The Real Work of Christmas

This is my favorite "post-Christmas" poem ...

When the song of the angel is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and Princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,               The real work of Christmas begins.

To find the lost
To heal the broken
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoners
To rebuild the nations
To bring peace among brothers
To make music in the heart.

The author, Howard Thurman (1899-1981), was an ordained Baptist minister and influential author, philosopher, and educator. He was Dean of Theology and of the chapels at Howard University and Boston University for more than two decades, and he wrote 20 books.  The best-known of these, Jesus and the Disinherited (1949), deeply influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders, both black and white.  In 1944, Thurman and a white pastor, Alfred Fisk, were the founding co-pastors of the first racially integrated, multicultural church in the United States, the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples.

O Christmas Tree (and other trees, as well)

THE TREE
by Madeleine L'Engle

The children say the tree must reach the ceiling,
And so it does, angel on topmost branch,
Candy canes and golden globes and silver chains,
Trumpets that toot, and birds with feathered tails.
Each year we say, each year we fully mean:
"This is the loveliest tree of all." This tree
Bedecked with love and tinsel reaches heaven.
A pagan throwback may have brought it here
Into our room, and yet these decked-out boughs
Can represent those other trees, the one
Through which we fell in pride, when Eve forgot
That freedom is man's freedom to obey
And to adore, not to replace the light
With disobedient darkness and self-will.
On Twelfth Night when we strip the tree
And see its branches bare and winter cold
Outside the comfortable room, the tree
Is then the tree on which all darkness hanged,
Completing the betrayal that began
With that first stolen fruit. And then, O God,
This is the tree that Simon bore uphill,
This is the tree that held all love and life.
Forgive us, Lord, forgive us for that tree.
But now, still decked, adorned, in joy arrayed
For these gread days of Christmas thanks and song,
This is the tree that lights our faltering way,
For when man's first and proud rebellious act
Had reached its nadir on that hill of skulls
These shining, glimmering boughs remind us that
The knowledge that we stole was freely given
And we were sent the Spirit's radiant strength
That we might know all things. We grasp for truth
And lose it till it comes to us by love.
The glory of Lebanon shines on this Christmas tree,
The tree of life that opens wide the gates.
The children say the tree must reach the ceiling,
And so it does: for me the tree has grown so high
It pierces through the vast and star-filled sky.

from "A Widening Light: Poems of the Incarnation"
Luci Shaw, editor

"Breath of Heaven" with video from "The Nativity Story"

A Prayer for "Joy"

The key word for the third week of Advent is joy.  But whenever I hear the word "joy," I think immediately of my daughter, Tish, whose name means "joy" or "delight."  And because she was killed in an accident in 2002 and and her birthday coincides with this week of Advent, for me it is a week filled with emotional conflict.

This year was no different.  On the one hand, I am deeply grateful for the 21 years we shared with her here on this earth.  She taught me more than any other person what it meant to be full of joy and to bless others with your laughter.  On the other hand, I still miss her terribly and can't help but wonder what she would have been doing as she turned 30.

Jesus said, "I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11).  What things?  About how he is the vine, and we are the branches (15:1-8).  About how if we obey his commands, we will learn how to abide in his love (15:10) and to have our joy completed.

And I'm still learning how to do that. 

Father, help me to learn the "lessons of Jesus" so that I may become a joy-filled person who brings joy to others.  Remind me of Jesus' promise, 'Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy' (16:22), and help me to apply that to both Jesus and Tish.  For surely in this life, none of us gets exactly what we want, but we receive a taste of the "life to come" where your glory radiates unending joy.  Thank you for the Joy you have given to me -- in Jesus . . . and in Tish.  Amen.

Peace in a Storm

When are lives are roiled by circumstances beyond our control, how can we find peace?

Robert Louis Stevenson once told about an experience his grandfather had on a sailing ship in the midst of a terrible storm.  When the storm was at its fiercest and the danger was greatest, his grandfather carefully walked out on deck to see how bad things really were.

