Psalm 119 Heth: God Seeks You

You are my portion, LORD;

I have promised to obey your words.

I have sought your face with all my heart;

be gracious to me according to your promise.

I have considered my ways

and have turned my steps to your statutes.

I will hasten and not delay

to obey your commands.

Though the wicked bind me with ropes,

I will not forget your law.

At midnight I rise to give you thanks

for your righteous laws.

I am a friend to all who fear you,

to all who follow your precepts.

The earth is filled with your love, LORD;

teach me your decrees.

There's a new book out titled, Man Seeks God: My Flirtations With the Divine (Eric Weiner, Twelve, 2011)

In the end, Weiner didn't come away with something entirely new to believe in. Instead, what he found is what he calls an "IKEA God."

"Some assembly required," he says. "[The] idea is that you can cobble together your sort of own personal religion, a sort of mixed tape of God."

What he concluded is that you need a foundation. In his case, that foundation was Judaism and Kabbalah.

"But on top of that foundation, you can add all kinds of things," he says. "So I'm sort of in perpetual seeker mode, but I think that's OK." (npr.org, 12/5/11)

At first glance, this section of Psalm 119 could bear the same title: Man Seeks God.

When David says God is his "portion" he's saying that God is all he needs out of life.

He seeks Him with his whole heart.  He examines his life and lives intentionally for God.  He hurries to learn and live out His commands. No matter the situation, no matter the time of day, he is eager to seek God and honor Him.  He begs to be taught more.

We need to notice, though, that woven into David's story of seeking God, we see the parallel tale that God seeks us.

The very fact that God has entrusted us with His words should reveal that He cares enough to communicate His will to us. As David acknowledges, God has made promises to be gracious toward us - something He is under no compulsion to do. All of those commands and laws and precepts were cataloged for our benefit, and for the purpose of drawing us back into a close relationship with Him.

To many, God is a being of wrath, someone to avoid. Or they see God as a capricious, indifferent or elusive deity.

But God has reached out to us, has made a connection with us "at sundry times and in diverse ways".

The earth is filled with His love. He not only reaches out His hand to grant us the spark life, as pictured in the famous painting. He continues to reach out his hand toward us, eager for us to reach our hands back to him in fellowship.

He seeks you.

Lunatic Fringe

It could be that our faithlessness is a cowering cowardice born of our very smallness, a massive failure of imagination.  Certainly nature seems to exult in abounding radicality, extremism, anarchy.  If we were to judge nature by its common sense or likelihood, we wouldn't believe the world existed.  In nature, improbabilities are the one stock in trade.  The whole creation is one lunatic fringe.  If creation had been left up to me, I'm sure I wouldn't have had the imagination or courage to do more than shape a single, reasonably sized atom, smooth as a snowball, and let it go at that.  No claims of any and all revelations could be so far-fetched as a single giraffe.

Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Psalm 119: Teach me

Praise be to you, LORD;
teach me your decrees.

Psalm 119 Beth

Purity is learned the hard way, through the hard parts of life.

I have a choice: Will I let God purify me through trials? Or will I let Satan drag me down through trials?

Meditation Metaphor: 4 Hours

Over a shared meal with my wife at the romantic venue of Wendy's, I found myself reading the carefully composed verses on the side of the small chili bowl.

So-so chili simmers for 2 hours
Good chili simmers for 3 hours
Our chili simmers for 4 hours

Wendy's chili is very good, I must agree.  I can even say it's better than it was the last time I ordered their chili, a few years back.

I was disappointed with the chili on that prior occasion because the meat in the chili consisted largely of broken-up pieces of Wendy's hamburger patties.  I spent the entire time wondering if the patty pieces were left-overs from the day before {not a particularly appetizing thought), burgers that were rescued from the floor (not at all appetizing), or - charitably - simply the result of convenience, all the ground beef ingredients for Wendy's menu coming from the same packaged and delivered source.

But this chili, the current cardboard bowl of chili in front of me, contained no pieces of patties, but has been made from loose ground beef, providing a more pleasurable - and less distracting - dining experience.

And the long simmering of their claim is no doubt true.  The flavors of meat, stock, sauces and spices present themselves as a single flavor, the result of prolong intermingling and absorption of one another's essence.

Wherein lies the Meditation Metaphor.

