Not just on Broadway...

"But be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

(Ephesians 5:18b-20)

Music is a big part of my life.  Not that I'm any kind of accomplished musician, but I enjoy playing the guitar from time to time (I'm really just a beginner).  More than that, I love having music in my life.  I keep adding to my various playlists on my iPod, and frequently have it playing in the background.   I also like to sing along with the music (who doesn't, right?).

The apostle Paul would have approved.  In Ephesians 5, he commends us to have a song in our hearts (and on our lips) at all times!  He challenges us to "make melody" in our hearts to God - no matter what is going on in our lives (the good and the bad)!  What a wonderful way to "pray without ceasing."  If prayer is any communication with Go, then singing to the Lord is surely prayer!

So I'll keep singing my way through my days.  I guess it's not just on Broadway where people spontaneously break into song, eh?!

LIGHT in the darkness

"It is you who light my lamp; the LORD, my God, lights up my darkness."

(Psalm 18:28)

When I was in seminary I bought an oil lamp.  It was a ceramic lamp, made by a woman who loved to dance.  In fact, she called these lamps "Dancing Flame Lamps," for when lit, the flamed danced on the specifically designed mouth of the lamp.  This woman held dance retreats in the mountains, and created these lamps so people could carry their lamps through the woods while moving.  It's still one of my favorite objects in my prayer corner.

As I was reading Psalm 18 this morning, I thought about my lamp again.  The psalmist acknowledges that God alone is the one who "lights my lamp... (and) lights up my darkness."  I love the imagery!  We're all lamps.  Every one of us has a uniquely-shaped vessel, created by the Master Potter, created to carry light through the world.  But we can't light ourselves.  We're just the container.  We need the LIGHT of God to come to us, then we carry it with our lives.

Too many people are living without the flame.  It doesn't matter how sturdy, large, or beautiful our lamps look like... if we don't have it lit, we aren't using it the way it was intended!  May I never cease to look to the source of light to light my lamp & shine in my darkness.

We don't have to be "right"...

"We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor."

(Romans 15:1-2)

A few years ago I heard comedian Jeff Allen say that the best piece of advice his father ever gave him about married life was given on the day of his wedding.  His dad said, "Son, when it comes to your wife, you can either be RIGHT or you can be HAPPY.  You can't be both!"  Jokingly, Jeff said, "I've been happy ever since!"

Actually, it's not that far off.  Too often we choose to make sure that others (especially the ones we love most) know that we're "right."  We also do it as Christians.  Too much, I fear.  But in Romans 15, Paul calls us to put up with those around us.  We don't have to insist on our own ways - even when we know we're right!  Why?  Because, says Paul, the ultimate goal is not "being right," but building up one another in love.

What would it mean for us to put first & foremost the building up of our spouse in love?  Or our children?  Or our co-workers, classmates, neighbors?  Or those who irritate & disagree with us all the time?  Everyone?  Maybe God can use those tiny expressions of "loving grace" on our part to reach people in ways that our "being right" wouldn't.

Go figure.

Thinking about THOSE PEOPLE...

Today I was reading through a few chapters of Proverbs, and I came upon a couple of verses that deal with those who... well... aren't living the lives God intends for them... and how we are (or aren't) to respond to them.  I thought I'd post a few for our reflection...

"Make no friends with those given to anger, and do not associate with hotheads, or you may learn their ways and entangle yourself in a snare."  (Proverbs 22:24-25)


"Do not envy the wicked, nor desire to be with them; for their minds devise violence, and their lips talk of mischief." (Proverbs 24:1-2)

"Do not rejoice when your enemies fall and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble, or else the LORD will see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from them."  (Proverbs 24:17-18)


Some personal observations...

• The advice we got as children rings true - be very careful of the friends we choose to spend time with...
• Be content with what we have... don't envy those who seem to "get away with things" in life... even (especially) if they are "prospering"...
• Have a heart of compassion - even for those who irritate/anger/attack you... for that's what God desires!

The ONE thing that matters

"Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery... or murder... or steal... or covet'; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law."

