Easter 2015

Flowers bloom, birds sing,
The very voice of nature rings-
He is risen!

The Best Gifts

In October of 1993 the Pastor Search Committee of Towne View Baptist Church traveled to Rome to hear me preach at Garden Lakes Baptist Church. A member of the committee sat behind a young mother  who wrestled with her rambunctious four-year old through the first half of the service before hauling him out to the narthex. At lunch the committee member realized that the Mom was Priscilla and the child in question was Thomas.

Twenty-one years later and Thomas is  a Marine and preparing to get married in May.  Our church family was gracious in planning a shower for Thomas and Allie but unfortunately the Marines planned for Thomas to be in Yuma, Arizona.  Allie read the following letter from Thomas:

Growing up at Towne View was something I took for granted for a long time, but, the more I have been away, the more I have come to appreciate it and the people that make it such a special place.  I can't thank you enough enough for your thoughts and prayers as I have been away more and more lately and especially wish I could be there with you today to thank you for your support of Allie and me and for making her feel a part of the Towne View family.

So many of you have been such wonderful models of how Christ-centered marriages and families can survive and thrive in a world where that is becoming less and less common and that example will always be the best gift you guys could give us.

Thanks, once again, for everything and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Thanks for indulging a proud Papa and a proud Pastor.

Blessed Be the Saints

St. Patrick is gaining a lot of attention this week. March 17 is designated as "St. Patrick's Day", which interestingly, commemorates  not the date of his birth, but rather his death. I'm not so sure how Patrick would feel about the excesses of some of the celebrations over this past weekend!

In many Christian traditions a "saint" is someone who has lived a life "worthy of emulation." In other words, someone who has a set an example worth following. Patrick seemed to have set such an example for the faithful of Ireland through his commitment to evangelism and service- growing out of his calling through a vision to "come and walk among us."

"Sainthood" may seem a a bit foreign for those of us anchored in a more protestant/free-church/baptist tradition.  This understanding is that all believers are saints, "holy ones." We may be more comfortable calling one another "brother" and "sister" but the Bible calls us "saints" (i.e. Romans 8:27,Ephesians 6:8, and Revelation 19:8).

Its is a good thing to acknowledge and celebrate the lives of those who help us see more clearly what it means to follow Jesus- even as they "walk among us."  So this week I am celebrating the lives of some saints... a grandparent, a Sunday School teacher, some youth group leaders, and a college professor... and asking God to help me live into the examples they provided.

We All Want What We Ain't Got

It was shaping-up to be one of "those" rides home.  Traffic was even more challenging than ever- there's something about a soft rain that brings out the crazies. Music- that's what this commute needs- a little music!

I didn't last long on the "christian" station.  I didn't think their jokes were nearly as funny as they did.

I turned to the oldies station- and quickly moved-on when I recognized the song as one of my favorites in high school... on the oldies station!

I tried talk radio for a coupe of minutes... I didn't like what they were saying and, more importantly, didn't like how it was being said.

Come on country music- help me out here! I tuned-in just in time to catch Jake Owen's lament:

We all want what we ain't got, out favorite doors are always locked.
On a higher hill with a taller top, we all want what we ain't got.
We ain't happy where we are, there's greener grass in the neighbor's yard.
A bigger house and a faster car, we ain't happy where we are.

Maybe this should be in the hymnal- an ode to contentment!  Contentment, a thoroughly biblical approach to life that we don't hear much about these days.  Owen's song is set in the context of lost love- I guess the hound dog was still in the bed of the pick-up parked under the pine tree.  Too often we find ourselves unhappy with who we are, what we're doing, what we have... and if we're not careful we can lose it all while looking for something "higher," "taller," "greener," "bigger," or "faster."

Contentment begins with gratitude.  We can start by simply giving thanks to "the Giver of every good and perfect gift." A daily dose of gratitude can calm our restless minds, bring peace to our troubled hearts, and contentment to our abundantly blessed souls.

Putting Christmas Away

Christmas is an exciting time of the year.  There's something about the transformation of space that makes the season a "whole life" experience.

By now most of us have started packing away the ornaments, wreaths, and collectibles that make it "Christmas" in our homes. Multiple trips up to the attic, down to the basement, or off to the dump have removed any evidence of the holiday.  Soon it will look as if Christmas never happened.

Yet, the message of Christmas is that in Christ, God is "with us."  That is a presence and promise that never goes away.

Maybe we should keep one ornament on a shelf to remind us of the beauty of the season.  Or set aside an angel to remind us of the message of the season. Or, maybe a small manger to remind us that though we have put Christmas away, it is always "with us."