The Light of Christmas

The people walking in darkness 
have seen a great light;
 on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2.

In the great holiday classic by Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Scrooge has a visitation with three spirits, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. For Scrooge, a miserly man with no friends who will not even extend a Christmas greeting to his only living family member, his present life is bleak and lonely. Only his Christmas past seems pleasant. He was a different person then, full of hopes and dreams and laughter, until he allowed disappointment to embitter him and money to become his god.

Sometimes our past may seem an easier place to stay: when we were young and hopeful or slimmer or wealthier, when our children ran to the Christmas tree in their footed pj’s, when loved ones were around our dinner table, instead of empty chairs.

We recently watched old videos of Christmases 15 to 20 years ago, to introduce our son’s fiancée to our Christmas past. It was hilarious and sweet and also poignant as the camera captured moments with family members who no longer occupy those chairs.

But the point of the Christmas Carol, I think, is to jolt us to our present, even if sadness is present, and to recognize that we can choose the light of the living. We are alive and while we are still breathing, there is hope and more life to come!

Evil in the hearts of men is real. But the power of God to transform hearts and lives is just as real and has the victory over the dark things people do. Yesterday, not 15 miles from our home, another person chose to plot and kill the innocent. Families grieve the loss of brave firefighters today, because of a man blinded by his own fury and his choice to commit evil.

But his darkness does not have power over God’s goodness and hope. “There is no darkness in our hearts that God is not willing to walk into, shining the light of love and compassion and solidarity with our human condition. There is no sorrow that God does not share. And there is no place any of us can go, including the grave, that Christ has not entered first, hallowing, blessing, and filling all of it with the grace of God.”  Rev. Kit Carlson.

Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. 2 Corinthians 4:6.

High-Kicking it at Christmas

This week, we are remembering special Christmas events. After last Friday, Christmastime going forward, especially for those families who have suffered incredible loss, may be both traumatic and comforting. The trauma of losing a child or parent or spouse to a monstrous act is obvious. The comfort comes from knowing the one who willingly left His heavenly kingdom to live as one of us and to die for us, holds the victorious weapon over evil: His love.  "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you." Isaiah 41:10.

My favorite Christmas event involved lots of legs. Watching 36 pairs in synchronized perfection was mesmerizing. Watching my daughters’ faces brighten in wonder and amazement at the singing and dancing was heartwarming. I had thought my son, about 12 at the time, might find it dull, but his eyes never left the stage.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular may not be the usual pious Christian choice for holiday inspiration, especially since Santa Claus makes an appearance, but I don’t remember being quite so moved--and teary--at another Christmas production. I had prepared myself for tourist trap schlock, but instead was treated to a first-rate, thoughtfully produced musical extravaganza that also offered a stunning rendering of the Nativity.

Because the birth of Christ--replete with a blue-black starlit sky, Mary, Joseph and the babe, shepherds, live animals and beautiful music--occurs at the end of the show, it is the images in that scene the audience carries out the doors to the noise and holiday crush on a New York City sidewalk.

Creating special memories at Christmas seems to be an Olympic sport in some families. I just love to cook and enjoy people and put up some special lights. My mother-in-law, however, a longtime Broadway fan, wanted her children’s families to experience what she considered to be the magic of Radio City Music Hall’s annual extravaganza. She gave us quite a gift. 

I confess that today, several years later, I cannot recollect with specificity most of the musical numbers of much of the show, but I will never forget the beauty and the care that the show’s director and cast took with portraying our Savior’s birth. Nor will I forget my six year-old high-kicking it down Sixth Avenue, hoping to be the next Rockette.

The show’s website proclaims the Christmas Spectacular as “an unparalleled Christmas show with universal appeal that lifts the spirits and creates memories.” Yup. Except it was not just the show that lifted our spirits--it was seeing it together. At Christmas.

My Imperfect Influencer

“Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.”  George Eliot.

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. Proverbs 1:5.