Occasional times spent reading small sections of the Word, quickly read and quickly done, are of some benefit.  They're certainly preferable to no Bible time at all.

The longer we spend in the Word the better, obviously.  But also, the more we vary our diet in the Word the better.

We all have our pet sections we can never get too much of, whether it's the Psalms or the Gospels or those great Old Testament stories of kings and patriarchs.  But our meditation on the Word will e richer, more filling and satisfying, if we spice it up with a few Proverbs or add in a particularly meaty but obscure section of the minor prophets.

And spending "quality time"  in the vast variety of the scriptures is like letting the recipe simmer in the mind and heart.  The sundry and diverse flavors and varieties of His Word begin to blend together, to absorb characteristics from one another, until what we are tasting and allowing to transform our lives is a unified experience of the full-bodied nature and character of God Himself.

I did make one mistake in my approach to the bowl of chili tonight, though.  The young man at the counter asked if I wanted hot sauce with my chili.  Being in a mood for muy caliente, I said Yes.

But when I added the small packet of hot sauce into the chili after the first few spoons-full, I found that it distracted from the good taste of the chili.  You see, the hot sauce hadn't been included in the 4 hours of simmering, and it therefore stood out distinctly from the well-blended presentation of the perfect Wendy's chili experience.  It somewhat overwhelmed the other flavors.

We risk doing the same to our absorption of God's well-rounded Word when we take it upon ourselves to top off a session reading the Bible with a too-hasty and too-distinctive dash of reading the opinions in our Study Bible notes or a separate commentary.

We will learn and absorb the character of God best by spending hours simmering in the very Word itself before we reach outside the scriptures for other flavoring.


Either by happenstance or by the providential nudge of His finger, just a couple of hours after we finished our meal at Wendy's, a friend of mine came to our house for the monthly "Guys' Night" portion of our Small Group, and brought with him his supper, which he had picked up on his way.  A bowl of Wendy's chili, of course.

Guys' Night turned out to be just Steve and I on this night - due in great part to deer season.  But we had a good talk and prayed together.

After the prayer, I pointed out to Steve that his chili bowl had a great spiritual lesson - a meditation metaphor - written on the side.

He looked at the bowl for a moment, and then smiled.

"Rich & Meaty!" he exclaimed.  "That's what I'll tell my wife when she asks how Guys' Night went.  It was Rich and Meaty!  And then then I'll lick my lips."

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
  Colossians 3

Read beyond your borders

Reading has given me fluency in the language of sorrow, the grammar of grace, experiences that unite us across borders and time zones.

Marita Golden, The Word

I believe that it's the duty of of every truly free citizen to read, especially to read beyond your borders.

Edwidge Danticat

In the beginning was the Word

"If you open up scripture, the Gospel according to John starts: "In the beginning was the Word." Although this has a very particular meaning in Scripture, more broadly what it speaks to is the critical importance of language, of writing, of reading, of communication, of books as a means of transmitting culture and binding us together as a people "

- Barack Obama, then US senator from Illinois speaking before the annual conference of the American Library Association, July 23, 2005

copied from The Word, edited by Marita Golden, Broadway Paperbacks, 2012

Seeing

"I've been thinking about seeing.  There are lots of things to see, unwrapped gifts and free surprises.  The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand.  But - and this is the point - who gets excited by a mere penny?  If you follow one arrow, if you crouch motionless on a bank to watch a tremulous ripple thrill on the water and are rewarded by the sight of a muskrat kit paddling from its den, will you count that sight a chip of copper only, and go on your rueful way?  It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny.  But if you cultivate a a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days.  It is that simple.  What you see is what you get."

Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Aim for the Heart

Fishermen get a bad rap. They've been pegged for centuries as a class of sportsmen who love to tell “fish stories”, embellishing the adventurous story of their latest catch, and exaggerating the size of “the one that got away”.

Let me tell you – fishermen have nothing on deer hunters for the gift of gabbing about their experiences in the field.

For over thirty years I've worked with and been friends with a never-ending succession of men who plan their annual vacations around mid-November, when deer season opens in Missouri. And without exception they love to talk about their sport.

One friend, Jack, came back to work from a weekend in the woods with a tall tale about seeing an enormous buck silhouetted against the sky in the first light of pre-dawn.

