Category Archives: Pastoral thoughts

Pastoral thoughts

Loving the Cot

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PRINCIPLE: “When going out and coming in, be thankful for the cot.”
Being a counselor at summer camp had its privileges. One of them was the sleeping arrangements. Campers and counselors all slept in A-frame tents which had been constructed on wooden platforms. But while the campers slept in their sleeping bags on the floor, we counselors slept in sleeping bags on a cot. While there were several reasons for this privilege, one was tantamount. At ‘lights out’ time, we placed our cots in front of the tent door so no one could go in our out without our awareness. No one could sneak out, or even go out to the restroom, without our knowledge. And while it was sometimes frustrating for the campers to awaken us and then have to step over us,  it was  for the safety and well-being of the campers. Sometimes we had to remind them of that purpose. “When going out and coming in, be thankful for the cot.”
In reality, sleeping on the cot was not so much a privilege as it was a responsibility. The safety and well-being of the campers was upon us. But we weren’t the first ones to take up such a position. “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture…I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full.”(Jn. 10:9-10) Jesus took that position centuries ago. He took responsibility for our safety, our well-being, and, indeed, our very lives. Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promise in Ps. 121:8 – “The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
What a wonderful truth to know! Once we come to God through Jesus Christ – once we enter into eternal life – we are part of a gated community. And Jesus is the gatekeeper. We go nowhere without His knowledge. Wherever we are, He knows we’re there. That means there, in that place, we can find pasture; our needs will be supplied. And no matter what choices we make, no matter what happens, we can always go back inside the safety, shelter, and pasture of our gated community – because Jesus be is always at the gate to welcome us back and let us in.
But as the gatekeeper Jesus also keeps out the wolves seeking to attack and destroy us (10:12-15 CEV). “Hired workers are not like the shepherd. They don’t own the sheep, and when they see a wolf coming, they run off and leave the sheep. Then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock. Hired workers run away because they don’t care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep.”  Whether going or coming we are under the protective care of Jesus.
To be honest, we must admit that there are times when knowing Jesus is at the gate frustrates us. Just knowing He’s there makes it difficult to go out to places we might want to go, and to do things we might want to do, of which He disapproves or from which He discourages us. We, like the campers, cant just get up and go out and do what we want to do; we have to check in with the Counselor –  the gatekeeper – first. We just can’t step over or around the cot – it’s always right there in front of the entry. But it’s always for our good: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Here’s how some other translations state this glorious truth: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  (New RSV) “I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.” (GNT) “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (NLT) “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (MSG) Get the idea? So “When going out and coming in, be thankful for the cot.”It’s there – Jesus is there – to guarantee our well-being. We know – because the cot on which He laid was a cross; He did give His life for us. And we can have life in all  its fullness, richness, and abundance. So “When going out and coming in, be thankful for the cot.”
Pastoral thoughts

When It’s Misty Outside

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PRINCIPLE: “When it’s misty, get a clear view.”
We were staying in a cabin up in the mountains. Upon awakening the first morning I stepped outside to enjoy the view and snap some pictures – but there wasn’t much to see. The mist covered both the mountain peaks and the valleys. Disappointed, I went back inside. A while later I went out again and found the mist burning off and the view improving. At that point disappointment turned to reflection. “When it’s misty, get a clear view.”
I thought of James, who wrote, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)  In the grand scheme of life, all our lives short-lived. We can cast aside this truth as morbid, depressing, and defeatist – or we can accept it as the motivation for living each day, each hour, each minute, each second to the fullest. If we choose to cast it aside we have every reason to live life with reckless abandon – grab all the gusto we can for tomorrow we die.  If we choose to accept it, we have power and purpose for living.
The power and purpose are clear in James. Read the verse again, this time in its full context (4:13-17). “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” “When it’s misty, get a clear view.”
It reminds me of something I asked my pastor when I was in high school; “If you knew you had just one day to live, what would you do?” His response, in essence, was that he hoped he was living in such a way that his last day would be lived the same way, doing the same things, that he did every day. In other words, since our lives are short-lived, since we do not know when we will take our last breath, we should live each day, each hour, each minute, each second as if it were our last. James said we should do the good we ought to do.
And what is that good? Jesus said (Mark 12:30-31), “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” The word Jesus used for love is ‘agape’ – agape love is not an emotion but an action of the will; it’s a conscious decision to do what love demands. It’s the love Jesus has for us – He doesn’t love us because we make him feel so good, but because He chose to love us – with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength – all the way to the cross.
I think it would be appropriate to start each morning with some mist – because “When it’s misty, get a clear view.”  Today, what does love require of you? In this moment, what would loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength look like? What would loving your neighbor as you love yourself, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength look like? After all, in the grand scheme of life,  our lives short-lived – should we not live it to the fullest?
Lord God, “Teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise.” (Ps. 90:12 GNT)
Pastoral thoughts