In these uncertain economic times, we may not leave a healthy financial legacy to our children. But something we can leave to our children or to others within our sphere of influence is...influence.

I think about this a lot, especially since my children are young adults. When they were toddlers, elementary students and pre-teens, the hope of parental influence was forming, vibrating. But, there came a day—quite recently—when I realized that the future is NOW.  Scary thought. I realize there is so much more I could have done better, could have prayed for, could have worked toward.

I hope I will have influenced them—as imperfect as I am—to live lives that honor God and that offer hope and encouragement to others. Imperfect influence can work a good work. It has to. My dad was my imperfect influencer.  He was a man who was honest about who he was—a man who loved God, books and working in prison ministry, and who was also a recovered alcoholic introvert who fought depression and heart disease.

Whenever I am tempted to feel sorry for myself, I can hear my father, whose heart condition greatly affected his quality of life, quoting his favorite life-giving scripture: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

My father had a corny sense of humor and kept us laughing, but he was not the life of the party. Working a crowd or attention-getting was not his style or preference. He also wanted to understand the workings of the world and he read about science, history, religion and current events. Both the Bible and the Wall Street Journal were in his hands every day. He was not a smooth talker when it came to politics: he had strong opinions and tempers could flare. But where he excelled was in telling others how God had changed his life, healed him and set him free—that was his greatest joy. He told me that God was real, and I believed him because I saw real, evident change, and then I believed in God.

Despite the many obstacles life—and people—threw at him, my father persevered and pressed on, very much emulating the words of Paul: “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

My father entered heaven in 2005, but his influence thankfully remains earth-bound. Very often, I can hear his encouragement, his honesty in his struggles, his expressed faith, his bad jokes. And I smile. My imperfect influencer.

Faith is the Substance- Amanda Elder Silvers

One of my favorite verses in Scripture is this-

Hebrews 11:1

King James Version (KJV)

11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

As Christians the very basis of our entire belief system in Christ is faith based.  I dare say that most of us haven't seen Christ, we haven't had coffee with Him, and we haven't had Him over for dinner.  However, when we become a Christian and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit we are filled with the faith and knowledge that He is as present and as alive as any one of us.  It's a knowing deep in your soul...unwavering and certain.  

 

"Faith" and "hope" have long been two of my favorite words in the English language.  The word "hope" became a cornerstone of my foundation during the years that my father was so very sick.  I hoped each day that he would get better.  I hoped each day that God would heal and fully restore him to perfect health.  One Christmas in the midst of his illness my mother gave to me and my sister these beautiful, silver rings with the word "HOPE" etched in them in black letters.  She asked us to wear those for him.  I've not gone one day without wearing that ring since.  Hope is a word which gives us promise and an expectation about the future and/or situations in our life.  We can hope for a promotion.  We can hope someone will be healed.  We can hope to win the lottery.  I realized in the midst of my love affair with the word "hope", however, that FAITH was an intregal part of the equation as well.  Hope and faith must coexist in order for hope to reach its full potential.  We can "hope" all day for something, but unless we truly have the FAITH that it is possible our hope is fruitless. 

 



The Word is full of promises to us as God's children if we will only have faith in Him.  He is our Maker, our Provider, our Strength, and our Savior.  He wishes for us to have faith in Him fully to provide our needs and the desires of our hearts.  Faith is what brings us into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Faith moves mountains.  Matthew 17:20 tells us that mountain moving is possible even in people who have faith just the size of a mustard seed. 

 

Faith is the evidence in our lives for the world to see that we believe in a power greater than ourselves.  We can't be wishy-washy in our belief.  We either do or we don't.  It's black or it's white.  You either have faith or you don't.  My hope for each of us is that we would continue to grow daily in our faith and in turn will see the rewards of our obedience.  Have a wonderful weekend, friends.  Grow in what you know.  Feed your faith. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lesson of Long Suffering - by Amanda Silvers

A phrase that I find reoccurring in my communications with my friends of late is this, "We're never promised this is going to be an easy ride."  Boy howdy!  Now there's a statement I could write volumes about.

