Lord, teach me. . . .

  It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. –Dr. Seuss   I had to suspend worship services at my church this year. The staff got hit by the nasty virus, and we were unable to hold services on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve !  Hardest decision I ever had to make (even though I didn’t make it alone, and even though it was clearly the loving thing to do). We suspended everything until . . . next year ! We wept. We kicked furniture a little bit. We wept some more. And then we got to work. We recorded a (socially distanced) service, just four of us. My gifted videographer waved his magic wand over everything and added in some amazing clips from previous years’ services. And you know what? It worked. We came together , even at a distance, and made something wonder-filled, to the glory of God. (If you would like to see the finished product, you can go to strongsvilleucc.com  under Worship.) As it turns out, as you pr...

  When the narrator says, “This is a story without surprises,” most of the time, this is not what happens. –Ethan Canin   Thousands of years ago, a young man named Jeremiah found himself in prison. He had been given a word from God Almighty, for the people of Israel, and when he spoke that word, King Zedekiah was displeased and threw him in a cell to silence his voice. You see, the rulers weren’t happy that Jeremiah said God was going to deliver the kingdom into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar. (The irony was, they ended up destroying themselves in an effort to keep from being destroyed.) Into the midst of this unpleasant news and chaos, a new word was spoken, a word offering Hope and Restoration to Judah and Jerusalem. A word promising a new Branch springing up from the Tree of Jesse, the House of David: In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. (Jeremiah 33:15...

  The truth is, you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed. –Eminem   A few years ago, we were returning from a trip Out West. We had flown Southwest, and everything was great—until we almost reached Cleveland. As we approached the airport, circled and began the descent, suddenly the plane pulled up and made another circle. The pilot came on the PA system: Ladies and gentlemen, we have some unexpected turbulence and a serious crosswind. Please remain in your seats. We looked at each other, and really weren’t too concerned—until we made another circle, tried again—and again pulled up. As the pilot updated us, the entire plane fell into utter silence. This was serious—especially when he said we’d try once more—and if we couldn’t land, we would have to fly-- to Wichita. No—not that! On the third pass, our talented crew landed the plane, and a cheer erupted! As we looked out the windows, we saw the flashing red ligh...

  Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going fast; you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. –Eddie Cantor   Remember those books? There was a whole series, new ones added almost every week. Chicken Soup for the Soul. For the Christian Soul. For the Cat Lover’s Soul . And on and on. They became something of a joke, but their initial intention was wonderful: slow down and find those things that nourish you and feed your soul when you are not at your peak. What feeds your soul? What sights or sounds or smells bring fresh hope to your spirit at the end of the day? A child’s beautiful waterfall giggle? The warm fragrance of lavender? Or cinnamon? Vanilla? The gentle rustling of the wind, stirring the leaves from the neighbors’ trees that have found their way to your yard? If we get too busy, dashing from one task straight to the next; if we turn the radio up and blast out catchy pop tunes to drown the day’s challenges; if ...

  In life, you have three choices: Give up; give in; or give it your all. –Charleston Parker   Do you remember James Holzauer? James was a Jeopardy champion who won 33 regular season games and amassed nearly two and a half million dollars in winnings. He was smart, and he was shrewd—but he also had one particular habit that helped him win big. When James would unearth a Daily Double , invariably he would put his hands next to one another and make a pushing motion, announcing that he was going all in . In other words, he was putting everything he had into what happened next. Sometimes, he lost big. But much of the time, he won big. While I don’t think much of Mr. Holzauer being a professional gambler for a living, I can admire the ferociousness with which he approached this game. He understood that life is for the living. We have much to give; why not give it? If we take no chances, we risk winding up at life’s end wondering if we really lived at all! Consider...

  Once you’re halfway home, you know that you can probably get the rest of the way there. –Janis Ian   One of the most difficult things we must learn to do as we grow older is compromise. And one of the most challenging parts of growing in faith can be learning not only to listen—and really hear —but also to be willing to pursue a meaningful, mature dialogue with those whose beliefs differ from our own. Whether the topic is religion or reproductive choice, fracking or fiscal policy, it can be tempting simply to say, “Agree to disagree” and walk away unchanged (and certain we are right). Don’t do it. If you truly desire a deeper relationship with another, take a deep breath and advance the conversation in love. Here are some things you can do to respect one another while stretching yourself: ·         Ask questions—and really listen to the answers. ·         Be patient. Don’t form opinions too quickly. ·       ...

  The beauty and preciousness of life is intimately linked with its fragility and mortality. We can experience that every day—when we take a flower in our hands, when we see a butterfly dance in the air, when we caress a little baby. Fragility and giftedness are both there, and our joy is connected with both." –Henri J. M. Nouwen   In my part of the world, autumn is upon us. The green leaves of summer are turning to brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange. Squirrels are busy, busy, busy gathering nuts and lining their nests for the chilly months ahead. I my closet, the t-shirts once more give way to sweaters. I love this time of year, even as it serves as a harbinger of winter, a reminder that all good things must come to an end. But guess what? In the circle of Life, in God’s perfect time and season, winter will once more give way to spring. A new cycle of rebirth will return, reminding us that every single season brings its own beauty and mystery. Every. ...

