A Little Bit Of Civility

I attended a denominational event in Richmond several years ago and took an extra day for sightseeing, including the Confederate White House Jefferson Davis used after he moved from Montgomery. We saw the executive office where President Lincoln sat in triumph on April 4, 1865 after the rebel evacuation, and five days before Gen. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia.

And the guide showed us the second-floor window from which five-year-old Joseph Davis fell to his death in 1864. Presidents Lincoln and Davis exchanged condolence letters reflecting on Joseph’s death and 11-year-old Willie Lincoln’s death in 1862—a little bit of civility in the midst of  bloody conflict.

The guide also mentioned that President Jimmy Carter restored Davis’s citizenship in 1978. I hadn’t known this and did some research for an article in a hobby newsletter.

The Carter Presidential Library confirmed it was a congressional initiative—not a presidential initiative—but Carter signed the bill as soon as it was delivered to the Oval Office.

Sen. Trent Lott was the main instigator of the citizenship initiative. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 70s, Lott represented Mississippi’s Fifth Congressional District including Davis’s retirement home in Biloxi. The resolution restored Davis’s citizenship effective on Christmas, 1868.

An impetus to this act was the restoration of citizenship to Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Lee applied for reinstatement in 1865. He died in 1870 and his request gathered dust in a Washington archive before being rediscovered 100 years later. Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia introduced a resolution to restore Lee’s citizenship, and President Ford signed it into law in 1975.

Carter noted Davis’s record of service in his remarks at the signing ceremony: “[Davis] served the United States long and honorably as a soldier, Member of the U.S. House and Senate and Secretary of War.”

“Our Nation needs to clear away the guilts and enmities and recriminations of the past, to finally set at rest the divisions that threatened to destroy our Nation and to discredit the principles on which it was founded,” Carter said. “Our people need to turn their attention to the important tasks that still lie before us in establishing those principles for all people.”

Two U.S. presidents, one Republican and one Democrat, one from Michigan and one from Georgia, in effect issued pardons to the two primary leaders of the Confederate government. Their acts of civility bespoke hope that we be one nation under God.

Our republic, currently torn by division, can learn from these two presidents.

We should set aside animosity and seek a little bit of civility.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Insomuch as possible, live at peace with all men” (Romans 12: 18).

Teaching Students God's Way

I saw Carl a few years ago after not having seen him for a long time. We had a pleasant conversation though I remembered a bit of unpleasantness we’d had when I’d been his pastor. It had to do with sex.

Even the word itself is sometimes shocking in the context of church matters. But we believers insist God is the author of sex and that the only thing wrong with it is when people pervert his plans and purposes.

One of the youth leaders we had in our church at the time said he wanted to schedule six Sunday evenings and teach psychologist Dr. James Dobson’s “Preparing For Adolescence” to the middle and high-schoolers. This book was published in 1980 and is still widely-used. Dobson has always been an outspoken proponent of biblical values and pro-life causes. He remains a hero to many of us.

The teacher reminded me that Dobson had a chapter on sexuality and a paragraph explaining what the sex act is. I suggested we send a letter to the parents and tell them what we had in mind and invite their comments. No one commented, so the series was scheduled with a number of adult helpers present in each session.

A few weeks later I noticed Carl on a Sunday morning making his way to one deacon and then another, showing them a document he had. After the service I learned he’d photocopied the infamous paragraph from Dobson’s book and angrily told the deacons, “This is what they’re teaching in our youth department!”

I called Carl that afternoon and asked him about the matter. I reminded him that a letter had gone to his house. He said he’d overlooked it. I offered to get the teacher and church leaders in a room and discuss the matter with him. He agreed to the meeting but didn’t come. Gathered leaders affirmed what the teacher was doing and thanked him for his efforts.

I remembered this experience lately and thought how different things are now. Then we didn’t have the Internet. Today our youth are confronted with vile images on computer, phone or tablet, unless we parents take steps to filter the feed. And I would argue that a Christian gentleman like Dr. Dobson is a much better purveyor of life, health and peace than the online suppliers of degradation.

I believe today’s church has grown more forthright in speaking God’s truth, even in sensitive areas. And I hope that parents see the church as an ally in praying for their children and teaching them about God’s way vs. the world’s way.

Jesus said the former leads to abundance and the latter leads to disappointment (Matthew 7: 13-14).

The Shoes Of Peace

A familiar New Testament image is the Christian soldier in Ephesians 6, modeled after the Roman soldier. Paul was in prison so there were probably many soldiers nearby. Some believe the apostle in his confinement was actually chained to a soldier. In this chapter he described how a soldier in the Lord’s army would dress, including the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation and the sword. He likened the Roman sword to the “sword of the Spirit,” or the word of God.

The sword was the only offensive weapon Paul mentioned, and the weapon Jesus used  three times to combat Satan’s temptations.

It’s interesting to me that this man of combat wore the shoes of peace (v. 15). This seems contradictory at first since a warrior isn’t usually charged to be a peace-keeper. But since the only offensive weapon is the Word of God and every other piece of armor is defensive, it makes sense that the Christian warrior can speak God’s truth, walk in peace and be a welcomed presence in the world.

The Christian is to seek peace among the nations. We live in a broken world, to be sure, and wars continue, but a Christian is called to make peace. Jesus pronounced a blessing on peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).

