A Tree Planted by the Water

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I saw this video as I was surfing the web today thinking about what I wanted to blog about on the tenth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The video struck a powerful chord with me. Even in the midst of the horror that scarred our nation on that day ten years ago, life goes on. Though we felt mangled and helpless and vulnerable, God gave us the grace to experience the only thing that really matters - God's love. God was and is with us calling us to new life, forgiveness, and healing so that we might be like trees that never fail to bear fruit.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
- Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV
 
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

House Dedication

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
- Psalm 121, NKJV

I participated in a house dedication today in Rising Sun, Indiana. The Habitat Partner Family's parents donated a parcel of land from their farm on which to build the family's house. It is located on the top of a hill with views of the Ohio River and the hills of Kentucky across the river.
I had the privilege of giving the devotional for the service and I decided to use Psalm 121 as the basis for my devotional. It was extremely fitting given the setting for this house. I talked about how the house placed on top of that hill is truly a blessing from God. I reminded the family that most Habitat families don't get the privilege of a view like they have from the top of that hill. Whenever the family lifts up their eyes to the hills, they will be thinking of home and the many ways in which God has blessed them.
The Psalmist also reminds us that our true help comes from the Lord. I reminded the family and everyone gathered there that this is true for us today as well. This family could not have done this without God's help. God was with them and watching over them as they waited and hoped for this day to arrive. It is only by God's help that they will have a safe, decent, affordable home.
I also pointed out the verse: "God shall preserve your going out and your coming in." I invited the family to remember that every time they go in and out of the doors of their new home that God will be with them. That while there are most certainly new challenges ahead of them, God will never ever leave them alone. They are loved by God and nothing will ever change that reality.
The other wonderful part of the service was the dedication of a tree planted in the yard of this home. It was donated by volunteers in memory of one of our volunteer construction site leaders who died of cancer several weeks ago. He had volunteered on several homes before this one and started out helping to lead this build as well. There is a stone engraved with the volunteer's name, the years of his birth and death, and the Habitat logo.
It was a great day of celebration and another reminder of why I love this work and ministry. I am truly blessed.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Matt