Looking for Mud

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PRINCIPLE: “When you’re all muddy, look for the mud.”
While I often ignore television ads, one repeatedly grabs my attention. A man is test driving a pick-up truck. While doing so he drives it over rough roads and through muddy terrain. So when he pulls back into the dealership the truck is thoroughly covered with mud. He meets the salesman in front of the truck. First the salesman casts a wary and surprised eye on the filthy, mud-covered truck; then he looks at the man with wondering eyes. After a brief pause, the man rubs his hand across the muddy hood and reaches out his now muddied hand to to shake with the salesman. The stunned salesman hesitates – but realizing he’s about to make a sale, rubs his hand across the muddy hood and with his newly muddied hand shakes to seal the deal. He sealed the deal by taking the mud on himself.
What a picture of Jesus! He sealed the deal for our salvation by taking all our mud upon Himself. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us…” (2Cor. 5:21) It’s not just that He bore and carried our sins – He became sin for us.  He was thoroughly covered with the mud of our sin; He became mud. Why? “…so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” As The Message puts it, “God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.”
“When you’re all muddy, look for the mud.” When overwhelmed with guilt, when muddied by our sins, we look to Jesus. We offer him our mud – Jesus doesn’t share the mud with us, He graciously removes it from us and takes it onto Himself. And we are clean! The deal was sealed on the cross! “When you’re all muddy, look for the mud.”
Recently I received some junk email – I didn’t open it but the heading caught my attention: “Your neighbor, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband – find out all the dirt on them” It’s not our task to discover and find the dirt on others; we have enough dirt of our own. But it is our task to make sure others know that however thick the mud on them, there is One who is ready to wash it all away. We do not look for mud on others, but we look to the mud on Jesus. “When you’re all muddy, look for the mud.” As John the Baptist said when Jesus was approaching him for baptism, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) The Apostle John later wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive  us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9) It’s the message for us, and for all dirtied with the mud of sin.
Is your life muddied by sin?  How long has it been since you’ve let Jesus wash you? Do you have acquaintances who lives are covered with mud? How long has it been since you invited them to look to Jesus? “When you’re all muddy, look for the mud.” Take comfort in, and receive strength from the Apostle Paul (Eph. 2:4-9): “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (covered with mud)—“it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God …”
Don’t let sin overtake you – let Jesus take over your sin. “When you’re all muddy, look for the mud.”
Pastoral thoughts

