Taps begin.

Taps begin.
Time adds little perspective.

Death in a hostile place, a time not chosen.
Cities hard to pronounce; countries hard to find.
Cause, clarity clouded, confused; hard to recall.

Taps begin.

Time dulls memory. 
Pace pushes people on.
Space vacated, empty, gone.
Place dissolves, no trace; so it seems.

Taps begin.
Time stands still; this I remember. 
Their laughter, their scent.
First smile, first step, first word, first love.
A Friday night; life was simple.
The future, a certain dream, bullet proof; not.

Taps begin.

Time release; tears flow freely.
Pride in lives well lived.
Grieving for lives given; invested and gone.
The loss, the pain; broken plans, broken hearts; shattered.

Taps begin.

Now it is time; whisper their names.
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen.
Duty, honor, country; their last full measure.
No greater love, their sacrifice.

In peace, now rest.
Forget not, ever.

Lost and Found.

Loss. I've had my share over the years.

Two weeks after I graduated from High School, my father died, I was 17. In 1984, just after my 31st birthday, my mother died . I was 38 when I learned I had diabetes. I began a "rest of my life" battle with skin cancer in 1996, at age 43. Disappointment...oh my, where do I start. Failure--several crushing instances. Unrealized dreams, of course.

My story isn't unique. It's called, "being human." Loss is just a part of the "living experience." Life is hard, and, can be very harsh. Loss, though we all face it, is not simply a one size fits all process. For some, loss means never experiencing "what could have been." For others it's remembering "what was." For all of us it's losing people we love, to death. Life's "Harsh passages" include broken relationships, disease, tragic accidents, children "lost" in adolescence and never able to move on to productive adult lives, addiction, betrayal, unfaithful spouses and/or friends...have I described your "loss-story" yet?

A few years ago an extended family member, and friend, facing a number of very difficult circumstances posted a comment about loss, she concluded, "Easy to be philiosophical...easy to be grateful too." As I paused to reflect on her words, I was struck by this profound insight.

"Easy to be grateful too..."  Really?  We can't, generally, control loss. Bad things happen to good (and bad) people. We can, however, control our attitude and our response to loss. We can ask "why me?" or we can declare "why NOT me!" That's the "philosophical" part.

The "grateful" part comes when, our pain notwithstanding, we aren't swallowed by bitterness; through the darkness of the moment, we still see the sunshine we've experienced over the years--as well as the expectation that the sun will shine again. Loss frames our perspective. It reminds us of the providence of God and the blessings we enjoy and have enjoyed through the ebb and flow of life. It's ironic, loss and gratitude are two sides of the same coin. Tennyson understood this when he penned "It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."

The sentiment that struck me as so profound was "easy." It just never occurred to my friend to not be grateful. The emotional and spiritual place that she "lives" made gratitude a logical extension, not of her pain, but of His promise. The Psalmist (42.5) said it this way..

"Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God."

Loss isn't abandonment. It isn't the death of hope. It's an intersection of life where one can step back and see life not just for what it isn't, but for what it is; it's at that place, in that moment, we see the goodness of God, and it's easy to be grateful.

Lost and found. A fitting description.

If birds can sing...

Spring is off to a very slow start, even for Northern Indiana.

Last Saturday morning I was spreading mulch in the beds around our office building.  I began to notice the birds vocalizing--a song to the human ear.  I thought it was curious given the wind, rain, sleet then snow we encountered that morning.  But there they were, intent on doing what birds do.  They sang, I groused (pun intended).

Their internal calendar told the birds "it's Spring."  They sing with confidence because they know, intuitively, that regardless of what the weather may be like today, it's Spring, and it's going to feel like Spring sooner than later. 

It occurred to me this morning, off to another blustery start, as I listened to them sing outside my window, I can do that too.  I know my life is "hidden with Christ in God," and even though it doesn't feel like that today, it will, sooner than later.

Colossians 3.2-4 "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."

He put a new song in my heart.  Sing.   bN

Fresh fruit...

Anger and hate are easy because they are intuitive to our human nature. May I suggest...Galatians 5.22 "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Statutory, Constitutional or Sharia. These virtues are a starting place that point us to the truth about the Universe we can see, but not fully experience; the world we can experience abut not fully understand and ourselves--with hearts so desperately sick, who can know them.  Shalom L'Chaim.

TGIS...

Last year, over Spring Break, I made my first sojourn to New York City.  Impressive.  Lot's of very tall buildings.  Human kind is certainly, resourceful; take, for instance, the Tower of Babel chronicled in Genesis, the opening book of the Older Testament.