What he saw brought him comfort.  There was the captain of the ship lashed with ropes to the wheel, holding the vessel off the rocks.  The captain looked up and smiled, and his smile completely reassured the frightened passenger.  Going back to his cabin, he said to himself:  "We shall come through; I saw the pilot smile!"

When we sail troublesome seas, we need to remember who the Captain is.  Christmas reminds us that our Captain is at the wheel and is smiling.  Isn't that what Immanuel means -- "God is with us"?

Sara McLachlan's "O Little Town of Bethlehem"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyPMDD8fGeA

A Prayer for a Quiet and Listening Spirit

François Fénelon said:  "How rare it is to find a soul quiet enough to hear God speak."  Things haven't changed much, have they?  The beloved carol is profound in its wisdom . . .

How quietly, how quietly the wondrous gift is giv'n! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav'n.  No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him, still, the dear Christ enters in.

"Father God, during this busy week and month, help me to be patient enough -- and to pause long enough -- to hear your voice.  Help me to turn off the TV and to tune Your Spirit.  Help me to receive anew Your best gift of all, Your Son, Jesus, in my heart and in my soul.  To You be all glory and praise!  Amen."

Another Prayer for Advent (Or a Prayer as We Grow Older)

An antidote for being circumstantially directed (see my previous post) can be found in a prayer from the diary of Samuel Logan Brengle.  Brengle was a well-known Salvation Army preacher, but, as an adult, he continually battled depression which began with a head injury when a homeless man hit him with a brick.

Keep me, O Lord, from waxing mentally and spiritually dull and stupid.  Help me to keep the physical, mental, and spiritual fiber of the athlete, of the man who denies himself daily and takes up his cross and follows Thee.  Give me good success in my work, but hide pride from me.  Save me from the self-complacency that so frequently accompanies success and prosperity.  Save me from the spirit of sloth, of self-indulgence, as physical infirmities and decay creep upon me. 

                (Clarence Hall, Portrait of a Prophet: The Biography of Samuel Logan Brengle, 1933)

His biographer commented, "Thus praying daily and hourly, the prophet kept his passions hot and his eye single, even as he came down the decline."

Lord Jesus Christ, save me from self-complacency and free me from the spirit of sloth and self-indulgence.  Help me to be pure in heart and single-eyed in my commitment to your purpose.  "Your Kingdom come, and your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  Amen.

An Advent Prayer

On this second day of Advent, I am pondering E. Stanley Jones' description of "generic Man":

Man needs nothing so much as he needs something to bring life together into total meaning and total goal. . . . He is being pushed and pulled and beckoned to, enticed and bludgeoned from all directions.  He is being pushed from relativism to relativism.  He is confused--the most confused and yet the most intelligent person that ever existed.  He knows everything about life, except how to live it. (The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person, 11)

To what extent does that describe me and my life?  How often do I go through life like a ball in a pinball machine which is flipped into motion through the efforts of others and which then bounces off bump cushions at random angles?

Lord Jesus, during this season of Advent, help me to me more purposeful and more thoughtful.  When I am interrupted, help me to realize that you are the Master of my days and hours just as you were the Lord of Water and Wave.  Help me not to fribble away my time but to invest it for your Kingdom and Glory.  Amen.

The Talmud and The Bible

This morning I read in The Oregonian about an Israeli rabbi, Adin Steinsaltz, who, after 45 years, has completed his 45-volume translation and commentary of the Babylonian Talmud. The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism, in the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history.

I was amazed by this Rabbi's devotion to his task. It illustrates well what Eugene Peterson calls "a long obedience in the same direction."

A little later this morning, I was doing some devotional reading and came across the following story of a learned Jewish man who went to visit a "rebbe" (a Yiddish word for "rabbi" or a very wise leader).

The scholar was no longer a young man--he was close to 30--but he had never before visited a rebbe.
"What have done all your life?" the master asked him.
"I have gone through the whole of the Talmud three times," answered the learned man.
"Yes, but how much of the Talmud has gone through you?" the rebbe inquired.

