Wednesday, October 9, 2019
“O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” (Psalm 95:2 New Revised Standard Version)


                “Let the chaos begin!”

                Those were the emailed words of our oldest son, Nick, as the whole Soble tribe prepares to trek to Godrich for Thanksgiving celebrations. By whole tribe, I do mean all 15 of us, including nine adults, four boys under the age of six, and two new-borns. Only the dogs are staying behind, although we may get a visit from Finzi, Maggie’s Newfoundland dog. We have rented a huge, century home which we have rented before. It has several bedrooms, two living rooms, a large study, a huge dining room, and a large kitchen – lots of room for everyone and then some. It’s quite the mansion. The kids could get lost in the house  and not be seen for hours.

                My annual hunt for a humongous turkey of close to 30 pounds was over before it ever started. Last month, I was in a local grocery store and discovered that they had three or four of the extra big, frozen birds. So, we bought one and it will join the festivities in its own sort of way. I am very grateful for its sacrifice.

                A gathering of the Soble clan is always a boisterous, noisy, animated event. “Let the chaos begin!”

                The Psalmist invites us to make a joyful noise. It becomes part of the thanksgiving procession into God’s presence. The worshippers can’t contain their excitement, their ebullience, their joy, their enthusiasm in knowing that they are loved by God. They want to shout it out to the roof tops, and their hearts are full of God’s grace and goodness.

Maybe, it had been a good harvest year. Maybe, for the moment, all was good and right in the world. Maybe, everyone was having a taste of prosperity and, for once, there was enough to go around for everyone. There is obviously a spirit of confidence, of well-being, of assurance and peace. “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” (95:7, NRSV) Life is good and the people want to make a joyful noise of thanksgiving in appreciation and gratitude.

There are, of course, many Psalms which give voice to times that are sour and bitter.  But even many of those climb out of their despair and angst and find new hope and fresh trust.

I have often told the story of the homeless man who came to the men’s shelter in Ottawa. As he was being served dinner, he couldn’t contain himself so that he stood up and told everyone how grateful he was and how fortunate he was that he could have a hot meal and a roof over his head for the night.  Make a joyful noise, indeed!

Some families have a custom at Thanksgiving dinner of going around the table just before grace is said and each person has to say one thing that they are thankful for. We don’t do that at our thanksgiving table but we do hold hands around the table and say a grace that has been the Soble grace since our own kids were small. “God is good; God is great; thank you for our food. Amen.” When there are thirteen voices, big and small, chiming in it is a joyful noise expressing our thankfulness for the gifts of love, laughter, health and new life that has come during the year. God is indeed good!

So, go and find something which will elicit a joyful noise out of you. Don’t hold it in. Give voice to it. Let God know; let someone else know. Come on, let it out. I know it’s in you. Don’t be shy. Try a “Hallelujah!”

                “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.” (Psalm 100:1)

                Louder! I can’t hear you!

Dale

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.” (Philippians 4:11, New Living Translation) 

Allow me to describe a moment of perfect, blissful contentment.

We were visiting Erin and the boys in Mississauga on Sunday while Nick and his brother, Nate, were off to close up the cottage over the weekend. Susan and the two older boys were playing a video game in William’s bedroom. The boys love playing “Plants and Zombies” with grandma. I was holding one-month old Beckett who had fallen asleep in my arms. So, Erin used the peace and quiet for a quick nap of her own.

Soon, I  had stretched out the sofa and Becket remained fast asleep, lying on my chest, cradled in my arms.  Both he and I were perfectly content in that moment. I, for one, couldn’t have asked for anything more right then. The occasion brought me joy and satisfaction.

How do you define contentment?

I suspect we all have different and varied definitions as to what might make us feel contented. Perhaps it’s some job or task well done or finally completed. Maybe, it’s that cup of coffee while sitting on a deck watching a sunset. Or enjoying a good restaurant meal with your best friend or loved one. Maybe, it’s an inspiring worship service. Or solving a problem. Perhaps it’s good day in which our aches and pain have eased for while. Or hearing good news. Or experiencing a moment in which we feel loved or special.