I received word today that a man who was a part of the last congregation that I pastored in Indiana had passed away today. When I received the news, I started to cry. I received the news at the end of a particularly hard day and so I think the tears flowed more freely than they might have on another. Yet, even as I cried, I also felt a kind of deep assurance that even though this was the end of Matt's life in this life, it was not the end of Matt's eternal life.
When I first met Matt, I'm not sure he wanted much to do with me. At least that's how it seemed to me as a pastor who visited his hospital room. I was asked by a friend of Matt's wife to visit Matt in the hospital. I was always a bit uncomfortable doing this. Being the introvert that I am, I always felt weird barging into a stranger's hospital room. I was never sure if I would be welcomed or not. Some people would enjoy having me visit. Some people didn't want to have me anywhere near them. Some people would politely tolerate me. Still others would get very agitated or upset when they saw me. I guess they thought that if the pastor was coming, they were going to get bad news about their medical condition.
Matt suffered from diabetes. It was the kind of diabetes that caused Matt to eventually lose both of his legs. At the time that I first visited him, I think he had just had a surgery and was recovering in the hospital from that. Our conversation was brief and consisted of only few words.
I don't remember if I prayed with Matt at that time. This was often a confusing thing for some people to know how to respond when I asked if I could pray with them. Matt was not really a church person, so I'm certain if he did invite me to pray with him, it was not the most natural thing for him to experience. I remember thinking that if I was in Matt's position of having my body parts amputated that I'm not sure I would want to talk to God. In fact, my guess is that Matt was pretty mad at God at that time. At least that was my perception.
I remember that I visited Matt again several months later when he was in the hospital for another surgery or procedure. While he was still kind of gruff around the edges, he seemed to tolerate my visit better than the first time. I remember that our conversation was a bit longer and he seemed more cordial. I was also probably more at ease because I had met him before.
While I believe that God was at work in Matt's heart and life through all of his health problems, I'm not sure that Matt realized this and I'm not sure I really could see it happening. I think I was going to visit Matt out of a sense of obligation to Matt's wife's friend who was one of my congregation members. I still felt uncomfortable doing it and I think Matt was uncomfortable having me visit.
Several more months later, I visited Matt again in the hospital. He had fallen and broken a bone in his leg. This was not good. I think the doctors were trying to figure out a way to save his leg. During this visit Matt seemed both discouraged and more open to my visit. We talked more and I remember praying with him and he seemed to really appreciate it.
After this, Matt went to stay in a rehab facility for an extended period. They tried to build up his strength and help him to keep his leg. One day during this period, I had a craving for Chinese food. One of my favorite Chinese buffets was over near the rehab center where Matt was staying. After eating some wonderful Chinese food, I felt like God was nudging me to stop in and see Matt.
On this day Matt seemed really glad to see me. He smiled as we talked. His spirit seemed really light. He had a real look of peace about him. He shared that he had been attending a Bible study at the rehab center and that he was learning a lot. He had a lot of questions about the Bible and wanted to learn more. He then shared with me that he felt he was ready to accept Jesus into his heart. He asked if I would pray with him as he did that.
I was both humbled and filled with joy as I joined him in this most holy of moments in his life. When we were done praying, he said he felt a peace like he had never felt before in his life. He looked as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Whatever was happening with his physical body didn't seem to matter as much any more. He was truly a new creation in Christ.
After that, I got some men from the church to go with me and we would hold Bible studies in Matt's room at the rehab center. We would talk and discuss life and the Scriptures and I learned and grew as did the others who joined us. Matt always seemed eager to learn and grow in his new found faith in Christ.
When Matt got to finally go home, we moved the Bible study to his house. I remember that he lived on the other side of county from where I lived and it was quite a trek to get to his house. I would sometimes grumble about the time and energy it took to do this Bible study. However, I always felt renewed after I attended these Bible studies. Matt's willingness to learn and grow always reminded me of why we were doing what we were doing.
I realize now that those were times when I really felt like the church was at its best. We were being the church to Matt but he was also a vital part of the Body of Christ as we talked and joked and studied together. He was in ministry to and with us. This was exactly the way the church began. Those first Christians met in people's homes for study, worship, support, and fellowship. In fact, I often got more out of these home Bible studies at Matt's house than I did leading Sunday morning worship for a congregation made up of many people who were more focused on preserving irrelevant traditions than truly living as disciples of Jesus Christ. Matt was definitely Jesus to me in some deep and abiding ways that I don't think I will fully understand until I see him in heaven.
When I received the email telling me about Matt's death from my friend Mari, she quoted our friend Kathy who said about Matt's passing, “We all know where Matt is now because Kevin led him to Lord.” When I read those words, I used about three tissues as I broke down and cried some more.
I don't know how much leading I really did, but I do feel that God allowed me to get a craving for Chinese food and then led me to stop in on that most important of days in Matt's journey in this world. I do feel God was able to use me in some way to reach out to Matt and offer him the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. It was a day that forever changed Matt's heart and life. It was a day on which all the company of heaven was cheering him on and celebrating his new faith in Jesus.
As I write this blog entry, I am filled with a sense of gratitude for Matt and his life that helped to change my heart and life. It was truly an honor to journey with him for the short time that I did. I know there is a big celebration going on in heaven today as Matt is welcomed into the presence of God. I can just see him running on new legs into the loving arms of Jesus as he hears the words "Well done, Matt! My good and faithful servant!"
Thank you Matt for showing me the power of God's life-changing grace! I look forward to the day when we meet again at the feet of Jesus.
I invite you to join me in praying for Matt's family as they journey through this time of grief.
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

