I AM the Good Shepherd

I AM the Good Shepherd

I am the Good Shepherd.  

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  

John 10:11

There is a large attic space situated just above my office.  It is a huge room filled with advent decorations, Christmas trees, wreaths, plastic palm plants for Palm Sunday, racks and tubs and boxes filled with assorted nativity costumes, and a whole gob of left-over Vacation Bible School decorations.

On the children's costume rack in the corner are about a dozen tiny sheep costumes that are absolutely adorable:  fuzzy, pristine white costumes matched with white stretch headbands with black ears attached.  So cute.  The problem is, sheep do not look like that.  At least, the ones in last year’s live nativity certainly didn’t.  The color of their matted wool was somewhere between café latte, rolled dirt and burnt umber.  Maybe they were supposed to be fluffy clean and white, but their actual appearance didn’t even come close.

Jesus made the statement, “I am the Good Shepherd.”  He also indicated that we, His people, are the sheep.  When Adam and Eve were created and placed in the Garden, their lives were innocent - pure and white, just like the proverbial woolly sheep. Sin changed all that.  Now, as Isaiah so eloquently stated, our lives resemble “filthy rags,” just like the café latte lambs.  The beautiful message of this text is that Jesus laid down His life for His sheep - for you and for me – making our garments “… white in the blood of the Lamb.”

*

Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us,

For we need you to help us find our way.

Gentle Shepherd, come and feed us,

For we need Your strength from day to day.

There’s no other we can turn to

Who can help us face another day.

Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us,

For we need You to help us find our way.

Hymns for the Family of  God, No. 596

I AM the Bread of Life

I AM the Bread of Life

I am the Bread of Life:

he that comes to Me shall never hunger,

and he that believes on Me shall never thirst.  

John 6:35

I absolutely love bread – any kind, any form.  I learned how to make bread many years ago, and there is nothing quite like the smell of fresh baked bread to start the stomach growling and the mouth salivating.  There is a wonderful Montana Gold bakery in Carytown where you can experience not only the sights and smells of their bread-baking process, but can taste it as well through their “free slice” policy.

How ironic, then, that I cannot eat most bread. I am gluten-intolerant, and cannot eat any bread that contains wheat, barley, spelt or rye flour.  You can enter any grocery store, walk through the bakery or the bread aisle, and choose a loaf of bread for which you will pay $2.00-3.00.  I go to Good Foods Grocery, where I can purchase gluten-free bread for $7.00 a loaf.  The cost is highway robbery, but the ability to eat bread is worth every penny.

Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life.  He is the everyday staple that we need in order to sustain spiritual life.  If we come to Him for sustenance, He promises that we will never hunger and never thirst.  Jesus promised in Matthew 5:6:  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.   If we desire to be like Christ, He will pour into us His life, His character, His love.

*

Break Thou the bread of life,

Dear Lord, to me,

As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea.

Beyond the sacred page,

I seek Thee, Lord.

My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 599

I AM??

I AM??

The Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old,

and have you seen Abraham?  Jesus said to them,

“Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.”

 John 8:58

This curious name – I AM – first crops up in the Bible in the book of Exodus:  God confronted Moses at the burning bush, commanding him to return to Egypt and rescue the Hebrew people.  Moses had the audacity to argue with the Almighty, throwing out one excuse after another, until he finally asked, “Ok.  When I go there, they are going to want to know on whose authority I am asking for the Hebrews’ release.  They are going to want a name!! What am I going to tell them then?”  God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.  Tell the people, I AM sent me to you.”  [Exodus 3:14 NAS]

Jump forward to the book of John.  Jesus was in a heated conversation with the Jews when the crowd threw the name of Abraham into the conversation.  Jesus replied, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”  Snorts of laughter spewed from the Jews.  What?  Abraham lived 2000 years before Christ.  They saw His statement as absurd.  The next one out of His mouth must have absolutely blown their minds:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.”

