran across this quote in my devotional reading from The Spiritual Life by John H. Westerhoff III and John Eusden. It's a great observation about prayer:

Prayer is a disciplined dedication to paying attention. Without the single-minded attentiveness of prayer we will rarely hear anything worth repeating or catch a vision worth asking anyone else to gaze upon.

Prayer is contact with God that is continually forming and transforming us. This dovetails nicely with what I was preaching about on Sunday. Worship and prayer are two primary and essential ways that we keep ourselves oriented toward God. Godward orientation is our highest priority as beings created by God and "designed" to be in relationship with God.

90 by 50 update

This week marks six weeks into my effort to lose 90 pounds by my 50th birthday--10 percent "down the road." My goal was to lose nine (9) pounds. My weigh-in today indicated I had lost eleven (11). I'm very excited. I have been at church camp for the last 10 days. The camp's high carb cuisine usually does me in--I never lose weight while I'm there. But this time I kept track of my diet and walked every other day and viola! My next six week benchmark is August 10. This will be an even more challenging segment as it includes our youth mission trip and my usual two vacation to visit family relatives in Minnesota. Lot's of opportunity to "backslide." However, my mental approach is different this time. What has, in the past, looked like such a formidable undertaking seems much more do-able now. This initial success brings much encouragement. Many of you have been sharing words of support or serving as accountability partners--I am grateful.

Roofer's haiku

I've been away at church camp for a week. . . a very good week. Perhaps more about that later.

A couple of months ago, our humble community experienced two major hailstorms in the span of one week. Since then the air as been alive with the sound of roofing nails being driven. Almost every home has a sign from some roofing company out front, staking its claim. In a moment of inspiration, the following haiku came to me:

Hail pounds rhythmically
in the morning roofers come
the sound of money

So much for that bit of culture. I'm off to another church camp--second and third graders, of which my son will be participating. Should be fun. I'll have a "90 by 50" update later in the week.

A sobering discovery

I was watching one of my favorite episodes of Magnum, PI yesterday entitled "Basket Case." It's basically a version of Oliver Twist. A young girl, played by actress Dana Hill, lives in a foster home where she is taught how to scam and steal. Magnum has a big charity basketball game, but his team stinks. Willie (Dana Hill) is a basketball whiz kid, it's what she does, along with hanging out at the library, that helps her escape her home environment. Well, naturally, the foster parents figure out that Magnum lives at the Robin's Nest and they set up a plan to burglarize the mansion of several priceless antiques. And, as you might have guessed, Willie is so touched by the love she has been shown by Magnum and Higgins that she exposes the plot. She learns a valuable lesson about her own inner morality and strength.

The story is totally beside the point. I decided to check on the biography of Dana Hill. It turns out that she was a diabetic who died at the age of 32 from severe complications of her diabetes.

It seems that since my son Jesse's diagnosis of diabetes in 2005 I am coming across many stories of the severe consequences of the disease. Couple that with his developmental delays and cognitive problems and I become very worried about his future. Right now, we are managing his diabetes pretty well. But I am very conscious of the fact that Ronda and I won't be around forever to help him with it. He struggles to take greater responsibility for the management of his condition. It's hard not to be anxious about his future and our future together.

How Church can transform culture

In my devotional reading I ran across this great quote from Howard A. Snyder this morning. It comes from his book, The Community of the King:

. . . when the Church is taken merely as a means to transform society, very little is accomplished. For in that case the uniqueness of the Church is denied and we enter battle on the same terms as secular and godless forces. We assume the battle for right and justice can be won by force, by technique, by doing. It can't. These very clearly are not the weapons of Christian warfare (Eph. 6:10-20). Truly Christian transformation of culture comes through Christlike (and henceforth sacrificial) love, community and being.

Snyder has put into words what I have felt for many years, particularly when Christians enter into the arena of politics and social justice. We have become very adept at threatening and manipulating to achieve our "righteous" ends. But it looks a lot like the world and not like the Christlike community and spirit I yearn to see revealed in the effort to confront the world with the values of God's kingdom. (See, I said "confront." Power language is very hard to get beyond.)

Many believe Christians are called to speak truth to power . . . but do we speak in the language of love or in the language of power? Power may understand the language of power when we speak it. Power is also very skilled in neutralizing the language of power when we use it. Sacrificial love, on the other hand, presents problems to power. They can crush it, thus exposing power for what it is. Or power can give in to it, thus transforming it and bringing it in line with the values of God's kingdom. Power can try to ignore love, but I believe, as Snyder does, that the love of Christ is a compelling force that ultimately cannot be denied.