Maybe You Really Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

Three days ago, in my quiet morning time, I was reading my local newspaper.  As I got through each section one by one, I found myself on the page with the comics, horror-scopes, and the crossword puzzle.  Briefly I perused Lio (a new favorite) and B.C. (an old favorite).  Yes, I also humored myself by checking out the answers to life's dilemmas for Aquarians.  And then my eyes stopped on the crossword puzzle.

Crosswords remind me of my dad.  When growing up, I remember him working on crosswords.  A lot.  Big ones.  Scary Ones.  Epic ones.  I've tried to do crossword puzzles over the years, but I've never been able to get past roughly 5 Down or 15 across.  Guess the apple fell too far from the tree.  Guess the puppy wasn't paying attention to the adult on how to root out the needed words.  Sigh.

Nonchalantly I look at the first "Across" clue only to realize...hey, I know the answer!  So I looked at the next clue.  I know this one, too.  Must be a fluke.  Onward I read, and to my surprise, I knew the third answer as well.  Three in a row.  Quick!  Go buy a lottery ticket!  Thinking my luck was about to run out, I timidly looked at the "Down" clues.  Whadda ya know, I know these, too.  Onward I proceeded with pencil in hand, filling in box after box with letter after letter, until... I finished.  Oh my gosh!  I actually finished a crossword puzzle with no help.  What a red letter day!  Since Monday, I've done the crossword puzzle everyday, and I've finished every one.  Maybe I actually know more than I thought.  Maybe I'm really lucky.  Maybe they're super easy puzzles.  More than likely it's a combination of all three.

But it got me thinking...it's taken me this long to really work at a crossword puzzle and actually finish one.  Maybe it's not too late to teach an old dog new tricks.  Maybe there's more I'd like to try.  And there is.  I really want to learn how to play the guitar.  Guitar players are cool to me.  And they have cool names like Sean, Jeff, David, and J.C.  I tried to self-teach a few years ago, but that didn't go too well.  But that shouldn't stop me from trying again.  Really trying.  Like...with a teacher, really trying, effort.  Maybe someday.

It's not too late to try something new, learn something new, be someone new.  It's not too late to change an attitude, say "I'm sorry," forgive someone, or go back to school.  Don't let a past failed attempt stop you from trying again.  Don't prejudge your outcome by looking at your current circumstances.  Where would we be if Mr. Edison gave up after the first try, or second, and so on?  Or George Washington Carver?  Or Gandhi?  Or God?  What if God gave up on us when we failed at something?  But God doesn't.  God knows our potential and encourages us.  God always reaches out to us and meets us where we are.  But God loves us too much to leave us where we are.  God believes in us.

It's not too late to work at making a change you've been wanting.  Believe in yourself.  Because when you do, you believe in the One who created you!

Anxiety and the New Guests at Our House

As spring has progressed and the leaves have transformed from just-born light green to a mature hue, and the flowers continue to flower and leaf, there has been a wonderful recent addition to our family.  See...in one corner on the outside of the house, a bird had been persistently building an addition.  Guess he or she didn't think the house was big enough for da both of us!  Day after day, layer after layer, careful construction continued until one day the 'door' to the room was visible.  The guest accommodations are complete, and we now have the Bird Family living with us.  And they have been quite active.  Yesterday, the mama bird was flying in and out all day long as she brought back 'food' for her younglings.  This morning, while doing some reading and studying, I noticed 2 adult birds at the doorway.  I got a little worried because one had its head in the nest as the mama bird landed with more food.  I thought another bird had swooped in to do harm to our babies.  But...turns out that it must have been papa, because he took the food from mama bird's beak and reached into the kid's room.  What an incredible sight!