Every self-respecting Hebrew in the crowd that day would have known that Jesus’ statement was directly linked to the verse in Exodus 3.  They all went to rabbinical school – they would have seen the connection immediately.  This dusty peasant Teacher with His radical ideas was claiming the name of God.  And not just any name – the I AM.  Not the I was, or the I could be, or the I will be – I AM [no beginning, no end - an everlasting presence].  You could almost hear the wheels turning in their heads:  Who in the world did this guy think he was?  Who, indeed…

*

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus,

To reach out and touch Him

And say that we love Him.

Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen.

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.

The Faith We Sing, No. 2086

I AM the Light of the World

I AM the Light of the World

I am the Light of the World. 

He that follows me shall not walk in darkness,

 but shall have the light of life. 

John 8:12

Are you afraid of the dark?  True fear of the dark, called nyctophobia, is an acute anxiety that something catastrophic will happen to a person if they are alone in the darkness. Nyctophobia is common among young children, with the feeling that something sinister is just out of sight [under the bed, in the closet, outside the window], waiting for the opportune moment to attack.

As an adult, I find that I cannot sleep well if my bedroom is not completely dark.  Outside my house is another matter altogether.  I have five sets of outside lights that guarantee that I will not return home to a darkened property.

Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the Light of the world.  His statement is reminiscent of the very beginning of creation when all was utter darkness until He spoke light into being.  There was no planets, moons or stars at that point, just glorious unending radiance.  There can be no darkness in the presence of the Savior, for He is light itself.  If we are walking with Him, we will be living in the “light of life.”

*

There is sunshine in my soul today,

more glorious and bright

than glows in any earthly sky,

For Jesus is my light.

O there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine,

When the peaceful, happy moments roll.

When Jesus shows His smiling face,

There is sunshine in my soul.

Celebration Hymnal, No. 747

I AM the Vine

I AM the Vine

I am the true Vine, you are the branches. 

John 15:5

When I bought my first home in Chesterfield County, there was a huge honeysuckle vine growing along the chain-link fence.  It was obvious that no one had spent much time pruning or shaping it, so it grew rather wild – completely intertwined in the wire of the fence.  A small rose bush in front of the vine didn’t stand a chance – the vine covered the bush, the surrounding shrubs, and anything else that was climbable.  When I got sick of the tangles, I snipped a couple of places and went on my way.  The next day, the severed branches were dead, and I could clean things up a bit.  It always amazes me how quickly branches die when they are cut off from the main stalk.

Jesus used the vine analogy to help us understand the beauty of connectivity.  He is the vine stalk, storing nourishment and grace in His roots and lovingly tended by the Father.  We, His children, are the branches - connected to the Vine through heart and soul, gathering sustenance and strength to live our everyday lives for and through Him.  If anything or anyone severs our connection, our spiritual growth withers away.  The vigor of our Christian life is dependent upon our relationship with our Savior.

*

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord.

No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee, O, I need Thee, every hour I need Thee.

O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 397

It Took a Miracle

It Took a Miracle

Though He had done so many miracles before them,

yet they believed not on Him.

John 12:37

Miracle:  an event or action that apparently contradicts

known scientific laws and hence is thought to be due

to supernatural causes or an act of God.

In today’s society, the word “miracle is rather taboo.  Many sincere Christians no longer believe in the miraculous.  Dr. Gerald Lemole, the gifted neurosurgeon in Tucson, Arizona,  who operated on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot in the head at a campaign rally, is one who does believe. 

When Journalist Diane Sawyers interviewed Dr. Lemole regarding that tragic shooting and the amazing progress of his patient, she asked, ”Do you ever use the word miracle?”   Dr. Lemole replied, “I do.  Yes, I do.  Miracles happen every day, and in medicine, we like to attribute them to either what we do or others do around us.  But a lot of medicine is outside our control, and we are wise to acknowledge miracles.”

Somewhere up in the endless starry realms, our Savior must have looked down on that interview with a huge grin on His face.  He, after all, knows all about miracles.  He has been performing them every day for thousands and thousands of years.

*

My Father is omnipotent, and that you can’t deny -

A God of might and miracles, `tis written in the sky.

It took a miracle to put the stars in place,

It took a miracle to hang the world in space.

But when He saved my soul,

Cleansed and made me whole,

It took a miracle of love and grace.

