Without Saying a Word

Without Saying a Word

So, my dear children, don't let anyone divert you from

the truth.  It's the person who acts right who is right...

1 John 3:7

Several years ago, I walked into my office from another part of the church, only to discover a small plastic baggie sitting in the middle of my desk, filled with grapes and strawberries.  It had not been a particularly cheerful day, and I was not exactly feeling chipper, but the sight of that little gift put a huge smile on my face.

 There was no need to wonder who had dropped off the fruit - I knew immediately who had visited my small corner of the world.  The giver was well known to the entire staff, because we were all recipients of these little treasures that appeared out of nowhere.  There was never any fanfare or hoopla - no taking of credit for the giving - just a heart full of love that loved to share and care.  She tried her best to work behind the scenes – testifying to her faith and love for Christ in a hundred ways without saying a word.

St. Francis of Assisi is credited with saying:

Preach the Gospel at all times,

and if necessary, use words.

*

O Master, let me walk with Thee

In lowly paths of service free.

Tell me Thy secrets, help me bear

The strain of toil, the fret of care.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 430

The World vs. The Father

The World vs. The Father 

Don't love the world's ways.  Don't love the world's goods.

Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.

Practically everything that goes on in the world -

wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself,

wanting to appear important - has nothing to do with the Father.

1 John 2:15-16

The world has forever told young people that there is a certain way you must look, a certain way you must act, a certain amount of money and privilege that you must have, a certain amount of expensive gizmos that you must own.  The message handed out by the media and society is quite clear:  If you don't have these things or look the required way, you are NOTHING!  It is little wonder that many young people live lives of quiet despair that eventually erupt in actions that either harm themselves or those around them.

We adults are not immune to this syndrome either - constantly clawing and fighting to get, to own, to be.  John advises us to take a good, long look at our fascination with what the world thinks is a good life.  The Father offers us another way - a life of unconditional love and acceptance - knowing that we are loved and cherished.

*

Lord, You are more precious than silver.

Lord, You are more costly than gold.

Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds,

And nothing I desire compares with You.

The Faith We Sing No. 2065

You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too 

If someone claims, "I know Him well," but doesn't

keep His commandments, he's obviously a liar.  His life

doesn't match his words.  Anyone who claims to be intimate

with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.

1 John 2:4,6

In this passage of Scripture, John takes to task a community of believers whose lives do not match their words.  When we put on the name of  Christ, God asks us not to take that name in vain by living a life in direct opposition to everything that Jesus stood for.  We can not, in the words of my father, "have our cake and eat it too."  We either are Christians who try to walk in Christ's footsteps, or we are imposters. 

Jesus lived a life of devotion to His Father and loving attention to the people who constantly surrounded Him.  He had harsh words at times for the imposters, but even then, He called to them to come into fellowship with Him and His Father.  He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, caused the lame to walk, healed the disciples' relatives, raised the dead, nurtured and guided the men surrounding Him, shepherding them toward becoming the leaders of an infant church.  He loved, and loved, and loved again.  Now that He is gone from the earth, we who call ourselves Christians are to take up His mantle of service toward the world around us, loving and loving and loving again!

*

We will work with each other, we will work side by side.

We will work with each other, we will work side by side.

And we’ll guard human dignity and save human pride.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

The Faith We Sing, No. 2223

Live and In Person

Live and In Person

From the first day, we were there, taking

it all in--we heard it with our own ears, saw it

with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands.

The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes;

we saw it happen!  And now we're telling you in

most sober prose that what we witnessed was,

incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God

Himself took shape before us.

1 John 1:1-2

Renee Fleming is my favorite professional singer – a soprano with a glorious voice, and I love to listen to her sing – on the TV, over the radio, on YouTube, and through CD’s.  Several years ago, I was able to attend a Master Class by Ms. Fleming at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  Although I had listened to her for years on TV,CD's, YouTube, etc.,, there was no comparison to being there in the same small concert venue – watching, listening, and absorbing her voice, her technique, her stage presence, and the wisdom she shared with the many young students present.  It was a remarkable experience:  Renee Fleming - live and in person.

