Deep People

It is easy for me to get discouraged as I pay attention to the political process: local, national and international. I have a close friend who’s been in Washington for over ten years and has a high level job in the Senate. Two weeks ago we spoke and she said, ‘I am thinking of getting out. It is just too nasty around here.’

I wonder, considering our beauty pageant elections and sound byte culture, how many of the strong leaders of the past 150 years or so could get elected today? Abraham Lincoln was awkward looking and wore melancholy on his face. Theodore Roosevelt had bagged too much big game; he busted up trusts; he was also a bit too ‘green’. His cousin, FDR, was physically disabled and probably would not impress on the stump today. Harry S. Truman, o.k. I’ll say it, … maybe a bit too nerdy.

Now, I realize that I can be the ‘glass half empty guy.’ I believe that this for me is sinful and I seek help from God. And I share this with you to say, Please, don’t you be glass half empty people! There are enough out there already.

Richard Foster, a favorite devotional writer of mine has said, ‘Superficiality is the curse of our age…The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.’ Of course by ‘deep people’ he means devoted and serious followers of Christ.

How do we become deep people? Well, we recognize where we are and who we are. We are sinners in need of a savior. Deep people look to the Lord for their identity and meaning. Deep people realize that they are brought together by God’s calling and invitation. Deep people also regularly practice submitting their lives and will to the Lord. They do this at home, in quiet; they do this together, in worship. You know some of these deep people. With the Lord’s help we can become like them.

The Psalmist knew of these deep people, too: They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. (Psalm 1.3)

Today we have the opportunity to follow Jesus Christ with our lives. How we respond determines the kind of people we will become.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

The Serious Call to Discipleship

On Sunday I was reminded again of how valuable a Sunday School class can be to me. We were discussing a difficult passage from Matthew 8 where Jesus calls a person to follow and that person replied, I will after I bury my father. Jesus responds with a shocking statement, Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead. Wow.

We discussed the ramifications of ‘discipline’ and noticed that to be a disciple is a calling we each must consider with utmost seriousness. Becoming disciples is our job to do. We all need reminders.

On Monday, with the good conversation from the day before fresh on my mind, I read an interesting article in Time about Nnamdi Asomugha, the great cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles. (‘Thou Shalt Not Pass’, p. 67, October 3, 2011) In bold I saw these words: In 2010, Asomugha won the Jefferson Award for Public Service, often dubbed the Nobel Prize of community service.

This offseason Asomugha was given a $60 million contract with the Eagles. The article described how important it is to him that he uses his wealth and influence for greater good. He chairs two different philanthropic programs and books numerous speaking engagements, both national and international, where he encourages others to give back.

In the article we learn that his parents, who were Nigerian immigrants, were quite strict. He and his siblings were not allowed to watch t.v. but were encouraged (translated ‘made’) to read. (I wonder, is it harsh to forbid t.v.? Each family can decide.) His parents made it a priority to go to expose their children to the great needs of the world. His family would lead food drives and visit homeless shelters regularly.

So, how does a person become a good steward of $60 million? In short, Asomugha developed the habit of giving back. This can be a hard habit to develop, but once it does, it tends to stick. When the millions came his way, he already knew how he would use the money.

The article in Time never mentioned Asomugha’s faith and I know nothing of his personal life…but his story clearly speaks to me on the issue of discipleship. So, how are we to be faithful in the big things in life? Well, it seems clear that we must practice faithfulness. And we tend to get the most frequent practice in the small things. It also helps when we start as soon as we can. According to Jesus, discipleship is very serious stuff.

Stewardship

Friends,

Recently I’ve thought a lot about stewardship. Maybe it was all the study about Solomon’s great influence and opportunity two weeks ago for the message. (Or maybe it was the next week thinking about Esther and her faithfulness in a tight spot.)

Stewardship can mean faithfulness with your physical and monetary possessions. But this is not all. As I heard recently, it can mean, Learning to live on less so that others can have more. This is not all, either.

I remember a story I heard told by Frederick Buechner several years ago about an incident in his ministry. He reflected on leading a retreat at Laity Lodge and what he shared as he was asked to tell part of his story. Here’s what he said:

It took place in the 1930's during the Depression when there wasn't much money; an awful lot of drinking was going on in the world and in my family; an unsettled and unsettling time even for a child of ten, which I was.

