Lay Leadering

Hello friends!  One of the cool things I get to do at my church is be a lay leader.  This means that at the beginning of the service I read a little passage of Scripture and say a little prayer offering the service to God and asking Him to be present with us.  Then at the end, using the Scripture from the sermon as inspiration, I say a prayer of response and offer up the needs of the church.  Today our passage for the sermon was 1 John 3: 16-24.  Why don’t you go read it and then come back.

OK so I thought I’d post my prayer here.  Maybe there will be some words that apply to your own life or congregation.  Be bless

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for laying your life down for us so we could be forgiven and freed from bondage to sin, and so we could have new life that gives glory to God.  We thank you for the opportunity to share your love with our neighbors and friends so they could have new life, too.

We pray for our friends who are serving around the world, bringing the good news of Jesus.  They are your hands and feet to those who are lost.  We pray you would strengthen and encourage them, and pray that those they serve would see Jesus in them and be drawn into His presence.

We also pray for the congregations who are in the process of becoming part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church because they feel they can best serve you and their neighbors from within this denomination.  We pray as they go through the transition, you would give them comfort, strength, and guidance.  We pray you would also give our leaders wisdom as they provide direction to these congregations.

We pray for one another right here at First Pres.  Many of us struggle to feel like we can serve You, that we can serve others, because of the many challenges we face.  We thank you LORD, that you do not ask us to serve in our own abilities, but you give us what we need.  Even in our darkest times your Holy Spirit is filling us and overflowing to touch other people.  LORD, for those who are sick, we pray for healing.  For those who are mourning, we pray for comfort.  For those who are weary, we pray for rest and refreshment.  For those who want to give up, lift their heads so they can see the finish line and fill them with your strength so they can get up and continue the race.  For those who are discouraged, we pray you would fill them with joy.  For those who feel trapped, show them the way out.  For those who are entangled in sin, bring them to repentance and forgive them and give them a fresh start.

Lord, we pray for discernment.  When we hear in our heads that we are disqualified from serving you and others, because of our various shortcomings and infirmities, we pray we would recognize those words as lies.  We praise you LORD that because we have placed our trust in Jesus, we are not too broken, not cast aside, not disqualified.  But we all have a place in your Kingdom, and we all have a purpose and a part in your plan for reaching the lost.  Show each one of us in the quiet places of our hearts who it is you have called us to be and what it is you ask us to do, today and every day.  We trust you to equip us with the gifts and words and actions to hear your call and joyfully obey.  We pray you would give us opportunity to see the fruit that comes from the seed we sow so we can share the joy of each new life.

Be with us today and every day as we take the good news of Jesus outside these walls, to our neighbors, our coworkers, our family, and our world.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

 

 

ed.

 

Book Review: All That Jesus Asks

All That Jesus Asks:  How His Questions Can Teach and Transform Us

by Stan Guthrie

When I was given a copy of this book, I had some pre-conceived notions of what it would be about.  I thought it would talk about what Jesus asks of us.  What does he ask us to do?  You know, deny yourself, take up your cross and all that.  However, this book is not a to-do list from Jesus.  It is more akin to the game “Loaded Questions.”  Stan shows us that when Jesus asks a question, he is challenging us to reflect on what we believe about Him, His mission, and how we fit into God’s plan.

The first section considers who Jesus is.  Interestingly, the book starts with John the Baptist.  John was preparing the way for the Messiah.  He was calling people to repent.  In order to repent you first have to acknowledge you have sinned.  So, was John preaching the truth?  Was he really a prophet or just a crazy guy running around in the desert?  If he was wrong, and we are not sinners in need of forgiveness, then the message of Jesus is wrong as well.

Also in the first section, Stan discusses the things Jesus said in the context in which he lived.  Sometimes it is hard for us to connect the things Jesus said to the way he went about his daily life.  He had neighbors, relatives, and friends he interacted with.  There were various religious sects regulating people’s social and religious practices.  The political climate was tense; no body wanted to tick off the Romans and set off a wave of persecution.  Yet the people wanted to be out from under their oppression.  In the middle of all this, Jesus chose to live 24/7 with a rag-tag group of 12 men.  Yes, he spoke to the masses, but his primary focus was on this more intimate group.