Contentment is not as easy to come by as we would like and therefore it is special and treasured when it happens.  Rarely, is the best contentment rooted in the stuff of materialism and consumerism which is  more likely  to make us restless,  malcontented and greedy for more. Just the constant desire alone to acquire all that we can is a bumpy road to real contentment. “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” (1 Timothy 6:8 NLT)

Contentment can’t be forced or coerced out of a situation. It doesn’t have to be generated by anything which is momentous or monumental but can be inspired by something simple, ordinary or everyday. It is a moment of grace and gift. There may even be a hint of sacredness or holiness about it, making the moment transcend the ordinariness of it all. One becomes acutely aware that this occasion is uniquely special and satisfying. It evokes a sense of gratitude and appreciation. Contentment calls out the best in us and infuses us with a spirit of shalom or well-being.  “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” (1 Timothy 6:6, NLT)

Contentment is no something to be taken for granted. Enjoy! Take pleasure; find peace; absorb it; remember. You can recall it in times of stress and upheaval. It can offer a reservoir of hope and possibility in times of challenge or distress.

We need to continue Paul’s thought from out text above. “I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4: 12 -13, NLT) With a little help from his friends and an active faith and trust in God through Jesus Christ Paul discovered that contentment was measured by different standards or values than the busy demanding,  hectic world was offering. It gave him a freedom to accept whatever life had in store and strength to overcome and an inner peace that saw him through the lean times as well as the good times.

Peace be with you! 

Dale

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

“Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.” (Proverbs 20:4) 

              

              Autumn arrived on Monday morning at the ungodly hour of 3:50 a.m. I’m not sure how the experts in such things figure out such an exact time.  Perhaps the angel to whom God has assigned the seasons looks at his watch and slaps his forehead and exclaims, “Yikes, I almost forgot. It’s supposed to be Fall!” Then, Zap! Just like that, it’s Autumn, whatever time of day and night. (I imagine it’s more scientific than that, probably something to do with what time the sun crosses a certain point of magnitude or altitude of planet earth, but I like my explanation better.)

                But it must be Fall. It’s much cooler, so much so that I have pulled out my long sleeve shirts and put away my shorts. The leaves are suddenly turning colour. Concord grapes and fresh crisp apples are in the stores.  There have been a couple of days during September already that I have had to turn on the fireplace in the family room and even switched the thermostat over to heat mode. The kids are back in school. The new TV season has finally premiered.  The Halloween decorations and candies are in the stores. Canadian Tire is cleaning out its gardening and patio supplies. And, oh yes, it’s only 3 months to the day when it will be Christmas.

                Yep, it’s Fall. It used to be my favorite season of the year. (Spring now gets the edge.)  My church was gearing up and new things were starting. Autumn life had a familiar pattern of anticipation and eagerness as the lazy, hazy days of summer became a fond memory. For me, I looked ahead in the church year which was about to unfold, and although sometimes the beginnings of a new church year might sputter and hesitate, by Thanksgiving, my favourite holiday of the year, things were kicking into gear.

I also enjoyed the crisper, cooler Fall air compared to the heat and humidity of the summer. I loved all the colours of Fall and the aromas and tastes that came with harvests of fruits and vegetables. And despite Winter just around the corner and the days getting shorter there has always been a sense of joy and satisfaction about the season this time of year.

Mark Buchanan wrote that Fall is a perfect time for gathering.  It is a time to celebrate the efforts of our hard work that has led to fruitfulness and productivity. It is a time to rejoice in the cornucopia of bounty and plenty by which most of us are blessed. Many of us have worked hard and long and consequently we are rewarded with the satisfaction and gratification of a life well-lived.

 I would add that it becomes a good time to share this gracious abundance with those who have far less, allowing them to get in on the season of thanksgiving and joy.