The Bends

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Principle: “When it’s time to grow, change your bends.”
We were cleaning up our family room and study – all part of rearranging the rooms of our house to make room for some of our family to live with us for a while. One of my projects was to gather up all the old cables, cords, and wires and either dispose of them or organize them for storage in one relatively small place. Sounded simple enough – until I realized how many such cables, cords, and wires there were!
Not to be deterred, I diligently gathered them all together, sorted them out, dumped some, and contemplated what to do with the ones remaining. I found a suitable box so decided to wind up or fold each cable, cord, and wire and bind it with a twisty. In doing so it quickly became obvious that some of the thicker, heavier cables had a mind of their own. They still bent in the same places as they did when I bought them – and they weren’t about to bend in any other place. Thick and tough, once bent in a certain place, they have always bent there. They seemed to holler out, “Bent this way when I was born, be bent this way until I die!” “Stubborn cables,” I thought. “What good is a cable with no flexibility? To be more useful they should bend in different places!”
Then it hit me – I wonder how many of my bends and folds are still the same as they were years ago? Do I still bend and resist at all the same places or or have I become flexible enough to grow and be more useful? What good is a person with no flexibility?I was learning the lesson: “When it’s time to grow, change your bends.” I think that’s what Jesus was teaching when He said (Matthew 9:16-17) “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” “When it’s time to grow, change your bends.” Goatskins were used for holding wine, and as fresh grape juice fermented the wine would expand and stretch the skin. Old skins, no longer able to stretch and expand, would break; only new skins could hold the new wine. Jesus was saying that He brings new life that cannot be contained in the old skins; unless a person is willing to change and grow – to bend and fold in new places and ways – he or she will miss out on the full, abundant life Jesus offers. In fact, this full, abundant life may even break us if we’re unwilling to change and grow. “When it’s time to grow, change your bends.”
We all tend to resist change and growth to a certain degree – and usually to out peril. But if we want to experience more of Jesus’ life and power within us,  we must change our bends.  “I’ve worshiped this way since I was born, and will worship this way until I die!” “Always sung only hymns and will sing only hymns until I die.” “Always given this much and will give this much until they carry me out the church door.” “Always prayed this way and always will.” “Never raised my hands in church and never will.” “We’ve never done it this way before, and we never will.” “Never _________ and never ________.”
You can fill in the blanks.  The point is, what bends and folds do you need to release? Where do you resist the prompting and power of the Spirit? Where are you missing out on the abundant life Jesus is offering you? Where do you need to bend and fold, to be more flexible? Where do you need to be open to change?  Jesus is waiting to pour His new wine into you – lack of wine is not the issue. The issue is, can you hold it? What kind of skin are you  – and what kind do you want to be? “When it’s time to grow, change your bends.”
Pastoral thoughts

Pampered

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PRINCIPLE: “When you’re humiliated, relish the love.”
It was a difficult, uncomfortable, even humiliating, few days. And I  loved it!
Barb and I were guests at a pastor’s retreat at the lovely WinShape Retreat Center at the Normandy Inn in Rome, Georgia. Upon our arrival we were met with  a warm smile, our bags were taken into our room, and we were told relax – really relax – that we would be totally cared for. The only requirement was to show up for the three meals each day. We had no idea what that would come to mean.
To put it succinctly, we were pampered. Room serviced every day; all meals – prepared by professional chefs – luxurious and plentiful and served by WinShape staff. They poured the coffee, cleared the tables, even refolded napkins when we went to get something more at the buffet. They made sure our every need was met so we could just relax, walk, sleep, read – or do nothing.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? But I discovered it wasn’t quite so easy to allow myself to be pampered. I’m so used to serving and meeting needs that it didn’t seem right that I wasn’t allowed to assist, to do something, to do anything to help serve. After all, I’m called to serve. So initially it was tough – even humiliating. I had trouble humbling myself;  I discovered that humility doesn’t come easily, that it is difficult to let go and let myself be loved. But until I let go, I couldn’t really experience the love. I finally realized that  “When you’re humiliated, relish the love.”
I found myself identifying with Peter when Jesus started washing Peter’s feet. (John 13:7-9)  “He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me. “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”  Rough, tough, gruff Peter – with his need to be in control – initially couldn’t stand the thought of Jesus, his Master, fulfilling the role of the menial slave. It was simply too humiliating. But when he gave up his control and let himself be served, he experienced Jesus’ love in a deeper way then ever before. “When you’re humiliated, relish the love.”
Just imagine how difficult it must have been for Jesus to let go of his power, to give up  control, and totally submit to His Father. (Phil, 2:5-11 MSG) “…He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” He was humiliated. But… “Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.” He was able to relish the love. “When you’re humiliated, relish the love.”
Consider where you need to give up control. What do you need to let go of in order to receive?
Where do you need to humble yourself in order to gain a deeper experience of God’s love? Sure, it might be humiliating.  So remember, “When you’re humiliated, relish the love.” Let go – let God pamper you.
Pastoral thoughts

The Value of Playing Cards

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PRINCIPLE: “When you’re dealt a bad hand, play the deal.”

I love playing a good card game. I always have. From childhood and games of Old Maid, War, Go Fish, and Solitaire to adulthood and the more ‘sophisticated’ games of Rummy, Canasta, Cribbage, Hearts, and Advanced Solitaire – and whether playing them with real cards or on computers or tablets – I love them all. I love them not only because they can be fun and promote the building of relationships, but also because most of them combine the dynamics of both luck and skill. Luck determines what cards I receive and skill determines what I do with them. Some games, my luck is bad and I cannot seem to get a good hand – then I must do my best by relying on my skill. Some games, my luck is good and I get nothing but good hands – I must still use my skill or the good hand will be wasted and I will lose my advantage. In either case, the only thing I can control is how I play the hand I’m dealt; that is totally up to me.