The second section is about how we follow Jesus.  Christianity is unique in that we worship a God who wants a close, intimate relationship with us.  Our faith in God is more than just agreeing that what He says is true.  It is  much more gritty than that.  When I read the chapter on faith I thought about vows said at weddings:  in sickness and health, in plenty and want, forsaking all others…  It is more than a “get out of hell free” card.  It flows out of a relationship that you stick with even when its hard and you don’t understand.  It’s the kind that asks us to yield to God’s instructions even when the results are unpleasant.  And, this is the kind of relationship and faith we need to be sharing with unbelievers and those new to the faith.  When we disciple others, we need to show them the whole picture, not just the sunshine and daffodils.

The third section has to do with our minds.  A section on anxiety resonated with me as I have been struggling in this area recently.  I particularly like the line, “Somehow we think we still have the power to mess things up.”  I have made plenty of bad decisions in my life and yet I survived.  But I still tie myself in knots when making big choices.  Bad stuff has happened and I survived.  Still, like the examples in Stan’s book, I struggle to carry the lessons from those past experiences into my present reality and future possibilities.  It is comforting to be reminded that other people who love Jesus as much as I do struggle to feel peace.

The fourth section discusses the kind of people Jesus calls us to be.  In the chapter on compassion Stan talks about disability in the New Testament and today.  I want to say, thank you Stan for sharing your world with me.  As I have said on this blog before, I have some physical challenges that are not apparent to the casual observer.  There are some things I cannot do, like play tennis or carry a gallon of  milk.  Other things I do differently.  I am a unique individual with unique challenges, and have preferences in how I am treated.  I love when people ask questions rather than assume.  Stan reminded me to extend the same courtesy to others.

Stan wraps up his book with a section on essential doctrines and some social issues.  A critical piece is what we believe about the Bible.  If we think it is a bunch of stories, or has been corrupted over time, then what will we base our other beliefs on?  On the other hand, we have to read the Bible in the right spirit.  It is not just a list of historical facts and rules and regulations.  It is still about relationship with God.  When we keep that in mind, then what the Bible says about marriage, food, and the like are given their proper place in the whole counsel of the Word.

It took me a really long time to get through this book.  Not because it was boring or dry,  but I would read a little and then have to ponder what it was saying.  I had to ask myself these questions and could not gloss over them.  If I say I believe thus, am I living accordingly?  Then I’d read a little more, or reread a section.  It was definitely a book deserving of a slow pace.  I am glad I didn’t rush through it.

All in all this is another great book by Stan Guthrie.  It causes you to notice things in the Bible you might not have noticed before.  It challenges you to revisit what you believe about Jesus and how those beliefs affect the way you live your life.  Well done, Stan.

 

Ode to Psalm 91

We interrupt this blog to bring you an important message about….

The importance of memorizing Scripture.

OK so you have probably heard it many times in the sermon, your Sunday School class, small group, Bible study, on the radio.  You need to memorize Scripture so it is there in your brain at those times when you don’t have access to a Bible.  Admit it, every time it comes up you feel a little guilty. It’s OK, I do to.  I have been walking with Jesus for over 20 years now and this  is not a strong point.  But I’d like to tell you a little story that just might help lift you out of the guilt and motivate you to try, try, try again.  OK this is going to be a long story so you should probably get comfy.  And while you are at it, grab a Bible.  I’ll wait…..

So, some years back I was living in rural Indiana and attending this charismatic (or full-gospel of spirit-filled depending on where you live) church.  Ironic seeing as though I am really introverted and this was the dancing in the aisle, banner waving, tongue speaking kind of charismatic church.  One week Pastor told me that God wanted me to know I had a problem with fear, and I needed to let go of that or it would really cause some problems down the road.  I didn’t see myself as a fearful person (hello, denial) but asked God to show me if I was, and committed to study what God’s Word had to say about fear.  A few weeks later in Bible study, we were asked to memorize a Scripture of our choice for each week.  I chose to memorize all of Psalm 91, which I had read as part of my study on fear.

