Living by Your Own Advice

Living By Your Own Advice

As I enter the afternoon of my life and live in the second half of my fifth decade, I more greatly appreciate the ministry of listening and offering to pray when responding to inquiries for counsel and guidance.  I respect life's mystery and irony which often require me to live by the advice and wisdom I give to other people. 

I suspect you have had the experience of taking a call from a friend or relative in distress.  Their anxiety level is so high that you can feel their sweat despite the geographical distance that separates you.  The torrents of their emotions reverberate like squalling winds and battering waves.  After calming them down and listening attentively to their predicament, you seem to have a perfect answer for their dilemma.  In fact, you believe your insight is so valuable that you cannot resist the egomaniacal temptation to wax eloquent as you share your celestially revealed wisdom.  Little would you know at the time that you would one day have to live by the sage advice that you just gave. 

This sobering reality yields humility as it relates to the wisdom you give freely to other people. Sometimes, we have to live by the words we speak.  "Physician heal thyself." In rural South Carolina where I spent my childhood years, we had a prevalent saying, "Don't dish it out unless you can take it." This folksy saying reminds us to be cautious about waxing eloquent when friends and neighbors experience difficult times.  Life's irony and mystery could easily catapult you in an equivalent set of circumstances.  Are you willing to accept your own medicine? 

In many cases, people in the midst of hard challenges need someone who genuinely listens and cares. There will be plenty of time for sharing enduring truths, practical wisdom and eternal biblical principles. The "ministry of silence and presence" offers divine and human empathy which hurting people need.  When we sit with people in their pain and suffering, we are most Christ-like and thus most wise.  The apostle Paul encourages the church at Rome, "Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice." 

Essentially, it may be best to avoid being one of the friends of Job.  Rather than comforting Job and his wife in their misery, these friends actually compound their agony.  For a lengthy portion of the book, their incessant and sanctimonious exhortations are really sadistic.  Biblical scholars across the ideological spectrum concur that the thousands of words spoken by Job's three friends do not yield anything useful.  Had they been willing to sit quietly with him and patiently wait for divine revelation about his predicament, they would have been God's presence for Job.  Instead, they myopically seek to demonstrate their religious superiority.  Job immortally admonishes them.  "Silence!  Silence! That would be wisdom for you."  

Additional Thoughts on Humility

Additional Thoughts on Humility

"It takes a small man to believe he is too big to complete a small task." That quote captures the dangers of grandiosity fueled by an exaggerated ego.  In polished and informal ways, it is easy to lapse into an "I am Gumby damn it!" way of being in the world.  This disposition belittles other people as a person with this mindset assures himself that other people are beneath him.  In consequence, he concludes menial labor and rudimentary tasks exist for people below his level.

This type of man probably does not associate with "the help." As a store manager, he will not stand at the end of a cashier's line and put groceries in bags.  In an office setting, he refuses to type, stuff envelopes or take mail to the post office.  At home, he displaces all diaper changes onto his wife. Cleaning the toilets and scrubbing the showers are simply out of the question.  Whether at work, in his community or the privacy of his own home, he resolves his high status exempts him from the ancillary tasks of life. 

Parenthetically, my late paternal grandfather, realizing my aspirations for a professional position in an office setting, cautioned me about how I would treat "the help." After childhood summers in the South in which I pulled weeds in tobacco fields, cleaned toilets in fast food restaurants, mopped floors during the graveyard shift and mowed lawns in the sweltering heat of July, I wholeheartedly determined I would obtain a formal education and a commensurate job.  I would wear a coat and tie and walk into an air conditioned office.  Nonetheless, "Granddaddy" advised me "the help" would hear and see things that would be kept from professionals and middle managers.  They would only share this intelligence with people who treat them with respect and dignity.  In my ten years of experience in educational administration, I learned the enduring truth of his timely wisdom for a green adult.  Actually, in an equal number of years in pastoral ministry, I still witness the accuracy of his advice.  It does not cost anyone to be kind and nice to someone else.  It is amazing the insight, assistance and warnings "the help" will give graciously to someone who honors their humanity and labor of love.  Each working man enriches everyone's life.  This simple and straightforward truth reminds us there is very little difference between us.  I could be "the help." One of them could easily assume my place.  It is important to acknowledge the historical and systemic causes that determine who “the help” is and who is not. 

I contrast the political and emerging historical legacies of two recent former Presidents, George W. Bush (Bush 43) and William Jefferson Clinton.  In the former administration, former President Bush refused to meet with survivors of Hurricane Katrina until he was assured the audience would be favorable toward him and provide a potential photo opportunity to relay a positive public relations message about his administration's handling of one of the worst natural disasters in American history. The survivors who traveled to the White House after moving into a trailer home provided as temporary housing by the Federal Emergency Management Administration simply wanted to thank the President for what had been done and share some native New Orleans cuisine with him.  When asked about their intentions and objectives, they clearly stated they did not come with an agenda to criticize President Bush.  Yet, he still would not meet with them until after an aide had met with them first.  Would it have been detrimental to him to have met and ate with them?  Was grilling a few Cajun sausages beneath him? 

In contrast, consider former President Clinton who when he served as Governor of Arkansas in response to his receipt of a letter that had been dictated by an illiterate African-American community leader in one of the poorest and most rural areas of his State visited with this man in his living room. Obviously, he could have sent an aide to record his observations and then draft a memorandum with recommendations.  Instead, then Governor Clinton went himself to assess the inequities as it related to governmental services, utilities and quality of life.  This visit demonstrated an incredible level of respect for the residents of this area.  Although dwelling in humble houses and working-class neighborhoods, they were equal to their fellow citizens who lived in more affluent zip codes.  Moreover, then Governor Clinton's visit forever solidified a mutually respectful rapport between the Clinton political machine and the African-American community continuing beyond his presidency.  

The very divergent portraits of Bush and Clinton illustrate the wisdom of the opening quotation.  A genuine public servant and a true leader look at the people whom he serves and sees himself.  An effective leader is able, versatile and humble enough to accomplish any necessary task to enrich the lives of his followers.  From the use of "twenty dollar" words of formal rhetoric when using a bully pulpit to participating in an Easter egg hunt to building a Habitat for Humanity house, a man of formidable character resists the egomaniacal trap of concluding he stands above any other man.