Long suffering is described as "patient endurance".  Patience is most definitely NOT one of my strongest virtues and endurance is something that I know the Lord has woven into the tapestry of my being.  Endurance isn't even an option or a choice.  It's a necessity.  As Christians we are promised in His Word that there is nothing too difficult or too tedious for us to walk through with His help.

Romans 8:28-29    
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

Most of us during our time here will experience certain life events which put our patience to the test.  A death, a divorce, a crisis.... it is in these moments that our feet are held to the fire and required to make a choice.  We can chose to crumble or pull the covers up over our heads and try to keep reality out as much as possible or we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and put one step in front of the other and move....even if it's slowly.... moving forward.

Another lesson that's come into play in my own life personally is this- there is only so much we are able to control with our human hands.  The big picture is in His hands.  We can waste time frustrated and running around trying to orchestrate and rearrange issues in our lives or the lives of others which we don't understand or agree with, but the truth is those efforts are futile.  It isn't our "control" which matters.  We didn't create the universe.  We aren't gifted with omniscient power and wisdom.  It is only a Most High God Who has perfect insight.  We are merely human.  We have trials.  Our instruction is to turn to Him during these times and trust that He is in control. 

Proverbs 19:21
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

Our Lord will never leave us nor forsake us.  He has given us His Word, our instruction book on what to do when things feels too much or too unbearable. In what I imagine as a perfect world we would all live together in harmony.  We would help those who were suffering and love those who were struggling.  There would be no judgment and no condemnation.  We would realize that none among us is any more important or special than anyone else.  God views us all the same.  We were all created in HIS image.  Not just a few of us- of you- ALL of us.

My prayer is that each of you will have a wonderful week and weekend.  Take time to be quiet and listen to Him.  Turn your cares and concerns over to the Father and let Him carry your burden for you.  He wants to so much.  All we have to do is ask.  Be blessed!

Lifetime Pots and Pans and a Working Garbage Disposal

Call to Me and I will answer you. I’ll show you marvelous

and wonderful things that you know nothing about

Jeremiah 33:3 

This week's subject of praying for something and the answer being better than expected seemed pretty straightforward to me. My answered prayer has a name and he is Marcel. my husband.
Initially, this prayer was a weak one. Probably no more than a whisper…a mustard seed proportion.
At the time, I had not expected to meet a decent man. Actually because of previous circumstances, I was leery and almost lost hope.
My mother, ever the one who held out hope for me, encouraged me to buy a set of Lifetime Pots and Pans. At first I thought it was a silly purchase, but she owned a set. Acting like a saleswoman herself, she talked me into signing a contract to pay so much a week. I mean how could you go wrong with a set that had a Lifetime Guarantee?
Isn’t it like a mom to hope for the best for her child? I am not sure I appreciated it as much as I do now.
Soon after, my Knight in Shining Armor galloped into my path…or should I say, at our first encounter, he gently coaxed me to the side .He did so, so that he could balance my teller window at the bank we worked at. He was no less a hero than a Knight though, as he quickly resolved the problem I was having. Thus the rest of the staff could finally leave to go home, albeit with loud sighs.
Marcel came from a small town in CT. It is called West Wauregan and is in the town of Brooklyn. His friend Bob, who also worked with us, glossed over the West Wauregan part and said that they were from Brooklyn. He was kind of embarrassed, coming from a town that no one had ever heard of.
When I heard this I said “Brooklyn! My brother went to Law School there! You know Saint John’s University?
Marcel groaned “Whoa...wrong Brooklyn…we live in CT, not New York.
The things that stood out for me about Marcel were instantly noticed. He was kind and polite. He did not have a big ego and He was considerate. He seemed genuinely interested in me. He was easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. He even brought an umbrella when it rained. He had a blanket on the cold leather car seats. On those last two, it took time to see the positives about those, as I thought I was much too sophisticated to worry about getting wet or cold.