John opens up his first letter to the church, not by introducing himself or giving words of personal greeting to friends and church members, but by launching into a passionate affirmation of the most important period of his life: when he was an eyewitness to the life, ministry, death and resurrection of the Son of God.  He was there from the very beginning of Christ's ministry - knowing, seeing, hearing, touching the Messiah.  In his Gospel, John introduced Jesus as the Word.  In this first letter to the churches, he again proclaims Jesus as the Word of Life - the infinite Life of God.  One can feel the excitement in his words as he describes for his readers the incredible experience of living with God on earth - Emmanuel.

John knew that most if not all of his readers were not witnesses to Christ's life.  But he was!  So he pours out his heart in the opening sentences of this letter - willing the people to "see" through his eyes, to "hear" through his words, to experience the living God for themselves.

*

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

Talking or Walking?

Talking or Walking?

God is especially incensed against those who

live by lust, addicted to a filthy existence.  They despise

interference from true authority, preferring to indulge in

self-rule.  Insolent egotists, they don't hesitate to speak evil

against the most splendid of creatures.  Even angels, their

superiors in every way, wouldn't think of throwing their weight

around like that, trying to slander others before God.

2 Peter 2:10-11

At first blush, one wonders who in the world was part of the congregation that Peter was writing to.  True to his nature, he minced no words in describing those who talk the talk without walking the walk.  He nailed those who play a good game as long as it is their own, who think only of themselves, and are willing to throw everyone else under the bus.  I've worked for a lot of churches, and there is always someone in every congregation who believes themselves to be a law unto themselves.  The havoc such a person can wreak in a congregation is enormous.

Thinking about the polar opposite of the person described in this passage brought to mind a wonderful woman who was a member of my choir for years. Margie was a tiny little lady who loved the Lord passionately, and in turn, loved her family, her friends, and her church.  Kind, quiet, loving - Margie would have given you the shirt off her back, literally and figuratively.  She absolutely oozed love and caring.  I never heard her say a bad thing about anyone, never heard her complain, never saw her display either ego or unkindness.  She was the type of friend a friend would want to have.  She walked the walk without having to broadcast the talk - following in the footsteps of her Savior.

*

Lord of all nations, grant me grace

To love all people, every race.

And in each person may I see

My kindred loved, redeemed by Thee.

Break down the wall that would divide

Thy children, Lord, on every side.

My neighbor’s good let me pursue.

Let Christian love bind warm and true.

Sing to the tune of

O Master Let Me Walk with Thee (UMH430)

Not Just an Opinion

Not Just an Opinion 

The main thing to keep in mind here is that no

prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion.

And why?  Because it's not something concocted in the

human heart.  Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit

prompted men and women to speak God's Word.

2 Peter 1:20-21

I am always sad when I read articles by modern biblical scholars who rip apart the lives and the words of the authors of Scripture, mocking who they were and what they had to say - poo-pooing this and nay-saying that.  Peter must have heard similar discussions all the way back in his day, causing him to want to set the record straight.  Although he was speaking specifically of the Old Testament writings, his point can be applied to the entire biblical record.

Believing that the Bible is the inspired Word of God is a matter of faith.  Peter testified in his second letter to the Christian community that the scrolls they held in their hands were not just the prattling and opinions of human beings.  The words did not flow from human hearts, but from the heart of God (through the power of the Holy Spirit) into the heart, mind and speech of the author.  How did the process work?  I haven't a clue, and I don't think anyone else does either!  Some mysteries of faith are just exactly that - mysteries.  That does not, however, make the process faulty or phony. 

Peter wanted the people to know that the prose and prophecy of the Scriptures were God-inspired, God-directed.  It was important for him to reassure the people that he was not just flapping his jaws, shooting from the hip, or making it up as he went along.  More than anyone else of his time and place, Peter knew the Source of his wisdom and words, as God called him to give a message to His 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

-Campfire Song

Saw It with Our Own Eyes

Saw It with Our Own Eyes

We weren't, you know, just wishing on a star

when we laid the facts out before you regarding the

powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ.  We were

there for the preview!  We saw it with our own eyes!

Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father

as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke:

"This is My Son, marked by My love, focus of all My delight."

2 Peter 1:16-17

Several years ago, my daughter and I attended a Trans Siberian Orchestra concert at the coliseum downtown.  What a show!  Gorgeous music, unbelievably energetic musicians, lasers, lights, smoke, mirrors, fire-breathing dragons - it was fantastic. Adults, seniors and little kids were all on the edge of their seats.   Now, I realize that the words I have just used to describe our experience do absolutely NOTHING to help you understand what it was like.  There are so many experiences in life that just do not translate down into words. When the visuals are so strong, you simply have to see it to believe it. 

