Wednesday, June 24, 2020

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2, New Revised Standard version)

Na-neun yagu-reul joahae.

This is how one says “I like baseball” in Korean. There are three ways. This is the informal one but there is a more formal version and finally a very formal version. Don’t ask me how one knows which one to use and when. I can’t properly pronounce the informal one.

But in light of North American baseball’s season being long delayed, I have discovered the Korean Baseball League. I don’t get up at 5:30 a.m. to watch it live but TSN repeats it at a more reasonable hour at 9:00 a.m. The KBL is a lot of fun to watch. It is not at the same level as MLB, but it is highly entertaining. I don’t know most of the players, nor do I have a particular team which I am cheering for. The stands are empty of fans but the players seem to be really enjoying themselves.

Each team has a limited number of non-Korean ball players, mostly former players from MLB, many of who are born and bred American. They are strangers in a strange land. Different language. Different foods. Different customs and culture.  For a country whose citizens, at least some of them, can be very jingoistic  and even xenophobic, as recent events in the USA are revealing, it must feel strange to be the one tagged as a foreigner, an outsider, an alien, an immigrant,  a baseball refugee, and to look so different from most others.

Yet, as some of these non-Korean ball players are interviewed, most seem to be very appreciative of the welcome and the inclusion which they are experiencing. They talk about some of the adjustment difficulties, of course, but several of them have been playing in the KBL for a few years and keep coming back. They enjoy the sport there, but I don’t think some of them would stay if it was a miserable experience.

                It has been suggested by a few travel experts that when visiting a foreign country (note how we designate the country as being foreign) one should immerse oneself more deeply the country’s true culture to truly understand it. It is not enough to just visit the popular tourist sites and eat gourmet food in classy restaurants which are sometimes geared to the North American taste buds. Discover the local markets, the off-the-beaten path eateries, the smaller towns and villages, talk to the locals, if possible.

                I will never forget my trip with the Peterborough Medical Brigade to Indonesia many years ago. We were visiting the island of Flores. We trekked by truck to remote areas of the island to run medical clinics for people who had little access to medical care or couldn’t afford it. By Canadian standards, we saw a lot of extremely poor standards of living. Yet, at the risk of sounding patronizing, these people always seemed to be joyful, thankful and to lead lives that were fulfilling in their own right. Everyone treated us so well while we were there. Their hospitality was outstanding. It was almost embarrassing, sometimes.

Compared to how we, in North America, can treat strangers, immigrants and aliens, or just anyone who seems different on the outside in appearances, we have a lot to learn from the hospitality in other cultures. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” (Matthew 25:25 NRSV) At the very least, (and I mean the very least) we can treat others with respect, dignity, and politeness. Hospitality is much more than that but it can begin there.

My life has been blessed, broadened, taught and  challenged by the people of colour, people of other nations, people of different lifestyles whom I have had the privilege of knowing or being welcomed into  their homes.

“Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.”  (Romans 12:13, The Message Bible)

Amen to that!

Dale

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

“Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.” (1 Peter 5:14, New Living Translation) 

                Hugs and kisses! That’s what I have been missing the most during this social distancing phase of the pandemic. The hugs and kisses of our grandchildren, especially.

                But now that the bubble has begun to burst, Susan and I took full advantage when our daughter, Katie, invited us to go join them for supper on Sunday – to become their social family circle. Nine-month old Amelia wasn’t too sure about all this hugging and kissing stuff but almost four-year old Spencer was  giving out hugs and kisses that were enough for both of them. That first gigantic hug from Spencer was pure gold! I didn’t want to let go.  I can’t wait to hug the rest of the grandchildren in the very near future.

                Even before social distancing became the social norm, one had to be very careful in handing out hugs to others. Some people simply aren’t huggers by nature to begin with. Some hugs end up disrespecting appropriate boundaries between male and female. Other hugs might be misinterpreted as signals of deeper affection than they really are. Teachers were cautioned about hugging their students. As a pastor I tried to allow a parishioner to make the first move in initiating hugs and tried to never assume it was acceptable. It can be very embarrassing to go to hug someone and realize that they weren’t expecting it or comfortable about it. Been there, done that.

                There are five instances in the New Testament of Christians being encouraged to greet each other with a holy or sacred kiss. Our text above is the only instance in which it is called a “kiss of love.”  The love behind this kiss is the agape Love of God, an unconditional, gracious, compassionate embrace of joyful fellowship and friendship. It is commonly called the “kiss of peace” in some church traditions. I expect that it was a sign of amicable and harmonious relationship between the two Christians who were exchanging the embrace.  

It became formalized as part of liturgy but I wonder if it started out that way in the beginning.  Perhaps, it was more of a spontaneous, generous expression of mutual affection in the name of Jesus. To deem it a “sacred kiss” would imply it is supposed to be a respectful act of trust; not to be abused or violated in any way. Whatever its form, I think the people of God are supposed to be all about hugs and kisses.