  O ur sense of worth, of well-being, even our sanity depends on our remembering. But alas, our sense of worth, our well-being, our sanity also depend on our forgetting. –Joyce Appleby   When my children were little, we watched Sesame Street together. One of my favorite Muppet neighbors was a cowboy named Forgetful Jones. Forgetful Jones was likable enough, always pleasant and polite. The problem as, he couldn’t remember anything ! People were always having to help him remember even simple things. But because they loved him, they did so with patient grace. Some days, I do that pretty well. Some days, when I am talking with someone who has memory issues, I can take a deep breath and repeat myself as many times as necessary and get through the conversation with a smile. Other days . . . my mother would suggest that I forgot to take my patience pill at breakfast. And she would be right. I might be impatient, or even downright mean if I am not careful. And—I often end u...

  Too often we say things like “I’ll get to it” and “tomorrow.” One day there is no tomorrow. –Alex Sheen   There is a wonderful non-profit organization based in northeast Ohio, called, Because I said I would . Sparked by the death of his father in 2012, Alex Sheen reflected on the promises we keep—and the ones we don’t. To paraphrase Alex: we are defined by our promises and our choices. At the heart of Because I Said I would is accountability. Anyone anywhere can request, at no charge, “promise cards” on which to write a specific promise they feel moved to make and keep. Promises have included complimenting someone every day; knitting “chemo caps,” putting away the smartphone during dinner. The person making the promise then gives the card to the person who may be the reason the promise is being made. The recipient then becomes an accountability partner and encourager along the way. So far, Because I Said I would has given out over 2.3 million promise cards across the...

  Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others. –Rosa Parks   Lately, there’s been a man hanging out in a community I drive through on my way to the church. He has four BIG plywood signs, hand-painted, that he props at each corner of a busy intersection. As the light changes from red to green, he crosses back and forth, giving people thumbs up. His message is short:   Trust Jesus.   But every time I see a sign like this, I wonder. How many people have pulled over to talk, and made that heart-changing choice? What would this man do if they did? I wonder.  For me, if I see a billboard advertising something, I want to know more before I decide. I want to call, or go to a website, or look for the product in the store. I guess everyone is just supposed to know , and trust what’s being offered here, no questions asked. But I have a question. In today’s crazy, angry world where Christians argue and bicker with one an...

The Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love till you give it away. –Oscar Hammerstein It’s that time of year when we start to receive  even more  requests from groups like St. Jude Children’s Hospital and National Wildlife Federation, groups whose very existence depends on the generosity of strangers who believe these groups matter. Their actions make a difference. They can change the world. A lot of folks don’t think churches should ever, ever talk about money. That’s the stuff the world cares about. Didn’t Jesus say we cannot serve God and money? He did ( Matthew 6:24 ). But—in context, what Jesus is telling his followers (that’s us) to do is to take the things the world finds valuable and use them for the advancement of Christ’s Reign , rather than for our own personal wealth and glory. During his brief three-year ministry, Jesus spoke about money more than any other single topic. The rich young ruler went away sad after Jesus told him to giv...

Happiness is finding peace with ourselves and ensuring a sound haven for our dreams, and at the same time, acknowledging our nothingness in front of nature’s splendor. –Erik Pevernagie   A mother walks into a room and finds her child rummaging through a drawer, pushing and pulling the contents every which way. What are you looking for? She asks. Quickly slamming the drawer shut, he hides his hands behind his back. Oh, nothing. . . . The wise mother, with a twinkle in her eye, asks: And did you find it? Some days (weeks), this is my life. I have no idea what I am looking for. I toss and turn at night; I search endlessly through articles and passages, certain that whatever it is my soul is seeking, if I just keep looking, I’ll find it. . . . And sure enough. Most days, what my heart is really looking for—is nothing . That space of quiet emptiness, where the mental traffic stops whizzing past at breakneck speed. Where the sound of silence erupts and insists I pay atten...

  Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and in the life to come. –Henri J. M. Nouwen The internet is simultaneously one of the greatest and one of the worst inventions of our time. On the one hand, in the blink of an eye, we can access so much helpful information! It can help us find our way when we are lost, and locate a gas station when the tank is almost empty. We can find answers to important questions—and trivial ones, as well. Amazing! But on the other hand, there’s social media. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram—and more. I have friends in corners of the world that I have never met—and I have had to unfriend people I have known for years, because the casual distance created by the internet seems to give some folks permission ...