The episode I described concerned a time when my father had come back from somewhere. He had obviously had too much to drink. My mother did not want him to take the car. She got the keys from him somehow and gave them to me and said, "Don't let you father have these." I had already gone to bed. I took the car keys and I had them in my fist under the pillow. My father came and somehow knew I had the keys and said, "Give them to me. I have got to have them. I have got to go some place."

I didn't know what to say, what to be or how to react. I was frightened, sad and all the rest of it. I lay there and listened to him, pleading really, "Give me the keys."

I pulled the covers over my head to escape the situation and then finally, went to sleep with his voice in my ears. A sad story which stood for a lot of other sadness of those early years.

When I finished reading it, Howard Butt, who is head of the Butt Foundation which finances Laity Lodge, came up to me and said something for which I was utterly unprepared. He said, "You have had a fair amount of pain in your life, like everybody else. You have been a good steward of it." (‘The Stewardship of Pain’, a sermon preached in 1990)

Today will you be a good steward of all you’ve been given (and of all the Lord has brought you through?) Someone dear to you may desperately need it.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

The Resilient Life

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith...

~ Hebrews 12.20-1

Recently we’ve looked at ‘The Resilient Life’ as a topic of study and reflection. On some level each of us desires to live with resilience. We want to live lives of faith and hope in the storms of life and in the calm.

Caleb was sent with 11 others to scout out Canaan. Ten said, No way, but Caleb and Joshua said, With God’s help we can do this. Forty years later Caleb was still a fighter…He lived The Resilient Life.

Eli failed miserably as a father. His two sons became priests and made a mockery of the ministry under Eli’s gaze. They would be punished by God. Eli’s eyes had grown dim yet, when the Lord called Samuel, Eli recognized that God was speaking to the boy and he told him how to listen. Eli had allowed the Lord to heal him of his failure and he was in his 90’s when he mentored Samuel.

Sunday we will focus on Solomon, a king known for his prayer for wisdom, his judgment (one in particular), his riches and his building of God’s house, the Temple. He ruled a long time and did great things, yet he lost focus in the living of his life. And he was the wisest person to ever live! I hope you’ll be here as we seek God’s guidance as we reflect on Solomon’s life. I am very excited about what there is for us to learn.

Just so you know, it is a privilege to be your pastor and I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday. Let’s commit again to living The Resilient Life.

Blessings,

Ande

Builders

In a wonderful message from twenty years ago, Benjamin Reeves told of a story he had heard earlier in his life. It seems there was a wealthy individual who was leaving on an extended trip. He placed blueprints in front of his secretary and told him, ‘I’ll be gone for ten months. Here are the plans and specs and funds to cover the cost.’

Here is how Reeves told the story:

The astute employee saw a chance to feather his own nest. He hired a crooked contractor, employed unskilled labor whenever possible, and put cheap, inferior material into the building. When it was finished, it had the appearance of magnificence, but was really a poorly constructed, insubstantial shell.

When the employer returned and went with the secretary to see the building, which looked quite beautiful overlooking the lake, he asked the secretary, "What do you think of it?"

"I think it's wonderful," the secretary replied.

"I'm glad you like it. I'm retiring from business; I won't need your services much longer and I want you to have a nice house in your retirement. This house is yours."

Sunday we’ll focus on the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount. This is the key verse:

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock…

~ Matthew 7.24

Sunday we’ll focus on the subject, Builders. I hope to see you then.

Blessings,

Ande

The Telephone

I have just hung up; why did he telephone?

I don’t know…Oh! I get it…

I talked a lot and listened little.

Forgive me, Lord, it was a monologue and not a dialogue.

I explained my idea and did not get his;

Since I didn’t listen, I learned nothing,

Since I didn’t listen, I didn’t help,

Since I didn’t listen, we didn’t communicate.

Forgive me, Lord, for we were connected,

And now we are cut off.

~ Michel Quoist

There are many ways we pray. We confess; we ask on behalf of someone else; we ask for ourselves and our families; we give thanks.