                                                               (Gordon MacDonald, The Life God Blesses, 70)

So what is God saying to me today?  As a follower of Jesus, what am I supposed to "get" out of the convergence of these stories about the Talmud and the rabbis?  Maybe that it's not enough for me to read the Bible. If my reading and devotional activities don't change me, then I've missed the point. Isn't that why the Apostle Paul said "Christ in you is the hope of glory"?  We all need to be changed from the inside out. 

On Being Influenced and Being Influencers

Those people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who lived their lives like the stars of heaven and the lilies in the field, perfect, simply, and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold us.

Oswald Chambers

On Reading the Bible

I am convinced that how we read scripture is as important as what we read. Do we read quickly or slowly? Sporadically or regularly? With reluctance or eagerness?

Do we read only for inspiration or for confirmation of what we already believe? Or do we read to be challenged and to expose our own weaknesses and flaws?

This morning I read from Psalm 28. Portions of it--the verses that previously encouraged or spoke to me--already were highlighted. Verse 3 was not marked because it's pretty negative . . . but it's the verse that spoke to me this morning.

"Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts."

I wondered, "How often do I do that?" Pastors are taught to maintain their cool and to always speak--and act--cordially, even when they may be seething inside. Given that training, then, it is especially tempting to speak cordially with a neighbor but to harbor malice in my heart. And even when I'm not harboring malice, surely a hidden, condescending attitude toward someone is not what God would want.

So I praise you today, O God, for the "unhighlighted" parts of my Bible, the parts that I don't always like and the parts that still search my heart for hidden sin.

Forgiveness Video

A few people asked me where they could view the "Forgiveness" video I showed Sunday as part of my message. Here it is. . .

Hawaii Favorite

Someone asked me what I most enjoyed about our trip to Hawaii this summer. There were so many things -- lollygagging beside the pool, the Wakiki sunsets, the Baptist World Congress, Pearl Harbor, spending time with friends,
hiking to the top of Diamondhead -- this was a tough question!

However, as I mentally reviewed our fantastic trip, one thing emerged as my favorite: our lunch at Bubba Gump's with Lyn, Glenn, Lucas, and Asher Arakawa.

Lyn was an active member of our church as a college student. After she finished her degree, she attended Golden Gate Seminary and assisted Kelly Nelson in our college ministry. She moved to Mill Valley, CA to work on her intercultural studies degree in preparation for service as a missionary. That's where she met Glenn, and it wasn't that long before 20 members of our church headed to Mill Valley for their wedding!

After graduation, they were appointed as missionaries to east Asia and served for a term alongside Otey & Cheryl Enoch. However, it had been years since Susie and I had talked with them, and we had not met either of their sons. Glenn is from Hawaii, so they decided to spend their stateside assignment (furlough) in Honolulu. They had only been there a couple of weeks, and Glenn had been sick almost up to the time we got together. Since all four of them had "cabin fever," they were delighted to see us!

We had a wonderful time catching up on each others' lives. One of their challenges has been raising Asher in a foreign country. He is four years old now and "developmentally delayed." They have not had a lot of the specialized support they might have gotten in the U.S. Since our time with them, Asher has been diagnosed as autistic, and the school system's special ed people are preparing a plan to work with him and their whole family.

However, they don't know what this means for the long-term. Will they be able to return to their ministry in Asia? Or will Asher's special needs require that they resign as missionaries?

Here is what Glenn wrote me recently: "It's fine to put our pictures on your blog. We would appreciate as much prayer for our situation as possible. It has been quite an emotional roller coaster ride for us. We try as much as possible to keep our eyes on Father. It is a bit scary to wonder what will be next for our family but at the same time exciting to see what God brings about through this situation. Please pray that we will draw closer and closer to Him."

Seeing Glenn, Lyn, Lucas, and Asher is my favorite memory from Hawaii! Will you join me in praying for them?