Over the years I've always attempted to find "dynamic equivalents" in the culture around me to help people understand a deeper principle from the Scriptures. The Tower of course was the ultimate expression of hubris; our effort to shake a collective fist at God and say "See, you aren't so transcendent after all."  Foolish pride led to an inflated opinion of who we were; God breathed, language changed and chaos ensued. We discovered we were no match for the transcendent God.

Fast forward to New York City, a shinning example of 21st Century "can do."  God, in his grace, has allowed humankind to apply intellect and ingenuity, these also graciously granted by God, to "discover" thousands of things that insulate us from the ill-effects of the fall: drugs, asphalt, steel, plastic, roads, air conditioning, engines, automation--the list is endless. We in turn, tainted by sin and swelled with pride, believing ourselves to be wise "shake our fists" at God and say, "You see, the Scriptures are myth; there was a big-bang and then there was 'life' and look at how we have evolved...we have the power to give and take life. We don't need myths to prop us up anymore. We are God."

In reality, everything we touch we corrupt. Look at what we call our "system of Justice." We condition the air at the same time we poison it with hydro-carbons. We pollute the planet, poison our bodies, can't beat cancer or aids and when/if we do, something else always emerges. Regardless of how effective we are at blunting the effect of sin on life and the planet, sin always trumps our best efforts...and God allows it, to point us to our need for a Savior and His gracious provision for our redemption.

The farther evolved civilization becomes the further it devolves into moral and spiritual chaos--abortion, failed economies, genocide, addiction, violence, corrupt government, greed, broken relationships, idolotry, shaminism, social injustice. Think about it, in 1965 LBJ gave us the Great Society. These unfunded mandates have done nothing to enlighten culture and end poverty--but they have driven us to edge of bankruptcy and destroyed families while perpetrating genocide on the poorest of the poor. The smarter we get, the dumber we are. We can run from God, but we can't hide.

So then, civilization as we have fashioned it, has become humankind's most recent Tower of Babel; the work of "our hands" which demonstrates our independence, our ability to "get it done without God."  We set out to be like God, and in a final irony, we create the very modality that could be the end of life as we know it. We can destroy it, but we can't fix it..."and all the kings men, couldn't put humpty-dumpty together again." 

The lie that deceived Eve, and broke Adam continues to vex us. But we aren't beaten, there is hope..."When we were utterly helpless...God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5.6a,8

"TGIS" Thank God it's Sunday!   Happy Resurrection day.

Hallelujah...what a savior.

Not beaten!

Last year, over Spring Break, I made my first sojourn to New York City.  Impressive.  Lot's of very tall buildings.  Human kind is certainly, resourceful; take, for instance, the Tower of Babel chronicled in Genesis, the opening book of the Older Testament.

Over the years I've always attempted to find "dynamic equivalents" in the culture around me to help people understand a deeper principle from the Scriptures. The Tower of course was the ultimate expression of hubris; our effort to shake a collective fist at God and say "See, you aren't so transcendent after all."  Foolish pride led to an inflated opinion of who we were; God breathed, language changed and chaos ensued. We discovered we were no match for the transcendent God.

Fast forward to New York City, a shinning example of 21st Century "can do."  God, in his grace, has allowed humankind to apply intellect and ingenuity, these also graciously granted by God, to "discover" thousands of things that insulate us from the ill-effects of the fall: drugs, asphalt, steel, plastic, roads, air conditioning, engines, automation--the list is endless. We in turn, tainted by sin and swelled with pride, believing ourselves to be wise "shake our fists" at God and say, "You see, the Scriptures are myth; there was a big-bang and then there was 'life' and look at how we have evolved...we have the power to give and take life. We don't need myths to prop us up anymore. We are God."

In reality, everything we touch we corrupt. Look at what we call our "system of Justice." We condition the air at the same time we poison it with hydro-carbons. We pollute the planet, poison our bodies, can't beat cancer or aids and when/if we do, something else always emerges. Regardless of how effective we are at blunting the effect of sin on life and the planet, sin always trumps our best efforts...and God allows it, to point us to our need for a Savior and His gracious provision for our redemption.

The farther evolved civilization becomes the further it devolves into moral and spiritual chaos--abortion, failed economies, genocide, addiction, violence, corrupt government, greed, broken relationships, idolotry, shaminism, social injustice. Think about it, in 1965 LBJ gave us the Great Society. These unfunded mandates have done nothing to enlighten culture and end poverty--but they have driven us to edge of bankruptcy and destroyed families while perpetrating genocide on the poorest of the poor. The smarter we get, the dumber we are. We can run from God, but we can't hide.

