I've Got A New Beatitude

Our small group continues to examine the power our language has to create or destroy. Last time, we looked at the Ten Commandments. When I posted my translation under the title of "New Ten Commandments," I realized afterwards that this wasn't meant to be new or different. The post was supposed to reflect how I like to live into the Ten Commandments. So, the same goes for this post. This is not a re-write of part of the Beatitudes, but is my attempt to put into my own words what this passage means to me. Jesus' words are often hard to understand, and even harder to put into practice. How do we make sense of statements telling us that we can be happy when we grieve or seem hopeless? 

The Scripture text is Matthew 5.3-11. I'm posting the Common English Bible (CEB) translation, then my own life translation. 

CEB...

Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad.

Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth.

Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.

Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.

Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.

Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children.

Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me.

Here's mine...

When all seems lost, pay attention, because God is close.

If you are grieving, you can be thankful, for it means that you have had love in your life.

If your way is a quiet, gentle wisdom, the whole world will listen to you.

If you passionately and consistently do the right things, you will be fed because you feed others. 

When you offer forgiveness, you will turn an adversary into a ally.

When you live with integrity, people see God's character.

When you seek a higher and better way, chaos subsides.

When someone gives you a hard time for doing what's right, God feels the pain, too.

Sometimes, life will be hard, and people won't understand why you do the things you do. we humans tend to kill the brightest and the best among us. But God believes in us. And God knows that love is the best way. And Jesus showed it to us. 

We are looking at the "salt and light" verses (Matthew 5.13-16) this week.  Until then... 

The "New" Ten Commandments

Our small group is meeting tonight, and we are discussing how important our words are. We have the power to create life and tear life down with our words. We thought we'd look at the Ten Commandments and "rewrite" them - based on positive language. Many of you are familiar with the "Thou Shalt Not" language; we thought it would be interesting to express what we believe. I think many Christians are good at telling people what they're against: don't drink, don't smoke, don't date folks who do. And I believe we need to do a better job of letting people know what we stand for, what we believe. So, this is my stab at the "New" Ten Commandments - written in positive language. I hope you enjoy. 

God made sure these words got out to the people – through YouTube, Twitter, blogs, Facebook, and other conventional and nontraditional means:

Hi, I’m God. I made everything you enjoy: air, water, mountains, good food, laughter, friendship.  I bring you out of the house of forgetfulness when you lose your focus.

Do your best to get to know me, believe me, and trust me.  Make me the biggest part of your life. 

There are a lot of things out there that will try to pull your attention away from me.  But I believe in you; I know you can resist all the bright, shiny things that promise something better than my love.  Stay on guard.  I do; I’m faithful and will continue to look out for you and reach out to you.  Pay attention. 

Use my name as much as you like; but make sure you use it to bring about life.  You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you respect my name, and the names of your neighbors.

Take time for yourself, and for your family and friends.  In fact, I created a day just for you – the Sabbath.  This is a day for you to enjoy yourself, to rest, eat, pray, sleep, worship, watch Netflix, take a walk, or play with your dog.  You get the idea.  I made this day for you.  Enjoy the gift, and help others enjoy this gift, too. 

Family is important to me – no matter how it’s constructed: mom and dad, mom and mom, dad and dad, mom by herself, dad by himself.  Family is important to me.  Whoever you consider your parents to be, remember they’re not perfect.  Love them.  Forgive them.  Help them when they get old.  Do your best to stay connected. 

Encourage each other, cheer for each other, believe in each other.  Give life in all you say and do. 

The love between two people is powerful.  Honor that.  Respect that.  Be humble in its presence.  Learn from it – and each other.  Get through the tough times together.  Laugh together.  Cry together.  Be truthful with each other.  Make loving choices. 

You need less than you think you do to live.  You are blessed in countless ways.  But, try to count them.  You’ll be amazed at how much you truly have. 

Be truthful and respectful in all situations.  Your words have the power to create life.  Remember…mine do. 