I kept having these “It’s too good to be true" thoughts about him. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. This never happened.
Of course he wasn't a saint but he was the best thing, after Jesus that ever appeared on my doorstep. He was a decent guy who was not afraid to show love to me. He respected me as a woman and as a person. He was eager to impress me. I mean how many girls can say that, on the day they met their future in-laws that they and their beau took a ride on the Town's Fire truck, with him driving. Now that was a BIG happening in West Wauregan. Did I mention...small town???"
We are so different in many ways and yet we complement each other.
I like how he has made our life together worth every minute.
Have we wondered if we would last? Yes. Have we ever had times when it was just plain ole' hard? Yes.
Isn't there a Gaither song titled “Through It All?"...but Through It All, he and I have remained commited to the Lord first and foremost and to one another thus far.
So, my Lifetime Pots and Pans lived up to their guarentee.
Sometimes our prayers come from promptings of someone who loves us and can see our future better than we can. That someone was my mom.  What was her Hope became my Hope. And then Hope became a prayer.
You might be curious as to how Garbage Disposals got into my Title. Well, I was considering the following scripture this evening.
“I will answer them even before they call me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers” Isaiah 65:24
Our garbage disposal has been broken for a while. I thought “We don’t have the money to buy a new one. Wouldn’t it be great if it miraculously started again?” (I could report on Kingdom Bloggers another answer to prayer that was better than expected.*smile*)
Before you roll your eyes, years ago our washer stopped working. It was a goner. Money was tight. I had heard somewhere about a woman praying for her washer. What did I have to lose?
You’ve guessed the conclusion. The washer started working and lasted a couple of more years.
Now, if I can just get that garbage disposal to cooperate and be open to my prayers.

It Is Well With My Soul

I was thinking, what is Peace? Is it an absence of conflict?  Or maybe a settled feeling? Perhaps, a  knowing that it is going to be all right? I think thee are appropriate answers.

I  thought of the well loved hymn by Horatio Spafford.. "It Is Well With My Soul" Then I knew my what question is more aptly answered by who is Peace?

Horatio was a successful lawyer in Chicago. He was married and he and his wife Anna had 5 children. A son and 4 daughters.

Tragedy met this man in proportions, we can only imagine.

First was the death of his only son, who was a mere 4 years old.

The next was the Great Chicago Fire that ruined him financially.

As a result of the last tragedy, he planned to sail overseas to assist DL Moody with his Evangelistic Efforts.

Unexpectedly, business matters had to be attended to and so sent Anna and their 4 daughter ahead...he would join them later.

Unbelievably, the ship his family was on, was struck by another and sank. His wife survived but their 4 daughters drowned. He was notified of this by receiving a telegram from his wife saying ,"Saved alone"

He left to join her.As  the ship that he was on, was at the approximate place that their ship went down, the Captain notified Horatio of that fact.
Horatio went into his cabin. This is where he penned this great and heartfelt hymn.

The first verse is probably the most familiar, as well as the refrain. But,as I looked more closely at the remaing verses, I saw that Horatio spoke of where he found his sustaining peace, on the cross of Jesus Christ.  It was in the joy of his salvation. He remembered the sacrifice that our dear Savior wrought for him. He was humbled and amazed at the emptying of self, which the Lord presented on behalf of all mankind. Horatio himself was part of redemption.The cross and the suffering and pain are where true Peace is found.

 I can see that Peace is not as much a feeling or a state of mind, even though it can be that, but true Peace will never come apart from Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace. Peace is a person. The Cross will always be the plumbline of our faith.

Two Beatles songs come to mind. One is "Imagine" and “Give Peace a Chance" They are nice songs and inspire many people but Peace...true Peace ( Jesus) is absent from these lyrics..

Unless the world knows this, men will never taste the ultimate Peace...the true Peace.