That got me thinking about something Jesus said about worrying.  Paraphrasing Matthew's Gospel, he states, "Don't worry about the little things in life - food, clothes, cars, boats, stuff.  Life is much more than that.  Consider the Bird Family.  They technically are 'homeless,' yet they know they can build a shelter if needed - for their younglings.  And after they build it and the babies are born, they don't worry about trying to get a table at Cracker Barrel or whether or not their SUV is the latest model.  God knows they're hungry and directs them to the food. God loves all of Creation and takes care of it."

God knows all of creation.  And takes care of us.  And I appreciate that because I tend to worry about things.  Usually small things.  Things that in the grand scheme of things won't add moments to my life.  In fact, they take away from life.  They distract me from what's really important: loving, sharing, giving, participating, reflecting the image of the Creator.  So I'll take a few lessons from the Bird Family today and realize that everything is God's.  I am just a fortunate recipient of grace and lots of gifts.  May I use them appreciatively and wisely.

Until next time...

Transitions

Transitions are part of our lives.  Whether we're transitioning from school to summer vacation, high school into college, college into the work force, singleness into committed relationship (or vice-versa), or work into retirement, just to name a few, we face numerous transitions/metamorphoses/changes throughout our lives.  Some of them, we wholeheartedly welcome; others...well...not so enthusiastically.  Some downright scare us.  Some make us mad or sad.  Some we instigate; others are thrust upon us.  Some are smooth and seamless - often unnoticed.  Some are obvious, and even clunky.  Transitions are everywhere, and they are natural part of the cycle of life.

I think about the transition (for lack of better word) of thought and action for those who directly heard Jesus' messages.  He said he came not to do away with the law, but rather to fulfill the law.  Though he knew, and honored, and respected the Law, he challenged His listeners with his, "But I say unto you..." statements.  His higher and better ways allow us to transition from absolute 'one-ways' to considering all sides of the story and viewing the bigger picture.  Instead of an eye for an eye, Jesus challenges us to turn the other cheek.  Think about it: if we all followed the eye for an eye rule, eventually we'd all be blind.  Jesus knew this.  His suggestion to turn the other cheek is not a sign of weakness or passiveness.  In fact, Jesus' way of thinking and action truly is one of strength, because it is motivated by love.  And not the quiver-in-the-liver kind of love.  But real get-your-hands-dirty, up-close-and-personally involved love.  Love that the Apostle Paul says will bear, believe, hope, and endure.

With the words and actions of Jesus in mind, I think about the upcoming transition in my life.  Suzanne and I are ending one chapter in our lives and beginning another.  We are moving from Hickory to Asheville around the end of June/beginning of July as I will be pastoring a church there.  The transition is full of emotions, and I know that God is calling us to this next chapter in our lives.

God walks with every one of us through our many transitions and cycles of life.  God cares about the details of our lives; I am completely convinced of this!  We humans are such complex beings, yet we are so tiny compared to the planet.  And the planet is tiny compared to the sun; and the sun is tiny compared to the entire universe!  Yet...here we are, facing the beauty and challenges of each day.  We're given opportunities to choose - life or death, blessings or curses, love or hatred, inclusion or exclusion, affirmation or segregation.  God gives us countless opportunities to transition into higher and better ways.  We get to choose whether or not we wish to be transformed - by love.

So Suzanne and I embrace this transition with love.  Oh...I'm sure stress will creep in and try to distract us.  But love that bears, believes, hopes, endures, and transforms us into higher and better ways will always be with us during every transition we encounter.  That, we all can be assured of.  Until next time...

Am I "All In?"

All in.  When I think about the term, and ponder whether or not I am fully committed to my relationship with God, sometimes it's easy for me to say, "Yes.  Of course I am all in!"  After all, I am a pastor.  I have committed to pray, study, teach, lead, and share my life with as many folks as possible.  And I have been so richly blessed along my life's journey.  I have encountered ups, downs, and inbetweens; and people have trusted me to walk with them during their best and worst times.  Together we have seen triumphs and tragedies; we have shared meals, coffee, laughs, and tears.  All in?  Well, yeah...of course I'm all in.