One of Those Days

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

-John 13:34-35, NRSV

Today was one of those days. I kind of wish I would have stayed in bed. I think I would have done less damage to the world.
It started off when I got several phone calls at the office and they were all challenging in their own way. With each phone call, I found myself becoming more and more agitated. I felt myself becoming defensive and had a hard time holding my tongue. At one point, I let my sarcastic nature get the best of me and I said things I should not have said.
After one particularly difficult phone call, I began venting to my co-workers about the bad morning I was having and how much some of the people on the other end of the phone were irritating me. Then one of my co-workers reminded me that we are called to love all people including our enemies and those who frustrate us. Then another one of my co-workers said that her observation of me is that I love people whom I feel are being oppressed but not I have little use for those who are the oppressors. While I had to to agree with this statement, I really didn't want to hear this.
However, if I am really honest with myself, I simply stink at truly loving people - especially those whom I find challenging or difficult. I find it very easy to agree with the bumper sticker that I've seen several times: "Mean people suck." I don't have much use for mean people and my experience has been that most mean people don't even know that they are mean. If they do know, they don't really care.
I know that hurt people hurt people and that many of the people with whom I work make it difficult for anyone to love them. Yet, I am called to do just that. I don't want to do it but I am commanded to do it. Today I had several opportunities to show love and I failed miserably. I hate to admit this, but it's true.
Of course, the good news is that God is a God of unlimited mercy and grace. God forgives me and allows me to move forward in life in faith and hope. In many ways, I was a mean person today and failed to even try to love my enemies yet God loves me anyway.
It's this Good News that will sustain me as I put my head down on the pillow tonight. I will rest in the arms of love and forgiveness. And, if God sees fit to allow me to do so, I will awaken in the morning and begin a new day with the opportunity to love both the people I like and the people I don't like. Hopefully, I will not repeat the same mistakes tomorrow.
I hope you have a good night. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

The Bearer of Good News

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

- Isaiah 52:7, NRSV

I got to be the bearer of good news today to two families. I got to call two families to let them know that the TriState Habitat for Humanity Board had approved them as Habitat Partner Families. I am so excited because with the addition of these two families we now have twenty-one approved Partner Families. This is the largest number of Partner Families we have had since I came to TriState Habitat for Humanity.
The responses that families have when they receive this good news is as varied as the human race. Some people break down and start crying. Some people seem to be stunned with disbelief. Some people whoop and holler with joy. Others are very quiet but their excitement and gratitude is always apparent.
I always feel humbled whenever I make these phone calls to give families the good news. I feel like I am God's messenger. I feel like I am getting to be a part of a life-changing moment in the history of these families. I get to be a part of God's action in the world. I get to be a witness to God's vision for the world that turns the current status quo on its head. I get to bring good news to the poor. It doesn't get much better than that.
I invite you to join me in praying for these families as they begin their journey with TriState Habitat for Humanity. Their patience will be tested. Their stress level is about to multiply ten fold as they try to work, raise families, and fit in all of their sweat equity hours. They have a lot of forms to complete and a lot of hoops to jump through on their way to home ownership. But for now, I'm praying that they will bask in the joy of this good news and take deep gulps of God's grace as it is poured out upon them.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Almost Finished

So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.

- Job 5:16, NRSV

I had a meeting today in Middletown, Ohio and on my way home I stopped by Trenton, Ohio where TriState Habitat for Humanity is just finishing up a house. There was a lone volunteer working at the house and I got to talk with him for a few minutes and thank him for all of his work. I told him that I just wanted to take a peek at the house.
I then got to walk through the house. It's been a long time since I was at the house and it was amazing at how far the house has come. I walked in the front door and was just overwhelmed with the miracle that was before my eyes. While not everything is done, it's very close. The walls are all painted. The kitchen cabinets and counter tops are installed. The vinyl is installed and we are not far from installing the carpeting. I walked into every room and said a prayer of thanksgiving for all of the time, donations, and talent that had gone into this house.
This almost finished house is a sign and symbol of God's presence and movement in the world. It is a sign of the kingdom of God in our midst. It is one tangible way that God is busy turning the world upside down. Soon a family will be living in this house. They will move from substandard conditions to a safe, decent, affordable home in which to live. They will also begin to pay it forward with each mortgage payment they make. That money will be used to help TriState Habitat for Humanity build new homes for other families.
As I got back in my car to head home, I paused to thank God for the gift to the world that is Habitat for Humanity. I thank God for the honor and privilege of working with families in need. I thank God for being able to serve and live out the love of God every day at work.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Looks Like a Wonderful Summer of Dance

Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp!