Simply, the Cross is the plumbline of our faith.

A familiar quote says it well.

“Know Jesus...Know Peace"..."No Jesus...No Peace"

The Kingdom of God is at hand...

 Like Joyce, I worship at a church that doesn't follow the liturgical calendar, but I truly appreciate the focus of Advent.

Probably because I despise what Christmas has become...even for Christians.

To avoid making a hypocritical statement for those who know me, it is very true that I love and get into the Christmas season. But the struggle to overcome the hyper-commercial nature surrounding the celebration of the greatest gift ever given in all of human history is at times...exhausting.

I don't think we do any favors to our faith by stonewalling the season as a demonstration we (as Christians) are not 'of the world.' We live in the world. We are commissioned to evangelize to the world. We are commanded to love other and not judge. The Bible is very clear on all these matters. While I absolutely agree that Christians can't act in some of the same manners as the lost around us, I also clearly see the example of Jesus who immersed Himself in some of the most vile of places to be the Light that we are instructed to be. Wait...that's salt and light according to Matthew 5:13-16.

So how do we do it? How do Christians avoid losing the message of hope, love and joy that come into full blossom during the Christmas season to the forces of greed and selfishness that seem imposed?

Focus to me is the key. Focus honed by diligent prayer. The vast majority of at least this country find the unique condition of having a  somewhat softened hearts this time of year (of course, there are exceptions that wield pepper spray while shopping). What better time to plant the seed of the Good News?

The hoopla of the Christmas season is as a direct result of the capitalist society we live, work and play in daily.  The two go hand in hand. Is capitalism a perfect economic system? Absolutely not, but the alternatives are far less appealing and often come with a number of governing restrictions that diminish or destroy personal freedoms (i.e. worship)...and that is not okay by me.

So as the celebration of Christ's birth approaches, I vow to concentrate and focus on what that means to me as a Christian. That will include prayer time asking for guidance from my Father for His will to be done in my words and actions. Starting in my own home, I will be an example for my wife and children each and every day. Through it all...I will focus the honor and glory on the One who is the sole source of my true joy and hope...forever and ever. Amen.

Outrageous Hope

Outrageous Hope!...I just heard that expression...I like it.Then I sometimes wonder...is it faith or is it hope?
I got a lot of information, this morning, to answer that question. I think going into any depth would take away from our intentions of talking about Hope in the Advent season.
So I will leave that for another time and talk about this Outrageous Hope.
I would like to share one short thing that did happen to me, having to do with my expressing hope.
I was a fairly new Christian and I was talking to another believer and I said " Well, I hope...." I didn't even get to finish my thought and the person jumped on me and said " NO!...you should not hope....you should have faith!!!
Yikes!...they pretty much overwhelmed me.
 I later learned that they were part of the Faith Movement and pretty adamant about their Theology. I have since learned that yes..."they" have some of the truth of God, but they certainly do not have all of the truth.
I can hope as well as I can have faith.
Hope=Anticipation...Expectation...Desire for something to happen
The waiting of Advent, makes me think of all the Jewish people who are still waiting for the Messiah. The signs are there that He has already arrived but so many are blinded from the truth. They literally are...without Hope.
In the Word, we are commanded to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and understandably it seems to indicate a land...a country. But, if we think about it...there will be no lasting Peace in Israel or anywhere else in the world, for it's citizens, unless they come to know the Prince of Peace.
In the "homeland of their hearts" they need to know Him.
My little grandson, who is 3 said yesterday, " Granny, did you know Christmas is Jesus' Birthday?"I am excited, that in his tender heart, there is already a place to know that Christmas is so much more than decorations and gifts and trees. Of course he doesn't fully understand everything. He still wants all the presents and such... but I have purposed to make a cake and have a little celebration for the Birthday Jesus.
He will eventually learn the Advent story and the concept of waiting.
I learned in the Catholic Church, I attended as a child...we have to wait till Christmas until the babe will be placed in the Manger. I know for me, when Jesus was there in the creche in church...it felt to me like...everything was complete now. And that still is true today. The joy and contentment that I have, remembering His birth, will carry me again, another year.
So...what are YOU waiting for?