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall received the Best Actor Academy Award in 1983 for his work in one of my favorite films, "Tender Mercies." His co-star, Tess Harper, said Duvall inhabited the character so fully that she only got to know Mac Sledge, the man he played, and not Duvall himself.

And that's what I love about Duvall. He brings to life characters who are deeply flawed and marvelously interesting. Like Sonny Dewey in "The Apostle" (another favorite film), Bull Meechum in "The Great Santini," or Boss Spearman in "Open Range." And that doesn't even count his better known work in "Mash" and the first two Godfather films.

If you like Duvall, you will want to see his newest film, "Get Low." He portrays another eccentric personality, Felix Bush, a 1930s Tennessee hermit who throws his own "funeral party." Given that plotline and the fact that Bill Murray plays the funeral home director, you might expect this to be a comedy. But, although there is a lot of humor, the film deals with serious themes such as regret, loss, confession, and forgiveness.

Currently, "Get Low" is showing at four theaters in the Portland/Vancouver area, including the Bridgeport Regal. If you go, let me know how you like it.

A Church Or A Church Building?

The words we use do make a difference.

People often ask me where our "church" is located. I know they're asking me about where we meet for worship, but sometimes I respond, "Our church is all over the westside of Portland, and we have some on the eastside as well." They then ask what I mean. "Well," I say, "our church is a group of people who are trying to be the Body of Christ. Our church is people, not a building or a location." From there, the conversation can go in a lot of different directions.

The members of the church in this Soriano village received us warmly. This picture was taken as we were getting acquainted with them. The tarps covered their "worship center" as well as their parsonage. Despite their poverty--their village didn't even have electricity--this congregation was generous. They served us drinks and later asked us to stay for lunch. And they are mission-minded. Twice a week they travel several miles to hold a Bible study in another village .

Church is not about a building. Church is about sharing Jesus with others. It's about being the Body of Christ.

A Serious Way of Wondering

A few years ago, Reynolds Price wrote a book with the intriguing title, A Serious Way of Wondering, and I finished reading it a couple of weeks ago. At the heart of the book is conversations Price imagines Jesus having concerning three different topics that he never addressed. I liked the idea, but, for me at least, none of the discussions had "the ring of truth" (to use J. B. Phillips' description of the N.T. documents).

Despite this, I appreciated much of the rest of the book, and I am in love with the title. After all, wouldn't life be better if we adopted "a serious way of wondering"? I love this picture of my wife, Susie, and our new granddaughter, Grace, because of the wonder in Susie's eyes. All of life would be immeasurably richer if we could learn to see with eyes of love and grace.

A Perfect Day

How could our last day in Wakiki have been any better?

Alan Williams and I visited Pearl Harbor, experienced the Arizona memorial, and walked around the mighty "Mo" (the battleship Missouri). While we were doing that, the girls--Susie and Melanie Williams--went to Hilo Hatties. Then we rendevoused at Aloha Stadium (where the Pro Bowl is played) for the flee market (the best bargains in the area).

After we cleaned up at the hotel, we walked to the Outrigger, where we fixed our own steaks and seafood, and watched the sunset.

A perfect day to culminate a wonderful ten days of renewal! Thank you, Lord!

More Variety -- Baptist Style

The main reason Susie and I came to Hawaii was to attend the Baptist World Congress in Honolulu. Most people are not aware that Baptists are the largest Protestant Christian group in the world with well over 100,000,000 adherents.

Every five years Baptists who are affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance congregate. The BWA is the only organization that effectively networks Baptists from all over the world. It is composed of more than 200,000 churches affiliated through 214 conventions and unions in 119 countries. This year Baptist unions from Zambia and Viet Nam were formally accepted as part of the BWA family. However, with this many Baptists, comes enormous diversity. (You know the old joke, don't you, that says whenever "two or three" Baptists are gathered together in Christ's name, you have four opinions!)

Many people struggle with this diversity. They think there must be a right way to think, organize, or worship. One of the clear lessons of the Congresses I have attended is that there are numerous ways to honor God. Indeed, nature reveals that God loves diversity, so we need to deeply appreciate other believers -- otherwise, how will we be able to enjoy a heaven in which people from every nation, tribe, and language will kneel before God's throne in deep worship (Rev. 7:9-10)? For me, then, the World Congress is a rehearsal for heaven.