I asked some senior adults in our church for their insight in the 90s when the Desert Storm conflict was imminent. I asked how they prayed during World War II. They told me how they prayed for their husbands and brothers on the battlefield and for a swift end to hostilities.

“Did you pray for Adolph Hitler, too?” I added.

“We certainly did,” they said. “We prayed that God would change his heart and that he would end this madness.”

A Christian is to seek peace in the community as well.

Many of us have seen “neighborhood wars” when residents practice a “tit for tat” kind of thing over some offense and engage in constant bickering. We know families broken by divorce who end up living in hostility. And some families not broken by divorce also live in conflict; sometimes because of inheritance issues. A little bit of money can change someone into a bitter person.

 And of course we’ve seen pettiness in churches, too—most of the time over minor things unrelated to the major mission of God’s church. We have to keep our mission in focus. As Ron Lewis said so well, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!”

 The Christian soldier is not a threat to others. He follows in the steps of the Prince of Peace. He is a welcomed presence bringing goodwill wherever he or she may travel.

Senior Adults Are A Church's Treasure

I thought it would be a snap to trim a few dead tree branches, but the ladder slipped and so did I. Fortunately, it was only a six-foot ladder and I didn’t fall far. I ended up with only a few scrapes. I remembered a warning an electrician in our church gave me a few years ago. I told him about replacing the outdoor bulbs with the 20-foot ladder and asked him about some issue with the fixture. He told me NEVER to get on a ladder by myself. I should’ve listened, but I promise I will from now on.

Someone compiled a humorous list of the advantages of getting older. I remember several of them. One is “You’re the first to be released in a hostage situation.” Another is “You don’t have to buy new books since you forgot what’s in the old ones.” And another is “There’s nothing left to learn the hard way.”

Ancient Israel revered the elders of the land. They often served as a civil court who met near the city gate. To fill this position was an honor. Pastors often quip when they preach about the godly woman of Proverbs 31 that all her husband did was “sit at the gate” (Proverbs 31: 23). But his service to the community was valuable, and it was made possible because his wife was so efficient at taking care of the home.

The book of Proverbs is filled with admonitions for the young to learn from the elders about the promises and pitfalls in life.

The New Testament also speaks about elders. The Apostle Paul ordained elders to guide new churches. Evangelicals disagree on the meaning of this office. Elders in the Presbyterian church are largely laymen who make major decisions for the congregation. Sometimes they’re called “ruling elders.” The pastor himself is a “teaching elder.” Baptists generally believe “elder” is a synonym for “pastor” since the latter word was uncommon in the first century, used only once in the New Testament (Ephesians 4: 11).

However, some Baptist churches are instituting the office of elder now in the Presbyterian model.

One Baptist pastor wrote about how he met resistance when he wished to form a board of elders. He decided instead to call them pastors and nobody got upset!

The point of eldership in the New Testament is the same as in the Old Testament. These are men (and in some cases women) of wisdom who can help the church in her mission. The senior adults in our churches are a valued resource. They’ve learned some hard lessons in life. They’ve also witnessed the faithfulness of God from generation to generation. We need to listen to them.

When People Walk Away From Church

“Apostasy” isn’t a word my denomination uses much, probably because we don’t believe in it. Many evangelicals hold to the fifth tenet of John Calvin’s TULIP acronym (perseverance) and insist that a genuinely converted person won’t lose salvation. But it’s true we witness people who walk away from Christian commitment for a season, or forever.

I saw this for the first time as a teen-ager. Bobby and his wife were leaders in another church, but their ministry touched young people in surrounding churches. Bobby worked with a relative who put me in contact with him as a youth speaker, so I was in his church several times for events. On one visit the pastor said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with Bobby. We’ve not seen him in weeks and he won’t tell me what’s wrong.”

A friend and I went to Bobby’s house and, indeed, he wouldn’t talk about it. His wife sat there in tears. We assured him of our love and prayers, but I don’t know how this experience worked out since I moved away to college shortly thereafter and didn’t see Bobby again.

I’ve seen similar situations in the ensuing years, and each one has been heartbreaking.

I’m convinced there can be a spiritual component to walk-aways. Some believe this is what the disciples did in John 21 when they returned to fishing; in effect, they resigned. Jesus came to the seashore and gently prodded them and their leader, Simon Peter, into rededication.

My experience is that most often interpersonal relationships are a major factor when people leave unhappily.

Sometimes couples experience conflict that affects their church life. Wise spouses realize the value of their investment in each other.

A pastor shocked a couple when he suggested their issues were beyond his expertise and they needed a professional who would charge a fee. They said they couldn’t afford a counselor.

“If you had cancer, could you afford treatment?” he asked.

He meant that a sick marriage, like a sick body, might need professional help for proper healing.

Sometimes walk-aways are in conflict with other church members. We’d like to think that congregational life is a slice of heaven, and it is in many ways. But just as in basketball, elbows are thrown, intentionally or not, and people get hurt. The old church covenant has wise counsel: “to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.”

I’ve always believed that sincere believers with a genuine love for God can find a path to reconciliation. The church is in the redemption business, and sometimes this means restoring to useful service those who’ve dropped out.

A Question Of Loyalty

It was a brush with fame, albeit a momentary one.