Work together in building relationships and community.  Offer yourself, your household, and your gifts to your neighbor.  In turn, they will open themselves, their households, and their gifts to you.  When you do this, you will bring the Kingdom of God to your neighborhood.  

A Balanced Life

The season of Lent is once again upon us. It is the 40-day period prior to Easter that mirrors Jesus' 40-day wilderness journey of fasting and temptation - prior to beginning His earthly ministry. We usually "fast" from something essential or meaningful as a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice. Or, we might add something to our life - like a daily time of prayer and study; or we might add intentional service to others. During Lent, we do spiritual inventories to see what bad habits we need to break, and what good habits we need to (re)establish. We, too, travel into the wilderness of doubt, pain, and struggles.

Recently, I have been studying the Celtic cross, and how it can be a reminder for us to have balance in our lives. The circle in the cross shows the intersection of 4 'quadrants' of the cross - the fusion of all areas in our lives. While I understand the need for balance in life, and the need to both fill up (receive) and pour out (give), for some reason, I'm not completely convinced about a balanced life - at least from an individual standpoint. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be concerned with self-care. It is important for us to take care of ourselves, so that we can care for others. I get it. Yes, even Jesus got hungry, tired, and angry. And he needed to retreat in solitude, at times. But even when he pulled away, there are times where he prayed all night long. That doesn't sound too balanced to me. To me, the cross is a reminder that we are to give all we can - all the time. In fact, the cross tells me that we are to give until it kills us. That's what Jesus did. But, again, it's not about thinking individually; it's about the collective good.

I think the reason we are to give until it kills us is because, for some, life seems to keep taking from them. I have a friend who hangs out with me in the church office when I work. He is very good for my spirit. I've mentioned him before. The world would say he has "special needs," but I say he has special gifts. He has a lot of strikes against him, and so does his family. He lives in a very small house - too small for the 6 people who live there. And all 6 people who live there have multiple issues and concerns: Multiple Sclerosis, heart attacks, strokes, asthma, special needs, and now, I learn my friend, who is so good for my soul, is going blind. This is not a balanced existence. I think, for this family, balance is a luxury - something seemingly incomprehensible. Their life is all about just making it from one moment to the next because of the numerous needs that need to be addressed all the time, every day. I know that there's only so much I can do to help my friend and his family. I'm not called to be The Great Fixer. There's only one with that job title. But I call myself a follower of The Great Fixer. And as a follower, I must imitate the ways of my teacher. And in doing so, I give all I can to help them. I give until it kills my self-pity and self-doubts. I give until it kills my selfishness in self-interests. I can live more simply, so that they can simply live. This is what I think a balanced life is supposed to look like. It might not be balanced for my friend and his family; and it might not be balanced for me. But together we offer balance. And in this, we find God's grace, love, and mercy. Maybe this is the type of balance God intends for us.

What the What?!?!?!

Several weeks ago, there was a scuttlebutt in the news about Starbucks red cups. Personally, I didn't see what the big deal about red cups was all about. I mean, there are plenty of other red cups out there, and no one seemed to mind those red cups. Then, at the end of that same red cup week, the tragic events in Paris unfolded. Hundreds of people died while enjoying a concert.

And this got me thinking about how easy it is for us to get distracted and focus on the wrong things. Why is it that we can become so upset about a company using red cups at Christmastime, but we don't get upset enough to reach across cultural or religious lines to understand each other? Maybe, if we listened to each other, and offered our best selves, our sisters and brothers from Paris would still be with us. Why is it that we get so upset over red cups that we fail to pay attention to the hurts deep inside of people's spirits? Pains that are so intense, that those hurting feel that violence is an "okay" outlet. Have we really allowed ourselves to get too busy, too self-centered, or so full of a feeling of entitlement that we stop caring about human lives? And, when did it become okay for a "Christian" school leader to encourage students to arm themselves and teach "those" people a lesson? All this goes against the teachings of our Rabbi - Jesus.