Where else would you experience congregational singing in English, the opening prayer in Norwegian, listen to special music from a Congolese Canadian, have the scripture reading in "Gha" (a west African language), view a dramatic interpretation by a group of Texans, and then hear God's Word proclaimed by an Australian?! The diversity is glorious, and the diversity is challenging . . . because it forces us out of our comfort zones.

In the pictures, you can see a small portion of the 200+ Korean Childrens' Choir and a group of women from India. I just wish I had time to introduce you to the gospel choir from Norway--who knew?--and the men's choir from Nagaland. What diversity! What joy!

"Oh, what a foretaste of heaven divine!"

God Loves Variety!

God must love variety! That's what I keep thinking as I revel in the stunning colors and shades that are rampant in Hawaii. Today we took a bus tour of Oahu.

God is good, and God loves beauty and variety!

What Does It Mean to Be a "Christian"?

Does Elton Trueblood's definition of "a Christian" ring true for you?

A Christian is a person who confesses that, amidst the manifold and confusing voices heard in the world, there is one Voice which supremely wins his full assent, uniting all his powers, intellectual and emotional, into a single pattern of self-giving. That Voice is Jesus Christ. A Christian not only believes that He was; he believes in Him with all his heart and strength and mind. Christ appears to the Christian as the one stable point or fulcrum in all the relativities of history (The Company of the Committed, 23).

You Can't Tell a Book by Its Cover

We have a number of sayings that largely mean the same thing: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” “Things aren’t always as they seem to be.” “Appearances can be deceiving.” They all came to mind this week.

On Monday Paul and I decided to hike the waterfalls along the Gorge’s scenic highway. That’s how I found myself driving east on I-84 while listening to “Death Cab for Cutie” tunes. Perhaps you’ve never heard of them. I hadn’t until a few years ago when my wife and I were enjoying a couple of days in Seattle. They were playing at a theater adjacent to our hotel, but we couldn’t tell if “Death Cab for Cutie” was the name of a weird play, a rock band, or something else completely unfamiliar to us. Once I learned they were a group, I assumed they were a punk or grunge band, in other words, a group in which I would have no interest. As it turns out, though, they are an alternative “indie” band, and I like many of their songs. You can’t judge a book by its cover or a band by its name.

It was a beautiful day for hiking and taking pictures, but just before we got to Bridal Veil Falls, some emergency vehicles passed us. We eventually talked to a couple of the EMTs and learned that an 18-year old hiker was killed when he fell 150 feet from near the Angels Rest trail. No one seemed to know whether he had slipped or whether a gust of wind might have knocked him off balance. What was certain was that he ventured too close to the cliff’s edge. But it's understandable. Enjoying the glorious day, he must have felt safe in the company of his friends, and I’m sure he felt he wasn’t taking any unnecessary risks, but things aren’t always as they seem.

I can't get that young man and his family out of my mind, but, in truth, isn’t that the way life is? We can be teetering on the edge of disaster without even knowing it. When my sister-in-law turned forty, she was in great physical condition. Or at least she thought so—we all thought so—until she was diagnosed with a life-threatening form of colon cancer. How could she feel that good and be that ill? Appearances can be deceiving, can’t they?

That’s one of the problems I have with “do-it-yourself” religion. It’s too easy to get things wrong when we’re just relying on our personal thoughts and feelings. I hear people say that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere, but an 18-year old hiker sincerely believed that he was in no danger until it was too late. Personally, I need a Guide who can let me know if I’m wandering too far from the trail. I need Someone to challenge me when I too quickly make up my mind, when I judge a band by its name rather than its music. Or when I confuse my feelings with life's realities.