“I was absolutely mesmerized by the size of the thing, and the beauty of the scene,” he said. “Of course, I had to wait until actual sunrise to legally shoot it, and I sat there praying the buck would stay where he was for another fifteen minutes.” The part about the praying was for my benefit, since I doubt Jack had prayed more than a sentence or two since he last uttered “Now I lay me down to sleep” as a very, very young child.

Just as the legal hunting time was arriving, the deer took a step forward. Jack nearly pulled the trigger at that moment out of fear he was about to lose his prey one minute before he could legally shoot it. But then he saw something that truly amazed him.

“It wasn’t one buck at all,” he said, awe filing his voice. “A second deer – a doe – was standing on the other side of the buck. She had been completely hidden by the buck in the shadows of the sunrise."

“I checked my watch, and when the second hand hit twelve, I sighted on the buck’s heart and squeezed the trigger. I figured if I dropped him I might still get a chance at the doe behind him.”

Now, here comes the part that separates Jack from the other “deer story” tellers I’ve known. He’s already got a great story going, but he adds the whipped cream on top.

“To my surprise,” he added, “the buck bolted and ran off as soon as he heard the shot. The doe behind him, though, dropped dead on the ground. In the sunrise silhouette, I thought I was aiming at his heart, but it passed right beneath him and struck her in the kill spot.”

That, he explained, was why he only filled his doe tag that year, and missed the buck he really wanted.

Then there was Bob. Bob was a firearms nut. A collector. He loved to talk about his guns and to engage other hunters in spirited debates about the relative merits of different models and manufacturers and the endless choices of accessories and features.

One year Bob went to the big city and bought the rifle he had wanted for years. A Ruger International. Mannlicher-stocked, 18" barrel, trim classic style walnut stock, controlled feed, integral scope base. Short action .308 Winchester caliber. A real beauty.

As deer season approached, Bob talked endlessly about his new rifle and how great it was going to be to have it in November for the big hunt.

When deer season ended, all the guys asked Bob how the new rifle worked.

“Didn’t get a thing,” he said. “I saw several, including a huge buck with irregular antlers - at least 20 points. But every time I would site a deer in with the adjustable iron sites, I just couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger and spoil the perfect condition of the new rifle."

As the little gecko says in the commercial, "that story is a complete dramatization".

But my imaginary friend Bob reminds me of some preachers I know. They’ve spent years in seminary, studying the scriptures, honing their exegetical and homiletical skills. They’ve filled their office shelves with all the best books. But when they get up into the pulpit to speak, all they end up doing is showing off their fancy skills, failing to actually take aim at the specific needs and problems of the specific people in front of them, too enamored with their eloquence to actually pull the trigger and risk messing up the performance by offending someone.

They're like a hunter waving his fancy rifle at a buck, expecting the deer to fall over dead because it's so impressed with the hunter's arsenal.

The apostle Paul never had that problem. Just picture the scene as Epaphroditus is standing in front of the church at Philippi, reading the letter he has carried from Paul's Roman prison to these Christians. The congregation has been inspired by Paul's exhortations to live a life of joy, they have wept as Paul talked about the real possibility of his death and his courage in the face of it, they have pondered Paul's words about fellowship and unity in Christ. A very well crafted piece of exhortation.

And then, when they least expect it, Paul drags out into the open the dirty little secret that has been dragging the Philippian church down for a very long time:

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 

Philippians 4

I can picture jaws dropping all over the crowd.

Jesus was also not afraid to offend.

He could have gone on literally forever putting on a dazzling miracle show, hoping to impress the Jewish religious leaders with His powers. Instead, he called them a "brood of vipers" and "whitewashed sepulchers", and cataloged their many sins against the flock they were supposed to be leading.

Maybe the pulpit isn't always the best place to "call out" church members who are squabbling – and maybe sometimes it is the right place. And maybe the preacher doesn't need to always refer to the sinners who are in the audience by pejorative names and accusatory titles. Then again, maybe sometimes he should.

Sometimes what people need is not encouragement and edification, but correction and rebuke.