But Quoist’s brief poem (prayer) reminds us of something we know: Prayer is to be a dialogue not a monologue. So, how do you nurture listening to God in your life?

Maybe you hear God’s voice in nature or through a friend or through worship or in Scripture. Whatever the case, I’ve learned that listening can only occur when I make an effort to pay attention.

Yesterday morning I went out onto my patio to do just this. Because of a finicky little dog and a three year old little girl, my sleep had been disrupted in the night so that I was not able to make it to the patio as early as I would’ve liked. Yet, the morning was cool, the coffee was hot and my life was open. I was paying attention.

Psalm 24, so overlooked because of its close neighbor, 23, came to mind: The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…

Over the cool breeze, under the brightening sky, feeling the mugginess, watching the squirrels work or play – it is hard to tell the difference – and listening to the birds sing I knew, This all is the Lord’s. And my life is, as well.

What a great way to start the day.

Blessings,

Ande

The Monks of Portsmouth Abbey

On Palm Sunday the New York Times published an interesting article: ‘Monks Embrace Web to Reach Recruits’, by Tanzina Vega. I found it quite interesting. Here’s how it began:

The Benedictine monks at the Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, R.I., have a problem. They are aging — five are octogenarians and the youngest will be 50 on his next birthday — and their numbers have fallen to 12, from a peak of about 24 in 1969.

So the monks, who for centuries have shied away from any outside distractions, have instead done what many troubled organizations are doing to find new members — they have taken to the Internet with an elaborate ad campaign featuring videos, a blog and even a Gregorian chant ringtone.

(Read the original article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/business/media/18monks.html?_r=1&ref=tanzinavega )

As I looked at the pictures and read the stories of these dozen monks, I realized that they really want their chosen mode of calling and practicing Christianity to continue. They have developed a Facebook page to reach younger generations and are also experimenting with a blog – but, as of now, are afraid that they are not quite ready for Twitter! One priest said it this way, If this is the way the younger generation are looking things up and are communicating, then this is the place to be.

I was impressed by the maturity of these men who spend much of their days in prayer and in silence yet connect with and minister to the world for Christ’s sake and do it in new and different ways. When faced with new possibilities, they were curious and longed to be faithful. No circling the wagons here. This is Christian maturity.

I noticed that this article appeared on Palm Sunday, a day the world is reminded to drop our preconceived ideas of what the Messiah looks like and how the Messiah works. On this day we are to embrace Jesus Christ who comes God’s way and in God’s time and who comes ‘in the name of the Lord.’

I also see connections between these monks reaching out and inviting younger generations to participate and our challenge to spread the Gospel, as well. One monk’s comment was telling, Our power is very limited. In the end it’s God who is calling people to himself and calling to people to live in union with him. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t do our part.

So, will you do your part? What if it means changing your mind … or your practice?

Do you like these ideas, or not, or do you have questions? Let me know.

Gotcha Day

Friends,

Wednesday, for our family, was a very special day. We had lunch with friends and celebrated together and have termed it Gotcha Day…for one year ago Kenya’s adoption was final. And she loves to say – Gotcha!

In some ways her coming into our family was a natural thing. We met her and began caring for her when she was 3 weeks old and smaller than either of our boys were when they came home from the hospital. She lived with us for her first 11 months, was sent to live with biological family for seven months but visited often during that time, and then came to live with us for good when her parents asked us to care for her again (she was 17 months old then). She has been with us every since.

A week ago Michelle and I visited with friends who’ve taken a baby into foster care. We shared that the one regret we have as we look at our experience with Kenya is that the first two years of her life for us were filled with great anxiety – a fear of losing her. (Each month we went to court and listened as the judge decided where Kenya would reside.) I don’t know how this anxiety could’ve been helped. We fostered not intending to adopt, but then we met Kenya and we all were in love.

As we talked last with our friends who are fostering a beautiful baby, we also shared that there is no way we could’ve traveled on this journey with sanity if it had not been for our church family. I don’t say this in a cavalier manner. There is absolutely no way.

I remember when Kenya had been sent to be with her biological family one friend (a church member) said, Stay in touch with them if you can, this is not over. I think this is far from over. At the time I just knew it was over, I thought she was lost forever, and I was in a fog of grief wondering how our family would go on. I didn’t even know how to pray. Never did I dream this friend would be right.