But recently, I got to thinking about some of the "All In" people of the Bible.  People like Abraham and Sarah, Noah, Joseph, Daniel, Mary, and the Disciples.  These folks really were all in.  God asked Abraham if he would leave everything and everybody he knew and was comfortable with, and go.  God didn't tell him where he was going.  God didn't tell Abraham what his life would look like from that point on.  God simply asked Abraham for his trust and participation.

Same with Noah.  "Build a big boat friend, because it's going to rain...A LOT," speaks God.  Noah's anxious response, "Um, okay.  But what's rain?"  God speaks again, "Don't worry, you'll find out."  And find out he did.  Wow!  Again, God didn't tell him how things would turn out or what the details of the journey would look like.  God just asked if Noah was all in or not.

Mary.  Whew!  What can I say about Mary that hasn't already been said.  She's a teen-aged girl and God comes to her and asks if she would be all in.  Mary...thank you!  Thank you for participating in the greatest life-altering, history-changing event the world has seen!  Even though you weren't given all the details and plans in advance, you said yes.  WOW!  Talk about being all in!

Then there's me.  Again, I like to think I'm all in.  But I'm human, like everyone else.  I have my hopes, dreams, fears, doubts, and goals.  And though I seek God to guide and direct me, at times I also box God into my plans for how I think things should look.  In other words, I try to figure God out.  And just when I think I have one tiny part of God figured out, God surprises me.  "Betcha never thought of that one, did you?" asks God.  "Well...I guess not.  Thank you for showing me yet another way of seeing things," I humbly retort.

And that's how I think God is.  God asks us to experience and participate in a relationship.  But, God usually doesn't tell us how things are going to turn out.  And that's a good thing.  Why spoil our life's experiences by telling us exactly what lies around the bend?  Yet, at times because we're human, we get a picture in mind of how we think things will turn out.  That's okay.  We're human.  But we need to be flexible.  And we need to also focus on God and not on the journey, not on the details, not on the plans.  Yes, God wants us to participate, but we can't lose sight of God because we're too busy on the details - even the details of sharing God's love.  Jesus simply said, "Go.  Make disciples.  Baptize.  Love."  How we do these things is up to us, but we still have to keep God at the center of our lives.

All in?  Yeah, I really am.  So I'll remind myself to keep my focus clearly on the one who invites us to, "Come.  Follow me."

Until next time...

The Water of Relationships

During Lent, we at First United Methodist in Hickory have been walking through a "W" series: Waiting, Welcoming, Water, Who, What, and Wow!  This message is the third of the series: Water.  In this message, we discuss Jesus washing the disciples feet.  It's a story that makes me squirm a little because it's a very personal moment between Jesus and the disciples.  And it makes me uncomfortable because Jesus says we should wash others' feet, and, well...that makes me uncomfortable.  I feel like I'm being too up close and personal.  Maybe I don't understand what Jesus is really saying.


Peter, one of the disciples, didn't understand either.  He flip-flops in his attitude between protesting against it and asking Jesus to wash more than just his feet.  What does Jesus really mean?  What does he want for us to do today with this?  Let's dive into the Water of Relationships.

Until next time...

Why didn't I think of this in the first place?

Hello all:

Life's funny sometimes - the way we learn things.  Usually for me, that means in retrospect.  Recently, I wrote that I would post my sermons on my blog so people could go back over them to better digest.  Well...in theory, I guess that's a good idea.  But they get rather long - sorry.  Then it hit me...DUH...get someone to record them and then upload them.  Sorry I haven't thought 21st century for a while.  So as long as I can get people to record the messages, and they turn out okay, I'll go that route.  Plus, now my family can actually see me "on the job."  Hope you enjoy this one from Sunday, February 24, 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eDoTqVsZoQ

Until next time...

