Relax

Have you ever had a hard time relaxing.  Our bodies and our minds don't come with off switches to suddenly switch us into rest mode.  No, we get into a rhythm and it's hard to just stop.  I know that there are days that I am running full bore from the moment that my feet hit the floor.  At the end of that day, it's hard to impossible to shut it down and relax.  Our bodies and our minds need downtime but we can't just flip a switch.

I think that there is a combination of our modern world and the American culture that makes relaxation difficult.  We are ultra connected.  Through our laptops and phones there is a lot of work that can be done in our off time, so we do it.  Then this sets an expectation to others that this is how it needs to be.

In most countries in the world paid vacation time is required by law, but not so in the USA.  In fact, many employees who do get vacation time, don't take it.  I recently read an article about paternity leave for new fathers.  The article said that even at companies offering it, most men won't take it.

So we live in a world that makes relaxation difficult, and this is just based on the stresssers of life.  No one is trying to harm us.  Soldiers talk about the stress of being in a war zone.  Everything that you do is based on safety and security.  With enemies all around, you can never truly relax,  It's not about meeting a deadline or impressing the boss, it is life and death.

Which brings us to the 23rd Psalm.  In verse 5 it says, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;..." Imagine being surrounded by enemies ready to attack and still having the peace of a family holiday,

Watch this clip from Pastor Lloyd.

Peace during conflict is the promise.  When we have troubles and stresses and ever danger God promises us peace.  It seems like in theses days of constant stress and worry, more of us should take Him up on it.

Stay With The Group

There is safety in numbers.  I went to college at Wayne State University in downtown Detroit.  I always felt that the campus was safe.  I can't say in the years that I was there that I ever personally felt in jeopardy, but still, a little common sense never hurts.  When we were in classes after dark, it was common place to agree on a place where we were all going to park, so that we could all walk back to our cars together.  As one of the guys I can admit that we would act like we were going along with it for the women in class, but I for one felt better in a group.  There is safety in numbers.

The idea that there is safety in numbers is a fundamental idea.  We learn at an early age to stay with the group.  We tell children to hold hands when crossing the street and not to wander off.  But there is more to this idea than being in a group of strangers.  Animals group up on instinct.  The form flocks and herds, but I think that we as humans need more.  We are not only looking for physical safety but emotional security as well.

Now and then we walk through dark days.  In times of trouble we need not only the safety of a group but the security found in someone who is truly close.  Such is the relationship that we have in our relationship with God.  In the 23rd Psalm it talks about our walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.  We have valleys that we walk through and God is with us every step of the way.

Watch this video from Pastor Lloyd.

Throughout the Bible are stories of God being with those who are alone and suffering.  He was with Daniel in the lion's den, with Joseph and Peter in prison and with Stephen while he was being stoned.  And He will be with us as we walk through our valleys as well.

Mine

Some friends had a number of children.  They got a new family pet, a bird.  So the discussion began about what they would name this new pet bird.  It was finally decided that their youngest son, who was four at the time, would name it and they would all go along with whatever he came up with.  The son thought about it and said, "It's Mine."

We are naturally possessive.  We want to own and control things.  Greed is one of the seven deadly sins and the ten commandments say, "Thou shall not covet...".  We need to hold onto the things in this world loosely.  1 Timothy reminds us that we come into this world with nothing and we leave with nothing.  

However, there is another sense in which the word "mine" is a positive thing.  We sometimes use the word not to describe exclusivity but rather responsibility.  When we say, "My community, my school, my team, my event, my ministry, my project, my church" we are saying that we have a personal stake in the outcome.  We assign ourselves the responsibility it.  It has become personal to us.  

Sometimes we use mine to describe something that is very personal.  When we say, "My thoughts, my beliefs, my faith, my dreams..." we are discussing an area that gets close to who we are.  And in that sense they are truly ours.  Not so much exclusive as unique.  

In the 23rd Psalm when David says, "The Lord is my shepherd..." that is what he is getting at.  Our relationship with God is personal and it exists for each of us in a unique way.

Watch this clip from Pastor Lloyd.

At its very foundation Christianity is not about a building, or a set of rules, it is about a relationship with God.  Each of us has our own personal relationship that is all ours.

Borrowing from Tomorrow

In our current financial system credit is easy.  There are so many people who want to lend you money that many of the rates are pretty low.  Some financial advisers even down play the need for a nest egg as you can borrow your way out of an emergency.  From funding our lives to funding the government, credit has become as American as baseball and apple pie.

Our society borrows a lot, but not just money.  We borrow time.  We put off till tomorrow what we won't deal with today.  For years we have been hearing about medicare going bankrupt, our crumbling roads and bridges, environmental problems.  So often the political solution is to kick the can down the road and hope that the problem isn't so bad after all.  This leads to the other commodity that we take on credit, worry.

The Bible tells us not to borrow trouble from tomorrow.  Worry about today because tomorrow will have problems of its own.  There is a difference between planning and worrying.  Planning is about making preparations, worrying on the other hand is concentrating on things that are out of your control as if by force of will you can bend reality around what you want.

Watch this video from Pastor Lloyd.

It's hard to live a life in debt to the future, whether that is financially or spiritually.  Trust in God and let the future tale care of itself.

There in a Jam

Some people are no good in a crisis.  You know who I mean.  They have a melt down, go into panic mode, feint at the sight, they completely lose it.  Everyone else needs to manage the crisis and then manage this person.  Their first reaction is an over reaction.