We attended a denominational convention years ago in Pittsburgh, and my wife and I decided to return through Washington, D.C. for a few days. We took our daughter, who was not quite four years old at the time. I was climbing the steps at the U.S. Capitol to meet them after parking the car when President Reagan’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget, David Stockman, came rushing past me with a few companions. They sped away in a waiting limousine, after, I assume, meeting with members of Congress or testifying before a committee.

Stockman is probably best remembered for telling “The Atlantic Monthly” that the administration’s budget numbers were unworkable. Many Reaganites thought he’d be fired, but the president instead “took him to the woodshed.” In 1986 Stockman wrote about his experiences in a book titled, “The Triumph of Politics—Why The Reagan Revolution Failed.” I remember reading this volume at the time since I enjoy presidential history (whether I agree with the politics or not).

But Stockman wasn’t the only Reagan appointee to write a negative book. Former Secretary of the Treasury and White House Chief-of-Staff, Don Regan, wrote “For The Record” in 1988. Regan wasted no time snipping at Mrs. Reagan whom he believed was instrumental in his dismissal. On page one he revealed that the first lady consulted an astrologer in scheduling events for her husband. Later the astrologer herself, Joan Quigley, wrote “What Does Joan Say?” about her relationship with the president’s wife.

Mrs. Reagan admitted she sought Quigley’s help due to recurrent anxieties after the 1981 assassination attempt.

The political world is abuzz with discussions about a new “tell-all” released this week by a former Trump official, but this kind of thing is really nothing new.

Whether books like these demonstrate freedoms under the First Amendment, or whether they demonstrate disloyalty, is debated. But loyalty is certainly a spiritual issue.

It was a sobering moment when would-be followers departed after Jesus spoke about the cost of discipleship. He somewhat plaintively said to the twelve, “Will you also go away?” (John 6: 67).

Jesus was concerned about genuineness. He was concerned about commitment. He was concerned about loyalty.

A commitment to Christ is the commitment of one’s life. We used to sing an old hymn: “Arise to dare and do, ring out the watchword true, of loyalty, loyalty, yes, loyalty to Christ.” It’s obvious that some come to faith flaming with enthusiasm and later flame-out. The reasons are legion, but no matter the cause, committing less than our best isn’t good enough. Another old hymn promises, “We will be true to thee ‘til death.”

We Sure Could Use A Little Good News

Anne Murray remains among my favorite musicians (and I trust she celebrated a happy 75th birthday last week). Her first song I remember is “Snowbird” when I was in college. Then she recorded one of the most beautiful duets ever with Glen Campbell in 1971: “I Say A Little Prayer” and “By The Time I Get to Phoenix.” But I remember her most for “A Little Good News.” This song tells about “the fighting in Lebanon” and “somebody takes a hostage, somebody steals a plane.” The tag line is “Sure could use / a little good news / today.” Murray’s song was number one on the charts for 20 weeks.

Though this song was recorded in 1983, the refrain is as appropriate in 2020 as it was so long ago.

So much of what we hear today is bad news. The COVID-19 virus sent our nation reeling economically. The strong economy and low unemployment we had at the beginning of the year is now radically changed. We all know those who’ve lost jobs and others whose hours or salaries have been cut. 

The COVID-19 virus sent our nation reeling socially. We’ve been locked away from friends and family for three months.

Churches are busy writing guidelines to keep our people safe while moving forward in regathering plans. It’s understandable that those most “at risk” are reluctant to congregate at this point, but we also fear the effects of long-term enforced smaller-occupancy and the restriction of ministries in our communities. Ministers used to spend many hours each week in hospitals, retirement facilities and home visits, but the virus contagion has stopped this for now. And though most of us have found ways to broadcast worship online, we miss the human touch.

I joked to our congregation lately that the biblical word for fellowship, “koinonia,” now means “six feet apart.” But we laugh so we won’t cry.

Then an untimely and unnecessary death in Minneapolis created a widespread reaction—some of it bringing healthy discussion, and some of it bringing terrible violence and destruction. How we long for voices like Dr. King’s when he dreamt all men will “sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

Someone suggested one of the greatest words in the Bible is, “and it came to pass.” Though probably not intended as a guiding principle for life, this phrase is nonetheless true. Nothing lasts forever. We hope the next few months will bring relief and COVID-19 will simply be a bad memory. And we hope men and women of goodwill, inspired by God, can find common ground in making our nation better for our children and grandchildren.

This is the good news we sure could use today.

He Found God

Some skate-boarders discovered our church parking lot, and some young men our basketball goal, and this is fine. I’m glad we can share with them in these days of summer boredom.

I saw the hoop-shooters one Saturday when I was in the office and felt the need to offer a cup of water in Jesus’s name. “I’m about to close the building,” I said. “Do you guys want to use the water cooler before I go?” They thanked me but showed me they were self-contained with their own cooler of water. At least now we can be friends in the weeks ahead. Good kids.

This event reminded me of another so long ago. My best friend from high school and college served part-time at a church in the city. They, likewise, had groups of kids who came to “shoot hoops” in their parking lot. But these kids were of another race and leaders labeled them a nuisance, so the deacons met and decided to take down the backboard. My friend was so disillusioned that he didn’t remain in the position long after this.