God's Healing Power

God’s Healing Power

God can redeem any situation!  Regardless of the depth and breath and height and width of any personal adversity and private suffering, if we resist depression and bitterness by humbly seeking divine assistance and guidance, we will experience Almighty God's mysterious and miraculous power.  God redeems our pain and suffering.  He utilizes misfortune and challenge to transform our character.  In Joel 2:20, the Lord reassures His people as they suffer the debilitating hardships of a protracted famine.  "I will repay what the locusts have eaten."

The locusts of time and misfortune appear to consume completely our investments of finances, emotions, talents and other significant resources.  After the loss of a longstanding relationship, it is very hard to move on with your life.  You cannot recoup the time, arguably the most precious commodity in life.  What would you suggest to someone who painstakingly gives eight years of sweat equity to a business that still fails?  Consider an athlete who proverbially puts all of his eggs into one basket with grand dreams of competing professionally.  He ignores his educational opportunities but does not achieve this lifelong goal.  He must start over and rebuild his life toward some other meaningful endeavor.  In all of these scenarios, a person can become a stronger internal individual if he learns from these challenges.  Rather than robbing the foregoing persons of time and resources, these experiences eventually equate with an investment for future dividends.  

Truly, no one knowingly would commit to a circumstance that absorbs an incredible amount of personal and professional resources but results in a vocational setback.  You understandably would seek to avoid this unnecessary detour on the road of life.  As it relates to faith, you expect Almighty God would assist you in avoiding such a wholesale waste of divine gifts and natural abilities He bestows.  If you have ever been on the losing end of unrequited love, you undoubtedly recognize the pain and agony of giving selflessly to a person and relationship that fails to appreciate you let alone reciprocate your feelings and commitment.  Were you to foresee this eventuality, you would cut your losses and proceed to a more worthwhile investment of your time and emotions.  A major frustration is your inability to recoup your time.  Yet, Joel reminds us of God's bold and enduring promise to restore the years that the locusts of confusion, insincerity, indifference and adversity have consumed.

During the time of Joel's ministry in Israel, famines posed perennial threats to the nation's livelihood as a meager harvest could result in the loss of countless lives.  Compounding this ecological fear in good years are swarms of locusts and other pests.  In a recent locust infestation which threatens that year's harvest, Joel sees Almighty God's handiwork as it relates to exhorting the people about genuine spirituality and righteousness.  The incalculable damage the locusts inflict upon the Israelites is due punishment for their sin and transgression against God's holy character and faithful provision.

In the period of history in which Joel lived, the Israelites were heavily dependent upon the land for annual subsistence.  Frighteningly, the land yielded just enough food for survival.  The people could not afford a bad crop.  An insufficient harvest literally meant the potential loss of life.  You can imagine the threat to an average farmer's livelihood.  Conceivably, the nation experiences wholesale anxiety particularly during meals as individuals and families wonder whether they will eat as comfortably in the future.  Thus, a locust infestation practically meant the threat of loss of many lives.  The prophet admonishes the people about their sin and offenses. Arguably, they will receive the just consequences of their choices.  After delivering this righteous judgment, the prophet ends his pronouncement with a word of encouragement.  He empowers them with this enduring verse.  God will restore what the plague of locusts has eaten.  It does not matter how extensive the damage and devastation.  He repays what was loss.  

God's Healing Power - Part Two

God’s Healing Power – Part Two

Several months ago, unexpectedly, I encountered a clergy colleague with whom I served in pastoral ministry in another city.  Theologically, we are first cousins in that he is a Presbyterian and I am Reformed.  At the time we served as pastors in separate churches in this Southern town, I was an American Baptist.  Nonetheless, respectively we were ideally-suited for the churches we served. As most regrettable circumstances evolved in our ministries, we both eventually resigned those pastorates.  He had given three and a half years.  I served nearly eight years.  My colleague faced opposition primarily from five elderly women who sought to punish him because he would not submit to their shifting personal preferences.  Whereas an overwhelming majority of congregants favored his retention as pastor, none of those persons challenged the recalcitrance of those five women. In fact, at his farewell reception, one of those women approached him and said, "We win." In my instance, I resigned after receiving a Memorandum of ultimata from the Board of Deacons and later acquiesced by the Board of Trustees.  These items were unreasonable, unbiblical, unethical and unprincipled.  In fact, the tone and content of the Memorandum were demeaning and belittling.  I absolutely had no intention of adhering to the Memorandum’s demands.  After three months of conversations following my resignation announcement, I left the church as the lay leadership, congregation and I clashed about a current vision and practice of ministry.  Combined, my colleague and I gave nearly a dozen years in two ministry settings in which we would not achieve success regardless of our efforts and dedication. What a colossal waste of time, talent and commitment!  Such a feeling is most understandable.  Who invests that amount of time into a calling or project that seemingly fails?  Knowing then what we know now, neither he nor I would have accepted those calls.  

 
My colleague and I reflected on our time at our previous churches.  We reaffirmed our decisions to leave were indeed best for us as clergy and within our personal lives.  His resignation also resulted in a broken engagement as his former fiancé would not consider living anywhere other than the town where we were.  Joyously, a wedding rehearsal for a close and longstanding friend of his happens to be the occasion upon which our chance reunion occurred.  A new friend with whom he seemed to be very much in love accompanied him on this trip.  They met in his new venue of pastoral ministry.  Actually, he had returned home in many ways.  Utilizing the lessons of his previous experience, he accepted a provisional call which he would not consider making permanent until the new congregation evidenced its desire and commitment to progress toward a new vision of ministry.

Interestingly, neither my colleague nor I violated our ministerial vows.  We were not guilty of any moral, financial, ethical or professional lapses.  Rather, we earnestly preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and emphasized the importance of establishing an intimate and vibrant relationship with Him. Although we knew clergy peers who had committed such personal and professional offenses, none of them had been disciplined by the appropriate adjudicatory within their local congregations or denomination.  Realizing this inexplicable fact actually compounded our grief.  Yet, the Lord Jesus teaches rain falls on the just and unjust alike.  It is difficult to ignore a very immediate and pressing question. "Why does God allow this particular rain shower in my life and ministry?" "If only He guided me away from that regrettable experience, then I would have more time and expertise to spread the gospel of Christ and successfully expand His kingdom on earth." 