And that’s what I love about Jesus. He reminds me that I can’t judge a book by its cover, that things aren’t always as they seem to be, and that appearances can be deceiving. He constantly challenges my blind spots and prejudices and summons me to follow Him in a life of purpose and beauty. After all, didn’t he say, “I came that you might have life and have it in abundance”?

Still Thinking About "Ideal" Families

In my two previous posts about "families" (May 26 and June 3), I explored some of our ideas about "ideal" families -- traditional families -- and how Jesus' explicit teaching (Mt. 12:46-50; Lk. 14:26) challenges many of our assumptions.

I am convinced that much of what we think about families has come from our culture. I grew up with sitcoms like "Father Knows Best," "The Donna Reed Show," and "Ozzie and Harriet." This is what families were supposed to look like -- white, suburban, and intact (a mom and a dad plus two and a half kids and a family dog). This was the ideal I saw on television, and this was the ideal that was reinforced at church. However, I think evangelical Christians basically "baptized" this cultural ideal by referencing some biblical prooftexts to support what we assumed.

One example of this is evident in our perspective on adoption. Basically, adoption was seen as "Plan B" for a Christian family. In other words, Plan A -- "God's ideal"-- was for a husband and a wife to conceive and become parents to their own biological child(ren). However, if for some reason they were unable to do this, then it was okay for them to adopt (Plan B). And, until recently, it was understood that these parents should only adopt children of their own race. So, according to this viewpoint, adoption was not "ideal," even though it was "acceptable" in certain situations.

But that was a cultural, not a biblical, ideal. The ideal for marriages is found in Genesis 2:24. Jesus quoted it as did the Apostle Paul. It says: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (NIV). Think about it: marriage is itself a form of adoption! A man and a woman leave their biological families and form a new family that is not based on bloodties.

And what does the genealogy that begins Matthew's gospel imply? "An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah..." For 15 verses fathers and sons are listed, and so we expect the climax to read "and Joseph the father of Jesus." But instead the pattern abruptly changes to: "And Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born." The implication is obvious. Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. The genealogy explains how Jesus, who had no human father, could be considered the "son of David." Here's how: Joseph claimed Jesus as his own, named him, and "grafted" him into the lineage of David.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise when God adopted David as his son (2 Sam. 7:14). Do you see how Jesus' birth and teachings challenge our notions of an "ideal family"? The Apostle Paul also writes about how we are "adopted" into God's family (Rom. 8:23, for instance). Here is what Diana Garland has written about this:

Indeed, the adoption of Jesus by Joseph points to the good news that Jesus will develop later in his teachings (Mt. 12:46-50): from this point forward, no one must be without family because wombs are barren, marriages are broken or never formed, or loved ones die. The human experiences of conception, birth, and marriage are transformed by the in-breaking Spirit of God, reforming family . . . .The adoptive family has become the ideal, the model, the witness that there are no limits to God's ability to create goodness, not even the limits of biology. Even families formed by biological links, when transformed by this good news, become adoptive families, choosing and covenanting with one another by giving themselves to following Christ" (Family Ministry, 307, 320).

What do you think God's "ideal" family looks like?

"Ideal" Families

Most of our ideas and ideals about "family" start with the notion of "biological kinship." Typically our ideal includes a father and a mother and a child or children.

This "traditional" type of family has many strengths. Although we now widely accept "blended" families, studies have shown that the #1 cause of child poverty is parental separation and/or divorce. Also, step-parents are much more likely to abuse children who are not biologically related to them than they will their own children. In fact, studies show that children from traditional families are much more likely to succeed in a number of key areas than those who are being raised by a single parent or who are a part of a blended family.

This is why I am concerned about re-definitions of family -- not because I want to force couples to stay in loveless marriages or because I want to impose my standards on others or because I think people shouldn't have a second shot at happiness. Simply put, I believe we have made a great number of changes (no-fault divorce, for example) in a relatively short period of time without considering the effect of those changes on children in particular and society in general. And, when the results have not turned out the way we hoped, we have turned a blind eye and looked for other scapegoats -- "if the public schools were doing a better job" or "if the government offered more assistance," etc.