The apostle Paul wrote that well-known adage, “the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6, New Revised Standard Version). It is another way of expressing our proverb at the top of the page. To get good results one must put in the good effort. Entitlement, that attitude that seems to believe that one simply deserves or merits reward or success without putting in the sweat and blood, is not a biblical concept. The goodness of life usually comes out of intentional planning, preparation, doing and often in cooperation with others.  Success in life does not happen by magic and pixie dust.

                “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing.” (Galatians 6:9, NLT)

                Doing what is good – that’s very important. Not delaying doing what is good, but doing good from the start, waking up each day and anticipating that there may be some opportunity to do good and make a difference.

                We reap what we sow. “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38, NLT)

Dale

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

“But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, The Message Bible)

[We are delighted to announce the safe and healthy arrival of our granddaughter, Amelia Susan Costa, on September 12^th, a daughter for Katie and Gary Costa and a sister for Spencer. Double yeah!! 

                Groan! Another federal election campaign has begun.

                Not that I don’t appreciate my freedom to vote, but I cringe at the political rhetoric that has begun, especially the attack ads on TV. You hear so little about actual policies, platforms and plans but too much about how the other party or candidate is not worthy of our votes. It is far worse in the United States when it comes to attack ads, really vicious and over-the-top. But I confess that when political ad come on TV I either mute them or change the channel.

It has become very hard to make a well-informed decision based on the information we get through the various media sources. So much of it is slanted one way or another. We have found out that social media can be manipulated and abused. We need to be very cautious before we believe anything we read or see. Elections seem to be more about personality and popularity or lack thereof than making choices based on realistic and fundamental platforms and policies.

The cynical among us don’t believe anyway in the promises and platitudes that rise up over the election period. If one politician says that the sky is blue, it seems almost mandatory that the other candidate will say that the sky is gray. Politics seems to be only about winning, no matter how. Campaigns seem based on pragmatism and appealing to the lowest common denominator, and creating the worst impressions about the other party, leader or candidate as successfully as possible.

When Israel needed a new king, Samuel was tasked with looking over the sons of Jesse for credible candidates. The first seven sons would have seemed to have all the best credentials – strong, handsome, battle-tested, confident, experienced in the ways of the world. But Samuel kept working down the line and couldn’t find the ideal candidate among the young men. He asked Jesse if he had any other sons.  Yes, he did; the youngest, so young that he hadn’t even been invited to the party but had been relegated to tending the sheep out in the wilderness.

He was the least and the last. But he was the right One.

He was not without some appealing physical features – her had beautiful eyes – but this was not why he was chosen to become the next king.  Perhaps God appreciated that David was not yet a finished product like his militarized brothers. It may be that God saw in David a project, someone to develop, shape, reform and prepare to be the sort of leader that God’s people deserved and needed.

So this shepherd boy eventually became the King that became a model for all future kings; some who failed miserably, others who succeeded better. David’s kingship, at its best, became the ideal for Messiahship and influenced how we interpret Jesus. Not bad for a shepherd boy! David was far from perfect but his love for God and the people was still an indelible part of his leadership.)

Through this incident and by God’s words we are reminded there is more to a person that their outer appearances. We should not be judge people based on their looks, the colour of their skin, the shape of their eyes, the clothes they wear, the gender they are born with, their age or nationality. It’s what is on the inside that matters far more. What makes them tick? Are they good people? Do they care about others? Do they practice what they preach? Have they a strength of character, values and principles that speak louder than looks?

We need to get beyond the superficial and shallow criteria which we may tend to use in our relationships or understanding about others. It is about what is in the other’s heart that should transcend our reactions and responses to other people. If we must judge  - and Jesus is quite clear that judging is a fool’s game -  the qualities we use are intrinsically found  in a person’s character and actions.

To paraphrase a credit card ad. It’s not about what’s in your wallet  but “What’s in your soul?”

Dale

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’  So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.” (Luke 11: 24 – 27, The Living Translation) 

Wasps – the horror sequel!