Peter had this same problem when he tried to describe to the early Christians the "powerful return" of Jesus to this earth.  He was afraid that his listeners would not be able to catch the glorious wonder of the event from the words he employed to describe it.  The vision was bright and powerful in his own mind, however, because they had been given a taste of that glory when Peter, James and John were on the mountaintop with Jesus and two old friends came to call.  During the event called the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah came down from heaven and the appearance of Jesus was transformed into a figure radiating the power and glory of God. 

As long as Peter lived, he never forgot the force of that image or the acknowledgement of Christ as the Son of God who promised to return to the earth again.  Peter's life mission was to tell and retell the story, time and time again, until his listeners caught a glimpse of the vision and joined him in spreading the news to others.

*

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,

Born to set Thy people free.

From our fears and sins release us,

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s strength and consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art.

Dear desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 196

Add to Your Faith: Love

Add to Your Faith:  Love 

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control;

and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;

and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,

they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive

in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8 

That love completes Peter's growth chart in grace should not be a surprise to anyone.  Love was the Creator of everything we have and are.  When mankind turned their backs on that love and embraced a life of sin, Love came down to this earth and died in their place.  When all seemed lost, Love conquered death and arose from the grave.  One of these days, Love will return to this earth.  There is no greater power on earth than Love.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut

Doesn't have a swelled head

Doesn't force itself on others

Isn't always "me first."

Doesn't fly off the handle

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others

Doesn't revel when others grovel

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always.

Always looks for the best

Never looks back,

but keeps going to the end

Love never dies.

*

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.

But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Love lifted me.  Love lifted me.

When nothing else could help, Love lifted me.

Love lifted me.  Love lifted me.

When nothing else could help, Love lifted me.

UMC Worship & Song, No. 3101

Add to Your Faith: Brotherly Kindness

Add to Your Faith:  Brotherly Kindness

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge self-control;

and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance,

godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness...

2 Peter 1:5-7a

Several years ago, Yahoo News printed a list of 15 good deeds that can be done today to help those in our community and our world.  They are definitely worth repeating:

Do you have books you no longer read?  

Keep them out of the landfill by donating them to a school, 

your local library, or an elderly care facility.

Elderly people who live alone are often lonely.  

Take a few moments today and call an elderly friend or loved one.  

Let them know you are thinking of them.

Leave your extra pennies in the penny container at the local gas station.

If you read an online article that makes a difference in your life, 

leave a positive comment.

Donate a bag of dog or cat food to your local animal shelter 

AND a bag of human food to a food pantry.

Let someone go ahead of you in line at the store.

Donate your change to a worthy charity at a local retail business.  

Pennies and nickels add up faster than you think!

Hold the door for someone else and let them go ahead.  

Just because other people aren't polite doesn't mean you shouldn't be.

Wild birds provide beautiful songs and visual pleasure 

that add to the splendor of our world.  Make a place to provide water and birdseed, especially during the winter months.

Our throwaway society is being overrun with trash.  Recycle, Recycle, Recycle.  

Never tell yourself that you don't have time to bother. 

Good deeds that help future generations are some of the most important ones of all.

 Donate gently-used clothing and other household items

 to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or another local charity.  

Then become a thrift store shopper.  

You will be amazed at what you can purchase there.

Tell the attendant at the toll booth, “Thank You” and “Have a nice day!”

Ask your child's teacher what items they need in the classroom, 

and how you can help.

The next time you see a teenager, smile and say “Hi!”  They may appear to look straight through you, but their brain will have processed the kind gesture.

Smile (instead of glaring) at the young mother in the grocery store 

whose child is throwing a tantrum.  

She needs all the encouragement she can get! 

 

Add to Your Faith: Godliness

Add to Your Faith:  Godliness 

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge,

self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; 

and to perseverance, godliness..."