OK let’s pause while you get out your Bible and read Psalm 91.  If you want to get really crazy, read it out loud.  Pretty powerful stuff.

So….see anything in Psalm 91 that could be applied to fear?  Heh. Funny thing happened while I was memorizing, and reciting out loud, that passage.  I realized if fear were an Olympic sport, I might win a gold medal.  However, through my studying and memorizing, God grew in me a little more peace and I worried a little less.  It’s like the words became woven in to my core.  Psalm 91 became a part of me.

Bible study ended. I had Psalm 91 memorized. I did a little less worrying and felt a little more confident.  Then one day I had a doctor’s appointment, a follow-up for an infection I’d had a few weeks earlier.  What was supposed to be a routine appointment suddenly wasn’t.  I had a blob.  So I was sent one building over to see a specialist.  Then I was being scheduled for outpatient surgery to determine what the blob consisted of.

Did I mention I was in rural Indiana, hundreds of miles from family?  Did I mention I was 23?  Fresh out of college, up to my eyeballs in debt, and flat broke?

I vaguely remember stumbling out to my car.  I remember it was raining.  I was trying to drive home through the rain and avert a full blown panic attack along the way.  I felt a little fearful.

Then I remembered my Pastor’s warning.  And my study on fear.  And Psalm 91. 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,I thought.

Will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

God was there.  In those words.  I was in the middle of nowhere, scared out of my wits, but I was not alone.

² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, 
   my God, in whom I trust.”

That day, those words became my oath.  See, I had known a lot of people who once walked with God but when stuff got bad they walked away.  Like God betrayed them and could no  longer be trusted.  I was not going to be one of those people.  I determined I would run to God, not walk away from Him.  I heard those words in my soul over the next week as I made arrangements for surgery.  As we drove to the hospital.  As I was wheeled in.  As I drifted off to anesthesia land.  When I woke up to a 3-day stay and a morphine pump instead of an outpatient discharge and a band-aid.

3Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare 
   and from the deadly pestilence.

I thanked God for sparing me from what might have been–I could have been facing cancer but I wasn’t.    But I lost the luxury of taking life for granted.  I had my life all planned out:  Marriage, babies, house, dog, in that order.  When I woke up from surgery, all that was gone.  The blob did some damage.  It could come back.  I grieved.  God was there.  Maybe He was weeping with me.  I know He was hugging me.

⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  

Over the next  months I recovered and I went back to work.  I adjusted to a new normal.  I took my medicine.  It was hard to keep the fear away.  What if the blob came back, lurking, laughing at my medication,  evading detection by lab tests. I had a lot of sleepless nights.  You could say I was working out my salvation.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.

As the 2 year mark approached, I sought out a more special specialist in Indianapolis.  The more special specialist said the blob had come back.

I had surgery #2.  The blob had had babies and the surgeon couldn’t get them all.  So at my post-surgery appointment we came up with a plan:  Surgery #3, more aggressive this time, using a microscope to make sure he got all the babies, and their babies.

I had an hour’s drive home to ponder my fate. I was tired and discouraged.  Why couldn’t I be like normal people and just need my tonsils out?  Why do I have to have this thing that hangs around and drags me down?  I remembered what recovery from the first surgery was like.  Brutal.  The thought of going through that again made me sick.  And it still might not be the end.  It could spread.  It could invade other organs.  More surgery, stronger medicine, and it all might be for naught.

As I was driving along, I was descending down the What If spiral into the pit of despair.  My mind was racing through all the worst possible scenarios.  I was coming unglued.

DIANA!

My freefall was aborted.  The screaming thoughts were silenced. I listened.

You have spent enough time on What If.  It is time you remembered What IS.  What do you know?

Wait, what?  Blink, blink, blink.  It was like I had gone into this other reality and then been snapped back.  What do I know?  Well, I’m facing surgery #3, and by the way my incision from #2 hasn’t even finished healing yet!  And I’m sick of it!  I’m flat broke, I’m homesick, I’m scared….wait,  I was flat broke and homesick before, when I had my first surgery.  I survived that. God was with me then.  Maybe God is still with me.