- Psalm 149:3, KJV

Wow! I just finished watching the performance show of So You Think You Can Dance. It was wonderful! This group of contestants are really strong. It seems like the entire show has stepped up a notch. The dancers are extremely talented as are the choreographers.
Tonight was pure entertainment. I was seriously thinking about voting since you can vote online now. However, I'm not sure for whom I would vote. Each couple was really strong and it was truly amazing to see them dance tonight. I love it that some of the folks drew their personal style. That allowed some of the strongest dancing I've seen this early in the season since I've been watching the show.
Some of my favorite dances tonight were the "statues" contemporary dance, the quick step, and the Broadway routine. However, each dance was wonderful in its own unique way.
I only wish that I could be half as graceful as this year's So You Think You Can Dance contestants. If you like dance, I hope you get a chance to watch this wonderful show this summer.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Pay Day

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

- Isaiah 61:1, NIV

 
I had the privilege of participating in a house dedication in Oxford, Ohio this morning. I am always honored and humbled to be a part of these services. They are true celebrations and remind me of why I do what I do.
During the service I shared with those gathered for the dedication that while the TriState Habitat for Humanity have regular pay days every two weeks in which we get salaries for our work, witnessing a family realizing their dream of home ownership was really our pay day. Every time we get to present the keys to a soon-to-be home owner, it's worth more than any money that we might earn. Every time we get to help a family move from sub-standard housing into a safe, decent, affordable home, we are richly blessed. Every time we have the chance to see the results of the time and efforts of volunteers, donors, and staff, we are witnessing the kingdom of God becoming a reality.
So, today for me was a pay day. I got to be a witness to God at work in Oxford, Ohio. I got to see first hand the Holy Spirit moving in the life a family living in sub-standard conditions. I got to experience the joy of bringing Good News to the poor. I got to see a dream come true for a family.
For all of this and more, I am grateful to God for this work and ministry. I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. I am truly blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I am grateful for the honor of being in this place for such a time as this.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

You Always Have the Poor with You

You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.

- John 12:8, NRSV

Jesus told us we would always have the poor with us (John 12:8). He didn’t eradicate poverty or heal all suffering. He could have taken care of these things, but he didn’t. God did not send Jesus to solve all our problems; Jesus came to teach us how to live with our problems. This human life is difficult, full of hardships and disappointments interlaced with occasional joys and successes. Jesus’ life and public ministry reveal how he responded to these problems: with compassion and charity.

- Christopher Maricle, The Jesus Priorities

This quote was a part of my e-devotional today. I think a lot about Jesus' words that the poor would always be with us. That thought sometimes overwhelms me and discourages me. This just doesn't seem fair. This is especially true when I think that Habitat for Humanity's mission is to eliminate poverty housing from the face of earth.
I sometimes fool myself into thinking that if I could just help the poor I work with find a decent affordable house, all of their problems will be solved. However, this is indeed foolish thinking. I know that on the day that our Partner Families sign their closing documents they are still living in poverty. They will still have many struggles ahead of them. Hopefully Habitat has given them some tools that can help them face some of those challenges as new home owners but in the end they are still living in poverty.
Some would say that what Habitat does is foolishness. We give interest-free loans to people who cannot get loans from any other organization or business. We take chances on people who everyone else has given up on. Indeed, some of them fail. There are people who do not make it. Yet, Habitat has one of the lowest foreclosure rates in the country. Even in the midst of the largest housing crisis in the history of the country, Habitat continued to build houses and take risks and make a difference in a growing number of families' lives.
I cannot begin to put into words how humble that makes me feel. I am a part of an ongoing miracle. I am a part of a movement that is transforming lives and has generational impact on families. Every day I get to go to an office to help the least of these in our society. I get to enter their lives and offer them encouragement. I walk with them as they seek to make their dream of home ownership a reality.
This is often very hard work. It can drain me emotionally. I sometimes really have a hard time when I have to send a denial letter to an applicant who does not qualify for our program. However, I keep going because I know that my work has meaning in life. I know that I am about my Father's work and will and it is this knowledge that gives me the assurance to risk serving the poor with my life.
I give God thanks and praise for this ministry to which I can give my life and with which I can share my gifts. I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

