Wednesday, June 29, 2022

“It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?” (Galatians 5: 13 -15, The Message Bible)

                “God keep our land, glorious and free…”

                Happy Canada Day, everyone.

                Although we are not a perfect country, by any means, there are many things for which we need to be thankful and appreciative about living here in Canada. The four seasons. The bounty of resources. The abundance and beauty of lakes and mountains and rivers. Our beautiful parklands. Ocean views on two coast and another in the artic. The diversity of races, cultures and peoples. The list is expansive.

                And freedoms. We live in a free democracy. We enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to vote, freedom to travel anywhere, freedom to pursue our dreams and ambitions, freedom to obtain good health care, freedom from war, freedom from oppression and tyranny. This list, too, can be expansive.

                But with this great treasure of freedom comes great responsibility. As Paul notes for the Church, it is also true of good citizenship in general. Don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want and destroy your freedom. Freedom comes with parameters and tethers us to exercise the tools it takes to live together in community and in country.  True freedom enables us to act responsibly, humanely, sensibly, wisely and respectfully. As an extreme example, we are not free to drive 150 kilometres an hour down a city street.  Yes, one can choose to do so, I suppose, but it is an abuse of freedom of choice.              

Freedom is not getting your own way. Freedom is not doing anything you want, saying anything you want, even  believing anything you want without repercussions and consequences. Freedom is a gift and a privilege which comes to us out of making good choices,  acting with accountability,  living with one another in harmony and acceptance.

                I believe that Paul’s instructions to the Church in regards to freedom makes sense for churches, governments, provinces, cultures, progressive and conservative, right and left wing, and the secular world at large in which we live.  Freedom should not be selfishly employed but “rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” Freedom grows best in community where respect, tolerance, acceptance and all forms of love are practiced and valued. Paul doesn’t quote Jesus very often in his letters, but he does here: “Love others as you love yourself.”

                Sometimes, freedom means having to curb our opinions, needs, wants and behaviour so that someone besides ourselves can breathe freely and safely. Paul shaped freedom with these words to the Corinthian church where there was a lot of selfish and foolish indulgences happening: “But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.” (1 Corinthians 8:9, The Message)

                If we use our freedom to hate, to belittle, to malign, to insist on having our own way, to insist that we have all the privileges, rights and opportunities while others do not, then we take away the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus.

                Freedom; we are blessed here in Canada in so many ways. But may our freedom open our eyes to see how we can be even better peoples for the future.

                “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” (John 8:32, The Message)

 

Dale

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (John 14:12, New Living Translation)

                 What is a good antonym for “handyman”? Unhandy man? Inept handyman? Clumsy handyman? No wait, I’ve got it – it’s me!

                Please, do not put any tool of any kind in my hands. A simple repair job will take me twice as long as anyone else might do it. And I will likely have to do it twice, at least, because I didn’t get it right the first time. Recently, I was retrying to replace the burner in my BBQ. I bought the replacement part and discovered I had to put it together. Oh-oh. But I actually followed the instructions, only had do undo a part once, and in relatively short order I had a serviceable burner. But when I sent to install it, I pulled  too hard on one of the venturi tubes and it snapped off at the base. I’ve ordered a new part, but if you hear of a gas explosion in Peterborough, well, think of me fondly.

                I worked for my father’s construction business. The stories I could tell. I once lost a new door off the trailer I was hauling. He probably would have fired me but Mom would have been mad.  The one lasting and fitting monument to my handyman-ship is the outhouse which I put up at my in-law’s new cottage (now Nick and Erin’s) over 40 some years ago and is still standing and in use.  They should put a historic plaque on it.

                Christianity is a faith and grace-based, not a work-based movement. “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.” (Romans 4:5 NLT) But this does not mean that we get to sit idly by and watch the world go by, knowing our ticket to heaven is punched.

                Jesus expects good works from followers. He wants more workers for his Kingdom according to Matthew 9:38. When accused of disobeying Judaic law by “working” on the sabbath when he healed, he would have none of   that nonsense. As my mother would say, “Better the day, the better the deed.” Many a parable was about working in the vineyard, i.e. working to bear fruit and to do works of compassion, love, mercy, forgiveness and the like.

                It wasn’t about working for money, or praise or recognition or so we have a good pension plan, although I will admit the Kingdom’s pension plan is to be highly regarded. But just as Jesus recognized that he was always working because God was always working (John 5:17), he encourages that we, his followers, be always prepared and ready to put our backs to the wheel in working for his cause. As our above text affirms, we are empowered to do the same works as Jesus. I have always found that assertion rather mind-blowing, considering all that Jesus did.