Last week, I told you about my battle with a frenzy of wasps which had made itself at home through a small niche in the brickwork near the front stoop. They had not read the fine print in their lease that they were supposed to leave humans alone and one stung me in the neck. I thought that I had sufficiently sprayed and sealed their entryway. Problem solved!

It turns out that wasps are not too keen on eviction notices, either. They have simply moved down the outer wall and are now using a new crevice to get into their nest somewhere in the garage. Moreover, where the first group of wasps were small but nasty, these wasps are bigger, heavy-duty dive bombers, foul tempered and stubbornly ill-willed. They won’t go away no matter how often I spray. I have another hole to seal.

I started the allegorical conversation that Sin is a lot like a nest of wasps which invade our personal space. It starts out with one or two but soon you have to deal with the constant presence of a swarm of sins lodging in your life and that, eventually, will get you stung. If you put off dealing with the negative issues, the bad attitudes, and crude behaviour which are messing up your life it will only get worse.

But Jesus reminds us through his parable as to how difficult it can be to rid ourselves of those offensive bits of life.  My wasps kept coming back to their old entryway and before long they figured out that  there was an other way in. Now I still have wasps and they’re bigger and worse and nastier than ever. Our sins can suddenly rear their ugly heads when we least expect and return to inflict their buzzing, stinging ways back into our lives. One sin is dealt with and seven take its place, right when we though everything was “all swept and in order.”

“Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:7, NLT)

It would have been helpful if Jesus had immediately given a 12-Step programme about how we might combat the return of sins in our lives, but he doesn’t. So we have to glean a strategy from other things he said at other times. I think one of the chief things he would recommend is for us to turn our energy into good works or what I prefer to call fruitfulness. We need to choose intentional, willful, deliberate acts to do and create goodness in our corners of the world.

The apostle Paul stated it this way, “And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God…But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.” (Colossians 3:5,8 The Message Bible)

That is not enough alone, so he adds, since we have been given a second chance, a rebirth, because of Jesus Christ, we need to choose to make the most of it.  “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.” (Colossians 3: 12- 14, The Message Bible)

I am not sure that love is going to work with my wasps but I am sure and do believe that God’s Love for us and our Love for God and others can repair and seal our lives from harm.

Dale

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

“For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.” (1 Corinthians 15:56, New Living Translation) 

                [Good News! Susan and I are proud to announce the safe and healthy arrival of our fifth grandson, Becket Clark Nicholas Soble, a son for Nick and Erin Soble and a  brother to William and Henry -  last Wednesday, August 28. Yeah!!!]

                I haven’t been stung by a wasp or hornet or bee since I don’t know when.

                But over the summer, wasps have been building a nest near our front stoop. Somehow, they took notice of a very small chink in the bottom row of bricks. At first, it was only one or two and I didn’t worry too much about it. But since we have got back from our vacation in early August, there have been dozens  flying in and out of that tiny hole. I really don’t know how they all squeezed into that hole; perhaps their entrance led into some larger area in the partitions of the garage. But their numbers were increasing like crazy.

                In my usual procrastination, I didn’t do anything about the wasps when I should have.  If they left me alone, I would leave them alone. They’re God’s creatures, too. But this week, the frenzy of wasps flying all around our front door couldn’t be ignored any longer. (A collection of wasps is only called a “group” but I think it should be a ”frenzy”.)

Somebody was going to be stung.

                That would be me.

On the very day (Tuesday) that I was planning to deal with the problem, as I was coming in, I was stung by one of the critters. Fortunately, I am not allergic to stings, but this one hurt like crazy especially at the first and did so for the rest of the day.

                It serves me right for putting off dealing with the problem,  especially much, much earlier, probably as far back as when I first noticed the first ones hovering around, checking out the real  estate values of the property.

                Once stung, I “leapt” into action, applying chemical warfare and then sealing the niche in the brick with a special compound meant to seal off and discourage insects. There are still one or two buzzing around, trying to figure out a way back in. Better late than never, I suppose.

                There is a sort of parable in this story.