This Is Love

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,
“They divided my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”
So this is what the soldiers did.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
 

- Luke 19:16-30, NIV

Though the Mountains Shake in the Heart of the Sea

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

- Psalm 46, NRSV

Please join me in praying for all those impacted by the Japan earthquake and tsunami. Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Sick Day

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

- Psalm 30:2, NRSV

I've been in bed most of today. I have some kind of bad head cold or sinus infection or something that has me so stuffed up and unable to breath well that I haven't slept much the past few nights. Some of my co-workers have been sick and I'm wondering if I got it from them.
I am not a good sick person. I want to be babied and waited on. When you live alone that's hard to make happen. I remember when I was growing up my Mom would give me a little silver bell to ring if I needed her in the middle of the night when I was sick. I was thinking about getting a bell last night when I was in bed trying to sleep. I'm not sure my Mom would hear it way down in Texas if I rang it. I'm also not sure any of my neighbors would care or come to my rescue if I rang it. I guess if it was loud enough, they might call the police. Maybe I could get a police officer to rub Vicks-Vapo-Rub on my chest. They are supposed to serve and protect after all.
Thankfully I made it to the grocery store yesterday after walking before I started feeling really bad. I went over to my friend Karen's yesterday for a short while to watch a movie in the afternoon after we walked. She gave me vitamin C, hot tea with honey, and some kind of green juice substance made from fruits and vegetables. It looked horrible but was quite tasty.
I started feeling really bad while we were watching the movie. I came home earlier than planned from Karen's and had a miserable evening. I have not been out of my apartment all day today and am not going to work if I don't feel better tomorrow morning. I don't want to risk giving everyone at the office what I have.
Well, I'm back to the couch. Thankfully it's only a few steps from the computer.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

For a Child Has Been Born for Us

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

- Isaiah 9:2-7, NRSV

Have a very blessed Christmas!

Christmas Eve, Chinese Food, and the Children of Abraham

I had an interesting Christmas Eve tonight. I have been home all day and decided only to venture out to attend a Christmas Eve service at my church. However, my plans got changed just a bit when my sister Stacey called me in the late afternoon with a most excellent invitation. She invited me to join her family for dinner at my favorite Chinese buffet. Of course, I could not pass this up. It was a chance to re-enact the scene from the movie A Christmas Story. Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra!
So, at the appointed time, we showed up at the Chinese buffet and it was packed. There was about a half hour wait before we could get a table. While we stood in the entry way admiring the juxtaposition of the Christmas tree and the koi swimming in the fountain and the Santa Claus statue and the Buddha statue, I noticed that my fellow Christmas Eve diners were quite a diverse crowd. Beyond the restaurant staff who were all wearing Santa hats, I also noticed most was that there were several people of Middle Eastern descent. Most of the women had their heads covered and several were speaking languages that I didn't recognize. There is a rather large mosque and Islamic center near the restaurant and so this didn't completely surprise me. However, I thought it was interesting that so many people who appeared to be practicing Muslims were out on Christmas Eve for dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
It got a bit more interesting when in walked some of Stacey's friends. The family has a boy who was in my nephew Cameron's class in school. Later on in the evening, Stacey shared with me that her friends were Jewish. I immediately recalled Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan's response to the Senator Lindsay Graham's question during Kagan's confirmation hearings about where she was on Christmas Day last year. Kagan responded, "You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant."
So, the Christmas Eve service was beautiful at my church. We sang all the beloved Christmas carols. We heard the account read of Jesus' birth from the Gospel of Luke. We got to light candles and sing Silent Night. However, I think I what I will most remember about this Christmas Eve was that for a brief moment, I was united with my fellow children of Abraham for a delicious Chinese buffet.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