You know, I probably don’t encourage you often enough to go and be the church. Jesus calls us to be his hands and his feet, his compassion and his love, his church. I also probably don’t praise you often enough when you do just this. Sometimes your pastor and his family need you and you have certainly been the church for us. For this I am thankful.

God bless you.

Ande

Comments? I'd love to hear them at: ande.myers@gmail.com

Psalm 42 - A Reflection for Worship

Psalm 42

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so our souls long for you, O God.

Our souls are thirsty for You, we are thirsty for the living God.

When shall we come into your Presence and see your face?

Our tears have been our portion night and day and many have asked, Where is your God now?

Why are our hearts so heavy, O Lord? Why this unrest within us?

Our souls are quite burdened, the load is hard to bear;

Therefore now we will remember Your work in our midst.

We remember your help in this place.

We remember the waves of your Presence rushing over us.

Lord, you have given your loving-kindness in the daytime,

And in the night-time we did sing of you. We now make our prayers to you,

O God, the Lord of our lives.

At times we wonder, ‘Have you forgotten us? Why are our adversaries so heavy upon us?’

Our bones are being broken, we are oppressed and scorned. We are asked again, Where is your God now?

Even though our hearts are still heavy, O Lord,

Even with our souls’ unrest.

O God, We will put our trust in you.

We will give thanks to the One who is our Help and Presence,

Our Light and our Life. Amen.

A Lenten Devotion

Friends,

I hope this brief note finds you doing well. Perhaps you realize that the Christian church is in the season of Lent. This is the season of the year leading up to Easter. Here are some general Lenten facts:

~ Begins on Ash Wednesday and includes 40 days minus Sundays.

~ Adapted from the word, lengthen, as in the lengthening of the days.

~ In the early church, converts used this time to prepare for baptism on Easter Sunday.

~ This time represents the time (40 days) Jesus spent in the wilderness focusing on God. His vocation was

clarified as a result.

Today many ‘give up’ something during these

40 days. This may or may not serve a spiritual purpose.

(Examples might be t.v., caffeine, alcohol, the news

media, chocolate, etc.)

Here are some practical applications for us:

~ 40 days is ten percent of a year, thus representing

a tithe.

~ Habits formed during this time can carry over.

~ ‘Giving up’ something is never trivial when it is done for the greater purpose of glorifying God. Nor is ‘taking on’ something new for a period of time.

~ Less of any one thing can mean more space and room for God. We can welcome this.

Years ago I decided to ‘take on’ something new during Lent. This year I am carefully praying through selected psalms. I take a particular psalm a week and pray through it several times over the course of the week. I read it in a few translations, new and old. I read what a good commentary or two says about this psalm. Finally I write it in my own words as a prayer.

Sunday I shared Psalm 42 with the church during our time of Morning Prayer. The extended and relaxed reflection on this psalm helped me notice the general message of the psalmist: in the midst of turmoil, as the psalmist was asked, Where is your God now?, the psalmist remembered God’s work in the past. This remembering sustained for the present. Remembering brought comfort; remembering was also a commitment.

This week I’ve moved on to another Psalm, and am finding the exercise even easier and more enjoyable. How will God use this during these forty days and beyond? We shall see.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

The photo in this email is of our Communion Table this past Sunday. The Flower Committee does a great job with seasonal displays.

Comments? - I'd love to hear from you: ande.myers@gmail.com

Completely Legal and Absolutely Wrong

Friday, March 04, 2011

Early yesterday morning I saw some friends at the coffee shop and they asked me, What do you think about this Westboro Baptist Church and the Supreme Court decision?

Nothing like this to start off a Thursday, huh? Well, have you seen this story? Westboro Baptist is a church known for their hate and hate-filled demonstrations at inaugurations, courthouses and ,yes, funerals. You’ve probably seen their posters. These appeared at the funeral under consideration: "God Hates Fags," "God Hates You," "God Hates America," "God Hates the USA/Thank God for 911," and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” to name just a few.