Just maybe that’s why I like card games – they remind me of life. Sometimes life hands me bad hands and sometimes good hands; I cannot control the hand I’m dealt. In either case, the only thing I can control is how I play the hand I’m dealt; that is totally up to me. I especially need to remember this when the hand I’m dealt is bad. “When you’re dealt a bad hand, play the deal.” I began to think of this many years ago when I read that as a youth Dwight Eisenhower was playing cards with his family. After being dealt a particularly bad hand he was busy complaining – so His mother told him that life was full of bad hands and that the task always was to play well the hand dealt. “When you’re dealt a bad hand, play the deal.” I thought of it again today when I read: “Nothing surpasses the holiness of those who have learned perfect acceptance of everything that is. In the game of cards called life one plays the hand one is dealt to the best of one’s ability. Those who insist on playing, not the hand they were given, but the one they insist they should have been dealt – these are life’s failures. We are not asked if we will play. That is not an option. Play we must. The option is how.” (1)

Acceptance of everything that is – it does not mean to adopt a defeatist attitude. Rather it means to recognize that while we cannot control the circumstances of life we can control how we respond to them. We always choose whether our circumstances are on top of us or if we are on top of our circumstances. “When you’re dealt a bad hand, play the deal.” The apostle Paul understood the principle well. From the depths of his prison cell he wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 4:4-9) “When you’re dealt a bad hand, play the deal.”

Paul, in fact, encouraged this attitude because he knew it could be life-changing: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Rom. 8:28-29) God can use our circumstances to transform us. So play the hand dealt and become more like Jesus – who, by the way, didn’t try to change His circumstances but played the hand He was dealt. And His life turned out pretty well! “When you’re dealt a bad hand, play the deal.”

(1) A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God, p. 200 (from Taking Flight, by Anthony deMello)

Pastoral thoughts

Lesson from a Cloudy Day

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PRINCIPLE: “When the clouds spoil your view, give thanks for what you cannot see.”
We had just spent our first night in the mountain cabin. I was anxious to look outside and catch the majestic morning view of the mountains. What a disappointment – the clouds enshrouded the mountains; fog and mist was all I could see. So I spent the rest of the morning taking periodic looks up towards the mountains.
But why would I do that? What made me keep looking?  I believed the mountains were still there, that behind all the clouds was a glorious scene, that at some point the clouds would disappear and everything would be clear. And while the clarity didn’t come fully until the next day, it did come. And it was worth the wait.
It led me to think of some other clouds. There was the cloud that led the Israelites through the wilderness; they could not see God but believed He was there, leading them to the Promised Land. God appeared to Moses in a dense cloud; Moses could not see God but heard Him as He spoke the 10 commandments. There was a cloud over the tabernacle; the people could not see God but they knew He was present there in all His glory. Jesus was on the mountain with Peter, James, and John when  Jesus was transfigured into glory; then a cloud enveloped them and, while they could not see Him, God spoke clear words of affirmation. Paul, even though he couldn’t see the Lord in the clouds, wrote (1Thessalonians 4:17) that there will be a resurrection of the dead where we will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord.
I realize now that I should not have been disappointed in the clouds. In fact, “When the clouds spoil your view, give thanks for what you cannot see.” It should have been a time for me to give thanks to God for His ongoing eternal presence – not only in the world around me but in my life. There will often be clouds in the sky of my life. Some of those clouds will be thick and dark; it will be easy to be disappointed, even worried or depressed. But behind the clouds, even in the clouds, God is present. “When the clouds spoil your view, give thanks for what you cannot see.” Clouds always present the opportunity to give thanks to God. As Hebrews 11:1 wonderfully states (CEV), “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.” The Message says  that faith is “our handle on what we can’t see.”  Clouds remind us of the value and importance of faith – for faith “gives substance to our hopes and convinces us of realities we do not see.”
I’m reminded of the powerful testimony of the Heidelberg Catechism:
Question  27 :      What do you understand by the providence of God?
The almighty and ever-present power of God whereby he still upholds, as it were by his own hand, heaven and earth together with all creatures, and rules in such a way that leaves and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and unfruitful years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, and everything else, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand.
Question 28 :  What advantage comes from acknowledging God’s creation and providence?
We learn that we are to be patient in adversity, grateful in the midst of blessing, and to trust our faithful God and Father for the future, assured that no creature shall separate us from his love, since all creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they cannot even move.
Whatever the clouds that are blocking your view,  “When the clouds spoil your view, give thanks for what you cannot see.”
Pastoral thoughts