Monday, November 28, 2011: Colossians 1:3-27

Tuesday, November 29, 2011: Psalms 130

Wednesday, November 30, 2011: Lamentations 3:21-33

Thursday, December 1, 2011: Ephesians 1:3-15

Friday, December 2, 2011: Hebrews 7:11-28

Not Wishing on a Star

I didn’t grow up in a church that observed Advent.   Being Pentecostal, they didn’t follow the liturgical calendar.   It wasn’t until a few years ago when I was pastoring a church that I plunged into the concept of the liturgical calendar, lectionary preaching, and of course, advent.

The theology of the season is so rich.  Here is a short clip to help you understand it.

The theme this week is hope.  I recently heard a saying:  The last thing to die is hope.  Wow!  That hit me.  You see, I know what it is to lose hope.  You can lose many things but when your hope is dead, so are you.  I was a walking zombie.  Once I was the proverbial optimist.  Life would always get better.  When it didn’t and it kept crashing in on me, my hope was gone, and I became a pessimist.

Sadly, the pessimistic tendencies have lingered.  I fight at time to hold on to hope   With tenacity, I hold on to it determined to never lose hope again.  It is because of the power of hope that I felt led of the Lord to name the ministry I felt He wanted to birth in me, The Age of Hope Ministries…

The scripture the Lord gave me was Romans 8:24… Hope that is seen is not hope at all…

Hope is not wishing upon a star.  Hope is that inner drive that tells us to keep going.  It is that thing that even against all hope, we hope – why? Because we know Jesus.  It is clinging to what the old timer’s called the Blessed Hope – the hope in the return of Jesus.  No not just the day He comes again and changes everything for the whole world, but when He comes to me in my despair, sadness, and despite my pessimism helps me get up.

When all else fails, that’s what I cling to… I hold on to it and scrape myself off the floor of despair and broken dreams and keep moving.


Monday, November 28, 2011: Colossians 1:3-27

Tuesday, November 29, 2011: Psalms 130

Wednesday, November 30, 2011: Lamentations 3:21-33

Thursday, December 1, 2011: Ephesians 1:3-15

Friday, December 2, 2011: Hebrews 7:11-28

Pregnant with Hope

A favorite verse huh?  

What if I can’t pick one?  

I mean seriously, there are verses that speak to me at different times for different reasons.  My favorite verse(s) are sort of like those topical verse things – when you are ________ read ___________. 

When I am really feeling low, I like “Jesus wept.”  Jesus allowed Himself to experience His humanity by weeping.  He struggled with Himself and with His Father in the Garden.  He expressed His anguish on the cross with “why have You forsaken Me?  If Jesus, our example can be real and vulnerable, I can too.

When I am struggling with the future, I like “He who began a good work in you shall complete it.”  If you read my Sounds of Hope blog, you know I get bummed and frustrated and have all sorts of angst about my future.  This verse reminds me that it’s not over until it is over.

I could go on and on with this – sometimes the verse “The gift makes room for itself” gives me a jolt of hope.  Or other times, I ponder at length what does deep calls to deep mean – I’ve had people pray it over me so many times that it sort of echoes in my brain.  Last week, I think I discovered one of the things it means – someone said that my Sounds of Hope blog reaches into her soul and I say exactly what she feels. 

But if I were to pick one verse today, it would be Romans 8:24: For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?

Listen to how Eugene Peterson translates this in The Message:That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us.

I'm pregnant with dreams and desires for effective ministry. When God first laid on my heart to start The Age of Hope Ministries many years ago, He gave me that middle phrase – but hope that is seen is no hope at all.  If you’ve ever hit a place where you hope is gone, you know it is more devastating than most anything else we can experience.  