I'm not saying any of this to judge single parents or blended families. They need our understanding and support. What I am saying is that we would be wise to slow down and study the changes we already have made and see if they are actually working to our benefit. If they are, okay; but if they're not, then what steps can we take to correct them?

The alternative is to continue down the road of redefining family and then hope for the best. Is that really the best we can do?

What About Families?

Jesus taught that our commitment to God must supercede even our most important human commitments--those between family members: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:26, NIV).

I've never liked that verse. It is so stark, so harsh, so unnatural. It helps, of course, to know that the language he uses -- hating our families and lives -- is making use of a Semitic idiom that means "to love less." In other words, "I love this and I hate that" meant "I prefer this to that." For example, the Bible tells us that Jacob loved Rachel but hated Leah (Gen. 29:30-31) and that God loved Jacob but hated Esau (Mal. 1:2-3). This does not mean that Jacob actually hated Leah or that God literally hated Esau, but that they preferred one over the other. So Jesus' saying means that families should not be preferred to God. We should love our families, but we should love God even more!

This has some important implications. For instance, the Bible often teaches the importance of obeying or giving deference to those who are in authority over us (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 6:1-8, for example), and some evangelical Christians say there are no exceptions to this. According to this perspective, we should always keep our place in the "chain of command" so we will be "under the umbrella" of God's authoritative protection. However, this teaching ignores some scriptural exceptions. For instance, in Ezekiel 20:18-19, God specifically commanded children to disobey their parents! "I said to their children in the desert, 'Do not follow the statutes of your fathers or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." In other words, the children were to disregard the teaching and example of their parents because their parents were in rebellion against God. They needed to prefer God, not their families.

Jesus clearly said that faithfulness to him would sometimes result in division within a family (Mt. 10:34-36). He was not diminishing the importance of families, but he was emphasizing that no loyalty can rival our devotion to him.

And because of our commitment to Jesus, we are part of a larger, more-encompassing family. "'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' he asked. Then, pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother'" (Mt. 12:48-50).

Our primary identity, then, is as members of God's family (Gal. 6:10; I Pet. 4:17), the "household of faith" (I Tim. 3:15). Jesus says our status is defined by our volitional loyalties, not by the biological or cultural roles over which we have little control. This does not mean that we will not care about our families of origin, but Jesus has radically transformed the meaning of "family" for all those who would seriously follow Him.

Monday Musings

Most Mondays I have a bad case of the "I-don't-want-to's." You know -- "I don't want to get up," or "I don't want to start another week," or "I don't want to have to think about someone else's problems today." The I-don't-want-to's.

There's even a saying in ministry circles, "Don't resign on Monday." That's because the weekends can be exhausting, and the Monday-morning adrenaline is pretty depleted.

There was a time when I took Mondays for my sabbath days, but, as one friend opined, "I don't want to feel that bad on my day off!" Besides, once we began to add other staff members, I had to play "catch up" if I wasn't in the office on Mondays.

So, for me, Mondays are not about exuberance, but about obedience, about putting one step in front of the other. The "wins" don't usually come on Mondays, but, more often than I would like to admit, whether the week is a "win" or a "loss" is heavily influenced by how faithful and obedient I am on Monday.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

The best part about being married to a teacher of kindergartners is the stories I hear. Here is this week’s favorite:

Each night a dad brought home a briefcase filled with papers. His curious son asked him why he did that.

The dad replied, “Because I didn’t get all my work done at the office.”

The son logically said, “Maybe you need to have them put you in a slower group.”

Do you admire the innocence of this child? Someone who hasn’t yet learned that his value is dependent upon his productivity, someone who believes he is valuable regardless of which group he is in. I wonder how long his innocence will last. How long it will be before he learns that his worth in the eyes of others is tied to how smart or how fast or how powerful he is; that he only wins when others around him lose?

Our society submerges us in these kinds of messages every day. In a hundred different ways we are told that our productivity determines our value.