Selling and Eating

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PRINCIPLE: “When you’re selling what you’re selling, eat it.”
Shaquille O’Neal. Peyton Manning. Michael Jordan. Janet Jackson. Debbie Boone. Sharon Osborn. What do they have in common? … They all pitch certain wares or products in television ads. Have you ever wondered if they actually use the products they endorse? Does it matter? If I’m trying to decide what to buy, it does. If they use, and are satisfied with what they are selling, it raises my opinion of the product. If they do not use, or are not satisfied with what they are selling, and are doing it only for the money, it lowers my opinion of the product.
Barb and I used to sell some products. A major part of our ‘pitch’ was to tell why we liked using them so much. Our experience with the products gave credibility to our pitch. Matching what we were selling and what we were using was critical for our integrity and our effectiveness.
And the same thing is true for our daily living. This was affirmed for me when I read the following: “Helmut Thielicke points out that we often wonder if the celebrities who advertise foods and beverages actually consume what they are selling. He goes on to say that this is the very question most pressing for those of us who speak for Christ. Surely something has gone wrong when moral failures are so massive and widespread among us. Perhaps we are not eating what we are selling. More likely, I think, what we are ‘selling’ is irrelevant to our real existence and without power over daily life.”1“When you’re selling what you’re selling, eat it.” Statistics show that when it comes to moral and ethical issues, Christians fare little better than non-Christians. The only difference is we preach and teach that it should be different. In other words, we’re not eating what we’re selling.
The wise preacher , in Prov. 12:22, wrote, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” Jesus was even more direct: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”(Mt. 7:21) “When you’re selling what you’re selling, eat it.”
Itmakes me wonder about my ‘lips and life,’ my profession and my personality, my preaching and my performance. Do they align? Am I eating what I’m selling, living what I’m teaching? What are you selling – what are you saying about Jesus and your life of faith? Does the quality of your life raise others’ opinion of your testimony , and therefore of Jesus, or lower it? Are you eating what you’re selling? John the Baptist condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees when he railed at them, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”(Mt. 3:8) If, indeed, you’re claiming your inheritance through baptism, live that way! Turn around the way you live. “When you’re selling what you’re selling, eat it.”
Remember Jesus words: “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”(Mt. 7:17-20 NLT) Eugene Peterson captures it pointedly in The Message: “Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.”
Are your lips and life in sync? If not, either change your testimony and words – or change your life. There are no other options.“When you’re selling what you’re selling, eat it.”
1Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy, Harper One, © 1997 by Dallas Willard
Pastoral thoughts