We are in the season of Advent, a time where we focus upon our faith and pay particular attention to hope, peace, joy, and love.  These aren't luxuries in life; they're necessities.  And Jesus knew this. That's why he took the time to invest in relationships with people. And that's what God calls us to do - spend time with people, so that we can love them. And love isn't always easy; it takes intentional work. Love is about our choices and actions. Love, not fear, not retaliation, not "what's in it for me?" Instead, love is giving without any expectation of getting anything in return. And oftentimes, we learn about hope, peace, joy, and love when we slow down and pay attention. That's what Advent encourages us to do.

So I'll leave you with this... today I am busy finishing up preparations for Christmas - our Christmas Eve service, the upcoming Sunday service, our church's newsletter, wrapping personal gifts, etc. While in the church's office, my friend John sits with me. The world defines John as "special needs," but I describe him as one who truly offers special gifts. He's taught me a lot. He makes fun of me when I'm so busy that I'm pinging off the walls. He helps me slow down and listen. Today, while I am busy typing away at the computer, John is in "his" office blasting the radio.  He's listening to a young Michael Jackson singing, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and singing along - at the top of his lungs. It's beautiful. It's hope-filled. It's peace-filled. It's joy-filled. It's love-filled. When I look at John, I see Jesus. And I see Christmas. John is what's important in life. He's who we should pay attention to. Sing on, brother!

Following Jesus

For the past year, there has been a theme running through our church: it is much easier to believe in Jesus than it is to follow Jesus.  Following takes commitment - duh!  And if you break down that statement, or meditate on it or pray about it, you'd probably come to a 'scare the crap out of you' realization that Jesus is serious.  Like the picture notes, Jesus doesn't want us to be a Twitter follower of Jesus - although the thought of that is pretty cool.  Tweets from Jesus:  "Just wanna say you can do better."  But I digress. 

It's serious stuff when Jesus says, "Say no to yourself, take up your cross daily and follow me."  Taking up one's cross isn't just trudging through life with a good attitude when things aren't going our way.  Jesus was telling his followers to be ready to walk with your cross to your death - in order to show an oppressive regime that you really mean it when you say, "I forgive you. I will turn the other cheek. I will die in order to show you what life really is."  Taking up our crosses is also about us laying down the righteousness we have in our own eyes - pride, arrogance, illusion of control, etc.  It is easy to hear the Word.  It is harder to let the Word guide us.  So, yes...I am waking up to a missional God.  I am waking up to a God who wants me to forsake my shell of introversion in order to go, make, baptize, and teach.  I am waking up to a God who knows that if I follow through with my commitment, the world will experience healing, restoration, peace, and will see glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.  And the more Christ-followers follow through with their commitment, the closer we'll get to heaven on earth.  This isn't easy.  God never said it would be.  In fact (spoiler alert), we know the ending of all in the Bible who stick to their commitment.  But death isn't the ultimate end.  It's just an end of one chapter, one story.  God's story continues.  And it's a story of going, seeking, reaching, loving, and resurrection.  True presence.  

So...believe Jesus or follow Jesus?  May we have the chutzpah to walk the steps Jesus does.  

Are We REALLY Paying Attention

The recent tragic events at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC have caused me to stop for a moment and ask, "Are we really paying attention?"  My heart breaks for the family and friends of those who lost their lives, as well as, the congregation, and we as a people.  I wish I didn't have to write in 2015 about how people are still judged by the color of their skin and not by the content of their spirits, souls, minds, and character.  But the harsh reality is that we as a people still are dealing with hatred and violence - on many levels.