As we talked further in anticipation of the wedding rehearsal, we shared where we presently serve in pastoral ministry.  He fortunately returned to a setting he associates with home.  Further, he establishes an arrangement with his new church to ensure they wish to partner with him as the Lord leads.  He was blessed with another woman whom he adored.  Equally, she doted on him and demonstrated unparalleled respect for him.  In response to my inquiry, he genuinely shared his thoughts and feelings about the Lord's gracious healing power.  Similar to the story of Joseph, God uses my colleague's adversity and agony as assets within his new ministerial assignment.  In the end, my colleagues gains more than he loses as a potentially compatible congregation and a most suitable and possible help meet enter his life.

God's Healing Power - Part Three

God’s Healing Power – Part Three

I taught a year each in middle and high schools subsequent to my resignation from my first pastorate. Teaching is the other love of my life.  Each year, my students' test scores were simply amazing.  My middle school students scored on average two grade levels higher than their present grade.  In the first semester, eighty percent (80%) of my high school students obtained proficiency in American history. In the next semester, ninety-nine percent (99%) of my students earned proficiency with twelve percent (12%) of them achieving advanced proficiency.  Those two years between my first and current pastorates enabled an opportunity for me to refine my teaching skills. In weekly Sunday School lessons and Wednesday night Bible classes, I utilize many of the best practices from my two years teaching. 

Moreover, my current pastoral assignment returned me to a place I associate with "home." Prior to accepting my first pastorate, I lived in New York City for thirteen years.  In that time, I became a "New Yorker." Life in the City with its rapid pace and straightforward way of dealing with people makes sense to me.  Little did I imagine the culture shock that awaited me in the South where "Southern hospitality and indirection" mask lying, obfuscation and duplicity.  The wilderness period combining the eight years of my first pastorate and two years teaching was an intense time of recommitment to my core Christian beliefs and personal principles.  

Within a few years of my time the South, I longed and pined for New York City.  Changes in the real estate market and the global economy essentially eliminated any possibility that my family and I could ever live in the City again.  Beyond my wildest imaginations, I experienced the actualization of Ephesians 3:20 in my life and ministry.  This verse offers the bold assurance "God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or imagine.”  Within the deep crevices of our hearts and minds, my wife and I nursed the dream of living in New York City again.  Unbeknownst to us, Almighty God heard these sincere prayers.  He answered them affirmatively by transforming the pain and loss of a failed pastorate into a means of returning us to a place where long-term friends and family live.  Above all, I am now the pastor of a congregation comprising people who individually and collectively desire to grow in their relationships with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   Summarily, in the move back to the City and to another pastoral assignment, the Lord repays everything that the locusts of time, rebellion and indifference had eaten in the previous decade. 

My colleague now serves a church in an area of shifting and growing population.  A large unchurched population surrounds my church.  In both instances, our congregations are poised for incredible and immeasurable growth.  We will expand beyond our expectancy.  Success in these ministerial settings will exceed the possibilities of our previous ministries.  Again, God repays what the locusts have eaten. 

Should you have ever invested yourself in any personal or professional endeavor wherein you conclude you absolutely wasted your time and resources, you can find comfort and healing in Joel's bold declaration.  Leadership guru, John Maxwell, posits the necessity of “failing forward.”  Every experience yields important lessons which will travel with anyone who possesses the humility to learn from a failure.  Actually, a person with willingness to learn from each setback transforms it into a preparatory period rather than a waste of time.  Lessons earned in the school of hard knocks usually prepare a person for greater achievement in future ventures.  This practical truth demonstrates the wisdom of Joel's prophecy.  As disciples live into the fullness of their choices being open and willing to accept failure, they avoid total defeat even if a locust infestation occurs. 

Finally, God's unquestionable faithfulness solidifies Joel's prophecy.  As I write, I glance across a canopy of thirty-one years in which I see clearly God's mysterious and majestic handiwork in my life.  The gospel of Jesus Christ reveals God's enduring ability to recycle pain into purpose.  The crucifixion and resurrection assure us that every failure becomes the seed of good fortune.  The Bible consistently reiterates the truth of God's faithfulness.  Jeremiah comforts the exiles by reminding them that His steadfast love never ceases and His tender mercies never come to an end.  They are as new and unique as each morning's dawn.  When our failures are personal and moral, the great apostle of love, John, encourages the young disciples in the beloved community with the assurance that God faithfully forgives sin when we genuinely confess.  Moreover, He purifies us from all unrighteousness by removing any character defects that impede our ability to relate rightly to God's holiness.  Simply stated, the apostle Paul tells the Corinthian church "God is faithful." This divine attribute fulfils the biblical promise that the Lord will repay what the locusts have eaten. 

The Mark 4 Storm

The Mark 4 Storm

In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus directs His disciples to leave and go to the other side of the lake.  Sometimes, God simply sends us to unfamiliar places.  We may not know where we are going.  Moreover, we may not know a storm is brewing.  God leads us in the direction of storms to fulfill His purpose.

Suddenly and inexplicably, “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.”  Note the intense danger in which the disciples found themselves!  What a storm!  Imminent destruction and death looms.  Matthew’s account of this story adds, “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.”  Luke’s version says, “They were in great danger.”  Inexplicably, this storm arises!  Storms in our lives erupt just as quickly.  God allows them so we might see His provision.

Where was Jesus while the storm brews?  “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.”  God is always present.  But, “The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown!”  Hear the desperate cry of experienced fishermen who knew that lake.  Martin Buber posits life’s circumstances eclipse God.  Storms appear more powerful than God.  The disciples call upon the Lord because they know He is their only hope.  Ironically, God appears to be asleep.  Yet, the Psalmist insists it is impossible for God to sleep.  “He will not let your foot slip.  He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:3)  “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet!  Be Still!’  Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”  The same God who allows the storm also calms it. 