The Celebration Hymnal, No. 494

We Are the Church Together

We Are the Church Together

The Lord added to the church daily

 those who were being saved.

Acts 2:47 

We are freed to free others

We are affirmed to affirm others.

We are loved to love others.

We are family – we are community

We are the church triumphant!

           

You, me, anyone who would come to the Lord

            Renewed, redirected, empowered,

            To change things and lives

            Together in love and wholeness.

We are the Lord’s church.

          The church of justice and mercy.         

The people sent to open prisons,

            To heal the sick

            To clothe the naked

            To feed the hungry

            To reconcile,

To be alleluias when there is no music.

The mantle is upon our shoulders.

Joy is apparent in our living.

We have been commissioned to be

The Church of Jesus Christ.

            -Ann Weems

            Kneeling in Bethlehem

*

I am the church, you are the church,

We are the church together.

All who follow Jesus all around the world

Yes, we’re the church together.

The church is not a building, 

The church is not a steeple,

The church is not a resting place,

The church is the people.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 558

Translating the Word of God

Translating the Word of God

For the Word of God is living and active,

Sharper than any two-edged sword…

Hebrews 4:12

Although the Bible is the most translated piece of literature in the world, I was surprised to learn that 2,200 languages remain without a Bible; and about 350 million people, mostly in India, China, sub-Saharan Africa and Papua New Guinea, speak only these languages.  Why so many languages with no Scriptures?  Because translating the Bible into the dialect of the people is an exhausting task.  Working on this “to-do” list of translations are about 6,600 career and short-term missionaries with training in the Bible and linguistics

During the COVID-19 pandemic, several of these translators have had to step back from their work and use their creative abilities to help the communities around them.  Some of the sign language video teams have switched to recording videos for the Deaf, explaining how to follow their national pandemic guidelines for hand washing, sheltering in place, masks, curfews, etc.

I am grateful for the copies of Scripture that I have at my disposal and have a deep appreciation for the cost in human time, talent and dedication that is necessary for this work. Please pray with me this week for the missionaries in the translation fields who are working to provide the Word of God to all nations, kindred, tongues, and people.

*

The B I B L E

yes, that’s the book for me.

I stand alone on the Word of God,

the B I B L E.

The Cat Who Talked a Lot

The Cat Who Talked a Lot

So God formed from the dirt of the ground 
all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air.  
He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them.  

Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. 

Exodus 2:19

I am a cat lover who has owned cats on and off most of my life.  I am in an “off” period right now, but my last feline is never far from my thoughts.  Sapphire was such a happy-go-lucky kitty, and a real talker.  For those of you who are not cat people, I am not talking about meowing. Most cats meow.  Sapphire talked.

She would begin the day’s conversation very early – as soon as she heard my alarm go off.  She sat in the hall, chatting and cajoling, trying to entice me to come into the kitchen and feed her.  Thirty minutes later, she was in my office, perched on the floor next to my chair, nattering away about one thing or another – usually a request to have her face rubbed. While I was at work, she spent her day in the front window.  The minute she saw my car pull in the driveway, she jumped down, met me at the door, and launched into the dialogue all over again.  She offered comments, made demands, and asked questions.  There were distinctions that were clearly audible in her speech patterns.  Sapphire was my first talking cat, and she was fascinating to live with.

Interacting with my intriguing pet often took my thoughts back to the Garden of Eden.  God created Adam, set him in his garden home, then created streams of animals and birds – each one named by Adam himself.  Could he talk to them?  Was there a form of actual communication between man and the animals?  Did he have a little cat who asked questions and waited patiently for his reply?  Only God can satisfy my mental meanderings, but one thing I know for sure.  The day I set foot in heaven, I will have my answer.

*

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

God gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell

How great is God almighty, who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 147

To Clancy

To Clancy

“Love is as strong as death.”

~Song of Solomon 8:6a 

My dad died on February 27, 2006.  So many things have happened since then in my life and the lives of his granddaughters – it would take forever to tell him everything: graduations, weddings, cancer, new jobs, the purchase of a home [his greatest wish for me], and so much more.   I have a longing—a need, to talk to him about everything.  Dad would be listening for a long, long time and would love every minute of it.