Racism is in the news today, and it’s a “no-brainer” that people of God must deplore it. Many of us were taught to sing as children, “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.”  Sometimes we describe God as “colorblind,” and though this is theologically impossible, it’s a good model for us mere mortals to follow.

He had the reputation as a tough law enforcement officer who gave no quarter. We talked once about his being on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on March 7, 1965. He told me he was choking on tear gas while angrily swinging his billy club trying to hurt somebody. I was shocked because the giant of a man who stood before me had the heart of a lamb. Senior ladies and small children loved him for his tenderness and servant’s heart. I never saw him being anything other than respectful to any person of another race. It’s hard to believe the unrestrained anger he’d had on that memorable day.

And then he told me what happened. “I found God,” he said. His experience was possibly akin to Paul’s on the Damascus Road, though my friend didn’t describe a bright light and a heavenly voice. His lifepath, however, was radically changed.

Years later I conducted his funeral. I told some stories about our friendship, including this one.

It would require more time and ink to discuss why some deacons in Birmingham harbored racism when a Dallas County cop left it behind. But it’s true the God of the Bible is yet in the business of changing hearts.

Dealing With Our Anger

An old adage is that anger is one only letter away from danger. This is a good reminder for us all. Everyone of us has done or said things in anger that we came to regret and wished to recall. That’s why it’s so unusual that the Apostle Paul exhorted believers to “be angry” (Ephesians 4:26). The writer didn’t offer further rationale, so we’re left to speculate about his intent. Was he simply acknowledging that we do get angry, and that there might be more positive ways to handle it?

I’ve heard some insist that anger is a sin and we must avoid it altogether. The truth is we can’t avoid it, and Mark’s gospel acknowledges Jesus was angry on at least three occasions. So, anger can’t be a sin. But anger can be channeled in a positive direction.

It’s certainly true that anger can motivate us to do things of value for ourselves and others.

I often think of three people who faced terrible tragedies and used their experiences to improve our world.

John Walsh endured the horror of his son Adam’s kidnapping and murder in 1981. Walsh and his wife directed their anger into a number of areas to protect children. President George W. Bush signed the “Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act” in 2006, and many retail outlets have a “Code Adam” when a child is missing or found by store officials.

Candy Lightner was horrified in 1980 when her 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a drunk driver. The driver actually drove onto the sidewalk where the girl was, and the driver had previous citations for drunk driving. Lightner founded “Mothers Against Drunk Driving,” an organization that has saved countless lives.

Recently we observed a sad anniversary. Natalee Holloway was last seen alive on May 30, 2005—fifteen years ago—and her disappearance has never been satisfactorily explained. Her mother, Beth, has spent the last years talking with young people about “safe travels” and making good decisions when they’re away from home.

Anger can be terribly destructive. It can lead to abuse and even death. But these families were motivated by anger to do something positive and constructive. It’s arguable that every social movement in history has properly-channeled anger at its core.

Paul must have had this mind when he wrote his imperative.

But he also gave a qualifier: “don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.” Unresolved anger is the root of many physical and mental problems. Our bodies weren’t meant to be depositories of anger. We have to deal with it constructively or it will destroy us, and perhaps others.

God give us wisdom to use anger in positive, not negative ways.

Absolute Truth

I shared with a friend that I’d received a request to write a 750-word  article for a denominational magazine called “Standing on Truths: The Case for Absolute Truths.” My friend and I agreed we seem to hold fewer absolutes than we did when we were younger, and he told me I should write “there are no absolute truths” 150 times to fulfill the word count! Of course, he was joking. But this is an intriguing assignment.

What are the most basic absolute truths in life? I’ve been thinking of several.

First, all of us are broken. The Apostle Paul said it succinctly: “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s plan” (Romans 3:23). The God who made us gave us rules to follow, and these rules ensure our happiness. Alas, just like our first parents in Eden, we believe God’s not really serious and we try to find another way. Our wrong choices impact our fellowship with God and with one another.

Second, God’s love for us is constant. Though we’ve chosen to disobey him, he continues to speak to us. The scripture says he speaks to us by creation, by his prophets and by his word. He speaks to us most clearly in his son. “While we were still living in disobedience, God sent his son,” Paul continued in Romans 5:8. In other words, God doesn’t decree we “turn over a new leaf” or leave our evil behind; he seeks us in the midst of our disobedience to offer forgiveness and a change of nature.

Third, humanity is accountable. When we accept God’s forgiveness, we’re instructed to live our lives in his service. He has given gifts to each of us for service, and each gift is unique. We must discover and use our gifts. And we must refuse to compare what we have with somebody else, though we’re all prone to do this. The old spiritual says, “If you can’t pray like Peter / if you can’t preach like Paul / You can tell the love of Jesus / and say he died for all.”

A mentor said to our youth group many years ago, “God made only one Billy Graham since he needed only one. He made you, too, and you can make a difference.”

Part of accountability is the promise that one day we’ll stand before God when the judgment books will be opened. One Bible teacher insisted this reference to books is a metaphor since God doesn’t need to write anything. He believed this refers simply to the mind of God. Whatever the case, on that day of accounting we want to hear words of commendation from the God we’ve served with our whole heart.