One Key Chain Found

I am very pleased to say after last night's odyssey that I found a key chain that was appropriate to use for our Habitat house dedication on Saturday morning. Thanks to my friend Mari who suggested I look at a Christian book store. I went to a Christian bookstore near my office today and found several very nice key chains from which to choose.
I ended up selecting a key chain with a passage of Scripture printed on it from Jeremiah 29:11 which reads: ^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD." I thought this was an appropriate verse and wonderful words of assurance for new home owners to reflect upon. God does indeed know the plans for each family and reaches out to bless them in powerful ways as they move from living in poverty housing to a home of their own.
I invite you to join me in praying for our house dedication tomorrow and for the family who will close next week on their new home. It's always an exciting time for each family and is a wonderful blessing for me as a staff member of Habitat for Humanity. I also know there will be times of stress for the family in the coming days as they move and try to make their new house a home. Of course there is the added stress of preparing for Christmas for this family so soon after they close. I am praying that God's peace will fill this house and this family's hearts.
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

A Tragic Scene

I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

- Psalm 140:12, NIV

The photo above was taken by one of the Habitat Partner Families in Anderson County, Tennessee where I used to work. The photo shows some of the vandalism that took place in this family's home this week. (I'm not sure why the photo has a 2006 date on it.) Some idiots broke into the house and poured paint out all over the place - on the floors, walls, windows, cabinets, counter tops, ceilings, doors - everywhere.
When I saw these photos the family posted on Facebook, I felt sick to my stomach. I can't believe people could be this hateful and callous. Woe to whoever did this. They have perpetrated an injustice against the poor. I hope that somehow these perpetrators can be brought to justice.
What makes it worse is that this family has been waiting for a very long time for their house to be finished. The house was started in January 2010 and it is still not completed. My heart breaks for this family. This has been a long road that has most certainly tested their patience and now they have had this discouraging setback.
I invite you to join me in praying for this Habitat Partner Family. Please pray for peace to fill their hearts. Please also pray for their safety and security as they continue to live in substandard conditions. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of those who committed this horrible deed. Please also pray for Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County as volunteers and staff work to repair the damage done to this home and that they are able to move forward soon to finish this house for this family in need.
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Grilled Cheesus

After being disappointed in last week's Brittany Spears tribute episode, I loved every minute of this week's episode of Glee. What I loved most about the episode is that the entire episode was devoted to the issue of faith. The show honestly and openly struggled with issues of faith, doubt, God's existence, and the nature of the church. In many ways, it dealt with these things in much deeper ways than many sermons I have heard or ever preached.
In the midst of grief over his father's hospitalization, Kurt Hummel expressed what many feel in life. He doesn't believe God exists. He feels as if the church has judged him and condemned him. He has already lost his mom to death and facing the fear of losing his father, he lashes out when his friends who try to comfort him with words of faith and prayers. It's hard to know if Kurt really doesn't believe in God or if he is just really mad at God.
Sue Sylvester seems to be consumed by this same kind of anger at God. Her sister has downs syndrome and was ridiculed as a child. Part of Sue's meanness seems to evolve from seeing how others treated her sister. She also figures there is no God because why would a loving God allow her sister to suffer ridicule or even be born with downs syndrome in the first place. Of course, her sister, who does believe in God, says that "God doesn't make mistakes." She also offers to pray for Sue. Sue seems to be more of an agnostic hoping to be proved wrong.
Finn seems to be the one who experiences the most dramatic spiritual roller coaster during the episode. He sees the image of Jesus on a grilled cheese sandwich and begins praying to it. His prayers are answered and he feels really good and faithful. However, when he prays to be reinstated as the quarterback of the football team and the current quarterback is injured causing Finn's prayer to be answered, he feels guilty and questions his faith in Jesus or the "grilled cheesus".
I kept thinking about Jesus' parable of the sower and the seeds that were sown on the stony ground as I watched Finn. They have no root and when the sun comes up, they wither away. Jesus says that many people find faith and are filled with good feelings but when hardship comes, because their faith is not rooted in the Word, they are easily discouraged when tested. By the end of the episode, Finn eats the "grilled cheesus" and seems to be floundering in doubt and at the same time sincerely searching.
Mercedes for me is the kind of Christian I'd like to be. She does not hide her faith. She accepts that not everyone shares her faith but she still is not afraid to witness to her God and even invites Kurt the atheist to church. Mercedes invites Kurt to have faith and to lean on that faith. Of course, she sings a wonderful rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water that pulled at my heart strings.
Mercedes' church is loving and accepting. They offer God praise and invite others to know the love and grace that they have discovered in their lives. It was this church scene that seems to have had the deepest impact upon me as I reflect upon the episode. While I know that this television representation of the church is rather shallow and doesn't represent the fullness of what the church is, I found myself wishing that I could discover such a church in real life.
I have never left the church, even when I didn't much feel like being a part of the church and I felt like the church didn't want me to be a part of it. I still believe that the church, as the Body of Christ, can be a community of hope for the world. While I know that all churches have their problems and challenges because they are made up of sinful human beings, I just wish that more of the churches I encountered in my ministry would have erred on the side of grace rather than the side of judgment. I wish that in those times when I most needed acceptance from my fellow Christians, it would have been offered. While I forgive them, sometimes it still hurts.
Watching this episode of Glee reminded me again of how the arts allow us to express things that we find hard to express in other ways. We can sing of our love for God and cry out to God for help. We can express our faith and even dare to express life's unanswerable questions. Like prayer, art allows us to communicate with the God Who loves us and claims us and gives us the freedom to doubt.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Temples of Nature