  A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love and well-being. –James E. Faust   It happens to everyone, Sometimes it feels like prayer just ain’t happenin’, no matter how badly our heart yearns to pray. Maybe our brains feel all jumbled up, a Word Search where the letters are all scattered every which way. All the news lately may feel like an assault, and this is the result. Maybe our lives are just so busy we haven’t time to think things through the way we’d like. Maybe—maybe we never really thought about what it means to pray, so we have some crazy expectation of ourselves. Truth is, prayer is exactly whatever we believe and expect it to be. And it’s also true that sometimes, we need guidance. Help. This week, I offer you something different. (At first, it might sound like it will take more time than you have to giv...

  There is no one who is insignificant in the purpose of God.  –Alistair Begg   We spend a lot of time talking and wondering about what (or who) God is. In Exodus, for example, God’s own self tells us: The L ORD, the L ORD , compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness; maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness and sin.   But have you ever stopped to recognize and ponder what God is not ? This can be a tough place to wander. After all, from the time we are little, we learn that God is everything . So how can God not be something? John’s epistle, for example, tells us the in God there is no darkness at all; yet within the darkness, we can find God. So to avoid the darkness limits our relationship with God. Confused? Here are some other things God is not :  God is not One who kills children through war, disease or famine. God is not a God of hatred and destruction. Or neglect. Or poverty. Or annihilation....

  Deadlines aren’t bad. They help you organize your time. They help you set priorities. They make you get going when you might not feel like it. –Harvey Mackay   How full is your plate right now? How many things do you absolutely have to get done before bedtime/ tomorrow/ next week?  And how much of that stuff is life-or-death important? Some people don’t feel like they’re doing their job if they’re not really, really busy. All the time. The longer the list, the more successful the world thinks we are. The more we check off, the better we (ought to) sleep at night. Life is short. None of us knows how many days we have left, how many beats our heart will offer before giving out. All those lists of Stuff To Do become pretty irrelevant in light of our own mortality. So what really matters? Here’s what I think: What really matters is how well we have loved. Not how many hands we have shaken or how many books we have read or written. How many people, at the end...

  A seminary student asked to shadow me for two days to see what my life as a pastor was like. At the end, he said, “Oh, my gosh, you’re basically a person for a living.” –Nadia Bolz-Weber   Like so very many professions, people don’t really have much of a handle on what it means to be a pastor. There are still some who think we only work one day a week . . . but not much anymore. I think the reason you might not understand what we do is because, at least sometimes, we don’t understand what we do. Many pastors will tell you: I never, ever saw myself going to seminary or pastoring a church . What was God thinking? Put my name on that list. Some days, I still feel clueless as to how I got here—and yet. And yet the “fit” of my flock and my Call is undeniable. The visible aspects of ministry, beyond Sunday morning worship, are clearly baptisms, marriages and funerals, all those touch points in life where one’s soul is experiencing something but you may not be sure ...

  I have abandoned all particular forms of devotion, all prayer techniques. My only prayer practice is attention. I carry on a habitual, silent and secret conversation with God that fills me with overwhelming joy. –Brother Lawrence   Brother Lawrence was a 17 th century monk whose tiny little book, Practicing the Presence of God , is at once simple and complex. It can also be a life-changing read. Lawrence’s technique, on the surface, seems obvious and simple. He would suggest that instead of trying to “make time for God” in our busy lives (yes, even the 17 th century was busy), simply work at constantly allowing God to be present in your life. Brother Lawrence’s calling was to serve. That meant, in his case, meals, among other things. He would spend hours each day in the kitchen, peeling potatoes and doing dishes. In those ordinary, everyday activities, he would carry on quiet conversations with the Divine, both speaking and listening. He found his heart being draw...

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday. –Napoleon Hill I’m not usually too bad about procrastinating. I usually putter around a bit, but with the understanding that while I putter, I am organizing my To Do List of the mind. Yeah, that’s it. As we prepare for a vacation, for instance, I know we’ll need to pack stuff. I know we need one last trip to the grocery store for road food. (When the kids were little, we always took along a bag of suckies [hard candies] and chewies [soft candies]. That way, no one complained.) And yes, I know eventually, we will need to give the house one last cleaning. I really don’t like coming home to a dirty house. But for now . . . I am content to do just about anything else. I have one more sermon to craft—but before I start that . . . and then, suddenly, it’s Friday. But along the way of my doing other things, I have made time for a walk. And I saw baby bi...

  Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God. –Saint Teresa of Avila   As if the pandemic weren’t challenging enough . . . on top of everything else, the United States Postal Service was also adding to the challenges of everyday life. Mailboxes in neighborhoods were removed. Letters and packages were delayed. Local post offices, in some cases, had reduced staffing as some folks retired but weren’t replaced. Suddenly, mailing a letter might take three days instead of one day. Packages headed for Colorado or Montana suddenly weren’t guaranteed to arrive by the necessary date—even at Christmas! It’s been frustrating, to say the least. Then I had an epiphany. Our postal service has become a microcosm of God’s kingdom way when it comes to answering our prayers. Sometimes, we pray earnestly, and it seems as if almost immediately there is an answer. Even some of those strange prayers, ones that we offered in quivering, uncertain voices, seem to be o...