Of Leaders and Lords

Christian tradition says the Apostle Peter was pastor of the Christian church in Rome. He preached the gospel and went about doing good before Nero’s persecution claimed his life. It’s believed Peter was crucified head down when he declared himself unworthy to be killed as Jesus was.

As a pastor, Peter counseled other pastors to be good shepherds. “Don’t serve God for unworthy motives, such as money, but from a heart of love,” he said. “And don’t ‘lord’ it over the church but be examples of Christ-like living” (1 Peter 5 paraphrase).

As a young pastor I heard a number of influential conference speakers who insisted the pastor was God’s vice-regent charged with disseminating the will of God to the people. “You must make them hear and follow you,” they said.

Whereas this statement is true, it’s not the whole truth. Members of the church can and should be involved in discovering the will of God for their congregations. After all, the pastor needs others to be committed to this work since he can’t do it all himself. People “buy in” when they feel they’ve been heard and their opinions are valued.

It’s also true that people grow in their personal leadership skills when given opportunity to be involved in decision-making. It’s a positive thing when the pastor asks others, “What do you think?” Group discussion is cumbersome and time-consuming, but studies show better decisions are made by group process.

Businesses are different from churches, of course, since business leaders have “the power of the purse.” They’re charged to make the organization successful, to produce a product and to generate profit for owners or stock-holders. Thus employees must do what the CEO says. A common refrain often spoken at one organization was, “he IS the president,” meaning everybody does what he says without question or you’re gone!

Churches, however, are different. People attend and participate because they choose to, and they serve as volunteers because they choose to.

I’ve known a few pastors who’ve tried to “fire” members whom they thought were out-of-step, but members are added by congregational vote in many of our denominational systems. Pastors must develop good people skills and try to work with everyone. And today it’s less common for people to belong to a church for 40 or 50 years--they come and go with more frequency due to worship styles and programs. Thus another task is to incorporate new people in mission.

Leadership is influence. Pastors should strive to influence their people to do life-changing ministry and should seek consensus, if possible.

Wise pastors seek to love and lead the sheep under their watch, knowing they’ll give account one day to the Great Shepherd.

Living Betwen Habakkuk and Romans

We brought church leaders together to decide a way forward, as many congregations are doing these days. One leader earlier told me plainly, “I’m depressed.” I’m grateful he felt comfortable to tell me his honest feelings, knowing I wouldn’t quickly condemn him as unspiritual. His admission gave me a little more freedom to share my feelings at the public meeting. I told attendees I found myself somewhere between Habakkuk and Romans.

Habakkuk is known as the earnest questioner of the Old Testament. He first asked the Lord if he knew how sinful his people were, though it’s somewhat brazen to ask God if he’s overlooked something in his world! The Lord responded that he knew his people’s sin and planned to raise up Babylon to punish them. Habakkuk complained a second time, saying in effect, “Lord, they’re more sinful than us!” The Lord assured his prophet that Babylon, too, would be punished at some point (Habakkuk 1-2).

I was looking forward to a good Spring season in our church. We baptized in January and February, had two Bible classes clambering for more chairs and welcomed several new families who brought unique contributions to our congregation. We adopted an outreach program asking everyone to focus on “their one” for prayer and invitations in the Easter season. It was a time of excitement.

Then the bottom dropped out. Community contact was restricted, and we’ve not had public worship since March 15. And I find many church members in one of two camps. The first group says, “ignore the torpedoes; full speed ahead!” They believe the government can’t tell us what to do and we need to press on in public meetings. Group two is afraid of returning due to virus contagion. 

Most pastors find themselves in this predicament today. Leadership is tougher than I can remember, and it’s futile to think we’ll find a way to please everybody. As one of our state missionaries said lately, “If you want to make everyone happy, sell ice cream. But if you’re out of my favorite, you won’t make me happy.”

We may find ourselves questioning the ways of God, asking “why?” as Habakkuk did.

But deep in our hearts we know the triumph of Romans 8. The Apostle Paul said, “We are more than conquerors through him that loved us so,” and “everything works together to bring good for those who are called to do God’s purpose.”

One day we’ll look back on this pandemic with clearer vision. We’ll see how God guided and protected his church, making her greater than ever before. As television preacher Rex Humbard used to say, “Often we see the plan of God more clearly through the rear-view mirror.”

Don't Give Up In Prayer

I agreed to their free offer lately and viewed several “murder and mayhem” episodes featuring Charles Manson, Susan Smith, Heidi Fleiss, Scott Peterson and Joran van der Sloot. These characters aren’t “heroes.” They are “antiheroes.” Or as a father said to his son according to an old story, “Your life isn’t wasted; at least you serve as a bad example to others.”

It’s interesting that Jesus did the same thing in several of his parables. A prayer lesson in Luke 18 features a judge whom we know as the “unjust judge.” This is an oxymoron like “jumbo shrimp” because a judge has no course except justice. Judges are normally the most learned and respected among since they’re charged to uphold the law and fear the face of no man. We clothe judges in robes to underscore the dignity of their office and their weighty responsibility.

So it’s striking that Jesus would choose an antihero, a reprobate magistrate, as a model to teach his disciples about prayer.

A certain widow needed legal judgment, and she came to the judge continually to plead her case. Women usually had few civil rights in biblical days. They usually couldn’t own property and were destitute if divorced or widowed. This judge, in her mind, was the only person who could intervene for her. He initially refused. After all, he was unjust and had other things on his agenda. But he decided to give her what she needed because her continual pleading wearied him.