“He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”  A pervasive fear of death plagues humankind.  Fear is the greatest burden in life.  Any circumstance creates fear within us.  It is the curse of Eden.  In desperation, we ask God, “Don’t you care that I am drowning in this storm?”  God reverses the question.  He asks, “When will you finally believe and trust Me?”  Why are you always afraid?  “Do you still have no faith?  Faith, a genuine reliance upon Almighty God’s faithfulness, eradicates fear.  An unequivocal trust in God’s love and word eliminates daily anxiety.  Faith is the antidote to fear.  Faith emerges when we trust God while waves batter the boat, lightning flashes, and thunder rolls.

“Do you still have no faith?”  Periodically, God allows storms to determine whether we have faith. Faith is fundamentally experiential and practical.  It is trusting God while taking the next right step.  “The spiritual life is not a theory.”    You can read countless volumes of theology and know very little about the Lord.  You can attend church every Sunday and never know the Lord.    Simply stated, faith, a genuine reliance upon the goodness of Almighty God in all circumstances, yields peace in the midst of storms.  

The Mark 4 Storm

The Mark 4 Storm

In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus directs His disciples to leave and go to the other side of the lake.  Sometimes, God simply sends us to unfamiliar places.  We may not know where we are going.  Moreover, we may not know a storm is brewing.  God leads us in the direction of storms to fulfill His purpose.

Suddenly and inexplicably, “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.”  Note the intense danger in which the disciples found themselves!  What a storm!  Imminent destruction and death looms.  Matthew’s account of this story adds, “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.”  Luke’s version says, “They were in great danger.”  Inexplicably, this storm arises!  Storms in our lives erupt just as quickly.  God allows them so we might see His provision.

Where was Jesus while the storm brews?  “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.”  God is always present.  But, “The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown!”  Hear the desperate cry of experienced fishermen who knew that lake.  Martin Buber posits life’s circumstances eclipse God.  Storms appear more powerful than God.  The disciples call upon the Lord because they know He is their only hope.  Ironically, God appears to be asleep.  Yet, the Psalmist insists it is impossible for God to sleep.  “He will not let your foot slip.  He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:3)  “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet!  Be Still!’  Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”  The same God who allows the storm also calms it. 

“He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”  A pervasive fear of death plagues humankind.  Fear is the greatest burden in life.  Any circumstance creates fear within us.  It is the curse of Eden.  In desperation, we ask God, “Don’t you care that I am drowning in this storm?”  God reverses the question.  He asks, “When will you finally believe and trust Me?”  Why are you always afraid?  “Do you still have no faith?  Faith, a genuine reliance upon Almighty God’s faithfulness, eradicates fear.  An unequivocal trust in God’s love and word eliminates daily anxiety.  Faith is the antidote to fear.  Faith emerges when we trust God while waves batter the boat, lightning flashes, and thunder rolls.

“Do you still have no faith?”  Periodically, God allows storms to determine whether we have faith. Faith is fundamentally experiential and practical.  It is trusting God while taking the next right step.  “The spiritual life is not a theory.”    You can read countless volumes of theology and know very little about the Lord.  You can attend church every Sunday and never know the Lord.    Simply stated, faith, a genuine reliance upon the goodness of Almighty God in all circumstances, yields peace in the midst of storms.  

Let God Surprise You!

“To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal? says the Holy One” Often the intensity of life’s circumstances skew our view of God.  Lingering problems create doubt about the Lord’s ability to resolve our challenges.  In Greek, doubt means literally to possess two minds.  The left one greatly questions the Lord’s power to conquer our enemies.  In contrast, the right one remains steadfast that “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or imagine.”  Which mind wins this battle?  The Lord asks, “Do I really have an equal?”

Despite the breadth and depth of adversity, the Lord encourages us to lift our sight to the heavens.  He suggests we ask, “Who created all these?”  We conclude the One with “great power and mighty strength” to hang more than one billion stars in their right places with separate solar systems and galaxies undoubtedly possesses the ability to handle our dilemmas. 

Faithlessness and cynicism emerge as an erroneous perception of the Lord.  In classical theological terms, God has four distinct and necessary characteristics.  He is all-powerful, all kind, all knowing and ever-present.  If God lacks any of these qualities, He is not the Sovereign of the universe.  Moreover, our skepticism justifies this misfortune as it limits His willingness and power.

Also, doubt and pessimism produce constant complaining.  Faith and grumbling cannot coexist just as light and darkness cannot simultaneously occupy the same space.  Accordingly, in Isaiah 40:27 the prophet asks the exiles, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God?”  Pity parties rarely lead to faith.  Although bleakness often obscures Almighty God’s presence, He remains interested in our intricate affairs.  However, if we persist in “moaning and groaning,” we will be unable to feel His presence and see His gracious and mighty deeds.

The prophet strongly recommends each exile recall stories they heard from their forebears about past mighty deeds of Almighty God.  Do you know the Lord of the universe who graciously makes an everlasting covenant with your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?”  In Isaiah 40:28 the prophet declares the Lord who made the “ends of the earth” does not grow tired nor does He become weary.  In fact, His modus operandi is mysterious and majestic; we cannot comprehend it.  Accordingly, we let Him surprise us.

In ways we least expect, God grants comfort as well as assurance of His abiding love and sustaining presence.  After analyzing problems, we quickly determine a “reasonable” solution.  We anticipate God’s response to correlate with our personal desires.  I once heard a great saying, “An expectation is a premeditated resentment.”  When we insist God acts in accordance with our personal preferences certain way and He does not, resentment rises to the point of skepticism.  Doubt eventually erodes our faith.

In Isaiah 40:29, the prophet recalls the divine promise of provision.  “He giveth power to the faint and to them that have mo might He increaseth strength.”  Should circumstances cause us to faint, God resuscitates us.  When we exhaust mental, spiritual and physical resources, we ideally receive the Lord’s power.  Our weakness transforms us into open vessels to receive the Lord’s strength.

Mt. Moriah Reflections and Meditations

Mt. Moriah Reflections and Meditations

Periodically, God utilizes life’s circumstances to remind us of the first and second commandments.  “You shall have no other gods before me.  You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, …” (Exodus 20:3-5) God insists He is the number one priority in our lives.  His holy jealousy does not allow anyone or anything to displace Him in our affections and allegiances.