This week the Supreme Court heard a case involving Westboro Baptist and the grieving father of a fallen soldier. The soldier was Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, a Marine who died in Iraq. All Mr. Snyder wanted for his son was a private and solemn funeral. And then they show up with their posters and their hatred. (Here you can find several good and thoughtful stories about this Westboro Baptist Church, the Supreme Court, and the issues surrounding this case: www.abpnews.com.)

So, back at the coffee shop…Ande, what do you think about them?

I said, It makes me sick that they call themselves Baptist and it makes me sick that they call themselves a church.

Would you worship with them? No.

Would you serve them Communion? They wouldn’t come to our church.

That’s not what I asked…if they did, would you serve them Communion? We would have some sort of conversation beforehand and I would not.

The Supreme Court decided 8-1 that Westboro Baptist could make these nasty protests. In this case it is evident that they decided that what is legal in America can still be totally wrong. Even in this ugliness America remains beautiful.

The Associated Baptist Press referred to the lone minority opinion:

Justice Samuel Alito filed a dissenting opinion, saying that while the church’s speech might be protected if directed toward a public figure, plaintiff Albert Snyder of York, Pa., was a private individual who suffered “great injury” due to “outrageous conduct” by a group seeking publicity…“In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalization of innocent victims like the petitioner,” Alito opined.

Here is why I am so mad at Westboro Baptist. I celebrate that they can legally express their opinions. And I am resigned to the fact that they can be tacky about it and tasteless, even vulgar. But the church is called to a higher standard. That church and all churches. And I see in this church no reflection of Jesus Christ.

In our nation freedom is a privilege. Freedom is a responsibility. Sadly, not everyone is mature enough to earn privileges and take responsibility.

Justice Alito prevented a unanimous decision because he could not get his eyes off of the victim. In this case the victim was the grieving family of Lance Cpl. Snyder. I am proud of Justice Alito’s decency. And if I err, I hope to err on the side of grace and compassion.

As we think about our lives and our callings we should aspire to live lives of purity, generosity, and compassion. In this case I believe this would have been to tend to the grieving family. James said it like this in chapter one verse 26 – 27:

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

After leaving the coffee shop I was still angry at Westboro Baptist. I probably always will be. I also realized that the world is looking to the church. They notice. And I wonder: Do we give them substance and seriousness? Are we like Jesus? Our job, job number one, is to be witnesses for Jesus.

Please, God, give us your help.

Blessings,

Ande Myers

Questions or comments: ande.myers@gmail.com.

An Invitation to Grace

On the way back from a visit today I was listening to National Public Radio’s coverage of the events in Egypt. Hosni Mubarak has resigned. The people are ecstatic as hopes are high. One person interviewed said that in 6000 years of Egypt’s recorded history the people have never gotten to speak this way and choose a government for themselves. If that is true, and it very well may be, that is remarkable to me. Truly we are blessed here in our nation, warts and all.

I want to shift gears and focus a moment on grace. You have often heard (from me) that each day we have opportunities and invitations given to us by the Lord to serve him with our lives. We can choose to show mercy, compassion, generosity and forgiveness – to name a few. The question is, Are we open to these invitations?

Recently, in a Smithsonian Magazine article, there was a cover piece written about the history of the Colosseum. It was quite fascinating. In it a story was told about Emperor Gallienus. He ruled Rome from 253 – 268 AD.

It seems the Emperor’s wife had been swindled by a local merchant. He had sold her glass jewels instead of authentic ones. Of course, this turned out to be a bad idea. As his punishment the Emperor sent him into the Colosseum to face a ferocious lion. (So much for an eye for an eye.)

Well, when the cage on the arena floor opened a chicken walked out of the cage and the crowd roared with laughter and applause. The Emperor had the herald proclaim, ‘This merchant practiced deceit and then had it practiced on him.’ And the Emperor let the man go.

I wonder if the merchant learned his lesson.

In the world today if you practice mercy, it will be noticed. If you are gracious, even when you’ve been wronged, this will catch someone’s attention. When you are generous; people see it. If you are patient when you don’t have to be or when it is very hard to be, someone just might wonder… ‘How in the world does he or she do that?’

And then a witness can begin.

Blessings,

Ande

Your comments are welcomed at ande.myers@gmail.com.