A synonym for this is nagging! Nagging means to say the same thing or make the same request more than once. In the widow’s case, it was effective.

The first lesson Jesus taught is the need for persistence in prayer.

Two of our most common prayer failures are promising to pray for someone who asks and not doing so and praying for a personal need one day and forgetting about it the next. Jesus underscored the need for persistence. The apostle James exhorted us to come to God without wavering in our requests (James 1:6). Many of us have found a prayer list beneficial in this regard.

The second lesson Jesus taught is that our God isn’t like the unjust judge. He never tires of our requests. We  are his “elect”--the chosen whom he loves--and he delights in our coming to him in prayer.

In the Lord’s Prayer we’re taught to ask for “daily bread.” Another translation is “what we need on any given day.” This means we’re diligent to come to our loving God daily since we have daily needs.

The unjust judge serves as a bad example so we can learn to keep on keeping on in prayer.

Turn Around, Look At Me

I guess it’s a light-hearted game we married people play. When she points out some infraction, I begin to list my better qualities.

“I don’t drink, smoke, gamble, play golf, spend $200 on weekend football games or hunting trips or sit on the couch all day with the clicker,” I proclaim. “So, if I accidentally leave a paper towel in the clothes cycle, what does it matter?”

We know people deal with criticism in at least three ways. Some avoid it, striving to be blameless so that they won’t be criticized. These are “people-pleasers” who refuse to take a stand or say anything that can be interpreted as negative. Often these are the workaholics, too, believing their overwork will prevent negative assessment.

Others deflect criticism with a tough exterior and don’t listen to it.

The better alternative is to absorb it—to sort it out and learn while discarding what may be unfair.

And absorbing is what I should do. It’s not good to leave a paper towel in clothes when washing them, though in the category of good and evil, this does seem like a minor thing. I could be more rightly accused of worse.

What about pride? Solomon said, “Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18). I think of those times when I’ve reacted with undue pride to something I accomplished or said, rather than thanking God for allowing me to serve him. I’ve been known to revel in glory when I shouldn’t.

And I think of those times my words were inappropriate. I told a friend lately that I recalled several times I dashed off letters in exasperation. Of course these were in the “olden days” when communication wasn’t so instantaneous. One of these was to a neighboring pastor who unfairly criticized our church—a criticism I shouldn’t have dignified with a response. I’ve never written in irritation that I didn’t later regret, except to politicians! James said the tongue is set on fire by hell. I don’t know that I’ve done much hellish talk, but I do know words spoken flippantly or thoughtlessly for which I’d like to issue a recall notice.

And there’s the parent’s lament about missing opportunities to spend time with our children when they’re younger. At this stage in life we’re building careers, working overtime and money is tight, so often our children get second-best. Thank God for “stage two” in life with grandchildren with whom we can walk more slowly, and whose parents can benefit from our gentle counsel.

I really can’t get too self-righteous when I think of the summary of my failures. But I can thank a gracious God whose mercy is everlasting and who specializes in re-dos and start-overs.

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What's In A Name?

President Jimmy Carter once told his assembled advisers that no greater brain power had ever sat in that White House cabinet room before, except when President Thomas Jefferson dined there alone!

Jefferson was a man of many interests. He was a thinker, an inventor, a farmer and a scientist. As our third president, he foresaw the settling of the American Northwest after the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806. Jefferson thought the states carved from the Northwest should be divided into a geometric grid, and, according to historian Joseph J. Ellis, the president suggested several names: Sylvania, Metropotania, Cherronerus and Polypotamia (I guess Jefferson didn’t think of “Fredonia” later popularized by the Marx Brothers!). Instead, we have Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

William Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” Sometimes a name can be incredibly significant.

The early church struggled in a number of ways. First, they were confused about the mission of Jesus. Luke said that just before his ascension, the disciples asked Jesus about Israeli independence from Rome (Acts 1:6).

Then they struggled about the reach of the gospel. The first followers of Jesus thought the gospel was for the Jews only. And even after they conceded that non-Jews could follow Christ, some insisted non-Jews become Jews first and then convert.

Another struggle they had was what to call themselves. Apparently, disciples called themselves “believers” and also “people of the way,” perhaps built on Jesus word in John 14:6 that he was “the way, the truth and the life.”

But it’s striking that it was in a non-Jewish church, Antioch, that followers of Jesus first became known as “Christians” (Acts 11:26).

“Christian” is built on the Greek word “Christos,” which is the equivalent of the Hebrew word “messiah.” The suffix seems to indicate “belonging to” or “slave of.” Whereas true followers of Christ were happy to be known as his servants, it’s believed that critics used the name in an unkind manner to denigrate Christians as mere slaves.

Christians are called to be true servants of Jesus, submitting to his authority in their lives and seeking to serve him in a needy world. What a standard to live up to!

The late Robert Schuller once explained one reason for constructing the Crystal Cathedral in California. He suggested that the church “hid” behind stained glass windows, and his congregation should worship behind clear glass so they could see a world in need outside their church.

Most of us don’t worship in glass worship places, but Schuller’s proposition is valid.