God’s test of Abraham in Genesis 22 vividly depicts this divine command.  After proving His faithfulness through the birth of Isaac, God requires Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah.  Perhaps, Abraham’s love for his son, Isaac, began to supersede Abraham’s love of God.  To ascertain the depth of Abraham’s love, God instructs Abraham to travel three days and three nights to Mt. Moriah.  Unequivocally, Abraham must demonstrate his love for Almighty God by sacrificing his son, Isaac, whom Abraham had waited for one hundred years.  To fulfill his providential role as the “knight of faith” and “father of many nations,” Abraham unquestionably devotes himself to the Lord. 

In Isaac, Abraham finally has an heir.  You can only imagine his excitement!  Abraham’s love for Isaac probably totally consumes his human heart.  It might surpass his love for Sarah.  However, if it exceeds Abraham’s love for God, it is problematic.  Although Abraham lives four hundred years before the Law is written, his experience of God necessitates he abides by the spirit of the previous commandments.  No one and nothing usurps the Lord.

As a consequence, Abraham travels to Mt. Moriah and demonstrates his undying love for God by offering his most prized earthly possession, Isaac.  Amazingly, Abraham does not question the Lord.  He incredibly renounces disobedience and recalcitrance lurking within his mind and heart.  Abraham shows his unconditional love for God.  Abraham prepares a sacrifice and obeys unto the point of lifting a knife to slay Isaac.  Then, the Lord intervenes and blesses Abraham because he does not withhold Isaac. 

Like Abraham, we occasionally journey to Mt. Moriah and offer our “Isaac” on the altar of holiness and divine love.  Is there anything we desire so greatly we disregard the will of God to obtain it?  Our love for others and devotion to causes cannot exceed our love for God.  Each desire of our hearts belongs on the altar of Mr. Moriah.  If we fall in love and discover true happiness, we put our love on the altar.  All prized possessions (talents, degrees, titles, social status, etc,) also belong on the altar of God’s countenance.  Every desire undergoes the test of determining whether it coheres with God’s “good, pleasing and perfect” will.  When God’s will does not correlate with our desires, we accept His will is best.  Often, we will not understand His will.  We feel God has made a mistake.  We want Him to bend His purposes to meet our wishes.  Yet, we trust Almighty God without reservation. 

I suspect God would have allowed Abraham’s disobedience.  Had Abraham not loved God enough to pass this test, he would have an average life with his wife and son.  We would never know about him.  God would find someone else whose love for God is unconditional.  Similarly, if we fail to love God with our whole hearts, we will miss His will for our lives.  The enduring truth of Genesis 22 confirms the test of loving God with our whole beings always provides “a ram in the bush.”  God’s will always yields something far greater than we imagine. 

An Authentic Apology - Part One

An Authentic Apology

One Friday night, I was struck with a bout of insomnia.  After having watched a C-SPAN recording of the funeral of U. S. Senator who had recently died unexpectedly in a plane crash while on vacation, I stumbled upon a listing of noted apologies officially offered by members of Congress.  For the next couple of hours, I entered an experiential classroom as I assumed the dissonance of an anthropologist.  I meticulously studied the length, approach, components, and mannerisms of each apology.  As a pastor, I gleaned some helpful insights as it relates to the spiritual principle of giving and receiving forgiveness.  A person seeking to emulate Christ's character needs willingness, genuineness and interpersonal skills in graciously practicing this spiritual discipline. 

First, I observed the briefest apologies seem more sincere.  The speakers simply stated the facts and immediately assumed responsibility for their actions.  Their words were profound because they were simplistic and straightforward.  I noted the absence of adjectives and adverbs.  There were hardly any clauses or conditions.  The speakers did not attempt to explain away their behavior.  Also, they did not juxtapose what they said or did with the actions of other people.  They forthrightly acknowledged the pain they caused.  They expressed sincerity in their heartfelt regret for the emotional and possibly financial harm they inflicted upon other people.   In listening to two speakers in particular, I reasoned I could accept their apologies as they were not formulaic but genuine.

A former Congresswoman from the Atlanta area caused a national uproar a few years ago.  She vociferously complained about being the victim of racial discrimination when a member of the Capitol Hill police force stopped her upon entering the floor of the U. S. House of Representatives. Although she failed to put her legislative identification lapel on her clothing, she proceeded to the House chamber.  Accordingly, he stopped her and would not listen to her insistence of being a Member of Congress.  Being an African-American woman, this former Congresswoman determined her race and gender explained the police officer's actions.  Quite possibly, the man is a racist who would not have subjected a White member of Congress, male or female, to the same scrutiny.  Equally plausible, he adheres unwaveringly to protocol and procedures.  Anyone without the official lapel or other identification would have been handled in the same manner.  Simply put, this man was simply doing his job. 

As this ordeal escalated in the subsequent weeks, many people who knew little if any actual details began to formulate hard assessments about the incident and participants.  Some media personalities from the breath of the ideological spectrum depicted the Congresswoman as small minded and short-sighted emphasizing "the bigness of small things." Members of her political party posited a personal incident had spiraled out of control.  It was now commanding precious time and resources needed for more important public policy issues.  As she would not receive sound counsel from colleague and constituents, this Congresswoman was forced ultimately to offer an apology on the floor of the House.  Surrounded by leaders of her party on live cable television, she briefly and humbly apologized; accepting her role in unnecessarily escalating the situation.

In retrospect, this Congresswoman probably concluded she should have responded differently.  One imagines the officer proffered an apology once he more fully understood his error.  Why didn't it suffice?  Did an exaggerated or perhaps an emaciated ego create a political and personal embarrassment?  Nonetheless, the pinnacle of self-righteousness soon gave way to a valley of humiliation where she had to apologize to her colleagues and residents of her congressional district.

A second political apology involved the then chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.  In what was characterized as an unprincipled partisan ploy, this influential member of Congress called the Capitol Hill Police on colleagues of the opposite party.  Initially, he asserted his right to do so to restore order in a Committee hearing that dissolved into chaos.  The rules of the House stipulate the Sergeant at Arms’ prerogative to handle any disruption.  The Chairman summons the Sergeant.  As he attributes the chaos to colleagues who ideologically opposes his views, the Chairman seeks to quiet and punish them.  Not surprisingly, his colleagues in both parties resoundingly condemn his actions as excessive and disrespectful.  None of them witness any actions deserving such an extreme response as to summon law enforcement to a standard congressional hearing.  This unthinkable offense unquestionably warrants an apology. 