I remembered how Psalm 91 had given me comfort then, and through the last two years.  It welled up from that deep place where it had taken root.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

As I drove along, blubbering my way through the passage, I sped up the ramp onto the highway that would take me home.  As I did, I merged into a military convoy.  It was probably on its way to Grissom Air Force Base further north.  There I was in my little white beater of a car, surrounded as far as I could see by hum-vees and jeeps and transports.  I kind of felt like they were my personal escort.

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  

They kept me company until it was time for me to exit onto the country road I lived on.  They continued on their way, having no idea the comfort they had given me on my journey.

Psalm 91 has been a part of my journey ever since.  It is not a magic spell that makes my problems go away.  Tanks do not spontaneously appear every time I proclaim it.  Speaking those words does not bring God on the scene.  He is already there.  However, God speaks to me through these words He divinely inspired.  They are a weapon against many things I struggle with, especially fear.  When I am losing my grip, these words grab hold of me, wrapping me in God’s presence.  They remind me of who God is, and that no matter what God is still bigger and stronger.  That and the song “Jesus Loves Me” are my two go-to promises that are always there when I’m in the heat of battle.

So, do you have a “go-to” Scripture passage?  It doesn’t have to be a whole chunk.  Maybe it is just a phrase.  It doesn’t need to have any cool stories with military vehicles attached to it.  But it is always there.  A flashlight in the darkness.  A rope when you are hanging over the edge of a cliff.  A life preserver when you feel like you are drowning.  A warm, soft blankie when life is cold and hard.  A sword to fight back with.  If you aren’t in that place, I encourage you to go before God and ask Him to lead you to a spot in Scripture that will become a treasure for you.

Second verse, same as the first….

Hello friends!  OK I know last post I promised you a cool story about my adventures in Psalm 91, but that is still percolating in my noggin. In the meantime, I am still on this context kick so I thought I’d tell a different story, about a different passage.

When I was in college, a Bible verse that was often quoted was Jeremiah 29:11, which says

 ”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Very appropriate for college students thinking about their future.  Quite a feel-good verse.  There is a small problem though:   Many of us have had some trials and tribulations in the years since graduation.  My non-college friends have also had some rough days.  Failed marriages, health problems, jobs lost, houses foreclosed upon, wayward children.  Life is messy, and that messiness does not fit neatly into the Jeremiah 29:11 “happily ever after” box.

A few years back  I did something crazy–I read all of Jeremiah,  and zoomed in specifically chapter 29.  It is a letter written to the Jewish people who were in exile.  They had been kicked out of Israel and were living in a strange land with strange customs.  They were there as a consequence of their rebellion against God.  Jeremiah sent them a letter advising them how to adjust to their “new normal” because it would be a while before anything changed–70 years according to verse 10.  For example, he told them to marry and have babies (verse 6).  The letter also offered comfort, reminding the exiles that their chastisement would come to an end, and they would get to go home.

I tried to consider the passage as if I were an exile in Babylon.  Think about this for a second.  The Jewish people had their own country where they were free to worship God and seek Him with all their hearts.  They were free to follow the customs and traditions unique to their own people.  They were under the tender care of a loving Father who wanted nothing but good things for them, as described in verse 11.   Really, they had it pretty good.  But then things went horribly wrong.   They followed after the customs of their neighbors, and worshiped their neighbors’ gods.  What started as a few indiscretions evolved into outright rebellion.  And then, despite multiple warnings from multiple people over the years, they continued on their wayward path and had to face the consequences.  So they found themselves in Babylon, subject to a strange ruler, where they could not worship God, in His temple, in the manner He taught them.  Perhaps then they realized the guidelines God gave them  weren’t so bad.  Maybe they missed the worship they had so freely abandoned.  They longed to go back in time and choose Him the first time rather than having to learn the hard way.   I can almost hear them cry out, “What have I done?”  Then into their regret came these words in verses 12-13:

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Reading those words, with the bigger story in mind, nearly makes me weep.  This story is told over and over again in the Bible.  Think of the Prodigal Son for example.  Or read the book of Judges.  The pattern is the same.  We start out walking with God in trust and obedience.  Then we see how other folks live and think the grass is greener over there.  A few indiscretions turns into rebellion.  God sends warnings which we ignore.  Then we are facing the consequences of our sin and we realize maybe the grass isn’t greener after all.  We regret what we have done and we repent–we return to God’s ways.  God forgives us and welcomes us back.