What’s in a name? “Christian” emphasizes we obediently follow in the steps of the Savior who healed the sick, gave hope to the hopeless and preached the gospel of forgiveness

Dealing With Change

It was long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away when it happened. Actually it was in Indiana when I was a seminary student in Louisville, but it was a long time ago. This was my first experience with Hoosiers and among their first experiences with someone from the deep South. The deacon chair told me later how they found pastors. They called the seminary placement office and asked them to send someone different each week until they found one they wished to keep. He also said they’d discovered the best preachers were from Alabama and Georgia.

Nevertheless, I found myself in my first church conflict. I read the by-laws and learned they specified when we were to do business meetings (Saturday nights!), and we did them on Sundays. I asked the deacons if we shouldn’t change the by-laws and they agreed. The update approved simply said “at a time decided by the congregation.”

However, one of their spouses hit the ceiling. She angrily confronted me about the danger of “messing” with the by-laws.

I made an appointment with our new home church pastor in Louisville to seek advice. He told me how some people zealously guarded the status quo and urged me to use an analogy.

“A house is cherished and valuable, but we renovate it to bring it up-to-date,” he said. “This makes the home even more valuable.”

But the church’s matriarch didn’t see us merely renovating; we were demolishing.

Since the business meeting was scheduled, and we’d already sent a letter to the members with a side-by-side comparison of the changes, we went ahead. The church approved the change on the appointed Sunday (though the by-laws we had specified we should have met on Saturday!).

Perhaps as President Trump said recently, the cure was worse than the disease. In retrospect I don’t know that it was advantageous to deal with the by-laws since no one other than me seemed to read them. And my relationship with this lady wasn’t the same. I’d like to return, with the blessings of greater wisdom, and try to deal with this situation in a different way.

It’s true that change in church is often seen as a threat, and some people’s default response is “I’m against it.” Thus church leaders must have good reason to advocate for change. We also must realize the priority of relationships. Unless change has to do with issues of morality, and then we have no choice, we have to weigh the benefits of change vs. the potential fall-out in good will. Scripture calls us to dwell together in mutual respect and peace.

Finding a proper balance is among the hardest things church leaders ever do.

Easter People

An author once labeled Christians “Easter people,” and I think it’s appropriate. We wouldn’t call ourselves “Christmas people” in the same way since Christmas came much later in history and was actually appropriated by the church from paganism. But the early Christians began to celebrate Easter immediately. The book of Acts records the church meeting for worship eight times on Sunday.

The first day of the week came to be called “the Lord’s Day” and was a reminder that Jesus rose on the first day of the week.

Pastors used to point out when they stressed the importance of night church that five of these eight references are to Sunday evening. Our culture has changed somewhat. A recent survey in our area found 60 percent of our churches don’t have corporate worship on Sunday evenings now (although they may have smaller group meetings).

But the real reason for Sunday night prominence in Acts is that Sunday was another workday. Believers had no other time than after work to gather.

To be “Easter people” means we live in hope. Granted, all of us go through periods that seem to be hopeless. What can we say to a person diagnosed with malignancy, or to parents whose child has died? At those moments we need to offer the ministry of presence more than the ministry of theology.

I’ve always believed we should refrain from rote responses in moments of terrible loss.

I remember a sad call I received on a Saturday afternoon long ago. The family summoned me to the hospital after one of our deacons apparently had a heart attack en route to a family wedding. I had only been there a few minutes when the doctor came to the waiting room.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “There was nothing we could do.”

The heart attack had been massive. The deacon’s wife wept. She looked at me and said, “Pastor, if I didn’t have Jesus, I wouldn’t make it.”

What she said was certainly true, though I hope she didn’t feel she was expected to say this because her pastor stood nearby. At that moment she could have grieved in the presence of family and friends while we said nothing other than “we love you.” Theology and reflection more appropriately come later.

But, on the other hand, I’ve heard countless people months or years after their tragedies tell of God’s faithfulness. They know the truth of Paul’s word that the “God of all comfort” comforts us in  affliction and uses us to comfort others in their pain (2 Corinthians 1: 3-4).

Easter reminds us that God was faithful to his son, and he promises not to abandon his many sons in their trials.

The Lion And The Lamb Of God

Rush Limbaugh mentioned “Tiger King”—the Netflix series currently number one with viewers on the network. He watched one episode, labeled it a “train wreck” and decided not to finish. However, another radio titan, Glenn Beck, said he was hooked until the end.

The program is about American zoos who keep and breed “great cats.” The series reveals that some raise these animals at home. The policy of our neighborhood association doesn’t expressly prohibit this, though the city in which we live requires animals to be on leashes. I surmise this would preclude a pet lion or tiger!

I remember reading in a Tarzan series about the adult lion, weighing 500 pounds, having the force of a sledgehammer in his paws. It’s hard to imagine keeping such a powerful animal at home.

Young David in the Valley of Elah explained to King Saul how he’d killed a lion to protect his flock. David became the king of Israel, and the Old Testament prophets foretold another man of power from his lineage to rule God’s eternal kingdom. John the revelator once described Jesus as “the lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5). John’s word teaches two things: Jesus came in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, and as the lion, represents the power of God.

