New beginnings

Psalm 98 tells us to sing a new song to the Lord! The first day of the year brings all sorts of plans in the lives of many for changes and new beginnings. Each morning can even bring hope for a new day and plans to make needed improvements.

God's radical gift of grace to each of us in the ultimate in starting over. It is outlandish. Past sinners are forgiven. We stand loved and accepted fully by God. Too often we don't believe it for ourselves or others, but it is really that amazing.

As you begin 2012, understand that God's love for you is beyond measure. God's grace is overwhelming. This can be a new beginning no matter the past.

YOB - The Inner Struggle

October 6, 2009
Romans 7:9-21

Paul opens up and in so doing reminds us all of the inner battle. We know what's right. But we do what's wrong. Sometimes we even like doing what's wrong. Sometimes we see wrong coming from a mile and way and instead of heading in the other direction, we run headlong for it.

It isn't the law that's the problem. There is a standard of behavior that we know we ought to follow. But doing what benefits us in the short term is so much more enticing and even at times fun!

And with perspective we can often see the choices were not only wrong but self destructive. Most sin has some pretty bad consequences down the road waiting for us somewhere.

Verse 25 reminds us that Christ is the only hope for us sinners. Grace saves and continues to transfer us who would be hopeless otherwise. God is always ready to forgive and heal and help us put our lives back together. Thanks be to God!

Buzzed by a Hummingbird

I was sitting on the front porch on Monday morning reading the newspaper. Suddenly I heard a loud buzzing sound within inches of my left ear. I thought a cicada had found its way near my head and I brushed my hand a couple of times back and forth near my head. I'm glad I didn't swing wildly, because after a few more seconds of buzzing a hummingbird flew away.

Poor bird, confusing my head with a flower -- that's the first and no doubt the last time that will happen! More likely, he/she was eying the reflection in the window right behind my head.

Hummingbirds are beautiful little birds. I have enjoyed seeing them this year at my wife's hanging baskets on our back porch taking a drink from a flower and then moving onto the next one. According to a couple of websites, these birds have to eat all day to keep up the energy needed to keep those wings moving. These birds are native to North America and the native Americans have plenty of myths about these beautiful little creatures, all very positive and uplifting.

I like to think of that visitor as a reminder of the grace of God in my life. I wonder how many times we think, "Now what is that humming, that intrusion, that interruption?" when all along it's God visiting us with a little grace. Perhaps next time if it's a cicada, I might even be able to think of that as a visit of grace as well.

The space in between the heartbeats

I remember reading in a book about the physics of the universe that one mathematical theory for the universe leaves open the possibility that creation is destroyed and recreated at each moment. Don't know if I got that interpretation quite right or not, but it does make one think about the grace of God that sustains creation from moment to moment. Our lives are lived heartbeat to heartbeat. There is grace that our hearts continue to beat and we know the stark reality of how short life can be when a friend or family members suffers a heartbeat and the beating stops. All this sets me to thinking about the grace in our lives in between those heart-beating moments, those times of silence of waiting for the next movement of life, those times when the creation ceases to exist and we are awaiting again to see if the universe will be recreated.

The times of silence are the hardest. Many folks have found themselves wrapped in those moments of silence waiting for life to begin anew. In hospital rooms. In courtrooms. In the midst of divorce. When a career is lost. Watching someone we love suffer deeply. And we ask the question of God, when will this moment of silence cease and we can hear laughter and the other wonderful sounds of creation again. God, when will the heartbeats begin again?

I can't help but think of moments of silence in the scriptures: Noah in the ark waiting for the water to subside; Adam and Eve in the garden both hoping for and hoping against the coming of God in the evening after they had sinned; the silence of the exile in Babylon awaiting God's call back to the Holy Land; the silence of those imprisoned for their faith; and of course the silence of the tomb after they buried Jesus. One has to think that even the angels wondered what exactly God had in mind.

In those long moments of silence, those moments in between the heartbeats, those times when the universe seems to have been destroyed and we await its creation anew, even then God is present. We often don't recognize his presence at the moment of destruction, but only after we look back from the newly created world and understand God was indeed there in the silence. After all Genesis 1 tells us that before creation in the beginning when there was chaos God's presence hovered there. May God's Spirit hover today over those who are living in between the heartbeats.