Does that mean that every offense puts me at the mercy of Babylonian hordes?  Or throws me into the pigsty?  I don’t think so.  Is every unpleasant life circumstance a direct consequence of my sin?  Not necessarily. God is not a bully who looks for opportunity to dole out punishment.  He is a loving father who wants what is best for us.  But bad stuff happens.  Sometimes its a consequence of my sin.  Sometimes I am caught up in the consequences of someone else’s sin.  Sometimes its because I live in a post-Fall, non-utopian world.  Sometimes, a la Job, it’s to test me and strengthen my faith.  And sometimes, what seems like a bad thing turns out to be a good thing. Whatever the reason, God is always there.  Think about Jeremiah 29 again.  The Jewish people were in exile because of sin, but God had not abandoned them.  He inspired Jeremiah to write that letter.  God was still reaching out to them, speaking to them, teaching them, comforting them.  He does the same for us today, through the book of Jeremiah and the whole counsel of God’s Word.  When seen in that light, Jeremiah 29:11 is so much richer than “happily ever after.”  I am really glad of that.

Overheard

Shortly after graduating college, a friend came to me and said she had overheard a conversation, and thought our mutual college friend–my college roommate– and her husband had lost a baby.   I had lived with her family for a few months before going on internship, so I gave them a call to see what the scoop was.  Turns out, my roommate’s friend had had a miscarriage.  Friend #1 only heard part of the conversation and misunderstood.  Fortunately I had the presence of mind to do a little checking before alerting the prayer chain!

During college, I took part in a Bible study program in addition to my college studies.  One thing I learned was the importance of context.  One verse in the Bible exists as part of a paragraph, which is part of a chapter, which is part of an entire letter for example, and that letter is part of the anthology that is the Bible.  When I read one sentence, I need to keep in mind how it fits into the bigger picture.  The sermon Sunday was about the temptation of Jesus, Matthew 4:1-11.  One theme I noticed in this passage is that  Satan loves to take things out of context.  He takes things God has done and plops them into a different circumstance, or takes what God has said and twists it for his own malevolent purpose.  For example, the Jewish people had seen God provide food and water for them miraculously many times while they wandered in the wilderness.  Jesus could have turned the stones of the wilderness into bread if he wanted to (Matthew 4:3).  But that wasn’t the point.  Jesus wasn’t hungry because he didn’t have access to food; he was fasting.  He wasn’t fasting because he wanted to lose weight; there was a spiritual purpose behind it.  Satan was trying to get Jesus off track, but the Lord responded with the truth of the Word of God.

So, Satan tried also to use Scripture (Matthew 4:6):

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

That snippet is from Psalm 91, which happens to be a favorite of mine that I memorized some years ago.  I have some cool stories to tell about that, but you will have to wait til my next post.  In the meantime, would you kindly take a moment and go read Psalm 91 in its entirety?  I’ll wait…..

Satan suggested Jesus should literally jump off a cliff and God would save him.  Now, is there anything in Psalm 91 that suggests this would be a good idea?  Ummm, no.  When I read Psalm 91, I picture a guy in some serious trouble.  Terror, pestilence, arrows, disaster….this person needs a lot of help.  When I read Psalm 91, I read a promise that when we are in battle we are not alone.  God is with us and will give us what we need for the battle at hand.  We are not supposed to deliberately put ourselves in harms way just so God will rescue us.