Though Jesus was reluctant to demonstrate power to make people believe in him, he nevertheless used his power. The disciples saw him heal the demoniac, still the raging sea and feed 5,000 people with a little boy’s lunch. He submitted to the cruelty of men during Passion week though he could have commanded 12 legions of angels to free him from captivity. The Apostle Paul said one day the risen Christ will confront the ultimate evil world ruler and destroy him with “the breath of his lips” (2 Thessalonians 2: 8).

It’s entirely appropriate for John to call Jesus the lion of Judah. He represents the power of God.  

But John most often called Jesus the lamb of God, using this title 24 times in Revelation. This analogy underscores Jesus’s mission 2000 ago. The power of God was his birthright, to be sure, but he also came as the sacrificial lamb who takes away the sin of the world.

This week the world remembers that final week before the cross. We think of the fickleness of humanity who cried “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday and “crucify him” on Good Friday. Jesus prayed that the awful burden of the cross be removed, but he also prayed to be obedient to God’s salvation plan.

The lamb of God provided a remedy for sin and promised the gift of eternal life to those who follow him.

Hallelujah. What a savior.

Welcome To Real Life

I responded to an offer to try the Lifetime Movie Club on a trial basis. I thought this might be  good entertainment during these days with few evening commitments. I’d understood LMC was a channel overflowing with happy programming. After viewing a few episodes, however, I realized something must be wrong. These movies are filled with double-dealing, disappointment and deceit.

A friend enlightened me.

“No, it’s Hallmark that has the happy movies,” he said.

I was wrong. This month I have the channel of real life!

I suppose that’s what we’re all experiencing in these days. Real life means no worship, no school and no hugging people we love. We pray this terrible contagion be over soon and we can return to real life.

But, actually, real life is not always happy. Real life has divorce, drunk driving, hunger, disease, abuse, financial crises and death. Real life will continue after COVID-19 is a distant memory.

I remember a Billy Graham film from long ago entitled, “For Pete’s Sake.” It was influential in my teen-aged years and a film churches used to screen on Sunday nights for a change-of-pace. This movie tells the story of Pete, a new Christian. Pete’s life was filled with good things, good humor and new discoveries until his wife had a seizure and died.

Of course, Pete was devastated to lose the love of his life. He confronted his pastor: “To think I trusted God, and this is the way he deals,” he said.

Pete had to come to terms with real life. And though some critics claimed otherwise, the Graham organization didn’t ignore this, but taught us the truth about discipleship way back in the 60s--being a Christian doesn’t shield us from the tragedies of life.

Jesus insisted that it rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

We don’t live in a dream world. However, we know being a Christian means we have new perspective on tragedy. We believe God strengthens us in difficulty and uses it for ultimate good. Nor does he abandon us. We also believe we have new partners in the faith community to love us through pain.

The late Lewis Drummond was among my favorite seminary teachers. I remember a comment he made one day in class.

“When has God ever removed his people from tribulation?” he asked. “Instead, his promise is to see us through it.”

Who knows what trials await us in the days after COVID-19? I don’t choose to be a fatalist because by nature I’m an optimist. I believe God will see us through, that he has a good plan for his people and in his future kingdom he will set things right.

Steps To Spiritual Healing

With some unexpected “down time” this week I viewed a series for the second time about the fall of a major American news personality. This entrepreneur produced a classic TV show, trained politicians in media, founded two news networks and then fell into disgrace when it was discovered he’d treated more than 20 women employees shabbily, harassing and degrading them.

It reminded me that the present contagion will be over soon, we trust, but the contagion of willful rebellion against God remains. And we’re all infected. The Bible declares all have sinned and fallen short of God’s plan (Romans 3:23).

Scripture gives a number of exhortations for spiritual healing.

First, we repent. Both the Old and New Testaments use this word frequently. The word means “turn,” or some have suggested a military definition: “about face.” Repentance means a wholesale turning from trusting in ourselves and a thorough dependence on God. Sometimes it means remorse for our bad choices, but repentance is more than remorse; it must foster change in conduct.

Second, we receive forgiveness from God. The Bible assures us that when we meet his condition he will respond with mercy. No one who sincerely turns from sin has found rejection from God. He’s the loving father of Luke 15 who runs to meet the prodigal when he comes home, dresses him in the clothes of restoration and rejoices with feasting.

Third, we make restitution if possible. Restitution often underscores the genuineness of repentance since it proves a true change of heart.

Restitution is the Zacchaeus model as told in Luke 19. Zacchaeus was a tax collector known for his selfishness and treachery. But Jesus showed kindness to him in Jericho and the tax collector made a startling declaration.

“I’ll give half my goods to the poor, and if I’ve taken anything unjustly from anyone, I’ll restore four times what I took,” he said.

Zacchaeus’s love for Christ became more important than love for money.

Fourth, we forgive ourselves. Sometimes we cringe when thinking of the heinous nature of our sin. Our spiritual enemy makes us doubt we’re truly forgiven. But doubting forgiveness is doubting God’s word which we mustn’t do. His forgiveness is sure though the forgiveness of others may not be.

I talked with a friend recently who used an interesting phrase in telling me of his journey back to faith.

“I’ve found that some people choose not to make this journey with me,” he said.

This is regrettable, but true. Others may doubt our sincerity and disbelieve our repentance. But we must go forward in our journey, believe that God values us and seek to share the story of his mercy with others who need to know.