                It is so easy to ignore those little one or two sins that creep into our lives. They don’t really cause us many problems. So, we put off dealing with the faults and poor choices that are buzzing around our lives.  The don’t seem too serious; we can manage them; maybe they will “fly” away.

                Yet, somehow, these little problems and small acts of sinfulness find tiny little chinks in our moral foundations and begin to nest there. Soon, before we know it, they begin to multiply and take up more space. And when we ignore that they are posing a threat to our behaviour, our thoughts, our actions they have lodged themselves more permanently than we could ever have imagined way back when.

                It becomes much harder to deal with such sinfulness. Eventually, we will get stung by Sin and its various aggressive, worker wasps. Jesus mentioned a few of these waspish characteristics when he said, “For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” (Mark 7: 21 – 23, NLT)

                Then, we have to be very radical in our eradication of these things, sealing up the little chinks and crevices which   allowed such things to gain access into our lives to begin with. But it has to be done or we will get stung by the consequences and will pay the penalty of our neglect and experience the stinging pain of the costs of failure to deal with these traits.

                We are not alone in this challenge. God, especially in the presence of Jesus Christ, is on our side. God has given us spiritual guidance, moral strength  and clear direction as to how to deal with Sin and its stinging ways.

                “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (Philippians 4: 8 – 9, The Message) 

Dale

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?” (Matthew 18:12) 

  I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood

  I know I could always be good

  To one who'll watch over me

  Ella Fitzgerald knew a good song when she found one.

                I found a little lost lamb last week-end. He has been sitting next to me when I am out on the front stoop watching the world go by. I hope he is appreciative of the fact that I rescued him off the mean streets of Peterborough.

                OK, to be honest, it is a little stuffed lamb. It was dropped by a baby whose mother was pushing him/her in a stroller by our house. I didn’t realize the lamb was sitting in the middle of the side-walk until much later. When the mother did not return looking for the toy, I scooped the little guy up and now he sits in the big chair on the stoop. If and when I see her again, I will return the lamb; if not, it has found a new home. He would be loved by any of our grandchildren, I’m sure.

                When I was an Area Minister for the Convention of Baptists of Ontario and Quebec I was working with a church and helping them through a survey I had developed. They strongly objected to the question that asked them to rate how strongly “they had a heart for the lost.” They didn’t use that kind of language in their church, so they defiantly told me. I would probably admit that the phrase can be a bit too much of a religious cliché; too old-fashioned; too evangelistic (!); too old school Christianity.

                But, despite that, I think it is a concept that needs renewal and revitalization and we need to come up with a fresh, relevant and pertinent definition as to what it means to have a heart for the lost.

                Personally, I don’t think of it only pertaining to crusades for lost souls who don’t believe in Jesus. Rather, I strongly interpret the phrase in the same context of Jesus’ example: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36, NLT)

                 This is not about cajoling people into the Church and buying into its Creeds, Doctrines and  Dogma.

                To have a heart for the lost is to have compassion on those who are indeed lost and bewildered in this crazy world of ours. It is the loving means for helping people who are confused or angry or who can find no purpose or meaning. It is the wisdom of love for those who are lost and are susceptible to the many strong and negative winds of culture. It is the welcoming invitation to come in the from the cold and harsh climate of a society which often doesn’t care or notice.

It is the chief ministry of those who have found great inspiration and motivation in Jesus Christ  to have a compassionate, kind, caring, loving, just heart for any who are lost – rich or poor, male or female, young or old, and so on. It is to share the opportunity to others to make better choices, to discover more meaningful values, to find hope and joy, to re-ignite the heart and soul.

Sometimes, we don’t do as good a job of having heart for the lost as Jesus, the Good Shepherd, might like. We try to cram everybody in the same sheep pen and demand that they just obey the rules of the fold. But instead, we might think of gathering the lost ones on our shoulders and giving them a lift, help treat their bruises and sores, tend their brokenness and look after their thirst and hunger.

Then and maybe only then, we tell them that we did it in the name of Jesus.

And wait to see their reaction!

Dale