"No temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite... The grandest of all special temples of Nature."

- John Muir

I've been watching through my Netflix subscription the PBS series about the National Parks. If you haven't seen it, I want to highly recommend it to you. It is marvelous. Of course, anything by director Ken Burns is great. This series is absolutely amazing. Please know that I don't make this recommendation lightly.This recommendation comes to you from a real "indoor boy" who once suggested that the rangers of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park might want to think about pressure washing the moss off the trees in the park to "spruce the place up a bit."

I thought this documentary series was going to be more like a Travel Channel special that shows pretty pictures of the National Parks; however, this series is so much more than that. It's about the development and history of how the National Parks came to be in America. It's also about the struggle between those who would exploit our county's natural resources for personal gain and those who risked much to establish parks so that all Americans could enjoy them.

I love the biographical stories of those who rallied people to protect these lands from development.

The person I was most amazed by was John Muir. I really didn't know that much about this amazing man. I have visited Muir Woods in California and marveled at the mighty Redwoods, but I really didn't know who Muir was. I learned through this documentary series that he was way ahead of his time when it came to protecting our natural resources. He lobbied and badgered and lectured to anyone who would listen and to a lot of people who didn't want to listen. He helped found the Sierra Club, wrote books about conservation, camped with President Theodore Roosevelt, and in many ways single-handedly was responsible for saving Yosemite Valley from development and destruction.

Raised as the son of a strict Christian father who believed that anything that distracted from Bible studies was frivolous. By the time he was eleven years old, he had memorized the entire New Testament and most of the Old Testament. In in later writings, Muir expressed his belief that God was always active in the creation of life and thereby kept the natural order of the world. As a result, Muir styled himself as a John the Baptist whose duty was to immerse in 'mountain baptism' everyone he could. Muir saw nature as a great teacher, "revealing the mind of God."
While some might get the impression that Muir reverted back to some kind of nature worship or new age philosophy, I don't really think this is the case at all. Some of his writings taken out of context might lead some to conclude this, but after watching the documentary, I really saw Muir as echoing the Scriptures that he knew so well in what he wrote, said, and tried to live out. Just as the Psalmist wrote:

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.
He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and maidens, old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

- Psalm 148:3-14, NIV

For me, Muir is a man who was way ahead of his time. He spoke truth to power and made a difference with his life. He was a man of deep and abiding faith. He was an amazing man whom I would have liked to have walked with through the forests and valleys that he so loved. I'm so grateful I got to journey with him for a short while through this documentary.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Living with the Scriptures

If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.