And sometimes we could stand to deliver a dose of rebuke and correction to ourselves. Our time spent in the Word shouldn't just be spent looking for an uplifting quote. We need to be looking for God's blessings, even when the blessing is in the form of a well-aimed shot to the heart.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

II Timothy 3

The Holiday Curse: Halloween

A couple of years ago, on October 31st, I was on my second day of taking  a new medicine my doctor had prescribed at my annual check-up.  I had taken the pills at about 4:00 PM, and was relaxing in the living room with my wife.

My skin began to tingle lightly and my face flushed, which had happened the first few times I took the medicine.

"I'm tingling again," I said.  She looked over at me with a bemused smile, and returned to her book.

Then the tingling became stronger, like needles all over my skin.  I turned to mention this new feeling to Karen.

The next thing I knew, my eyes opened and she was in my face, shouting my name.  Apparently I had begun to shake and then slumped in the chair, my mouth hanging open to one side.

Understandably, she was frightened.  She told me later she thought I was having a stroke.  She somehow got me to walk to the car and drove me to the Emergency Room. (My son asked her later why she didn't call 9-1-1).

We sat at the front desk while the registrar started on her list of questions.  I slowly began to slump and then slide down the chair toward the floor, like a melting man.  Someone finally came and transported me to an examining room.

About half an hour after we arrived, my adult son came walking in.

"Are you OK?" he asked.  I assured him I was going to be fine and explained what had happened.  They confirmed it was a reaction to the new medicine, nothing overly serious.  Needless to say, I'm not taking that particular drug any longer.

Having settled that matter, he asked another question, the one I knew was coming next.

"Dad?  Do you realize what day this is?"  And he started to laugh.

Anyone else would have thought him rude and unfeeling.  Me?  I began to laugh along with him.

You see, our family has a curse.  A holiday curse.

We have learned to approach holidays with caution.  We tend to stay at home.

We have found ourselves stranded with major car problems in distant cities on our way to visit relatives for holidays.  More than once. 

On a single Thanksgiving weekend a couple of years ago, we managed to get into separate wrecks with both of the family cars.  

We have been sick with an impressive variety of illnesses and maladies during various holidays.  The local emergency room staff has learned to expect us during the holidays – and not just to wish them a happy holiday.
 

This “holiday curse” is not limited to just Thanksgiving and Christmas, but strikes on Memorial Day, Labor Day, Easter, Valentine's Day and more.  Any time the mall stores have special holiday sales, we get ready for the worst.

The sad part of this story is that it took us so many years to realize that hidden somewhere in each of these holiday mishaps was a Divine Appointment created by God.

A sign you're growing in grace:  You've learned to see the inevitable holiday debacles as God-created opportunities for mission. #asygig

Not giving back evil for evil, 

or curse for curse, 

but in place of cursing, blessing; 

because this is the purpose of God for you

that you may have a heritage of blessing.

I Peter 3

By the way, Halloween this year falls on a Monday night.  So we're laughing in the face of the curse and celebrating the holiday by doing what we always do on Mondays.

We're going to prison.

That's What HE Said

"Magic," the man in the grey suit repeats, turning the word into a laugh. "This is not magic.  This is the way the world is, only very few people take the time to stop and note it.  Look around you," he says, waving a hand at the surrounding tables.  "Not a one of them even has an inkling of the things that are possible in the world, and what's worse is that none of them would listen if you attempted to enlighten them.  They want to believe that magic is nothing but clever deception, because to think it is real would keep them up at night, afraid of their own existence."

from The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

from John 1

A prayer asking God to do stuff beyond our power

♦ A Prayer Asking God to Do Stuff Beyond Our Power (Heavenward by Scotty Smith)

It’s always been about your great faithfulness, not our great faith. The only real hero in your story is Jesus—in whom all your promises find their “Yes!” (2 Cor. 1:20) And so we come to you today asking you to do things well beyond our power—looking to Jesus, not to ourselves.

There are things many of us are facing which, on the surface, seem just as unlikely, just as daunting, just as impossible as Sarah giving birth to Isaac. Bring much glory to yourself as you hear and answer the cries of our hearts, Father.

Read more HERE

Radical Christianity

I know a lot of people think the life of a Christian must be very boring.  Actually, I'm pretty sure that a lot of Christians think the life of a Christian is pretty tame and boring.

Don't do this.  Don't do that.  Can't participate in that.  Avoid this at all costs.

If only they knew.