                The great thing about these works is that we don’t have to become experts as we would if we were starting a carpentry business, for example. With the Holy Sprit’s assistance and the personal inner desire, we can immediately set to work to assist Jesus in the building of his kingdom. Of course, constant practice at these works will help to make us better and better at doing them. There is no apprenticeship, per se, but we put to use the gifts, talents and abilities which are right at our fingertips, so to speak.

                Even Paul understood the importance of good works: “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” (Romans 12: 11, NLT)

                We are outfitted for the work of service once we have joined the Way. Let’s make it count for something.

                “Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.” (1 Corinthians 3: 14 -15, The Message Bible)

 Dale

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

“Listen with respect to the father who raised you, and when your mother grows old, don’t neglect her. Buy truth—don’t sell it for love or money; buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight. Parents rejoice when their children turn out well; wise children become proud parents. So make your father happy! Make your mother proud!” (Proverbs 23:24, The Message Bible)

                 Mutt Mantle, Jack Brett, John Mathewson, to name but three. Their first names may mean nothing to you but if you are a baseball fan, the last names should. These men were the respective fathers of Mickey, George and Lew. And to be frank, they were terrible, unkind, even abusive fathers.

                Their names are revealed in Joe Posnanski’s book, The Baseball 100,  stories of those he thinks were and are the best 100 baseball players ever.

                Posnanski wrote: “I have been reminded that so much of baseball - and not only baseball - is about fathers and sons. So many of these men found greatness in the game because they were inspired by their fathers, pressured by their fathers, intimidated by their fathers, taught by their fathers.” (p.677)

Some of these baseball fathers were failed baseball wannabes, and this drove them to drive their sons to baseball excellence and in some cases, using physical punishment, endless practices, constant criticism with little if any appreciation or praise. There were lots of good dads, of course, perhaps the majority, but many great ballplayers lived in fear of their father’s frowns and disapproval even into their adulthood.

                Here is a description concerning George Brett, the magnificent, Kansas City Royals’ player: “But, yet, no matter how great he became, that familiar fear would return. He would hear his father’s voice in his head, and he would again worry about embarrassing himself, and he would try to shout it down by telling himself, ‘You’re the best baseball player on the field.’ But sometimes, yes, Jack’s voice overpowered his own.” (p.489) To Jack’s dying day, he never told his son that he was proud of him or that he loved him.

                Small wonder that there are those who struggle with the imagery of God as Father.

                But for those of us who were raised by relatively good fathers - not perfect fathers, of course - we have much to be grateful for. My Dad never wanted me to play baseball but he coached several of my softball teams. He’d get up at 5 a.m. on a winter’s Saturday and take me to hockey practice. And made sure that I never missed a game.

My love of baseball comes from him. Several times a summer, we would head off to a nearby ball park to catch a fastball game, orange soda included. I got to see the hockey great, Bobby Hull, pitch in an industrial league. I have never seen a ball thrown so hard, so fast and so out of control a lot of the time. Batters were afraid. Watching a Montreal Expo game on TV with Dad was a shared bliss. When we lived in Montreal, I took him to live game – that was fun!

We all know that the fifth commandment is: “Honor your father and mother.” (Exodus 20: 12) Jesus even quotes it twice in Matthew’s Gospel. Paul uses it, too: “If you honor your father and mother, ‘things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.’” (Ephesians 6:3) I hope my children are reading this.

But seriously, if you want respect as a parent, one must practice and example respect first. “Fathers, don’t frustrate your children with no-win scenarios. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.” (Ephesians 6:4, The Message) Again, in Colossians: “Parents, don’t come down too hard on your children or you’ll crush their spirits.” (Colossians 3:21, The Message)

I might add that these prescriptions apply to the role of grandfathers, too. Or grandmothers. Or any adult who has influence, makes an impact, or leaves lasting impressions on our children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, et al.

“If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?” (Luke 11: 11-13, The Message)

Happy Father’s Day!

 Dale

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Here’s what I understood: The good, the wise, and all that they do are in God’s hands—but, day by day, whether it’s love or hate they’re dealing with, they don’t know. (Ecclesiastes 9:1, The Message Bible)

                 “If you don’t stop crying, I’ll give you something to cry about.”  That was one of my mother’s favourite sayings when I was small. It made no sense then, nor does it now.

                But I think there are a lot of senseless, thoughtless, deceitful, trite sayings we use without giving them a second thought.

                “This is going to hurt me more than it will you.”  It is still going to hurt and maybe a lot more than you think or know.

“Don’t take this personally.” But your criticism is deeply personal and hurtful.