Satan’s third attempt actually makes me chuckle.  In Matthew 4:8-9, Satan says that if Jesus will worship him, all the kingdoms of the world will be His, meaning Jesus.  That is like telling the President if he will worship Satan, he’ll get to fly around in Air Force One. Umm, he already gets to do that.  No bowing required.  The kingdoms of the world already belong to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Because of sin and free will, there is a lot of mess on planet earth, and Satan does a lot of running amok.  It seems like the evil one is in charge.  But here again, our current existence is one piece of the puzzle.  Someone told me once that Satan only has as much freedom as his leash allows.  Ultimately, all things–including Satan– are under the feet of Jesus.

Maybe Satan would have a little less freedom to run amok if we kept that in  mind.  And, if we would spend time studying the entire counsel of God’s Word, when someone dangled a little snippet in front of us we would recognize something doesn’t quite fit and would not be led astray.  Its interesting, the more I study the Bible the more I realize how little I understand, and therefore the more I realize how important it is to study under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  If someone –including me–says “thus sayeth the Lord,” I want to know if the Lord actually sayeth.

God takes the long view

Hey everybody.  Happy February!  The days are getting longer, the temperature is a little warmer, and we’ve got goose poop 24/7.  Spring must be on the way.

We are continuing the E-100 series at church.  A few weeks ago we learned about Joseph.  His story runs from Genesis 37-45.  His Dad, Jacob, favored Joseph over his 10 older brothers.  Joseph knew it, and he could be a little bit of a snot about it sometimes, like little brothers sometimes are.  His bros got sick of it and sold him to a group of nomads, who in turn sold him to Egypt as a slave.  What follows is a series of adventures, some good and some quite unpleasant, that would make for a great movie fitting for Charleton Heston and Ben Kingsley.  The end result, many many years later, is that Joseph was in the right place at the right time to prevent massive starvation during a crippling famine that covers Egypt and the surrounding region.  If Joseph had not been sold as a slave to Egypt, he would not have been there to take the preventive measures in storing massive amounts of food during the time of abundance.  Not only would thousands of Egyptians have died, but so his brothers and all their families.  There would have been no Israelite people after that.  Jesus was a descendant of one of those brothers.  Jesus would never have been born.  Without Jesus, we would all be in a heap of trouble, because there would be no way to atone for our sin.  That is really really bad news.

Raise your hand if you’ve had any adversity in your life.  If you have not raised your hand, God’s blessing to you!  But  maybe you should give it some more thought.  Seriously, I don’t know a single person who hasn’t had some kind of challenge in their life.  We live in a world that is corrupted by sin.  Hello, this is not the Garden of Eden or the Promised Land.  Maybe right now you are in a place where you feel like your whole life has been just one big timeline of trials and tribulations.  Boy have I been there.  Sometimes I want to say to God, Seriously?  This too?  Could you give me a break just this once?

That sermon challenged me to take a step back.  See, because God is infinite, powerful, and all-knowing, and because He is eternal, His perspective on time and humanity’s place in time is different.  I can only see back as far as my memory goes, and I can only guess at the future, even a few minutes from now.  But God can see all the way back to the very beginning, and even before that, and all the way to the end of time, and beyond that, all at once.  Quite frankly that makes my brain hurt a little.  I’m kind of glad my perspective has some limits to it.  Anyway, God can see how my life fits into the grand scheme of the universe, and into His plan for humanity.  My place in history has a purpose.  The mess in my life has purpose, and God promises to use my life for good, ala Romans 8:28.

So if you don’t mind, let me give you an example.  My Dad died when I was just short of 13 years old.  He had been sick for a really long time.  It was awful.  Shortly before his death, a chaplain came to visit him.  Later, my Mom said there was something different about him.  She said something about him resolving questions about God and Jesus and having peace.  At the time I didn’t know what that meant.  But it planted a seed.  A couple years later, I met Jesus at a friend’s youth group, and my life was changed!  If Dad had not been sick, and met Jesus right before he died, I might not have met Jesus.