- Isaiah 58:9b-14, NRSV

I'm preparing to preach this coming Sunday at my sister Stacey and brother-in-law Rob's church. I am honored that I would be invited to preach and I really want to give my best to God and to this congregation that is in the midst of transition.
I've decided that I'm going to preach on the lectionary reading from Isaiah 58:9b-14. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to say just yet. I'm in the process of what I call "living with the Scriptures". Each day I read through the passage and then I pray that God will reveal something about the application of this passage to life and to the congregation to whom I will be preaching. I have been focusing on the lines from verse 13: "You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in."
I really have no clue yet why that those words seem to stick out to me. I do find the metaphors powerful. I think my work with Habitat follows in this vein. Habitat seeks to repair the breaches in families and communities by eliminating poverty housing. We also seek to restore the streets by building simple, decent, affordable housing for the least of these in our world. However, I'm not sure yet if this is the direction that God wants me to go. I'm still praying about it. I'm still living with the Scriptures.
I will let you know as things progress. I would appreciate your prayers as I seek to be open to God's leading and God's message for this congregation. I also ask that I be able to put Kevin's agenda aside and simply speak God's Word with boldness and humility.
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

A Great Cloud of Witnesses

I found myself tearing up a bit during the sermon in worship today. The pastor preached on the above passage from Hebrews. He talked about that great cloud of witnesses that the author of Hebrews talks about. He reminded us that there are so many who have gone before us in faith and helped us to experience and know the saving love of Jesus Christ. They will be the ones who will throw a party for us in heaven once we arrive at heaven's gates.
This sermon got me to thinking again about all of the people who have helped me to grow in faith.

• My parents first come to mind. Nearly every Sunday of my life growing up we were in church together as a family. We worshipped together, sang together, and prayed together.
• My Sunday school teachers who put up with me and patiently taught me the Scriptures and the ways of Jesus. I'm sure they sometimes went home frustrated by a poorly behaved class. Whether they knew it or not they were planting seeds of faith and hope in my heart and life.
• My youth group leaders played a huge role in my life. They worked long hours planning and leading a thriving youth program. They actually seemed to like to work with teenagers and tried to steer us in the right direction and help us to know how much God loved us.
• My pastors who faithfully preached sermons week after week. They lived humble lives as faithful examples of Christ to me. They prayed and visited and patiently loved a very stiff-necked rebellious congregation that ended up splintering and declining into a church that it today mere shadow of the church that I remember from my childhood.
• My seminary professors who taught me to think critically about my faith. They helped me to truly delve into the Scriptures and understand their context and meaning and convey what I learned to others.
• My spiritual friends who were and are Jesus to me in so many powerful ways. They listen to me whine. They help me wrestle with life and faith. They pray with me and for me. They give me encouragement and love. They are wonderful blessings along my journey.
• My co-workers at Habitat for Humanity. They all are very talented and could make a whole lot more money doing others things. However, they sacrifice every day for the sake of the poor who live in poverty housing. They seek the things of God with their hearts and lives.
• The families I work with through Habitat for Humanity. Many of them live in such horrible conditions that I cannot begin to imagine how they continue to get up each morning. Yet, they do continue to look to the future with hope and faith. They seek a better future for their families. Today, I went to a groundbreaking service for our newest house in Rising Sun, Indiana. What a joy to me it was to stand along side the future home owner and her children as we sunk shovels into the ground on that hilltop with a view of the Ohio River. It was a miracle unfolding right before my eyes. It was a holy moment.
• So many others who have offered prayers for me and loved me when I was certainly not very lovable. People who showed me kindness when what I deserved nothing at all. People who were Jesus to me through their smile, their word of encouragement, their brief encounter with me in life.

These are just some of the people that I could name. They are my great cloud of witnesses. they are the faithful people of my life who loved me and taught me to love. They are the ones who still encourage me and hold me accountable. They are Jesus to me in ways that I cannot begin to understand.
So, today I'm pausing to give God thanks and praise for this great cloud of witnesses. For the faithful who have gone before me. For the ones with whom God has allowed my path to cross.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!