Prayer for Egypt

Have you watched much international news lately? I have been interested in the goings on in the Middle East more than normal, first in Tunisia and now in Egypt. As you may know, protests began in Egypt two weeks ago and they began with a few thousand people. It was relatively quiet. Only one week later, literally hundreds of thousands of people assembled in Cairo to demand the removal of long time President, Hosni Mubarak. These ensuing protests have not been quiet at all.

Mubarak began ruling thirty years ago when then President Anwar al-Sadat was assassinated. Mubarak was wounded by the gunman in the attack but survived and began his presidency declaring a ‘state of emergency’ that was imposed then and has not been lifted. This ‘state of emergency’ has severely limited the freedom of some 80 million Egyptians. (Currently newspapers and websites have been shut down and some estimate that up to 15,000 Egyptians are political prisoners.)

It is interesting that many of the protesters are young and many have spent significant amounts of time in the United States and Europe. In other words, they have seen democracy and now wonder, If much of the world can have freedom, why can’t we? This is a good question.

Why the riots? Well, with the current government and the institutions that have been developed the people have not been heard. They feel they have no voice. (Much of the info I have seen concerning this crisis is found at the Economist and the Washington Post websites.)

Several years ago I attended an inauguration here in the US. My cousin, who’d worked for the then Senate Majority Leader said, I don’t care if you voted for him or not. I don’t care if it is your party that has won or not – you just have to attend an inauguration.

Sure enough, my cousin was right. I witnessed a peaceful transfer of power. The people had been heard; the majority ruled; and the minority ultimately respected this. It is amazing that this happens so often in our nation. What a blessing!

Join me in praying for the Middle East and for Egypt in particular. We in the West have an opportunity to help with new directions for democracy. Increased freedom in this corner of the world will be good for all of us. Let’s pray for our Egyptian neighbors today. For God so loved the world…

Blessings,

Ande

Comments? I'd love to hear from you at ande.myers@gmail.com.

Searching for God

Friends,

I want to try something new and post last Sunday’s message here. First let me share a couple of observations. A sermon is a spoken – not written – message. Each week I type up a manuscript and go over it a couple of times but don’t bring it into the pulpit. Sometimes the written message and the spoken one are very similar. Sometimes they are not at all.

One day this past week I took my written manuscript and edited it based on how I remember the sermon being spoken. I did this days after Sunday – so what is here is not what was shared last week. However, I hope it is recognizable.

I have edited and cleaned up the grammar, etc., but this is meant to be a ‘reasonable facsimile’ of the message you heard.

Notice many times I give credit when I refer to someone else’s ideas. I also recognize that there is no way to give credit every time someone else’s ideas have shaped mine, but I will do my best.

Blessings,

Ande

As usual - questions or comments are welcomed at ande.myers@gmail.com

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Ande Myers - Cornerstone Baptist Church

Genesis 1.1 – Searching for God

‘In the Beginning God’

Intro (to the series):

Last year one of the most reputable and most utilized Bible search engines on the web analyzed the searches done on their website and published the results. Between March and April of last year, BibleGateway.com was used to make over 25 million Bible searches. Late last year the results of those searches were published.

As I read this report, I realized that there were some sermons in here, sermons on the most searched passages in the Bible, and perhaps a sermon or two on the flip side – what people are not looking for. So, for the next few weeks we’ll examine some of these passages.

First, a word in general about what I’ve found. I’ve taken some time to read the top 100 verses and of them, sixteen (16% for those of you who are good at math) were from the Old Testament. This is not really surprising to me but I do believe it illustrates that we neglect God’s story in the Old Testament, many times.

I use an Old Testament Passage today and may use one more, but will focus the rest of the time on the New Testament. As I read through the most searched Scriptures I put them into categories: those dealing with courage to face fear, plans for life, sin, salvation and practical advice for the living of life. We will focus on these themes over the next few weeks. I am very excited about this journey and I hope you’ll plan to be here along the way.