In my last post, I mentioned some health struggles I have had.  If my Dad had not met Jesus right before he died, I might not have met Jesus, and I would be walking a difficult road without the help of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

A couple years ago, I had major surgery on my shoulder.  I was in an immobilizer for 6 weeks and unable to drive, or grocery shop.  For the first several days I could not even bathe on my own.  However, I had some treasured friends from a Bible study who came to my aid.  I got to see the different parts of the Body in action and gained new appreciation for the family of faith I am a part of.  If Dad had not died, I might not have met Jesus, and would not have met these ladies who became crucial helpers and comforters during my recovery.

One friend gave me a shower chair she had used during her own illness, which she no longer needed. After I was done with it, I tucked it aside “just in case.”  Then one friend who had come to my aid had ankle surgery.  I was able to lend her my chair so she could care for herself with a bad ankle.  Recently, another friend had surgery, and she got to use my chair as well.  If Dad had not died, I might not have met Jesus and would not had met these ladies and they would not have had use of the  shower chair.

Over the years, I have had lots of different doctors of many kinds.  Some know Jesus, some don’t.  Some clearly were unhappy for whatever reason.  I spent a lot of time in rehabilitation and physical therapy, and there were a lot of conversations among the patients and therapists.  Maybe, just maybe a seed was planted and they went searching for answers, for strength, for true joy.

I like to go for walks in a favorite park.   However, I tend to look down at my feet.  I am constantly looking for rocks, sticks, holes that I could trip on which for me could cause significant injury.  The irony is, when I do that sometimes I walk into lamp posts and trees or people.  I also miss out on smiling at passers-by, petting doggies, and catching the beauty of a yellow bird or a butterfly.  Similarly, by focusing too closely on my immediate situation, I miss out on how I fit into God’s beautiful plan, which is all about redemption.

I love being a part of God’s plans.  I love seeing Him move.  Even though it is messy sometimes, it is totally worth it.

So today, I would encourage you to consider your life, your mess.  Prayerfully take a step back and ask God to give you a glimpse of how you fit into the bigger picture.  I pray God would bring comfort and healing, that your head would be uplifted and you might catch a glimpse of a butterfly or two.

Very good.

My church just started a Bible-reading initiative called E-100.  It includes 100 “must read” passages in the Bible that give you a taste of the whole thing.  The sermon each week is from one of the passages from the previous week’s selections.  Sunday, my pastor preached on Genesis 1:24-31.  I am not going to regurgitate the whole thing here.  Just ponder a few things.  However, you can hear the whole sermon by clicking on the First Presbyterian link over on the right.

This passage is about the 6th day of creation.  During the first five days, God made some important stuff like light and water, fish and birds.  Then He said it was good.  On day 6 God made animals.  Then there was a pause, and God pondered with Himself (i.e. Jesus and the Spirit), and decided to make people in God’s image.  He blessed  them.  Then He looked at all He had created and said it was very good.  God did all that creating before sin entered the world. The first people had nothing to worry about–no diseases, no death, no war, no famine.  Then sin came along and messed everything up.  We live with the consequences every day. And here’s where it gets complicated (sin has a way of doing that, complicating things).

Since sin entered the world, how involved has God remained in creation?  Is God still in control?  If so, how much?  Total control, where we are puppets?  Or are we spinning on a big blue and green ball of randomness, with God passively watching us with amusement?  Maybe there is some middle ground?

We Presbyterians have this word we like, sovereignty.  It’s the idea that God is “large and in charge.”  That would be a problem if God were a big bully on a power trip.  Fortunately He is loving and good, among other things.  The Bible, besides being full of mess, is also full of God’s continued interaction and intervention with all He created, including humans.  He did not abandon us to our own devices.  He still loves us even though we  must drive Him absolutely bananas sometimes.  The big blue and green ball we travel on is still under His watchful eye and thoughtful care. I find the combo of loving, good, and in control pretty comforting.

So, God who is loving and good and in control, is also creator.  He created the heavens and the earth and everything in it.  Including people.  Including me.  Sometimes I feel conflicted about that.  Thanks to an as-yet-to-be-determined wacky gene or two, I have some body parts that clearly do not function the way they ought.  My collagen is defective–  that’s the latest theory anyway.  Collagen is found all throughout the body, from your skin to your muscles and all the way to your bones and digestion and circulation.  It’s kind of important, and when it doesn’t work right it causes some major inconveniences.   I won’t go into details here, but basically there are some things I cannot do and I have had to make significant life adjustments.  There is no cure.  Treatment focuses on symptom management, maximizing quality of life, and  minimizing tissue damage.

