Wednesday, June 29, 2016

            So how does a retired man know when he is on vacation? I suppose the best punchline that I can come up with is that he is still doing as he pleases, but only in a different spot.

            But there is a lot of work to get ready for a vacation. For example, I cleaned the inside of the car today. I cleaned out the little slips of paper that accumulate, I vacuumed the floor mats, I cleaned all the vinyl, I cleaned the dashboard, I cleaned the inside of the windows, I cleaned out the back. I stuck in one of the little air fresheners you clip to an air vent. I am ready to go.

            “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” My Mom used to say that a lot. Usually when she was making sure I had washed behind my ears or had washed my neck or my hands after playing outside all day.  And clean underwear was a must. “What if you were in accident and had to go the hospital? What would people think?”

Some people just might argue that that old adage is in the Bible, but I can’t find it in that exact form although there is a lot on what was deemed to be clean and what was deemed to be unclean.

In the New Testament the Pharisees are pictured as men who had a very strict code of what was clean and unclean. There were lots of things that made a person unclean and which didn’t meet their rigid standards. Not that they always practiced what they preached and Jesus called them out on the matter. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence,” (Matthew 23:25). They needed to clean up their act!

We have all known a few Christians like that – seriously pious, religiously rigid people who have their check lists and God help you if you haven’t washed behind your virtuous ears.

But let’s go back to the idea of what makes for godliness. If not cleanliness, then what? “Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come…” (1 Timothy4:8).  The writer continues to make the point: “But godliness with contentment is great gain,” (1 Timothy 6:6).

As for a few specifics, 1 Peter is helpful. “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God… So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus,” (1 Peter 1: 3, 5-8, The Message).

Wouldn’t your mother be proud?

Dale

p.s.  My blog will return on August 3.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

            I am thinking about writing a gardening book: “The Retired Man’s 12 Step Guide to Successful Gardening.”  It won’t be a long book, just a page.

            Step 1:  Garden for 20 minutes.

            Step 2:  Rest for 5 minutes.
            Step 3:  Garden for 15 minutes.
            Step 4:  Rest for 10 minutes.
            Step 5:  Garden for 10 minutes.
            Step 6:  Stop for a cold drink.
            Step 7:  Garden for 5 minutes.
            Step 8:  Stop to go to the bathroom after all that drinking.
            Step 9:  Garden for 5 minutes.
            Step 10:  Stop and gaze appreciatively at all that you have accomplished.
            Step 101  Garden for 5 minutes.
By then it surely must be lunch time. What do you mean it is only 10:30 a.m.? Close enough.
            Step 12:  Stop for lunch.
            Repeat as necessary -  maybe tomorrow, or next week or whenever.

             If God is supposed to make the lilies of the field so beautiful, how come I have to do all the work? I am finding that my huffing is outpacing my puffing.

            All this toiling and tilling, I figure is Adam’s fault, when God punished the human race to work the land by the sweat of our brows, (Genesis 3:17 – 19). He and Eve had it pretty good, living in a garden of plenty, eating the best of fruits, enjoying an occasional walk in the garden with God. Why would anyone mess with that? Just one thing – not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – that’s all they had to do.  But oh no, it was all or nothing. And so here I am, a son of Adam, with thorns and thistles aplenty, working up a sweat of my own.

            It is thought-provoking to ponder how often our lives change because of one decision that we have made.  Thankfully, some of those decisions turn out wonderfully well. Marriage. Children. Careers. Opportunities. Becoming a Christian.

            But it is also true that making one, even small, bad decision can affect our lives in such a way that we seem to live with the results forever.  A moment’s inattention can turn into tragedy.  A wrong turn, morally speaking, turns into calamity. A foolish action results in costly repercussions. A careless or meanly-spoken word results in broken relationships. We sometimes have to sweat it out because of the one decision we made and can’t take back.

            Being human, we never stop making choices. They are a part of life. The guidelines that always have helped me in making my choices have come largely from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 to 7.  I am far from being an expert in following them, but I am always inspired by them to do better, to strive for the kind of life that Jesus sets out in them, to cultivate a lifestyle that honours both God and me and others.

            Jesus’ words in sermon take us right back to the Garden: “In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit… Thus you will them [meaning you and me] by their fruit,” (Matthew 7:17, 20).

 

Dale

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

            It is almost impossible to be light-hearted in the wake of what has happened in Florida and in the mass murders of 50 people. As much as I would like to turn off the news, or not read such stuff on the internet, or close my eyes or look away, as a responsible follower of Jesus Christ, I cannot nor should I. One of my favourite all-time comic strip characters out of Bloom County by the name of Opus would always retreat to the periwinkle or dandelion patch on top of a hill when life became stressed and by lying among the periwinkle seek refuge from such nasty, evil events.

            But my refuge in such a time as this is found in nothing so mundane as a periwinkle patch. Rather, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble,” (Psalm 46:1).

Now, I realize that such a faith does not explain why this terrible atrocity has taken place. I cannot begin to imagine what the families of those 50 people who were killed or the survivors are going through, except it must be hell. And when faced with hell, there is a God who shares our grief, our anger, our fear, our despair, our confusion and maybe even our questions. “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings,” (Psalm 36:7). “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart,” (Psalm 91:4).