If only they knew that a person who gets to the "root" of being a Christian, the radical-root of opening yourself and your life up to whatever Divine Appointments God puts in front of you every day - that sort of radical Christianity is anything but boring.

That small nudging that God gave us over 25 years ago to say "yes" to foster parenting - that has continued to make our lives very interesting, very non-boring.

That quiet but insistent invitation God sent through his servant Roy Weece 6 or 7 years ago - "I need you to help out with the prison ministry" - has not only made our Monday nights an endless source of surprise and adventure, but continues to provide ample opportunities for non-boring involvement in the lives of struggling ex-offenders.

Every day He puts people in our paths, opportunities in our laps and suggestions in our minds - small seeds that grow into grand adventures for Him.

Get to the root of righteousness and keep the eyes of your heart open for those Divine Appointments.

radical: late 14c. (adj.), in a medieval philosophical sense, from L.L. radicalis "of or having roots," from L. radix (gen. radicis) "root" (see radish). Meaning "going to the origin, essential" is from 1650s.
(Online Etymology Dictionary)

I Declare

I declare the glory of God; I am his handiwork, always on display. Day after day I pour forth words that will either glorify or horrify my God; night after night God gives me opportunities to share with others the knowledge he has given me.

There is no time or place where serious discussion takes place when God’s voice cannot be heard through me. My voice goes out into all the earth, wherever his commission sends me.

From I Declare, by TR Robertson in The Lookout

The World is a Classroom that Teaches us about God

♦ God is No Drunkard; or What's With Psalm 78? (The Gospel Coalition)

Third, we should see the world as a classroom that teaches us about God. He is the author of all creation, which reflects upon him. God the Father is reflected in the way a father loves and instructs his children. Husbands mirror the kind of relationship Christ has with the church. When mothers rejoice over their babies with singing, or wives remain faithful to their unfaithful husband, they reflect God.

Fourth, Scripture can use images and actions that by themselves are perceived negatively, even sinfully, to give meaning. . .

Word on the Tweet

"Some of us need a sighting of the occupied throne of heaven right about now". (@scottywardsmith)

"Goodwin: "The gospel contains two depths in it, one to fill your understanding, the other to fill your will and affections forever.". (@tonyreinke)

"God’s silences are actually His answers. bit.ly/mu1011 " (@oschambers)

Meditation Metaphor: Give Us This Day Our Daily Oatmeal

1934 Quaker Oats ad

I've been eating oatmeal for breakfast every day since 1993.  On average I miss maybe once morning per month in pursuing the Oat.

I remember the beginning of my oatmeal marathon because 1993 was when I started going to a new doctor, who told me I needed to do something to control my cholesterol level, and asked me, "Do you like oatmeal?"

Let me tell you:  My "yes" answer to that question was really put to test by the subsequent 6,685 servings of oatmeal.

I quickly became a student of all the different ways oatmeal can be made, and all the various ingredients that can be added to a bowl of oats.  I read somewhere that the way to find new and unique ideas for oatmeal is to look for oatmeal cookie recipes.  If it can be put into an oatmeal cookie, it can be put into oatmeal.

In theory.  Peanut butter didn't work well.  Chocolate (syrup, chips, powder, etc) also just didn't taste right in a bowl of oatmeal - although white chocolate chips mixed with dried cranberries was surprisingly good.

Some suggestions I've not yet been brave enough to try include parmesan cheese and a mixture of cottage cheese, pears, Splenda and ginger.

But many things were a success:  Raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, vanilla, walnuts, almonds, pecans, peaches, coconut, apples, applesauce, wheat bran, maple syrup, pumpkin pie mix, blueberries, mashed up over-ripe bananas, crumbled up banana bread (or date nut bread, zucchini bread, gingerbread, etcetera-bread), yogurt (various flavors), honey, coffee (liquid), coffee creamer (various flavors), apple butter, granola, and all sorts of crumbled up cold cereals.

But on most mornings I'm not energetic enough to get that creative, so I settle for the basic daily additives:  raisins (I put raisins in my oatmeal no matter what else I'm adding), cinnamon and Splenda.