As genetic anomalies go, I consider myself fortunate.  Any day of the week I’ll take this over, say Cystic Fibrosis or Mitochondrial Disease, both of which can kill you.  But by golly, sometimes I just want a day off.  A day I can unload the dishwasher without having to take a nap afterwards.   A day to go rollerskating with my niece without the risk of ending up in the ER.  A night of sleep that doesn’t start with 6 or more pillows and end with 6 or more ice packs.  It’s painful.  It gets old.  It’s frustrating.

Sometimes I just want to get in God’s face and say, Why did you make me this way?

Because God’s Word says He did make me.  God who is good and loving and in control.  He wasn’t asleep or on vacation. Psalm 139:13 says God knit me together in Mom’s womb.  He was there.

I do not claim to know how that all works.  I don’t know how much freedom sin has to run a-muck in the gene pool.  How involved was God in the knitting together process?  Did God deliberately make sure Mom or Dad passed on the broken-collagen gene to me?  Or did He choose to take the laissez-faire approach and just let nature–or natural selection–take its course?  Could God have protected me from the “bendy gene” and chose not to?  None of those options sound very loving.

There is this other theme in the Bible.  God is all about reconciliation and restoration.  Some folks say the God of the Old Testament seems kind of mean–all those plagues and all.  But I see something else.  From the very first words to the last I see a God who is involved with creation, and mankind.  I love how God speaks to the Patriarchs.  Sometimes He shows up in person, in human form or burning bush, to offer instruction or reassurance.  The Ten Commandments and all those rules about what to sacrifice when and where in what manner are not there because God is high-maintenance.  Among other things, I think they are there to deal with our sin, so that we can still be connected to God.  He  speaks through the prophets to warn people to change their ways, partly because He didn’t want them  to suffer the consequences of disobedience.  Even when they lost their homeland and were carted off to a strange country with strange customs, God was there.  And then God sent Jesus,  the Son of God, and yet fully God.  Completely sinless, He took our sin and paid the penalty, once again so we could be restored.

God was and is lovingly and intimately involved in everything that happens on this big blue spinning ball.  Psalm 139:14 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  He didn’t just throw me together on a whim.  I am not a mistake.  That wacky collagen gene isn’t an oops.  As my pastor said Sunday, God made me and He doesn’t make junk.  There was love and purpose and care involved.  I don’t understand it, but I do my best to trust that He knows what He is doing.

There are people in my life who have had a lot of suffering.  They don’t understand it either.  They are angry at God, or have decided not to believe in God at all, choosing the “spinning blue and green ball of randomness” view instead.  I can’t really blame them. I feel angry about the situation sometimes, and  I have been known to direct that anger at God.  But I can’t bring myself to be angry AT God.  Whatever the details of how and why I was made, snarling at God won’t help matters.  Turning my back on God means walking the road on my own, in my own strength, without my best friend.  To do that now would be unthinkable.  I’d never make it.  I figure if God made me, He understands better than any doctor exactly what is wrong.  He knows better than them how to make it better.  Since He is good and loving, it seems to me He would want to help me, comfort me, strengthen me to walk the road I’m on.  If I am looking for a point to all this messiness, I will find it in Him.  If I am looking for comfort, I will find it in His arms.  If I need strength, I hold His hand.  If I am not sure how to view myself, I can just look in His loving eyes.

In my body, I struggle.  This side of heaven, without God’s miraculous healing, I always will.  However I do not struggle without hope.  I am being renewed, redeemed, and transformed– in my mind, my soul, and my spirit (2 Cor 4:16).  Someday I will dance before God on streets of gold (Revelation 21:21).  I will run and not grow weary (Isaiah 40:31)–  or hurt myself. Today, I am dancing on the inside, dancing to the music my Creator sings over me (see Zephaniah 3:17).  And that  is Very Good.