From time to time, I have played musical vehicles with one of my girls, and I end up driving my father’s old red GMC truck.  I think of him every time I take it for a spin. I think of him when Arizona is front page news.  I think of him when partisan politics rise up to wipe out common sense.  It often makes me laugh, because I know exactly what he would say.  The bonds of love and affection remain strong even when someone has walked through the valley of the shadow of death.  Love never dies.

You’ll be in my heart; yes, you’ll be in my heart

From this day on, now and forevermore.

You’ll be in my heart, no matter what they say,

You’ll be here in my heart always.

   ~Phil Collins

I love you, Dad

*

Eternal Father, strong to save,

whose arm has bound the restless wave.

Who bids the mighty ocean deep

It’s own appointed limits keep.

O hear us when we cry to Thee

For those in peril on the sea.

The Faith We Sing, No. 2191

Imagine...

Imagine…

Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend

in the middle of the night and said,

"Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. 

An old friend traveling through just showed up,

and I don't have a thing on hand." 

The friend answers from his bed, "Don't bother me. 

The door's locked; my children are all down for the night;

 I can't get up to give you anything." 

But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he is a friend,

if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors,

he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.

Here's what I'm saying:

Ask and you'll get;

Seek and you'll find;

Knock and the door will open.

Don't bargain with God.  Be direct.  Ask for what you need. 

This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. 

If your little boy asks for a serving of fish,

do you scare him with a live snake on his plate?

 If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? 

As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing –

you're at least decent to your own children. 

Don't you think the Father who conceived you in love

 will give the Holy Spirit if you ask Him?

~Luke 11:5-13 [The Message]

*

In His time, in His time,

He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Lord, please show me every day

as You’re teaching me Your way,

that you do just what You say,

in Your time.

In Your time, in Your time,

You make all things beautiful in Your time.

Lord, my life to You I bring,

May each song I have to sing

Be to you a lovely thing

In Your time.

The Faith We Sing, No. 2203

Shine Your Light

Shine Your Light

Do your little bit of good where you are;

its those little bits of good put together

that overwhelm the world.  

–Desmond Tutu

While I was growing up, my mother used to tell me that because God had given me such wonderful gifts and talents, He obviously had big plans for me.  In reality, I have lived an ordinary life – no grand curtain calls, no stunning acts of devotion.  Just plain, little old me.  Whenever I think of my mother’s words, I reflect back to my small green chair in my Sabbath School class of long ago.  I learned so many little songs there that had a direct influence on my thoughts about life.  This was one of my favorites:

Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,

Do not wait to shed your light afar;

To the many duties ever near you now be true.

Brighten the corner where you are.

Brighten the corner where you are!

Brighten the corner where you are!

Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar –

Brighten the corner where you are!

I loved the thought of being my own tiny lighthouse in the corner of the world where I lived.  I would hold my little finger high in the air – visualizing my tiny beam of light helping someone find Jesus.  It was a powerful image for a young child, and it has stayed with me throughout my life.  God has never called me to a grand task.  He has not placed on me the mantle of missions to lands far and near.  I am content knowing that my little light beams in this tiny corner of God’s great universe.

Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works

and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

*

Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory,

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy,

Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light.

The Faith We Sing, No. 2173

Hidden Treasure

Hidden Treasure

For the word of God is alive and powerful.

It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword,

cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.

It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Hebrews 4:12

When I read a book that proves to be fascinating – an “I can’t put it down” book, I keep it close at hand. When I have a long appointment or an overnight stay, I grab one of my favorites to take with me.  Some books, such as Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, I have read dozens of times.  Its finely drawn portraits of men functioning under the extreme stress of war are always fresh.  Beyond that, there inevitably is something in dialogue, action or emotion that I missed on the last read-through.