Truth be told, though, real trick to good oatmeal is the making of the oatmeal itself.  There are some basic non-negotiable rules I live by for oatmeal preparation:

• Always use the old-fashioned whole oats.  Not the "quick" oats, that are tiny little parts of the oats.  And most definitely not microwave oats, which are made from tiny little parts of construction paper.  I used to insist on genuine Quaker brand old-fashioned oats, but I've learned that the cheaper store brands are just as good, as long as it's whole oats.
  
• Measure out the appropriate amount of oats and water into a pan and set to slowly heat to a boil.  I set  my stove burner between 5 and 6, on a scale of 10.  I also add a splash of milk for a more creamy texture.
  
• While it's building up toward boiling, I add whatever ingredients I'm tossing in - raisins plus whatever else I've decided on that day.
  
• When it begins to boil I turn off the burner control and let it continue to cook for about a minute, and then dump it into a bowl sometime after it moves from mostly liquid consistency and begins to set up, and before it sets up so much that I'll have to throw the pan away.
  
• Once it's in the bowl, add a little milk to cool it down and slightly thin it out.

The slowness of the cooking is the most important part of the process.  As the oats soak slowly in the warming water and milk, the grain transforms into a palatable texture and absorbs the flavors of the spices and other added ingredients.  Cook it too fast (or too slow) and the consistency will be wrong and the blending of the add-ons will be wrong.

Meditation Metaphor

Cooking oatmeal is like meditating on the Word.

• Meditate on the whole Word, not just bits and pieces and by-products.  Reading your daily devotional or just a verse here or there is like trying to make oatmeal out of Quick Oats.  It's sort of like meditating on the Word, but not nearly as satisfying or nutritious.  And reading books or blogs  about the Bible is like eating mass-produced oatmeal-flavored cookies
  
  
• Just like the oats have to be cooked slowly (but not too slowly), speed-reading through the Bible has some benefit, but its not as beneficial as taking your time, reading it slowly enough to let it soak in, to contemplate what it means, to let it become part of you.
  
  
• And just like you don't want to overcook your oats into a gelatinous mass, always remember that God has a mission for you beyond the written Word.  Once you've let it simmer in your pot awhile, you need to go out and Be the Word in the world.
  
  
• Find a version to read that delivers the maximum amount and flavor of the Biblical author's original intended message.  Study Bibles and paraphrases (The Message, New Living Translation) have their purpose, but they're akin to letting the cottage cheese, pears, Splenda and ginger overwhelm the great flavor of God's good oats.

Reflected Glory

Gracious words are a honeycomb,
tweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16

Imagine yourself at a baseball game, but you can't see or hear the action on the field.  The only way you know what's going on in the game is by the reactions and conversations of the fans in the stands.

That's pretty much what I did last night.  The New York Yankees were playing the Detroit Tigers in a playoff game.  I wanted to be watching the game, because former Mizzou Tiger pitcher Max Scherzer plays for Detroit.

But the first two rounds of the MLB post-season are on TV only on TBS, a cable/satellite channel, which I don't have.  And this first round of games is not even on national radio.

So, I "watched" last night's game on Twitter.  By alternating between search terms of #NYY and #DET and #Scherzer, I followed the progress of the game for several innings by reading the comments and reactions of tweeters all over the world (some of them were in Spanish - interestingly most of those were fans of the Yanquis).

@JulieAnnDobbs: Tiger Max Scherzer he has 2 diff colored eyes which is kinda cool?” Just like David Bowie. 

@TylerKnepper: That strike three from Scherzer to Martin was one of the nastiest pitches I've seen. Absolutely vicious movement. 

@beckjason: Posada and Cabrera looked like they were battling for position on the low post before Scherzer struck out Russell Martin. #Tigers up 3-1 

@beckjason: Scherzer back out for bottom 7th. Gardner leading off. 

@JayScott1914: Good Grief Scherzer! He twisted Jeter in a knot on that fastball. 

@MzFuller8: When Scherzer throws, it's like his whole body whips it in there. It's a crazy when you watch him! 

@The1Tab: ARod clearly only drives automatic cars #CantHandleTheClutch 

@DJJordanV: Woooooo! Detroit wins! #MLB 

Obviously, it took a lot more than some sample tweets to keep up with the game.  But keep up I did.  On twitter there's always someone at the game, in front of a TV, listening to the radio that want sto tell the world what's going on and what they think about it.