2 Peter 1:5-6

Losing weight is a national pastime in this country where everyone, it seems, needs to lose a few pounds.  When you are trying to lose weight, you see constant advertisements touting various quick-fixes for shedding the pounds:  the lettuce diet, the Scarsdale diet, the Mediterranean diet, weight loss pills, weight-loss teas, vibrating bands that will shake it all off, acai berries, core precision undershirts, appetite suppressant lollipops, and last but certainly not least, anti-cellulite pants.  Everyone wants to lose as much weight as possible with the least amount of effort on their part or changes in their everyday eating.  Eventually, you learn that none of this junk works for the long haul, and that losing weight takes a lifestyle change - a lifelong commitment to healthy living, changing the way you eat and changing the way you move.  

Godliness is the same way.  There are preachers, teachers, televangelists and quacks who promulgate the use of a specific prayer, following a certain code, reading a particular book, attending a workshop, donating lots of money - do this, do that – and you will be filled with godliness.  Just like losing weight, however, there is no quick fix for gaining godliness.  It takes a lifetime commitment to follow in the footsteps of Jesus: spending quality time with the Father, and pouring out His love on the people around you.  Godliness means "God likeness," and the only way we become like Christ is to allow Him to pour out His life into us.

*

All the way from earth to glory, 

I would be like Jesus.

Telling o'er and o'er the story,

I would be like Jesus.

Be like Jesus is my song,

In the home and in the throng.

Be like Jesus all day long - 

I would be like Jesus.

The Christian Life Hymnal, No. 314

Add to Your Faith: Perseverance

Add to Your Faith:  Perseverance

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge,

self-control; and to self-control, perseverance..."

1 Peter 1:5-6

Perseverance:

Cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy, enduring,

patience, patient continuance, waiting

One of the worst [and best!] things that you can own in this world is a credit card.  Credit cards allow you to have things now that you would otherwise have to wait for.  No money?  No problem - dig out the plastic.  Credit card company jingles ("What's in your wallet?") fill the airwaves and are recognizable to almost everyone, including kids.  Buy now - pay later.  What a great concept!  You can have anything you want, when you want it, as long as you still have spendable space on your card. But there is often a high price to pay (in interest and otherwise) when you cannot wait for something until you have the cash to pay for it.

Peter didn't own a credit card, and he was not talking about living within your means when he recommended developing patience/endurance/perseverance.  When we pray, we must wait patiently for God's answer.  When we claim God's promises, we must wait patiently for the promised blessing.  The apostle Paul wrote that we must "run with patience the race that is set before us," living in patient continuance as we wait for the hope of ages - the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

*

We must wait, wait on the Lord.

We must wait, wait on the Lord.

We must learn our lessons well,

In His timing, He will tell us

What to do, what to say, where to go.

-Campfire Song 

Add to Your Faith: Self Control

Add to Your Faith:  Self-Control 

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge;

and to knowledge, self-control.

2 Peter 1:5-6a

In many Christian communities, people regularly "give up" something for Lent - something that they really like as opposed to giving up something they don't care for in the first place.  Friends of mine have given up chocolate, pastries, desserts, red meat, sports, shopping, and watching TV, to name a few.   When an acquaintance proposed giving up reading for forty days, I just had to laugh.  I would never be able to do that! 

Giving up anything that is a regular habit or an ingrained part of your life is very difficult to do and requires a tremendous amount of self-control.  Without it, we will be slaves to what controls us. Food, lust, money, our words - we can find ourselves overwhelmed with the consequences of not having self control in many areas of life.   Proverbs 25:28 says, Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control”

The good news here?  According to the Apostle Paul, self-control is one of the fruits of a relationship with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5;22).  As we daily ask for the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts (Luke 11:13), He takes the helm of every aspect of our lives, including our self-control.

*

Take my will and make it Thine

It shall be no longer mine.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 399

Add to Your Faith: Knowledge

Add to Your Faith:  Knowledge

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge...

2 Peter 1:5

When my kids were little, they loved to play the game, Who Am I?  I would pull a card that had four clues as to the identity of the biblical or historical person.  I would read one clue at a time and the girls would try to guess the identity of the individual.  The fewer clues it took to guess the right name, the more points one scored.  The clues were based on an interesting mix of factors:  physical appearance, personality, character attributes, location, etc.  The more the children knew about various Bible characters, the quicker the correct answer would come. After a few months of playing this game, I could barely say the first few words of clue #1  before someone knew the answer.

I am positive that biblical scholars would argue that Peter is talking here about gaining spiritual knowledge.  However, I think practical Peter just might be talking about self-knowledge:  Who am I?  What am I doing here?  What does God want me to do?  How can I fulfill my life's plans under His direction?   How can I benefit the peoples of the world or my community at large? 