We see over reactions all around us.  Someone blows their cork over an unintentional slight, being cut off in traffic or lines that are too long.  We hear stories such as parents suing a restaurant because their child was accidentally served an alcoholic drink.  And sure it shouldn't happen, but is it that much worse than the 3000 calories of fried potatoes and bacon wrapped hot dogs that the parents ordered for the kid?  Some of these are not so much injuries as opportunities.  It's like the basketball player that falls to the ground looking for a foul call.  There it was, now where's my reward?

Of course some people really thrive when there is a crisis.  The immediacy of the situation gives them focus and they are  at their best.  Other people are just a comfort.  In times of trials, they are steady and help hold others up.  In 1 Thessalonians, Paul tells the church to "Encourage one another and lift each other up."  or later in that chapter, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  We are called in good times and bad to lift each other and offer encouragement.

And while we are there for each other, God of course is that ultimate support for each of us to lean on even in the most troubling times.

Watch this clip from Pastor Lowell.

God is with us.  Even in the storms.  Especially in the storms.  God is with us.  Now there is a reason to be of good cheer.

Placing the Order

I may have broken my toe.  I whacked it pretty good and boy did it  hurt.  My son was trying not to laugh as I hobbled around and howled in pain.  A little time has passed and it hurts back up in the middle of the foot where the bones go.  I was about to say a prayer to ask for healing, but then I started thinking about it.

My foot hurts and it would be great to get it healed, but my hip hurts too.  I'm a middle aged man and I have my aches and pains.  My one hip aches all of the time.  It would be great if that were healed instead.  Then come to think of it, our finances could use a bit of a boost.  Of course there are people I know with cancer or are struggling with depression, they could use some help.  Oh and there's the measles outbreak, but I guess we already got one miracle to fix that problem, but there is the Middle East and Global Climate Change.  This is turning into quite a list.

I think that too often we approach our prayer life as though we were placing an order.  "Excuse me, I'll have a double blessing with a side of forgiveness and a diet pop."  We treat God like He's the hired help, sending Him out to do our bidding.  

This is really backwards.  We can spend our lives chasing our wants and in the process completely miss what we really need.  In the book of Philippians, Paul writes "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."  He will supply what we need, not a list of what we want.

Watch this clip from Pastor Lowell.

Your sins are forgiven.  That probably wasn't on the top of his list, but it is definitely what he needed.  It's what we all need.  When we pray, rather than giving our list to God, rather than placing our order, we need to say "God, you know me better than I know my self.  Please tell me what I need and please provide that."

Jesus Wept

John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept."  It is part of the story of Lazarus.  Lazarus is sick and by the time Jesus gets there Lazarus is dead.  People are upset, Jesus talks with Mary and Martha (sisters of Lazarus) and Jesus weeps.

I have always found this verse intriguing. For starters, if you have need to memorize a Bible verse, let's face it, this one is pretty easy.  But more importantly, why was Jesus weeping?  Think about it. Jesus knows that Lazarus is going to be raised from the dead.  He knows that there is about to be a celebration.

He could have said, "If you liked the loaves and fishes, If you liked the water into wine, then hold on to your hats folks.  This one is a doozy."  But he didn't say that.  Jesus wept.

I think that the answer is compassion.  Even though he knew that things were going to work out in the end, he felt compassion for those who were grieving now..He suffered along side them, and prepared them as He did.  

Watch this clip from Pastor Sparks.

There is no greater friend than one who walks beside you in the dark times.  Someone who says, "Don't worry, no matter what comes, I will be in this with you."  I think that is what Jesus is doing in this verse.  He empathized with Mary and Martha and he empathizes with us today.  When we go through trials, Jesus still weeps for us.

Never the Same

We are entering the presidential election season.  The election is two years off, but we are quickly moving into the thick of it.  Leadership, confidence, certainty; that's what we are looking for.  What I want is the politicians to tell us about the times they changed their minds.  In political terms, this is suicide, but still, I would like to know.

I would love for them to say, "I used to think that, but now I think this.  And here's why." We live our lives, we have experiences and our lives change.  I am not the same person that I was as a young man.  Some things I take more seriously and others less.  This must also be true for politicians.  If someone says they have gone their whole life with all the notions in their head, they are either lying or very disconnected.

In many ways who we are is a product of the experiences that we have.  We have relationships, some good, some bad.  We have jobs, we take classes, go on trips, learn new skills, get sick, get better and on and on and on.  These experiences shape who we are.  Our attitudes, our opinions, our very faith is shaped in this way.

A father once told me, "Before I had kids people would say to me, 'You're life is going to change.' My response was, 'that's really the point, we want our lives to be different."

Just like the joy of becoming a parent or the exhilaration of completing a goal can change our perspective, so can suffering.  When we pass through the bad times, it gives us the perspective to appreciate the good times to not be bothered by little annoyances and to appreciate the blessings that we do have.

Watch this clip from Pastor Sparks.

Suffering changes our outlook.  It teaches us to depend on God,  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:25

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 

When I was younger, I went rock climbing.  I had the harness and rope and all of the safety gear.  It was a lot of fun.  Then one day it happened, I fell.  I was climbing up a rock face, stretched for a hold that was beyond my grasp and down I went.  But not very far and the rope caught me.  I remember thinking, what do you know, it works.  Until it's tested we never know for sure.

That's how it is with suffering and faith.  The rope holds.