An Authentic Apology - Part Two

An Authentic Apology – Part Two

With considerable contrition accompanied by stinging and sincere tears, this tall, statuesque and burly man stands in the well of the House floor to apologize.  He consumes eight of the ten minutes given by the Speaker.  The Chairman begins with specifying the circumstances that lead to his erroneous decision.  He then hastens to acknowledge the depth of the offense and harm he inflicted upon his fellow members of Congress.  He explains the origins of his principles and passion to be grounded in his childhood.  Yet, he soberly realizes that beliefs and emotions do not justify excesses at the expense of other persons' dignity.  He affirms his right to maintain order in a hearing.  But, that privilege does not offer a license to exceed one's authority.  With a tear drenched face and cracking voice, he asks his colleagues to forgive his insult.  Further, he expresses sincere remorse for the incident.  He completes his apology by pledging not to repeat the mistake while making a concerted effort to develop personally.  His genuineness results in a standing ovation from members belonging to both parties. 

I then found two of the most inane, arrogant and self-serving apologies I have ever heard.  First, a former Congressman from Ohio was headed to prison after recent convictions of multiple counts of fraud, racketeering and other abuses of official position.  Instead of apologizing, he proceeds at length in excess of an hour and a half to justify himself.  Without a doubt, he excoriates anyone and everyone whom he blames for his predicament.  This man steadfastly rants for ninety minutes in the most self-aggrandizing manner.

In addition to the Ohio congressman, another Member of Congress from California gave an apology that approximated two hours in length.  This apology was a bellicose diatribe. Not once did this congressman take any responsibility for anything he said or did notwithstanding multiple counts of a criminal indictment and an ethics investigation.  

There were a few common characteristics in the genuine apologies I watched.  In addition to their brevity, they were sincere in words, tone and demeanor.  Word usage was simplistic and thus more significant.  As a consequence, these apologies were not difficult to accept.  Acknowledging the pain of people who were harmed is vital to accomplishing healing.  A genuine apology eventuates in restoration of relationships.  When apologies are extended in good faith, the possibility of reconciliation exists.  In many instances, friendships and work relationships are stronger. 

The apologies which are difficult to accept were long and defensive.  The persons offering them spend time splitting hairs about facts.  Speakers are angry and resentful.  They insist they are misinterpreted.  Their spiteful attitude depicts them as defensive, self-serving and belligerent people who absolutely refuse to recognize any harm they cause.  These people totally blame others and assume no responsibility for their actions.   

The apology from the California Congressman who served as chairperson of The Ways and Means Committee includes the essential elements of a genuine apology.  He is succinct. He briefly details the essential facts.  He accepts his role in creating the disturbance.  Further, he assumes responsibility for the unnecessary pain he caused his congressional colleagues.  With genuine tears, he describes his character and his best intentions.  In so doing, he resists the natural tendency towards self-justification. His adherence to his principles however steadfast and correct cannot justify disrespect of other people who think differently.  Essentially, this congressman learns he must consider the emotional, practical and relational impact of his actions. 

The Bible contains many stories relating to apologies and forgiveness.  The father's forgiveness of the prodigal son demonstrates the spiritual maxim that love is the foundation of forgiveness.  In this story, the son returns home with requisite humility after squandering his money and totally debasing himself.  He genuinely apologizes to the father for his disrespect, wasting the family's resources and bringing disrepute upon Almighty God and them.  The son's apology conforms to the foregoing structure and elements of a sincere apology.  Brevity is primary.  Mention only the essential facts. The distance of time and differing interpretations about sequence of details relegates parsing facts as futile. Straightforwardly recognize any pain suffered by anyone. State a sincere intention to correct harmful actions.  Pledge to grow personally and develop spiritually by making adjustments in character.  Luke records this enduringly compelling story to remind disciples to cultivate Christ's character as it relates to humility, consideration, compassion and love. 

As it pertains to practical application of these spiritual principles, conceivably a man may find a former girlfriend and offer a genuine apology for growing up at her expense.  He could acknowledge he trampled upon her feelings and personhood.  He sincerely recognizes her investment of time, money and commitment to a person and relationship that would not reciprocate her feelings and hope.  He pledges to correct this fundamental character defect by respecting all other women.  He undertakes a lifelong process of acquiring spiritual principles and moral practices that enable him to commit faithfully in love. 

Humility in Everyday Life - Part One

Humility in Everyday Life

A few years ago, I participated in a clergy continuing education colloquium, the New York Sabbatical Institute, with pastoral colleagues throughout the nation.  We gathered quarterly over the course of three years to learn best professional practices.  “As iron sharpens iron,” we exchanged ideas, learning from each other’s mistakes and discussing possibilities for church growth.  We considered myriad means for success and excellence in ministry.  As a major component of our plenary sessions, we were led in formal Bible study by a Rabbi who had considerable professional achievement and personal respect within interfaith dialogue.  This national gathering of clergy was ecumenical as it included at least fifteen different Christian denominations.  Lecturers, staff and other participants included Protestants and Roman Catholics.  Impressively, this Rabbi captures the attention of this diverse group of ambitious pastors with monumental visions for their ministries.

One morning, when teaching on the nineteenth chapter of 1 Kings and Elijah's formidable ego, the rabbi shared a personal story about the likelihood of clergy egos to expand unnecessarily when doing God's work.  As he tells the story, he returned to New York City after attending high level conversations in Israel amongst the myriad branches of contemporary Judaism, the Israeli-Palestinian controversy, the Israeli and Arab cultural and political dissonance and Jewish and Catholic dialogue at the Vatican.  Upon turning the key, unlocking the door and entering his apartment, his wife greets him by saying "I need you to take the trash out." Without having a chance to savor the recent professional summits he ascended, this spousal and familial request careened him back into reality.  More significantly, it reminded him of the daily need for humility regardless of the heights of one's vocation.  