Beefy cheesy glory

There it was in huge letters on the billboard -- an advertisement for the world's most famous and largest hamburger chain. Hmm, they have used a theological word to advertise a cheeseburger. All sorts of thoughts spring to mind.

First, it's not kosher. Never beef and cheese together. Okay, but then I am a Protestant Christian and have eaten plenty of cheeseburgers and even (sadly I must admit this) some from this particular establishment.

One of the definitions of glory according to dictionary.com is "a state of absolute happiness, gratification, contentment"which I guess is what the advertising exec was thinking. We could argue that from a culinary point of view -- I am no chef and I think I have made a better cheeseburger at times.

I can't help but think about scriptures passages that warn us to be careful of worshiping our appetites. Satisfaction can be achieved in the short run from a good meal, but absolute happiness?

I think I would like to see the word saved for other uses. The glory of nature which speaks of the beauty of nature and can also point us to the creator. Going to my glory -- a description of our passage into the eternal and loving arms of God. Another good use -- a similar word to praise -- giving God the glory. And then the final and ultimate definition of glory which gathers up so many of the other uses - fulfillment, beauty, awesomeness, eternity, and all the other positives of glory -- the glory of God.

Ezekiel and Isaiah saw visions of it. John in Revelation witnessed it. God's glory shown through Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. Leave the cheeseburgers out please.

Happy Birthday, John Calvin!

Five hundred years ago today in France a little tike named John Calvin was born! He was of course called Jean by his parents who didn't realize the extraordinary life that awaited this little one.

For me, John's enduring legacy is to remind us of the overwhelming grace of God. John saw humans as sinful creatures. He did see the wonderful imprint of the creator upon us, but he saw that sin marred that reflection of God to the point that without intervention from God we were lost. Amazingly God chose to intervene! God's grace made it possible for us to accept the gracious offer of salvation that God gave in his son Jesus. Humans were sinful, but God's grace was greater!

Now John is probably best known for his emphasis on predestination, although I think he would be appalled by some of the ways this idea was used by his successors. In his Institutes, he spoke of this doctrine in the context of why we didn't need to spend all our time worrying about whether we were saved or not -- predestination was for him an assurance which lifted the burden of worry that was so common for the day. I think he would be horrified to think anyone would use is as a excuse for a casual approach to the faith or a way to dismiss the likelihood that others would see the kingdom.

Thank you John C, for talking so much about God's grace. Thank you so much for speaking of the actions of the Holy Spirit in our lives that make that grace more and more understandable to us each day. Thank you for reminding us that God is in charge!

Happy Birthday, John Calvin!

Grace Transportation, Inc.

I passed a truck on the interstate yesterday with the company name Grace Transportation, Inc. This is a Canadian trucking company. But what a great idea for a church name. "Welcome to Grace Transportation. We don't make grace, but we do deliver it!"

The universal message of the reformation was that we needed God's grace in our lives. We can't achieve it through works, worry, penitence, or effort. It is God's free gift. But once we have it, we can share it with others.

God forgives me. I can forgive others. God heals a pain, physical or spiritual, in my life. I can now turn to someone else and help them with their pain. God blesses my with a financial blessing. I can share some or all of that with others. I am the carrier, the transport, the big truck or small car on the highway taking a load of grace and sharing it with others.

A truck with a load is meant to make a delivery. No one would hire a trucking company that didn't make deliveries. God didn't save us, didn't give us grace for us to simply travel through life never stopping to give it to others. Make as many deliveries as possible!

Blogging Grace

As I make this first entry, the news is being announced of Bernie Madoff's 150 year prison sentence. It is both the worst and best of times to consider the topic of grace. Evidently the judge that passed the Madoff sentence received no letters of support for him. No one wants to see him receive any kind of grace.

Yet his serious sins (theft, false witness, idolatry of money, to name just a few) are reminders that humanity is far less than perfect. And we, the far less then perfect, need God's grace.

Grace should not be confused with getting off the hook. If grace is ever to find Madoff, he will walk the path of repentance. But grace does offer a hand, guidance in walking that path. Jesus tells the story of a man who owed a large amount of money but begged for forgiveness. The gracious owner of the debt at first let him off the hook, until he discovered the big debtor left and tried to collect money owed him from a small debtor.

Grace working in our lives should change our hearts. If it doesn't then we have falsely claimed that we are accepting God's grace. Grace changes us and changes the world!