And for the broadcast-blind like me, they're the only link to what's going on.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?
As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

  Romans 9

There are people around you and me every day who are blind to the excitement of what's really going on around them. It's up to us to tell them about it.

But often they aren't tuned in to spiritual things enough to want to pay attention or to even comprehend the truth if we try to tell it to them directly.

For many, the only way they're going hear the good news is by seeing the reflected glory in our lives. As we walk through our lives, showing in small ways and large ways that we are walking to the beat of a higher drummer, they notice. As our conversation is full of grace and seasoned with salt, their lives will be blessed by the overflow our God in our lives.

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception,
nor do we distort the word of God. 

On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ who is the image of God.  

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts
to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.  

So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

II Corinthians 4

Tearing Up the Bible

Lowell McCoy

One of the key people in my life who taught me to love the Word of God was Lowell McCoy. He was the preacher at Westside Christian Church in Columbia, MO, in the '60s. He was my preacher during the formative years from 10 to 12.

Back in those days I seldom actually listened to sermons. (Some who know me will wonder if anything has changed in that regard). But I do remember one particular sermon he preached.

It was during a Sunday evening service, back when churches had Sunday evening services.

On this particular Sunday evening, Mr. McCoy held a small black Bible in his hand and began to preach about people who want to remove parts of the scriptures.

I don't remember the details. Knowing Mr. McCoy and knowing the 60s in a conservative "non-denominational" Restoration Movement church, I have a pretty good idea.

He most likely button-holed the liberals who want to say Isaiah wasn't really written by Isaiah, the prophecies weren't really written hundreds of years before the fulfillment of those prophecies, and such stories as the virgin birth, the raising of Lazarus, and Jesus' death and resurrection never happened.

Mr. McCoy, a veteran of the wars fought over ownership of church properties between autonomous congregations and a denominational hierarchy, was not a fan of the "liberals".

What made the sermon memorable, though, was not the specifics targets of his attack.

As he detailed the various critics and criticisms of the Bible, he methodically ripped pages out of the Bible and let them drop to the floor. He talked about evolutionists questioning the story of creation and ripped several pages out of the front of the book and tossed them aside. He talked about accusations that Paul created an entire theology that Jesus never intended, while he ripped out the middle of the New Testament.

My friends and I watched in shock as our strait-laced preacher ripped the Holy Bible to shreds in front of us.

I mentioned this sermon on Facebook a few months ago, and a couple of my friends from back then said they too have never forgotten this spectacle.

And while I don't remember all the details, I did listen to that sermon. And what I remember is that I was struck by the fact that Mr. McCoy, who loved the Bible dearly, was willing to rip a Bible into tatters in order to demonstrate how horrible it is to disrespect the Word of God.

Some 45 years later, I feel just as strongly about it as did Mr. McCoy. As strongly as I'm sure he still does.

If I were to put on the same show, I'd point my aim at some of my own pet peeves about more current attacks on the integrity of the scriptures.

• Celebrity preachers and authors who start with their own prejudices and doubts rather than letting the Word speak for itself, and then famously choose to ignore the scriptures on the existence of Hell or invent imaginary revelations about gender roles.
  
  
• Christians who let their political obsessions drive their speech and their interaction with non-believers, ignoring the heart and mission of God revealed in the scriptures.
  
  
• Consumer Christians who spend more time reading Christian books, Christian novels, Christian blogs and listening to Christian radio celebrities than they do meditating on the Word of God

Seems I've become someone not so different than Mr. McCoy.  A love for God's Word has a flip side - an exasperation with people who disrespect the God-breathed scriptures.

Back then, as soon as Mr. McCoy finished the sermon, extended the invitation, and pronounced the closing prayer, I made a bee-line for the podium. I was joined by a couple of my friends, and we picked up the pieces of the shredded Bible.

No, it wasn't a Bible. He had put a black cover on a paperback novel. I don't remember the title.

But I do remember the lesson.

Thank you, Mr. McCoy.

The Finger of God

Melissa: "Is there an F5? . . . What would that be like?"

'Preacher' Rowe: "The Finger of God."

That quote, from the movie "Twister", echoes a phrase used by some storm chasers to describe the the most destructive of tornadoes. Insurance companies sometimes refer to damage like what happened in Joplin on May 22nd, 2011, as an "Act of God".