A Hollywood celebrity shares advice he received from a mentor about handling success and fame. This wisdom was given to help the protégé enjoy long-term wealth and happiness with purpose, joy and peace.  This rising star accepts these three activities as a foundation for maintaining humility each day.  First, always take out the trash.  Second, buy your groceries.  Third, pick up your own dry cleaning.  Average people cannot avoid these daily activities by paying someone else to perform them.  As a person of notoriety and financial means complete these tasks, he appreciates his commonality with average persons who may directly or indirectly supply his lifestyle. 

Mundane tasks in life keep leaders within the pull of gravity.  Another leader jokingly shares how his mother begins their phone conversations by asking "Are your feet on the ground?  I can't talk with you unless your feet are on the ground.  I don’t talk with people whose feet are not on the ground." The celebrity's mentor's advice and this leader's mother's wisdom combine to exhort people with superlative achievements in the arts, entertainment, education, politics and other walks of life to remain in touch with the daily challenges and existence of people whom they serve.

Taking out the trash in New York City is a ritual which may require as many as seven containers to avoid a citation from the Department of Sanitation.   Recycling is the law; it is not an option.  However, a rigid protocol exists as it relates to how you eliminate waste.  Newspapers, magazines and similar items are to be bundled together separate from card board boxes for pizza, paper towel rolls, and other dry goods.  Glass is packaged in its own clear bag.  Plastic which appears to have as many definitions as the millions of people recycling also require separate packing?  Incredibly, milk cartons and similar pieces must be put in a different clear bag.  Not surprisingly, the time and energy it consumes to discard the trash on a weekly basis is a most reliable ego-deflating experience.  The teaching Rabbi for the New York Sabbatical Institute after meeting with the Pope and other major international religious leaders directly experienced this spiritual discipline.  It is most interesting to think of taking out the garbage as a necessary spiritual discipline for clergy and celebrities.

Humility in Everyday Life - Part Two

Humility in Everyday Life – Part Two

Humility is the absolute opposite of grandiosity.  Possibly, people who fail to cultivate this personal attribute live as "egomaniacs with inferiority complexes." Leaders in any profession fall prey to demanding outward displays of their status.  Name plates, reserved parking spaces, corner offices and box seats in the theatre, opera house and professional athletic events combine to bestow the accoutrements of leadership.  Without question, these external fringe benefits cannot supply leaders with vision, confidence and ability.  If a leader questions himself at his core, he does not possess humility.  His uncertainty equals the unquestionable certitude of a colleague who knows everything and remains unreachable refusing to learn anything new.  In the former instance, the leader resembles Dickens' Uriah Heep in David Copperfield.  Heep constantly describes himself as a perpetually humble man.  Actually, Heep suffers with an immeasurable inferiority complex as he resents the "high society" and upper crust people he must serve.  Heep's disdain for them eventuates in moral, ethical and professional failure as he attempts to steal their wealth and property.  A leader of the latter ilk reminds me of a recent U. S. Secretary of Defense who pridefully ignored his administrative peers.  This man left to his personal resolve possibly would have engaged our country in potential nuclear war with a Middle Eastern rival.  Neither type of leader possesses humility. Both kinds have egos that fluctuate between a mountain summit and a deep valley. 

Life's mundane tasks force us to embrace daily living with average people.  Remembering the existential challenges normal people face is critical for any leader or celebrity.  Without remaining in touch with these realities, leaders may become hard hearted and indifferent to people whom they serve.  Chances are in taking out the trash a leader will encounter a homeless person who may be scavenging for food.  What an amazingly vivid picture that humankind has not yet learned how to distribute equitable resources.  Also, you will see people who pilfer everyone's trash to retrieve the recyclable pieces as a source of income.  The complexity of poverty creates a sub job market as these people gather and sell these redeemable items to subsist.  These visual lessons forcibly remind leaders their decisions fundamentally affect people’s practical lives.  Accordingly, leaders through mundane tasks learn to ask a vital question.  "How does this decision, policy or procedure directly affect the people whom I serve?" 

The grocery store is full of interesting, compelling and colorful conversations.  Some people gossip with neighbors and friends.  There are arguments which began as miscommunications but mushroomed into full blown verbal confrontations.  It is personally hurtful to overhear a mother explain to a child that they cannot afford a trinket because they barely have enough money to buy much needed food and dry goods.  It greatly pains me to listen to the hard reality in which many people live.  Seeing the direct poverty in which people live is very hard.  Grocery store conversations depict life's daily fragility for many people.  

If leaders and celebrities never shop for food, they become more and more distant from the hard choices constituents and fans face.  As I write, I recall an episode in which a grocery worker sent on a home delivery looked at the price of a bottle of wine.  Finding the amount unbelievable, he questioned the manager as to its accuracy.  Naturally, the manager reassures the delivery clerk about the correctness of the price.  In turn, the worker responds by stating that a family in his neighborhood would eat for a week for the cost of that bottle of wine. As leaders and celebrities overhear these kinds of conversations, they hopefully maintain focus upon the real purposes of elected office, possibilities of fame and potential to create a more just and equitable society.  The mentor's wise recommendations to his protégé enable him to remain in meaningful contact with average people. 

Humility in Everyday Life - Part Three

Humility in Everyday Life – Part Three

Who can afford an expensive bottle of wine with a price tag that potentially feeds a family for a week in another zip code?  Who can afford orchestra seats at a Broadway show?  Who sits in box seats, protected from the natural elements with wait service for food and drinks, at professional sporting events?  Who resides in public school districts with neighborhood schools that rival any qualitative private school elsewhere?  Is examining personal work ethic, ambitions and determination the only means of justifiably answering these questions?  Are there not systemic origins and causes that explain the vast inequity as it relates to the society’s distributions of resources?  Leaders have a responsibility to govern beyond the theories of text books and pervasive myths regarding the “American dream” and the alleged failure of millions of citizens to pursue it.  Humility reminds leader and celebrities of the incontrovertible fact that they could just as easily be the mother in the aisle of a grocery store telling her child that the family cannot afford an inexpensive trinket because they can barely buy basic necessities of life – food, clothing, shelter, utilities, transportation, healthcare, medicine and education.