Any religion which supports bigotry, racism, hatred, or violence is a weak religion indeed.  Part of my refuge is found in Jesus Christ who was so inclusive with his love, so unconditional with his grace and mercy, seeing a person for who he or she was, regardless of labels, stereotypes and categories. But that is another argument for another time, perhaps. 

            For people who believe there is no sin, no evil, no external-personal malevolence, the senseless deaths in Florida remind us otherwise. Satan is alive and busy. But so is God, and so I pray: “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed,” (Psalm 57:1).

            Pray for the families of the victims. Pray for the family of the shooter. Pray for the wounded. Pray for those who seek violence as a response to their own pain and anger. Pray for peace. Pray for political wisdom in our leaders. But don’t give up or give in. “But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death,” (Psalm 142:8).

 

Dale

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

            On the weekend, 3-year old grandson William, his Dad and I went down to a park on Lake Ontario. The Jack Darling Park stretches along the shoreline and includes a conservation area known as the Rattray Marsh. It is a very family-friendly park. William enjoys the play-areas with slides, monkey bars and climbers.

            After a while,  William suggested that he wanted to go to another place where there was also a play-area. It was about a ten-minute walk, so off we went. This play-area was quite close to where the marsh began.

            When we got to the play-area, Nick noticed a large turtle smack-dab in the middle of the play-area. She had dug a hole in the playground mulch and was laying her eggs. She was just finishing up when we arrived and we watched her slowly cover the nest and then begin her way back to the marsh. She was stressed and exhausted. She would very slowly crawl a few feet and then rest.  Then repeat.

            A man, who it turned out to be a conservationist, was guarding the turtle.  The man was waiting for animal control. Apparently it is illegal to disturb such a nest. Nevertheless, this was far from the best, ideal location for mamma turtle to choose as a site for her babies to be born. It would be hard to cordon off the area for next 3 months.  It was a long way from the marsh, or the lake, at least by turtle speed. It would constantly be run over and trampled by children who would not know the eggs were there. It was easily accessible to racoons and coyotes who live in the area. There may not be many survivors from that nest. We left before any decisions were made.

            The apostle Paul wrote about the labour pains of Creation in his letter to the Romans, just hoping, anticipating, expecting that there will come a re-Genesis, or better yet, a new Genesis in which all of Life is restored to its original purpose and fulfilment.  “For Creation awaits waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God… that the Creation will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the glory of his children of God”, (Romans 8:19, 21).

            By instinct, any little turtle that breaks out of that play-area will head to the one place where it will be the safest (the marsh), but the journey will be perilous. So we too break out of sin and brokenness and the journey may be risky but we face the odds and strive to reach that place where we will be safest and secure. God’s perfect place for us may seem a long way off and an exhausting trip is ahead of us, but nonetheless, we are called to lead the way that anticipates a new creation.

            Moreover, God has placed Jesus’ people, the Church, right in the middle of the busy, dangerous, risky places of the world, to become stewards of this hope and promise.  We are born (again) into a busy, often predatory environment and yet we are called to become witnesses that speak and demonstrate God’s abounding Love which is awake and alive in that world.

            So friends, break out of your shell. You can’t hide in there forever.

 

Dale

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

            Our oldest son and his wife have developed the habit of saying “good job!” whenever one of their boys does something they have been asked to do or accomplishes a new task or endeavour. It is a positive affirmation of their growing abilities, comprehension, cooperation and learning. “Good job” when William helps bake muffins. “Good job” when he helps pick up his toys. “Good job” when Henry eats a new food he hasn’t tried before.

            The neat thing is that I now hear the phrase creeping into all four of our adult children’s conversations. They apply “good job” to each other in appreciation and affirmation.  “Good job” when one helps the other to prepare dinner. “Good job” when one does the driving in heavy traffic.  “Good job” when one of them completes a task or project. Even Finzy the Newfie pup gets a “good job” when he learns something new or repeats a learned piece of obedience.

            I grew up in a family where doing a good job was simply expected and although I knew a job well-done was always appreciated I didn’t usually hear it often from my parents. Consequently, I had to be very intentional during my ministry to acknowledge the good and hard work of my church folk, and not just assume that it should be the norm. Frankly, I could and should have done better.

            I sometime think that gratitude is a gift that has got lost in our culture, and sad to say, especially in churches, where criticizing and judging and complaining too often run rampant. As a pastor I know that I did more than my fair share when frustrated and disappointed.

But it is also true in the bigger world.  Politicians, care providers, doctors, nurses, the cashier at the grocery store, the guy who shovels our driveways, somebody who stops on the street and helps us find directions – who doesn’t appreciate hearing a “good job” now and then?

So too in our families and best relationships. A “good job” for the wife who has prepared meals for her husband, like forever.  A “good job” for the husband who vacuumed and dusted before company came. A “good job” for the teenager who helped with the dishes or got an “B+” on their math test. “A “good job” when an 8-year-old shares his popsicle without being told.  “Good job” when grandma or grandpa go through hard medical tests.

So, Good Job! to all of you out there. Pass it on!

“Well done, good and faithful one… enter into the joy of your Master,” (Matthew 25:23).

 

Dale