King Solomon said, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."  Knowing exactly who we are through God's guidance and revelation is the very foundation of our knowledge.  Everything else builds on that.

*

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth

Would care to know my name,

Would care to feel my hurt?

Who am I, that the bright and morning star

Would choose to light the way

For my ever wandering heart?

Not because of who I am

But because of what You've done

Not because of what I've done

But because of who You are:

I am a flower quickly fading

Here today and gone tomorrow,

A wave tossed in the ocean,

A vapor in the wind.

Still you hear me when I'm calling,

Lord, you catch me when I'm falling.

And You've told me who I am -

I am yours 

-Casting Crowns

Add to Your Faith: Goodness

Add to Your Faith:  Goodness

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness...

2 Peter 1:5

When I was a kid, goodness was not a particularly sought-after description for your life.  Among other things, it resulted in less-than-flattering nicknames such as "goodie two-shoes"  or "teacher's pet" that no child wanted to be tagged with.  Being a bad boy or a rebel was far preferable to being "good."   Good was for sissies.

A quick glance at the morning headlines of murder. malice and mayhem makes one wonder if there is any goodness left in this world.  When someone does a good or heroic deed, it is often trumpeted as a miraculous event, worthy of our astonishment and praise.

Peter admonishes us to be the everyday people of the world who make goodness an integral part of their lives - always looking for a way to be helpful to someone in need, ready and willing to assist, always choosing the right instead of the easy or convenient.  On this rainy August weekend, keep an eye out for someone who needs a helping hand, and let the goodness in your heart lead the way.

*

Lord, we come to ask your blessing

On the love that makes us one.

Here, as Christians, to acknowledge

You are Lord, and You alone.

Lord, we come to ask your blessing

In the presence of our friends:

Grant us joy that blesses others,

                                                     Grant us love that never ends.

The Faith We Sing No. 2230

Sing to the tune of:

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Everything We Need

Everything We Need 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the

knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  His divine

power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.

2 Peter 1:2-3 [NIV]

I don't know about you, but there are days when I wish that I had a magical supplement to take in the morning to insure good health for the day, or a tried and true formula that I simply needed to plug into life's calculator in order to make my day go smoothly.  The fountain of youth, the blarney stone, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, or a win in the latest Powerball lottery - all of these fantasies have such a magnetic pull on us because we believe that any one of these things would solve all our problems and put us on Easy Street. 

The Apostle Peter, on the other hand, makes the astounding statement that God has already given us everything we need for life and godly living.  He was not talking about a life of ease and pleasure, but of praise to God and service to others.  God gives to us the ability to believe. That faith is the core, the very foundation of the Christian life.  It enables us to trust God.  Rather than relieve us of our problems, God chooses to walk us through them, building faith, patience, and a stronger relationship with Him.

*

Through it all, through it all,

I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,

I’ve learned to trust in God.

Through it all, through it all,

I’ve learned to depend upon God’s word.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 507

Yes or No

Yes or No

And since you know that He cares,

let your language show it.

Don't add words like, "I swear to God"

to your own words.  Don't show your impatience

by concocting oaths to hurry up God.

Just say yes or no. Just say what is true.

That way, your language can't be used against you.

James 5:12

It is so easy to carelessly embellish our speech and stories with little tidbits that on closer inspection have no basis in truth or reality.  Somehow we feel that if we can make our facts a little more interesting or our tales more dramatic, they will have greater value to those who hear.  That could not be further from the truth.  After a while, those who listen will recognize embellishment and exaggeration for what it is, and we are labeled as people who can't quite tell the clear truth.

Jesus advised:  "Let your 'yes' mean 'yes,' and your 'no' mean 'no!' Anything more is from the evil one" [Matthew 5:37].  If you want to stay out of trouble and have people accept you as a person of integrity, pass everything that comes out of your mouth through the filter of absolute truth.  We will end up saying a lot less and meaning a great deal more.

*

We will glorify the King of Kings, 

We will glorify the Lamb.

We will glorify the Lord of Lords,

Who is the great I AM.

He is Lord of heaven, Lord of earth,

He is Lord of all who live.

He is Lord above the universe,

All praise to Him we give.

The Faith We Sing, No. 2087