We need hope to keep going.  But when we see it, it’s not hope.  Waiting is very hard for me and I’ve been waiting for a lot of things a very, very, very long time.  But in the waiting, I hold on to the unseen hope.

Words of Love, Hope, and Power

A few words come to mind when I think about my fellows here at Kingdom Bloggers. Although I've never met any of them in person, or even talked on the phone, they each have a definite presence for me.

The Word is Love
When I think of Tony C, I think of Love. This man just seems to permeate love for others. It's always there in every account he relates; it doesn't matter if he actually comes out and talks about his love for others or not, it's still always in the subtext of whatever he's saying.



The Word is Hope
When I think of Joyce, I think of Hope. Even just the brief bit of her life that I know resounds with hope; God has brought her through so much in her life - how can I hear what God has done for Joyce and not feel hopeful inside?!


The Word is Power
When I think of David, I think of Power. God's power; manifest in us through His Holy Spirit. I see David earnestly seek after God, sincerely seek to be used by God, and passionately seek after the Holy Spirit's power being manifest in his life.


Not so surprisingly, I've learned about Love from Tony, Hope from Joyce, and God's power through us from David. I'm grateful that I've been blessed to be a part of this group and look forward to learning more from each of them in the days ahead.

I Want A Clerical Collar

I am probably a little too candid for my own good.  It’s just how I am.  The other day I wrote a blog on Sounds of Hope.  It was hardly hope filled.  Yet, I think sometimes hope is best expressed in reality.  The Psalms are like that.  Many deep laments are expressed in their poetic words.  Yet, they often end with praise to God, a prayer for deliverance, and an offering of hope. 

A long time ago a person prayed over me and gave me these words:  “Deep calls to deep” (Psalm 42:7).  The Message translates this phrase, “chaos calls to chaos.”  I suggest you read the whole Psalm as well as the Psalm 43; the two Psalm were intended to be one.  You can find it in The Message here. 

When someone gives me a phrase or a verse like that, I usually take it seriously.  I’ve read this verse and the verses around it dozens and dozens of times.  I’ve never quite understood what it meant.  Oh I understand intellectually, but I have never understood how it applied to me.  I’ve shed plenty of tears.  I’ve had my name destroyed.  I’ve had all manner of chaos in my life.  I’ve certainly had life’s waves and breakers crash over me.  Was God just saying your life is going to be rough and hard?  Was He just reminding me of the truth of my life?

David suggested we write about practical ministry.  I started to write about pastoral ministry.  I think of pastoral ministry as very practical.  It’s the man or woman who will visit the hospital, will sit all night with the dying, will make sure you have food on the table, and that your spiritual appetite is fed as well.  It’s a difficult calling.  It’s often a thankless calling.

Every time I fill out one of those spiritual gifts inventories, I’m told I’m “pastoral.”  I have friends who try to encourage me and tell me I’m pastoral.  Depending on the person, sometimes I just smile.  Other times I give them my true feelings and tell them how discouraged I am.

Lately I’ve been thinking about pastors.  I’ve been wondering where they are?  There is not a week that goes by that someone doesn’t seek me out for counsel or prayer.  They seem to come from all sorts of places.  I’ve wondered at times, don’t they have a pastor?  I love it when people come to me.  After all, that is my gifting.  But I do wonder. 

Yesterday I was pastoral.  The day started with a call from the clerk at the hotel we would stay at in Columbia Missouri.  Often she would check us in.  Occasionally we’d chat.  I learned a bit of her story.  I gave her my card.  She called me.  Said she had been touched by me and wanted to see how I was.  I thought huh?  Then I got a call from the hospital, a friend needed transportation from the hospital after surgery.  I delighted in serving her and taking her home.  I spent time yesterday praying for these two women along with the friends who I love who are in deep need.