“No offence but…” But you went ahead and said it anyway and it indeed offended me.

“In my humble opinion.”  An oxymoron if there ever was one.

“Love the sinner and hate the sin.” It implies judgment, condemnation hiding under a very thin veneer of love. Very smug and self-righteous – in my humble opinion.

“It’s God’s will.”

This is usually said when someone dies but can and is used to attempt to bring some sort of comfort or solace to any unfortunate circumstance. I don’t find these words very comforting at all. Who can blame someone for thinking that in light of these words, what has that individual  done to tick off God that it is God’s will for him or her  to hurt, suffer and feel sorrow?

For one thing, it is presumptuous for any one of us to think we know God’s will with absolute certainty. I think that is what the Ecclesiastes’ writer is trying to get at – looking at the world and realizing that the order of things doesn’t always make sense. Good things happen to bad people; bad things happen to good people. It is difficult to discern God’s will in the midst of humanity colliding with life and what happens in the world.

I have read that some Christians are saying that the Russian evasion of Ukraine is God’s will. So, God is okay with the killing of civilians, especially children? This war is meeting some unknowable agenda that God is allowing to happen?

This means that God is also the author of all that is wrong in the world or, at least, allows and permits the chaos, the violence, the hatred, the inhumanity that taints human living.

But I have a huge problem with that assessment.

God’s will is wrapped up in total Love. That may not solve human suffering or answer the question why there is such suffering.  But there is something deeply and profoundly reassuring that I don’t need to run away from a willful God but rather lean into God’s Love and Mercy. God’s will is to love you and me and therefore God’s will is that we abide in that Love and live by that Love and act in that Love.

Perhaps, some people see God’s will as some sort of rigid, inflexible determination of God’s plan. But I would argue that God’s will is more interactive, more flexible, more situational when it comes to God's relationship with us. Yes, God wants us to love him, be obedient to his commandments, love others, and do good works or bear good fruit. We know that much  about God’s will and yet we often still fail and life gets complicated and chaotic and harm comes our way.

But God’s will intersects with our lives in those times and desires to pull us through, to give us strength and hope, to invite us to lean into God’s promises and assurances and not give up.

“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, NLT)

Dale

Wednesday, June 1, 2022 - Pentecost

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20, New Living Translation)

               Powerlessness is a helpless feeling.

                During the hellacious derecho storm two Saturdays ago, we lost hydro power for about 36 hours. It came back on about 9 p.m. Sunday night. Our neighbourhood was one of the lucky ones to get power back so “quickly”. There were many who waited for far longer; for days in fact.

                We take electrical power for granted – until we lose it.  We turn on lights, open the fridge, charge our phones, cook on the stove, watch TV, all because of a constant source of electrical power. By Sunday afternoon, the day after the storm, my cell phone was dead, my Chrome book was on its last vestiges of power, and my Switch game console warning me it was also down to the last dregs of its battery life. I was facing an evening, as long as I had daylight, of using a pencil and doing crossword puzzles.

It struck me how little prepared we were for this sort of powerless event. No working flashlight. Hadn’t charged my phone the day before. No canned goods in the house, although I could cook on our gas stove top by manually lighting a burner. It could have been much worse, lasted much longer and been a bigger nuisance than it was. But when one has no power, it can be a stressful and taxing time.

It got me to thinking about how power is described in scripture. There is a large, diverse quantity of texts which attempt to describe the power of God, for instance. I think “power of God” may be somewhat challenging to understand. To many of us, it has meant God’s miraculous works or his creative acts of Creation. Some of us believe that there is nothing impossible for God. Others might see God’s power in terms of some mighty spiritual force at work in our world.

But as I skimmed through the New Testament texts, it struck me how much more subtle and refined the texts were as they described the work of the Holy Spirit, God’s agent of power. And how deeply personal and intimate is this power.  It is not so much a rushing wind, a spiritual derecho, but the power acts in inspirational, imaginative, creative ways to get you and me moving in the right direction, doing the right things, loving others, having hope, and living the life of discipleship of Jesus Christ. “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20, NLT)

God’s power is expressed in the work, gifts, talents and abilities of those who follow Jesus Christ, “God’s power is working in us” (2 Cor. 6:7). Paul wrote, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Phil. 2:13, NLT) God’s power gives us patience and endurance. (Col. 1:11)

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” (2 Thess. 1:11, NLT)

We do not face the world alone. Even in the face of adversity, hardship, evil, we have not been abandoned. God’s power is a vital source of strength, energy, hope, and spurs us into actions of love and compassion. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:11, NLT)

“Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11, NLT)

Amen, indeed!

 

Dale