Even though it's summertime, I am reminded of the Christmas message.  This isn't usually the time of year we think about Christmas.  In fact, we are about as far away from Christmas as we can get - both in the calendar year and in our solar system.  At the summer solstice, our earth is the farthest away from the sun that it gets.  Because we are so far away from Christmas, it's easy to forget about the unexpected message of new life and new hope that God brings us.  God hasn't abandoned us to the hopelessness that's so often found in this world.  God came up close and personal in the person of Jesus to teach us to seek higher ground, not just common ground, in the midst of our disagreements.  Jesus modeled real love for us, not just love the feeling.  Jesus showed us that love is about our choices and our actions.  Love gets involved.  Love speaks up for those who aren't heard.  Love lets go of self-focused agendas.  

For those who follow Jesus, not just believe in Jesus, let us remember that our faith is a faith of remembrance.  Since we can be easily distracted, God wants us to remember.  Remember the Christmas story, remember our baptisms, remember the resurrection promise, remember that God works through people.  

Let us remember to be more concerned with God's compassion instead of our agendas.  Let us remember to be more focused on who God loves, not who we dislike.  Let us remember to be more aware of others' concerns, fears, and plights instead of our own convenience.  Let us remember that we follow Jesus and need to be covered in the dust of our rabbi.  

May we always pay attention to what really matters.  And, may we have the courage to do what is right.  In the words of The Rev. Hon. Clementa Pinckney, the pastor of Emanuel AME who lost his life last week, "[to be] involved in the life of the community; [to change] lives and laws; [to help] people live better; freedom from sin, freedom to be full, [and] what God intends us to be; [to] have a quality in the sight of God...sometimes you gotta make some noise to do that...sometimes you have to march, struggle, and be unpopular to do that; sometimes you have to die..."

May we remember to die to self, like our rabbi did.  May we never forget! 

Presence

No, no! I'm talking about presence, not presents. However...most of us do like getting presents. There's just something about giving and receiving presents. Presents are magical and usually meaningful - with the exception of those that get regifted.

But there's also something magical and meaningful about presence. When we spend time with others, we help create magical and meaningful moments and memories.

There are two examples of presence that have stuck with me throughout my life. They aren't anything exciting to the outside world, but they are part of my story. And they have helped make my life full and complete. When I was a boy, we lived in a rural area, outside of a small town. On occasion, I remember taking "road trips" with my dad. I put road trips in quotations, because they are far from that. But as an 8 or 10 year old boy, a 15 mile ride in the car with my dad was pretty amazing. It was magical and meaningful. One of these road trips was to a farm that was only about 15 miles from our house. But in order to get there, we crossed over the county line and we even had to go over a "large" river on an old bridge. Brrrr...scary. But this also added to the magic and meaning. The other part of the trip that stuck with me was the farmer's 38 tractors! As a boy, I was enthralled by cars, trucks, tractors - pretty much anything with an engine and wheels. My dad knew this. So being able to see so many tractors in one place and sharing this moment with my dad was magical and meaningful.

Speaking of loving all things with engines and wheels, the other moment of presence that has stayed with me was the time I got to spend several hours with an aunt - driving her way-too-cool Mazda. It had a hand-crank sunroof and I think it had manual transmission. The details are getting a little fuzzy, but the moment has stuck with me for several reasons. First, she let me drive her way-too-cool Mazda. And "B," we got to talk for several hours as we scoped out the countryside of our rural area. We even ventured into the larger city near us - into some pretty swanky neighborhoods. It was a glorious afternoon. And if I remember correctly, I think my aunt got in trouble with her mother - for being gone so long and not letting her know where we were. This was in the pre-cell phone days.

These moments transformed me. They allowed me to drink in more of life and store away some memories that, to this day, still make me smile. They still touch my heart. The Alternate Routes have a song Nothing More. I think the chorus poignantly sums up the idea of presence:

We are Love
We are One
We are how we treat each other when the day is done
We are Peace
We are War
We are how we treat each other and Nothing More

So...when you spend time with someone doing something that seems boring, pointless, or insignificant, just remember, you might not ever know how magical and meaningful the presence will be to the person/people you're with!