I

One of my favorite singers (David Wilcox) has written a song called, Start with the Ending. In it he imagines a relationship that from the beginning has the honestly and clarity that often times is only revealed at the end of a relationship. Sometimes I’ve thought this would be nice, what about you? Start with the ending. Just this week I noticed a particular celebrity breakup. And this had been a very long relationship – at least in standards used for those that occur in the public eye. They said, When we were away from the lights and cameras we began to realize that we were headed different directions in life. We love each other, our time together was a blessing; we are just going different places in life.

This story told about the fact that after their breakup they both got away and asked some of these questions, Do I love myself? If I am to be alone am I o.k. with this? What will it take for me to be happy? What do I want in life?

At the end of their relationship they went back to the basics. Today I don’t want us to start with the ending. I want us to start at the beginning.

Some of us in life come to a point where we think we have some of it figured out. You see, there is a particular way that things ought and ought not to happen. We act and react and think and plan and have contingency plans for each situation. Yet, somehow, now we realize that in life one can’t plan for nor can one anticipate everything. This truth is compounded in family life. At this point we might find ourselves with no particular guiding clue. (Inspiration and Tolstoy’s words from Anna Karenina, part III, chapter 20.)

My advice at this point in life is unlike the singer’s advice to ‘start with the ending.’ My advice is to start with the beginning.

II

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is how the chapter starts…and over and over again, for seven days a pattern is repeated.

Unfortunately these verses have, in my opinion, been the source of the wrong kinds of attention. There are some who’ll read the Bible in general and Genesis specifically to answer certain questions in life, and this is alright. The questions they want to answer are, How, exactly did this happen? And, When, exactly did this occur? I really believe that these are the wrong questions and here is why.

These are some of the oldest Scriptures we have and the earlier Jewish audiences would not wonder about this. They would not ask, How old is the earth? Or, How did it come to be?

They were a minority people in the world and they had been surrounded by other people and their gods. Four hundred years in Egypt and then on to Canaan and eventually on to Babylon and back, and in each place they were surrounded by all these other gods. Some of these journeys were voluntary and some were not.

When they would find themselves at wits end and in need of help they would lift their eyes unto the hills for help and what would they see? (Do you remember from our look at Psalm 121?) They would see other gods carved into the hills and temples there. But they were reminded by the psalmist, Your help will come from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

So, specifically, verses one and following say, In the beginning was God. We’ll also know him as the great I AM, I was, I have been, I will be. Each person was reminded that there is something that always was, and this is the Lord God.

Verse two shifts the focus to the earth and says, The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep…

Here we see an image of formlessness, of void, there was nothingness and chaos. But, notice - a ray of hope, and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said…in chapter one, ten times God speaks and it comes to pass.

The early Jewish person is not concerned with How? or When? But she is burdened by Who? and What? In the beginning there was God and God made order out of chaos. God spoke and it came to be. And because of God’s Spirit, God’s presence, there is always hope.

III

I want to come at this Scripture from two angles this morning. The first one I have alluded to, Let’s start at the beginning.

A friend called me on Monday very excited about his team’s advancement in the playoffs. (I always am eager to talk football.) He then shared with me that this past year his father passed away, something I had not known. He decided, really, he committed, to spend more time with his family. His words were, Dad was my rock and without him I’ve been spinning, but now I know what I am to do.

I have spent 18 years giving my all for my company and they’ve moved me to Fredericksburg. And I realized, All this toil and all this giving I’ve done for them has gotten me nothing. And in the process I have neglected my responsibilities and obligations at home. I am not going to make this mistake again.

He had to go, but I hope our conversation is not over. You see, we didn’t touch on the spiritual aspect of things, but I recognize as clear as you are sitting here today that God’s Spirit was hovering – moving over the face of the waters. There has been darkness. There has been disorder. There has been chaos. But, the Good News of the Gospel is that there is Hope.

Genesis one has a pattern. God speaks, it happens, and it is good. Do you remember that God looks at each day, at all of what he’s made and sees that it is good?

Now, if you look at your days, if we look at our lives we see that all is not good. I believe this is because we – mostly un-intentionally – step further and further away from God and his goodness. We don’t do this on purpose or with malice. We just, like sheep are prone to wander and stray. We nibble and nibble and walk and walk and low and behold we are a long way from home.

IV

The second angle is related to the first. Remember that when God created human beings he made us in his image. What does this mean? Not only are the fingerprints of God all over us, but each of us is made in God’s image. So, when we look at one another we should remember this and watch closely for images of God.