Helping Yourself

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PRINCIPLE: “When others need assistance, take care of yourself.”
J-O-Y. Jesus first – Others second – Yourself last. I wouldn’t say it was my mantra, but I heard it so often as I was growing up that it did become a deeply embedded principle of my life. When this is our priority as servants of Jesus Christ, we will experience joy.
To a point, it is true. Scripture is filled with admonitions to forget self, to follow Jesus, and to love others. It is, in fact, the crux of Jesus’ summary of the law: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” J-O-Y. Then there are Jesus words in John 12:24-26 (CEV): “I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat. If you love your life, you will lose it. If you give it up in this world, you will be given eternal life. If you serve me, you must go with me. My servants will be with me wherever I am. If you serve me, my Father will honor you.”  J-O-Y.
Yes, to a point, it is true. But only to a point. Jesus also told his disciples to come apart, get away from the crowd, and rest a while. “Take care of yourself.” Jesus certainly did so, repeatedly getting away, up into the mountains, to pray – some times all night. “Take care of yourself.” While preparing for the cross by praying at Gethsemane, Jesus told Peter, James, and John “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.” “Take care of yourself.”  It doesn’t sound like J-O-Y, does it?
So what’s the deal? Twice recently I’ve heard an explanation. If you’ve flown you know that part of the pre-flight instructions concern how to use the oxygen mask in the event of an emergency. After explaining how to use the mask, the flight attendant says, “Remember to secure your own mask before assisting others.” We cannot take care of others unless we first take care of ourselves. “When others need assistance, take care of yourself.” We cannot give what we do not possess. “When others need assistance, take care of yourself.” Without sufficient oxygen, we cannot give breath to others. “When others need assistance, take care of yourself.” Without sufficient energy we have no strength to serve others. “When others need assistance, take care of yourself.” Without the presence of the Spirit, we have no spirit to share with others. “When others need assistance, take care of yourself.”  J-O-Y must be coupled with “When others need assistance, take care of yourself.”
In a culture that bombards us with messages of selfishness, ‘me first’, and ‘my rights,’ we cringe at the thought of taking care of ourselves – we want to share the message of Jesus that we are to serve others, not ourselves. And we should. In a world where there are deep, and often desperate needs everywhere we look, we want to give all we  have to share the love and healing of Jesus. And we should. But we cannot do any of this for very long in our own strength. So when you hear the self-centered messages, and see the overwhelming needs, remember “When others need assistance, take care of yourself.” Through the prophet Isaiah God said, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” (Is. 30:15) Get apart, rest, read the Word of God, pray – breathe in the breath of God. Then share the breath of life with others. Taking care of yourself may just be the greatest gift you can give those who need your assistance. 
Pastoral thoughts

One Hand is Better than Two

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PRINCIPLE: “When two hands are better than one, use one.”
It was known for its dinosaur footprints. That’s what drew us to it. While visiting our son and family in Leander Texas, we decided to go with them and walk the SanGabriel river bed. It was basically dry due to the prolonged drought. We had a great time and relished the opportunity to explore the footprints and admire the handiwork of God in nature all around us.
As we climbed down beneath the bridge where we could enter the riverbed, it was obvious the first few steps into the bed were a little tricky. There was some water flowing over the rocks right by the shore – certainly shallow yet deep enough to soak one’s shoes if not careful. The only pathway into the dry bed was a few damp and unsteady large stones; we had to step carefully onto those slippery stones or risk getting our shoes and feet soaked.
Being the chivalrous husband I am, I stood on the shore and offered my hand to my wife; she held it as she gingerly walked across the stones – and made it safely. As I prepared to walk on the stones, she offered me her hand to steady me; but being the proud husband I am, I refused – indicating I’d be fine. You guessed it – the second stone wobbled, my foot slipped, and while I stayed upright my shoe got wet. Pride often does go before the fall!
All this reminded me of how important it is to hang on to our Father’s hand as we walk thought life and negotiate the slippery places. As I was pondering this for a possible Pikkup note I was reading the book “Soul Unfinished” by Robert Atwell.[1] He wrote of this same thought. “Francis de Sales, writing in the sixteenth century, links contentment to the providential care of God. He sees it as God’s supreme gift. He compares our relationship with God to that of a child going out for a walk. He pictures a child strolling along a country lane, hanging on to his or her parent with one hand, while happily picking blackberries and wild strawberries with the other. And that is how  it should be, says Francis. God wants us to delight  in the world. But, he warns, we should be careful not to get distracted or greedy, and attempt to accumulate too many things on our journey through life. If we let go of God’s hand in order to pick more and more strawberries we will end up flat on our face…” “When two hands are better than one, use one.”
How tempting it is to get more out of life by our own efforts. We let go of God’s hand so we can reach and grab for more. But “When two hands are better than one, use one.” Ponder the words of Scripture: (Ps. 63:8) “I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Ps. 37:23-24 NLT) “The Lord directs the steps of the godly He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”  (Ps. 63:8) “I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” (Ps. 139:9-10) “If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (John 10:28-29) “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”  “When two hands are better than one, use one.”
Where are you tempted to let pride, or the desire for more berries, lead you to let go of your Father’s hand? Remember: “When two hands are better than one, use one.”

[1]          Robert Atwell, Paraclete Press, Brewster Mass., © 2012 by Robert Atwell, p. 111-112