In addition to taking out the trash and seeing an underground economy in which recycling may feed families and shopping for groceries with the visual and experiential lesson of the oceanic expanse of income in the United States, the mentors suggests his student always pick up his own dry cleaning.  Poor people rarely go to the dry cleaners.  As a normal practice to avoid this expense which equates with a luxury for them, working class citizens buy clothing that does not require dry cleaning.  Going to the dry cleaners pungently reminds a person of his commonality with average people.  Dirty rings solidify around the collars of even the most expensive shirts.  As everyone sweats, body odor fills the lobby despite the cleaning chemicals or customers’ cologne and perfume.  Regardless of a person's job or social and economic strata, he wants the workers to care especially for his clothes.  

When standing in line, you observe the complexity of many people's lives.  Some workers only use the dry cleaners because their companies reimburse them for uniform upkeep.  Some people have an image they must maintain at all cost. These types of people will bear the expense of dry cleaning their blue jeans.  Nonetheless, were a political leader or Hollywood celebrity to go to the neighbor dry cleaners, he would interact with constituents and fans on a very basic level.  It would be important for him to note who is absent.  There are times when silence and absence speak more loudly than their opposites.  Picking up dry cleaning enables us to see American classism while not a caste system as practiced elsewhere leaves room for a smidgen of social mobility.  The wise sage instructs his mentor to handle this personal chore in order that he maintains constant contact with average citizens.

Genuine humility which emerges when completing the foregoing tasks empowers a person to touch people’s lives in considerable and eloquent ways.  Watching someone doggedly dig through your neighborhood trash for the meager revenue that large plastic bags of recyclables will yield forcibly reminds you of how rudimentary life can be.  Observing the tough choices a mother makes between basic staples and diminishment in the eyes of her child in a grocery store creates a heart of compassion and gratitude as you realize your blessings and privilege.  

Albeit punctuated with trendy designer labels and purchased at flagship department stores, taking your sweaty, musty and wrinkled clothing to the dry cleaners puts you in contact with a certain segment of people.  Mostly, you see middle class professionals whose jobs require they maintain a particular image of prosperity.  Also, you cross paths with working-class people who receive reimbursement for their uniform upkeep.  Chances are you will not see countless minimum wage earners, unemployed or underemployed persons and homeless people.  Leaders and famous people have an obligation to consider everyone as they finalize decisions affecting average people's lives. To ensure they lead with wisdom and purpose, they will need humility to motivate them to imagine how differently their lives could be were they to switch with someone whom they encounter while taking out the trash, buying groceries and picking up dry cleaning. 

Saint Thomas Aquinas simply defines humility as the truth.  Apparently, we are as free as we are honest.  "You are as sick as your secrets." Hidden character defects imprison the person who holds them.  Honesty liberates an individual to enjoy unconditional self-acceptance without the compulsion to explain, defend, excuse or justify himself.  Humility and honesty combine to allow a person to extend the same freedom of self expression to everyone else.  A saying, "Live and Let Live" succinctly captures this dimension of humility.  Life's daily complexity reasonably means everyone suffers from some type of myopia as it relates to knowing and living "Truth." Accordingly, we offer the benefit of the doubt to our fellow members of the human family. Humility stipulates we allow the definitive possibility that we may be wrong as we affirm our distinct worldview arising from our prism of experience.

Days of Profound Gratitude - Thursday, 30 June 2011 - Part VII

Days of Profound Gratitude – Thursday, 30 June 2011 – Part VII

Before the hospital visit concluded, I received a greater blessing of seeing another nephew whom I had not seen in years.  Not surprisingly, I did not recognize him.  He graciously overlooked my obvious failure to acknowledge him.  This nephew anxiously and excitedly told me about his personal development during the intervening years.  To my great delight, he encouraged his cousin, my son, to avoid his mistakes when he learned of my son's maniacal passion for basketball in particular and all sports in general.  My second nephew asked my son, "What about your academic performance?  Sports are fine but you have to have your academics to go places in life.  Don't do what I did.  I am now working toward my education." Delightfully, I encouraged my son to listen to his cousin's words of wisdom acquired from life's school of hard knocks.  Sometimes, a distant relative or stranger's advice penetrates more deeply than a parent's directive.  My nephew's admonition to my son reinforced my position within a longstanding debate about priorities and use of time and resources.

In the mid-afternoon, we left the hospital making two right turns onto Highway 401 which connects Lee and Sumter counties and the two towns of origin of my family.  Mayesville, a village in Lee County, sprawls with soy bean, tobacco, cotton and corn fields.  Littered amongst this expanse of diverse agriculture, farming and livestock, mostly pigs and hogs of myriad breeds, are ranch houses and mobile homes.  Adjectives such as rural, rustic and sleepy adequately describe this ideally Southern and Carolinian setting.  The people, my family and neighbors, who bought and worked this land, refer to it as "the country." As there are not any street lights or any other signs of city living, this local description is rather apropos.

 "The country" holds a repository of experiential knowledge relating to farming, canning, recycling and living off the land.  Back yard gardens fed large families well into the last decade of the twentieth century.  Annual events such as May cucumber harvests, July peanuts, August canning of fruit and vegetables, and September hog slaughtering captured the cycle of interdependence between the people and the land.  Most regrettably, those cultural fixtures have become social, historical and anthropological relics.  The god of twenty-first century science and technology demands their sacrifice.  As a consequence, I could only recite stories from my childhood history.

However, I was able to connect my children with this past by introducing them to my maternal grandmother.  Almost a centenarian, she represents these traditions and cultural mores.  The progression of mental dementia and normal demise of physical health in old age prevents her from sharing any personal history.  Nonetheless, meeting her will remain memorable for my son and daughter.  For me, this introduction equates with a historical magnum opus.  Years will pass including the challenges and rewards of adolescence and early adulthood before my children will appreciate fully the wealth and worth of this visit. 

Additionally, my children met an uncle and two other aunts who regaled them with griot-like stories.  They learned of my maternal family's church, work history and large numbers.  Essentially, they learned a part of their own history.  As a student of history and religion, I am particularly grateful to witness this experiential lesson.  As this day of profound gratitude progressed toward early evening, I continually give thanks to Almighty God for His goodness as the multiple visits heretofore brought healing and inner peace.  My worst fears did not emerge and were not realized.