Perhaps today – in our world – we should remember, when we look at our enemies or our adversaries (a better word) that God has created them in his image. I have fingerprints of God all over me…you have them over you…our neighbors do to…as do our enemies.

Recently there was an older couple retired from ministry looking for a church. (Gordan MacDonald’s Seat Selection for Worship.) As they came into the empty sanctuary they chose seats near the front – out of habit.

Not long after an older man in his eighties came in and sat in front of them. He was alone. Once the music began they sang and sang and sang and the older gentleman had to sit down. The former pastor asked, Are you o.k.?

Yes, I’m fine.

Knees, hips or ankle problems?

All three.

During the announcement he and his wife moved over and asked the gentleman to sit with them. He wanted to decline but did not and gathered his coat and moved back.

After the service he said that it was nice to have someone to sit with, for his wife died two years ago and he had no one to come to church with him. He also shared that his son’s family was having problems and he was quite worried, as they were all the family he had. They seemed to bond well together as fellow worshipers can.

The retired pastor said, May I pray for you? And he did.

This week you will get these chances, for they don’t just happen from eleven to noon on Sundays. This week you will have opportunities to serve the Lord, will you take them?

On last Saturday evening I went to Asheville to see a member of our church in the hospital. Afterwards Michelle had given me the go-ahead to take some personal time and find a Barnes and Noble.

I knew there was one south of town on 26 but had missed the exit. As I asked a young man how to find my way he said, You need to turn around and go back.

I said, Can’t I just go up here and through there and so on and so on?

He realized I would never find Barnes and Noble that way so he said, No, you need to turn around.

The Scripture has a word for this and it is Repentance.

Some of us are heading the wrong direction. It isn’t malicious. It has been gradual. Either way no length of travel down the wrong road will lead us to the right place. This morning maybe we need to stop, turn around, start with the beginning, even. This may be the best thing you can do today. If so, use this time of commitment and respond to the Lord’s leading in your life.

Amen.

Come and Worship

Friends,

I hope your New Year is off to a great start. On last Sunday we began a look at some of the Songs of Ascent. These are Psalms 120 – 134. There are fifteen of them and they were sung going up to Jerusalem to worship. If you were here Sunday you remember that the theme for these weeks is this, Come and Worship.

As a pastor I have heard many reasons people give for not worshiping. Some have been thoughtful and valid, some have been doozies. And I have endured most of these – even the doozies – with a straight face.

We could each probably come up with a dozen reasons not to worship but I can think of one big reason to Come and Worship and that is to meet God. It can be plain and simple.(Inspired by the thoughts of Eugene Peterson.)

This year I have been reading portions of Mark Twain’s autobiography. The portions I am reading were compiled from monthly magazine articles roughly a hundred years ago.

Twain tells of a pastor friend of his, Rev. Joseph Harris, quite an interesting guy (this story is from 1880). In Twain’s words:

Harris has had many adventures. He has more adventures in a year than anybody else has in five. One Saturday night he noticed a bottle on his uncle's dressing-bureau. He thought the label said "Hair Restorer," and he took it in his room and gave his head a good drenching and sousing with it and carried it back and thought no more about it. Next morning when he got up his head was a bright green! …As the days went on and Sunday followed Sunday, the interest in Harris's hair grew and grew; because it didn't stay merely and monotonously green, it took on deeper and deeper shades of green; and then it would change and become reddish, and would go from that to some other color—purplish, yellowish, bluish, and so on—but it was never a solid color. It was always mottled. And each Sunday it was a little more interesting than it was the Sunday before—and Harris's head became famous, and people came from New York, and Boston, and South Carolina, and Japan, and so on, to look. There wasn't seating-capacity for all the people that came while his head was undergoing these various and fascinating mottlings. And it was a good thing in several ways, because the business had been languishing a little, and now a lot of people joined the church so that they could have the show, and it was the beginning of a prosperity for that church which has never diminished in all these years.

I could say, Come and Worship Sunday to see what color the preacher’s hair is…But, I’ll stick with this, Come and Worship you might just meet God. Have a great day.

Blessings,

Ande