The storm, though, reflects the presence of God only in that He is the creator of the world and of weather. He blessed the earth with a complex climate system that provides the regularity of seasonal change, bringing life-giving rain, snows that blanket the slumbering winter ecosystem, and sunshiny days for baseball games. That same climate can turn against itself, spawning blizzards and floods and even a history-making tornado season like the Spring of 2011.

But I saw God's presence in other ways in the wake of that storm.

♦ When news of the Joplin destruction came on that early Sunday evening, my son, Cody, along with thousands of other emergency workers throughout the Midwest, responded instinctively with one determined thought: I need to be there and help.

As Cody wrote later, "I can still remember the feeling. I lost all desire for chasing. All I wanted to do was push the pedal to the floor and drive south and not stop until I got to Joplin." (http://midweststormchaser.tumblr.com/)

By the time Cody and his friends had finished their first day of recovery work in Joplin, there were so many firefighters, EMTs, police officers, medical workers and other first responders in the town, all of them having dropped everything and headed for Joplin, that they were told to go on back to their jobs if they needed to.  the response to the need was overwhelming.

For Cody and many other trained emergency responders, the urge to act, the urge to help people in trouble, comes from something deep inside that has been there since they were born. Many of them are not at all aware of it, but they are working out what God worked in when He created them in His image. The God who saves revealed Himself that week in the actions and lives of the many rescuers who dropped everything and headed to Joplin.

♦ On that same evening, in the town of Joplin itself, another friend of mine dropped everything and moved to respond. Jay St. Clair, Community Outreach Minister at College Heights Christian Church in Joplin, heard the news and immediately headed out to the damaged part of the city. For the next week and more, he rarely slept, spending his time organizing recovery efforts, recruiting help, arranging for emergency shelter and food and water. Jay and the other volunteers from his church were the hands and feet and heart of God in the midst of the devastation - and they continue to do so still.  (Read more HERE)

♦ At my home church in Columbia, MO, the response was also quick.  Blue Ridge Christian Church includes some members who are former residents of Joplin and who have friends and relatives living in Joplin.  By the morning after the tornado, plans were in motion to collect needed water and food and other supplies being requested by our contacts in Joplin.  By mid-week the church building looked more like a garage sale than a church building.  People from the neighborhood who were not even affiliated with the congregation dropped off supplies and volunteered help.  A crew from the church drove to Joplin toward the end of the week to deliver supplies and offer assistance.  They were eager to go, eager to do what Jesus would do, to let Jesus shine through them.  (See more HERE)

♦ This coming weekend Mizzou Baseball is hosting a pair of exhibition games against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Taylor Stadium in Columbia.  All proceeds will go toward the Joplin Little League, to help rebuild and resupply their program.   (Details about the Mizzou-Iowa Joplin Relief Game HERE)

Raising money for kids to play ball may seem like a small thing compared to lives lost and entire neighborhoods destroyed.  But for those kids, the people who buy tickets and otherwise contribute to MU's recovery efforts are burden-lifters. It's an opportunity for those kids and their community to return to something approaching life as it was before the storm.

It's just a game, just a fund-raiser, no religious trappings at all.  But those who know the heart of God see His compassion and mercy displayed in the efforts of Tim Jamieson and his team, and in every 5-dollar bill spent on a ticket to help the needy.

God reveals himself in the most unlikely of people and places, even if those people don't even know it.

That's the finger of God you feel touching your heart, giving you a gentle shove in the back to lend a hand.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 61

Surprised by the Seasons

Autumn on the Seine, by Monet

"I wonder how long it would take you to notice the regular recurrence of the seasons if you were the first man on earth.  What would it be like to live in open-ended time broken only by days and nights?  you could say. "it's cold again; it was cold before," but you couldn't make the key connection and say, "it was cold this time last year," because the notion of "year" is precisely the one you lack.  Assuming you hadn't yet noticed any orderly progression of heavenly bodies, how long would you have to live on earth before you could feel any assurance that one one long particular long period of cold would, in fact, end?  "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease":  God makes this guarantee very early in Genesis to a people whose fears on this point had perhaps not been completely allayed."

Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Do God's Will

"The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful or to win the lost. A missionary is useful and he does win the lost, but that is not his goal. His goal is to do the will of his Lord."

Oswald Chambers (utmost.org)