I may not have a title or a paycheck.  I want one.  I know that doesn’t sound very spiritual but it’s honest.  I don’t know how to be anything else but honest.  Nevertheless, I think I’m realizing that ministry doesn’t need a title or a paycheck.  As I look at a fellow seminary student sporting her new clerical collar, I am envious.  But today I’m laying that down and determining to Pastor the flock God gives me.

You may ask, what does that have to do with Deep Calls To Deep?  It has a lot to do with it.  As I share my chaos, my questions, my life, my reality, my vulnerability, my pain, the deepness of it calls out to those hurting.  They hear the familiar sound of their own pain.  Their heart says she’ll understand.  Then together we can learn to jump in the waves of life rather than being swallowed.  I may not have a collar, but I have a flock.   If you need a Pastor, I'm here.    

Ideas

Considering the frustration I shared last week, it's a little hard to answer where I think God is leading me.  Of late I think that God likes to lead me by keeping me in the desert or the wilderness.  I am sure I probably exaggerate my plight a bit but that is how it feels to me.  I wonder sometimes, how much more does He have to change in me?

Beware, Joyce is going to get real again.  Last year I took the Strength Finders test.  My number one strength was "ideation."  I wouldn't have guessed that was my strength but when I thought about it more, I thought yep, that's me.  Throughout my life, I've had lots of good ideas.  I mean really great ideas, even money making ideas. Many years ago when I lived in Hallsville MO they had no daycare.  I wanted to rent the other side of the duplex we lived in and start a daycare.  My husband yawned, my mother scoffed.  I persisted but as with many things, alone I eventually gave up.  Three months later a woman opened one down the street.  She did well. On top of that my mother praised her since she knew her from church.  I kept thinking, that could have been me.

Joyce's Chai Blend

That story is the story of my life.  Trust me, I have plenty of examples.  Usually I am left to bang my head against a wall and wonder why.  I've thought at times that maybe it was that I needed to trust my own instincts and/or leadings and just do it.  Well, I did.  I started a coffee shop that morphed into a deli and tried all sorts of marketing tactics.  I had amazing and inexpensive menu items.  Imagine, fresh cooked eggs to order, fresh made breakfast potatoes with onions and multi-colored peppers, meat of choice, bread of choice - and if you ordered a biscuit, you got homemade sausage gravy with it as well.  Served fast and fresh for the low price of $3.99.  Add to that a $ .50 cup of bottomless fresh coffee and you had a great meal for under $5.  Or you could add a Milky Way latte, an Almond Joy cappuccino, a fruit smoothie with real fruit in it or a steamy creamy chai latte made with my own chai mix that had fresh spices I ground myself for $3.99.  And the weekend omelets were to die for - eventually we lost more money than I care to think about.  Not to mention the blow to the ego.  It was location but nevertheless, another idea gone bad.

Then there was the church.  God told me to start a church.  I did.  Twice.  The spirit of the Lord showed up big time one morning.  The worship leader had a vision.  He saw us all in the start gate of a race.  He said that I was on a horse.  I had been waiting a very long time.  I was dying to get out of the gate.  He said that gate was opening.  Yippie Skippy Glory Hallelujah - within two months I found out I was going to South Dakota.  Not exactly the gate opening I had in mind.  Not exactly a place I flourished.  But oh the things I learned in the process.

Okay, I don't want this to be a downer.  I suppose this has sort of been Joyce's morning lament. I don't want this to be so real that you think I have no faith.  I do have faith.  I do have hope.  I have so much hope and faith that at an age when most people are planning or experiencing retirement, I'm working on a doctoral degree.  The high school drop out welfare mom who no one thought was worth anything, is now a doctoral student.  I'm plugging away with a research study on the use of computer mediated social networking (Facebook) for the purpose of Christian community.  That's what God has led me to do.  That's what I'm doing.  I hope it doesn't end up like all my other good ideas.  I hope it benefits the Kingdom.  But one thing I've learned, results do not mean success or failure.  Success is all about obedience and the process of becoming like Jesus.