I Don't Fit In

There have been times throughout my life where I felt as if I didn't seem to fit in.  Though I tried to squeeze my way into the popular crowd or with the cool kids, I couldn't deny the fact that I was more like the Charlie-in-the-Box from the Island of Misfit Toys than one of the G.I. Joe cool kids.  For some reason(s), I've tended to focus on what's 'wrong' with me or how I differ from others.  When I was a young boy, I wanted to talk about my emotions; my family didn't.  I lived in the country; my friends lived in town.  I lived in a trailer; my friends had houses.  I had short hair; others had long hair.  When I was finally allowed to grow my hair out, I rejoiced.  Finally, I can be cool like all the other guys.  Until nature showed up with other plans - curly hair!

At 17 years old, while my companions were 'living it up,' dating, hanging out, and so forth, I started my relationship with God.  Don't get me wrong, I'm eternally grateful I have God in my life; but at 17, it wasn't exactly the coolest thing to admit.  I didn't hide it, but I didn't push it in peoples' faces either.  Not until 21.  Then I stumbled upon a group of folks who were like me - other misfits on the Island trying to make it through life.  We all started attending a church together, formed a band, and thought we would tour the world with our keytars and mullets (yes...sadly the hair thing doesn't get better at this point). 

During this part of my life, I let others know about my beliefs.  And here's what I encountered: not too many people thought the way I did.  They really weren't interested in hearing about church, or the band's latest sell-out concert of 13 people, or about the condition of their souls.  Once again, Charlie needed to retreat back into his box and wait.  As I continued with this group of friends and church, life happened.  We never toured.  In fact, the bus we bought, the one we thought would launch us into the realm of uber-cool, caught fire one night as we were finishing the customizations to the inside.  Apparently, varnish for wood floors doesn't go well with electrical wiring on a 1958 GM bus.  Who'd a thunk it?!? 

But here's the real kicker - Now that I was Christian and didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the world, my thoughts and beliefs started changing, too.  And now, not only did Charlie not fit in with the rest of the world, Charlie didn't fit in with the Christian world.  Good thing for the Island of Misfit Toys!  I could chill there for a while to regroup.  And regroup I did!  And life continued to happen.  So much so, that I ended up in NC, remarried, a dad, an old student, and now a pastor!  Wow!  I have no idea what Island all this belongs on.  Maybe the Island of Surprise Endings.

And that's what hit me recently while I was reading.  This is a surprise ending.  I never would have guessed that I would be here - at this time and space in my life.  While reading the book Gifted by Otherness, I came across the following.  This is God speaking: "I made the stars and the planets to obey me.  And I made the angels and all the bright spirits to adore me. But you...I made you to surprise me."  Wow!  We were made to surprise God.  And all along I thought God surprised us - which God does.  But the fact the I am here to surprise God suddenly changes the story.  I am a Charlie-in-the-Box on purpose.  I don't have to try to 'fit in' because I already do.  I fit into God's world where all of us reflect God's crazy, creative, and misfit love.  God loves us so much that God visited with us in order to (re)connect with us.  What did we do?  We killed God.  God continues to visit with us.  What do we continue to do?  Kill God.  We kill God when we think we have God figured out, when we try to make God fit into our image instead of the other way around.  We kill God when we don't embrace our Charlie-in-the-Box selves and try to be what everyone else thinks we should be.  We kill God when we love others, but not ourselves.  We kill God when we try to fit a square peg into a chocolate covered potato chip. 

But God, the creator of we Charlie-in-the-boxes, and all toys, loves us as we are.  God took the time to sculpt us into the marvelous beings we are.  God wants us to understand that.  God loves us where we are, but doesn't leave us where we are.  God desires that we (re)connect with God and with each other.  We fit in because God intends for us to be here.  We matter because God spoke, "Light, air, bird, happiness, Charlie-in-the-box, love, amazement." 

So let us take the time during this Advent season (the time leading up to Christmas) to thank our Toy Maker.  Let us embrace who we are.  Let us embrace love - for God, others, and ourselves.  From one Charlie-in-the-Box to another...Merry Christmas!