The Bible is the king of “ah-ha!” moments.  No matter how many times you read it, noting connections and cross-connections, you will always find something that you did not recognize before – a comment, an inflection, a bond between Old and New Testaments, a fulfillment of prophecy, or an understanding that you did not experience the last time you read that passage.  I am sometimes guilty of thinking, “Oh, I’ve already read that!” or “Oh, I already know about that.”  Yes, I have studied the Bible a great deal; but no, I will never know everything it has to teach me.  It will always contain hidden treasure, just waiting to be revealed.

*

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid, think I’ve lost my way,

Still You’re there right beside me.

And nothing will I fear as long as You are near.

Please be near me to the end.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 601.

Instant Prayer

Instant Prayer

And it came to pass in those days, 

that He went out into a mountain to pray,

and continued all night in prayer to God.

~Luke 6:12

As a child, I was taught that the proper way to pray was to get down on my knees, fold my hands, close my eyes, and then pray.  Doing it some other way seemed to be reserved for emergencies.  As I grew older, I didn’t feel that I had the time for all the formalities, and I’m sure there was a time when I didn’t pray much at all.

College brought a new perspective, when one of my professors introduced me to “Instantaneous Prayer.”  As soon as you had a need, a thought, or an impression to do so, you prayed immediately, regardless of where you were.  Talking with God as to a friend took on a new meaning for me.  If something great happened, I thanked Him immediately.  If I walked into danger or fear, prayers flew out of mind or mouth – which ever was working clearly.  Anywhere, anytime, I could speak to God, and He was eagerly waiting to listen.

This verse from Luke 6 has always made me feel very inadequate in my prayer life.  There is no way I could pray all night – I would be asleep in 5 minutes, and the Lord and I both know that.  I also know that He is happy to hear from me whenever I lift my heart to Him, at any time of the day or night.

*

Whisper a prayer in the morning,

Whisper a prayer at noon.

Whisper a prayer in the evening

To keep your heart in tune.

God answers prayer in the morning,

God answers prayer at noon.

God answers prayer in the evening,

So keep your heart in tune.

A Word Fitly Spoken

A Word Fitly Spoken

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Proverbs 25:11

Several years ago when I was teaching at Thomas Dale H.S., I had the privilege of traveling with one of my students to various universities to audition for entrance into the Music Performance program.  His final audition was at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland.  The school is housed in a building that takes your breath away: grand staircases, works of art, chandeliers and velvet draperies abound.  The warmth of the building, however, was diminished by the coldness of the people.

We walked past a spread of coffee and donuts in one corner of the lobby.  My student’s father, a quiet, shy man, took a doughnut and was reaching for a coffee, when the woman behind the table loudly announced that the refreshments were for auditioning harpists, not us. My friend stood frozen in place.  What was he supposed to do?  Put the doughnut back?

We found a quiet area to go over all the instructions for the day.  After reading the materials and looking at all the signage, I was still not clear where we should go for the actual vocal audition. I approached a woman from Admissions with my query, who retorted, “If you had read the materials provided, you would already have the answer to your question.”  She then turned her back and walked away. 

Amelia Earhart once said, “A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions,

and the roots spring up and make new trees.”

The Apostle Paul said, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, 

holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with

compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

My father said,

“There is never a reason to be rude.”

*

Though I may speak with bravest fire,

And have the gift to all inspire,

And have not love, my words are vain,

As sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 408

 

Some Thoughts on the Wedding Parable

Some Thoughts on the Wedding Parable

The Ten Girls

All of them were “virgins” - pure in character and in their faith

The Lamps

All of them had a lamp.

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

The Delay

All of them grew weary in waiting for the Lord, and all fell asleep.

The Defining Difference

All of them had some oil in their lamps, but

only the five “wise” took the time to make provision for additional oil.

Oil is a biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Ask, and it will be given to you.  Seek and you will find.

Knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds,

And to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you fathers, if you son asks for a fish,

will give him a snake instead?

If you then, though you are evil, know how to

give good gifts to your children, how much more will your

Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

Luke 11:9-11, 13

*

I want to walk as a child of the light,

I want to follow Jesus.

God set the stars to give light to the world.

The light of my life is Jesus.

In Him there is no darkness at all.

The night and the day are both alike.

The Lamb is the light of the city of God.

Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 206