(Romans 13:8-10)

I'm preparing a new sermon series on simplicity & generosity, and I've been thinking a lot about love.  Richard Foster challenges me to live a "simplified" life by focusing back on what Jesus called the (two) greatest commandment(s): Love God & Love Neighbor.  When we get back to the very basics, life becomes simpler and filled with joy.

Paul seems to echo that in Romans 13.  "Love is the fulfilling of the law," he says.  We have a huge book of stories, laws, history and instruction in The Bible.  But it's really not that complicated.  LOVE GOD.  LOVE ONE ANOTHER.  Everything else will fall into place.

Today, I will try to make a conscious decision to act out of love towards everyone I interact with.  (We'll see how it goes.  How about you?)

Connected (whether we know it or not!)

"For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever.  Amen."

(Romans 11:36)

In the 11th chapter of Romans, Paul addresses the issue of God's love and (eventual) inclusion of his Jewish brothers & sisters.  He cautions the new Gentiles (non-Jew) believers not to get too smug, but rather to be thankful for God's grace in their lives and rejoice!  Paul also asserts that God still has a plan for his fellow Jews - even though they may not have come to believe in Jesus.

Paul ends the chapter (and the discussion) with this: "For from him and through him and to him are all things."  This echoes John 1:1 - 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  All things came into being through him."  Jesus is "the Word" in John 1, and "Him" in Romans 11.

Whether people acknowledge or recognize it, everybody and everything has a relationship with Jesus.  Christ has been part of the creation (and sustenance) of all.  It's just that many choose not to return their part of that relationship.  I believe God longs for all of us to be in a relationship with Him... and works to draw us towards Him in love.  Life takes on greater depth, meaning, and purpose when we respond to Him.  The cool thing about Romans 11:36 is that everyone has that opportunity to be connected!

"If that had been too little..."

"Nathan said to David, 'You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed you King over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel & Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more.'"

(2 Samuel 12:7-8)

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Passion... Sex... Adultery... Deception... it's been around since the beginning.  (And unfortunately continues still today.)  In one of the great examples of "moral failure" in all of scripture, we encounter King David and his "Bathsheba incident" from 2 Samuel 11-12.  Allow me to remind you of the key components...

Instead of being with the army (as Kings usually were), David chose to stay home this particular spring.  One afternoon he saw a beautiful woman on her rooftop, bathing.  After finding out she was married to one of his soldiers, he brought her to his palace and had sex with her.  Upon discovering that he'd gotten her pregnant, David brought her husband home from war, and tried to get him to sleep with his wife.  The plan didn't work.  After trying a couple of times, David eventually sent him back to the battlefront with instructions (unbeknownst to him) to have him put in the fiercest fighting area, which, of course, got the guy killed.  After an appropriate time of mourning, David sent for Bathsheba and made her his wife.  Then their child was born.

God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David about his sin, which Nathan did dramatically through a wonderful parable/allegory.  He then reminded David of just a FEW of the blessings God had given him: the crown (as king!), safety from harm (especially when the former king, Saul, tried so hard to kill him!), a fine palace, wives (which David had multiple of!), and a united nation of Israel & Judah (for the first time ever!).  Then Nathan adds something that continues to echo in my soul: "AND IF THAT HAD BEEN TOO LITTLE, I WOULD HAVE ADDED AS MUCH MORE," says the Lord (v.8).

Like many men (& women) before (and after) him, David acted impulsively.  Bathsheba's beauty trumped any moral integrity for David.  For whatever reason, David allowed that moment to run rampant over a lifetime of faithfulness.  Sure, nobody's perfect.  But this was a pretty big "indiscretion": adultery, murder, & deception.  And what gets me is that God said, "If you wanted more, just ask me!  I'd have given you more!"  (I don't think God would have given him Bathsheba, but could have found something else to fulfill the void he was feeling in his life.)

Yah, nobody's perfect, that's for sure.  But we, as humans, have to be responsible for our actions.  We all have choices we make every day in life.  Our call is to make choices that will honor God (and each other).  And if we feel we're "missing something" in life, bring it up to the LORD!  We may not always get what we ask for... sometimes God may just need to give us a new perspective on what we think the problem is... but nevertheless, God is there to help see us through.  We have no right to take from others what is not ours.  Everyone needs to learn that lesson, from Kings down to the rest of us common folk.  (Amen to that!)