So then, civilization as we have fashioned it, has become humankind's most recent Tower of Babel; the work of "our hands" which demonstrates our independence, our ability to "get it done without God."  We set out to be like God, and in a final irony, we create the very modality that could be the end of life as we know it. We can destroy it, but we can't fix it..."and all the kings men, couldn't put humpty-dumpty back together again." 

The lie that deceived Eve, and broke Adam continues to vex us. But we aren't beaten, there is hope..."When we were utterly helpless...God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5.6a,8

"It's Friday, but Sunday's comin'."  Happy Resurrection day.

Hallelujah...what a savior.

Who is this?

People are fickle.  

Our God, on the other hand, is the same yesterday, today and forever.

"8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,

'Hosanna to the Son of David;
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!'

10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, 'Who is this?'” 

Matthew 21.8-10

The Alpha, the Omega; the beginning, the end.

It ends well for those who have embraced the Savior and His yoke.

“28 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Matthew 11.28,29

Yet I will hope.

Long day; long week.
It's late, I'm reflective.
59 years; dreams of a young man, gone.

I've been vulnerable; 

Believed in, invested in; loved people. 

My heart has been broken; yes, crushed.

Made mistakes; operated in false pride, paid the price.

Yet, I will hope. 

My Redeemer is true.

His mercy, new every morning.

His faithfulness, restores my soul. 

His strength, perfect in my weakness. 

His steadfast love, walks with me in valley of death.

Long day; long week.

It's late; I'm reflective.

Through Christ, I can do what's needed.

That's enough.

Yet, I will hope.

a Waypointe...

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  

"The eastern world it is explodin' violence flarin' bullets loadin' you're old enough to kill but not for votin' you don't believe in war but what's that gun your toatin' and even the Jordon river has bodies floatin', but you tell me over and over and over again my friend, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction..."

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

2 Timothy 3.1-4 ..."But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3  unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4  treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..."

Does this sound familiar?  Is Paul describing the corporate culture around us, the environment we labor in on a daily basis?  Our neighborhoods?  The places we shop?  The schools our kids and grandkids attend?  Yes.

But Paul doesn't stop at verse 4.  In the next verse he says...

 "...having a form of godliness, but denying its power."

Does that sound like the church where you (we) worship?  Paul is telling Timothy what the last days, the Eve of destruction, will be like; he says they will be marked by three observable facts:  a Godless world, a powerless religion and a corrupt ministry (detailed in vv.6-9); we are there.

My focus in blogging today is on the second fact, the Church in America is unplugged, powerless.  By power I mean spiritual gravitas--authority which is the result of a clear anointing from God.  Most of the country perceives the confessing church to be the most conservative wing of the Republican Party.  I grew up hearing my mom say, "if the shoe fits wear it!"  Unfortunately, we've been tagged with this perception the old fashioned way, we've earned it.  We've chosen to contend for the soul of America using the political process--a grave error.  The shoe fits. 

Last December we came to a "waypointe" called Sandy Hook; a "waypointe--a place on a journey where the traveler can stop and change course."  It's time for the confessing church change our trajectory to become THE church. The fact is we've settled for sloppy seconds.  Too many of us worship in places that are driven by forms rather than power.  We've allowed popular culture to shape our vision of what Christ's church should be, what it should look like; we have embraced the wrong set of outcomes.

Today we measure the quality and effectiveness of our ministries based on the Big 3: People, Buildings and Revenue.  In fact, it's not difficult to erect buildings and fill them with people that generate million-dollar budgets.  False religions, cults and sects do it all around the world.  Jim Jones did in San Francisco and finally in Guyana.  Jimmy Swaggart did it, then did it AGAIN in Louisiana.  

People, buildings and money won't produce transformational-redemptive power, nor are they the indicators of the anointing of God.  Powerless religion, form-driven religion has a micro focus: it sees "the church" as the end.  Forms--the way we "do church," the things we do or don't do that identify us as "christians," are paramount.  This is the kind of context Jesus came into in Judea; the context the Religious power brokers endorsed and protected.

Form-driven religion becomes a template that blinds us to the brokenness which surrounds us.  Form-driven religion makes us think in "wrong headed ways" about what the world deserves v. what God desires--us v. them.  Form-driven religion becomes a tyranny which chokes our vibrancy and shrivels our generosity.  

Outcomes are what's at stake here.  Matthew 9..."35  Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.  36  Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.  37  Then He said to His disciples, 'the harvest in plentiful, but workers are few.'" 

We've come to a waypointe.

What joy...

Water flows; silk across rock.
Resounding concert of joy.
Linger, listen.

It comes, it goes.
Course of life it forms.
Reflect, rejoice.

Linger, listen
Reflect, rejoice.
New mercies, every morning.