But the Good News--the “gospel”--of Jesus Christ sharply disagrees. Jesus cryptically said, “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matt. 19:30). He told his disciples that the way to greatness was through serving others because even he “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:44-45). Talk about a “reversal of fortune”!

The Apostle Paul is a case study of this phenomenon. He began the third chapter of his letter to the Philippian Christians by citing his personal credentials -- his family, his schooling, and his morality. In our terms, he was “on his way up.” He was well-established in his life and his career.

But then something startling took place: “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Phil. 3:7). In other words, on the balance sheet of his life, everything that he previously considered an asset, he now had moved into his “loss” column. Why? Because he had come to the conclusion that the pride he took in his background and achievements was preventing him from achieving the counter-cultural goal that was now his greatest desire.

“I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself” (Philippians 3:10, The Message).

It’s something to think about, anyway. Maybe being in the “fast group” isn’t the main thing. Maybe I need to learn to value myself because God values me. Maybe I need to learn how to trust in God’s love more than I trust in my own achievements.

Lost in Wonder

Have you been to those places where the sheer beauty of something causes you to pause and say "thanks"?

Have you had those moments when you were surprised by the wonder of life and the grace of God?

Jesus takes my breath away.

Easter Joy

"The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it."

None of the disciples expected Jesus to rise from the dead. Their first reaction was fearful incredulity. (Luke 24:41, CEV).

"Easter joy" is something we can carry with us -- not because life is easy -- but because Jesus is alive, because He is the Lord, and because what He tells us is true!

In a world suffused with grief and pain, we need to remember that "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Neh. 8:10). Karl Barth once said, "Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God." Don't you think that's why C. S. Lewis entitled his autobiography, "Surprised By Joy"?

We can live joyfully in the afterglow of Christ's resurrection!

(My young friend, Mac, and I waded in the Atlantic Ocean last summer. It was pure joy!)

Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

This week laryngitis has forced me to stay inside and keep silent (for the most part). The up side to this is that I've had a lot of time to ponder the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection.

As to why Christ had to die, consider what Jayber Crow, one of Wendell Berry's best-drawn characters had to say:

Christ did not descend from the cross except into the grave. And why not otherwise? Wouldn't it have put fine comical expressions on the faces of the scribes and the chief priests and the soldiers if at that moment He had come down in power and glory? Why didn't He do it? Why hasn't he done it any one of a thousand good times between then and now?

I knew the answer. I knew it a long time before I could admit it, for all the suffering of the world is in it. He didn't, He hasn't, because from the moment He did, He would be the absolute tyrant of the world and we would be His slaves. Even those who hated Him and hated one another and hated their own souls would have to believe in Him then. From that moment the possibility that we might be bound to Him and He to us and us to one another by love forever would be ended.

That makes sense, don't you think? Jesus did not come down from the cross because He is not interested in overpowering us. Instead, He wants us to willingly give ourselves to Him. Therefore, the Lord of heaven and earth chooses to save us and to woo us . . . in love.

More Wisdom from Frederick Buechner

Much of the trouble in our world is caused by people who are not content to be what God has created them to be. The story of Adam and Eve repeats itself in every person in every generation. But what can we do? Here is what Frederick Buechner says:

"Jesus went all alone into the wilderness where he spent forty days asking himself the question what it meant to be Jesus. During Lent, Christians are supposed to ask one way or another what it means to be themselves" (Whistling in the Dark).

Home Is Where...?

I've been a fan of Frederick Buechner's sermons and writing for 35 years. However, only recently did I come across the following quote about "home." It is spoken by Leo Bebb, the title character in four of Buechner's novels.

Leo Bebb says, "We all got secrets. I got them same as everybody else -- things we feel bad about and wish hadn't ever happened. Hurtful things. Long ago things. We're all scared and lonesome, but most of the time we keep it hid. It's like every one of us has lost his way so bad we don't even know which way is home any more, only we're ashamed to ask. You know what would happen if we would own up we're lost and ask? Why, what would happen is we'd find that home is each other. We'd find out home is Jesus that loves us lost or found or any whichway."