                It is the skeptical Teacher of Ecclesiastes who reminds us that there is “a time for embracing and time to refrain from embracing.” Sadly, we’re are in that time of refraining. It is hard to put as much feeling into an embrace given through a mask or a PPE. Waving at a loved one through a window is OK but no where close to a real hug or a kiss. Video chats are wonderful but not as good as having face to face conversations. Imaginary fist bumps look sort of silly, even if well meant. You can’t hug a person who is six feet away from you.  God forbid that this hugless society ever becomes the new normal!

                I enjoy those TV ads for a diaper company which celebrate the intimate touch of a hug between a mother and a baby or a father and a baby, skin on skin. A child needs to be held, embraced, cuddled, kissed and touched to feel fully loved, to feel safe, to feel contentment and to feel acceptance and to know that his or her world is right to live in.  Each of us has an inner child that needs the same assurances and signals that we are not alone but we are loved and secure in that Love, by God and by others. That’s what a sacred embrace truly embodies and incarnates, both for the giver and the receiver.

            Holy, sacred, loving, juicy, big, fat hugs and kisses. 

The world needs a hug right now.

So do you. Here is a virtual one from me! It’s the best I can do until we see each other again. Soon, I hope and pray.

Pass it on!

Dale

Wednesday, June 10, 2020
“Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.” (Hebrews 1o:25 The Message Bible) 

                I admire the optimistic way the provincial government thinks. It is going to allow churches to re-open their worship services at 30% capacity.  That would be a considerable up-tick in attendance, especially  in the two down-town churches for which I have had the privilege of being their pastor. Those sanctuaries were designed to hold  300 to 500 people. I might have sold my soul for a 30% capacity on any regular basis. Social distancing has been easily practiced in many old churches, long before Covid19 took its toll.

                It will be interesting to watch what happens to congregations once these restrictions are lifted.  So many churches, like downtown and inner city ones, small country churches, small urban churches, were struggling for survival before the pandemic. These three or four months of no activity, save for viral church connections, could be a fatal blow for many. I can’t imagine that financial giving has kept up with the normal costs that don’t go away like salaries, utilities, heat, etc.

                So many of these old-style, long established churches are lovingly supported mostly by seniors, both financially and through their attendance. But I suspect that they, as a high-risk group, will be extremely cautious, if not somewhat fearful, before they return to a public event like a worship service.

                I am not sure what the new normal will be for churches overall, but it will be very different.

                I must confess that since retirement I have not been a very active church attender, even before the virus. After 40 years in pastoral ministry it was nice to reclaim selfishly Sunday mornings for while, but then it became a habit. I make my excuse that I am too liberal for the local Baptist churches and too conservative for some of the more progressive churches. We have looked around a little but the one church we enjoy attending is in Whitby, Whitby Baptist Church, a little too far away for regular visits, especially in winter. (If you’re reading this, Ross, you owe me lunch for product placement!)

                But my poor excuses make me think of the saying, if you are looking for the perfect church, once you join, it isn’t perfect anymore. Or perhaps the old Groucho Marx line that I am not sure I would want to join any organization that would take me in as a member.

                This isn’t the time to rag on all that may be wrong about churches. I still believe that a healthy church is vital for personal spiritual growth and vitality. Suffice to say that I got burned out by the politics, the selfishness (including my own) and the bureaucratization of church life.  I dealt with too many unnecessary church battles when I was an Area Minister. So I am cautious about getting re-involved anywhere. I confess to being just a tad cynical.

                Excuses.  We all make excuses for not going to church on Sunday.

Our text above urges that avoiding worship is a slippery slope. I much admire the writer’s definition of church: encouraging love and helping out, spurring each other on. He is not pointing fingers at anyone but me. It is a message for all of us, of course, but it is reminding me that it is my responsibility to love, support, encourage and urge on the people with whom I share fellowship. It doesn’t say that I am to sit in my not-so comfortable pew and expect others to spiritually wait on me hand and foot.

                So when we finally emerge from our cocoons, I will be making a more concerted effort to re-connect. If we need anything right now, after all this is behind us, is the support, the encouragement, the love, the friendship of others. I need to part of the solution, as they say, not part of the problem.

                What about you? 

Dale

Wednesday, June 3, 2020
“He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.” (Ephesians 2: 14 – 15, The Message Bible) 

                “There will be peace in the valley.”

                As some of you know, over the last several years our two Australian Shepherds, Charlie and Kramer, have not gotten along which is putting it mildly. When it all started, we had many fights that were no holds barred, claws out, fangs snapping and blood spilled. A lot of that blood was mine when I tried foolishly to intervene, resulting in trips to hospital and doctors. One time, I became seriously sick with a serious bout of blood infection for which I was on an IV of antibiotics for a few weeks.

                We couldn’t bear parting with either dog, so we ended up separating them, one upstairs and the other downstairs, switching them around every so often so that one of them was having human company while the other chilled out. If Kramer so much as spied Charlie, even through a glass door, he would go ballistic. Although it was somewhat of a nuisance, this dividing arrangement worked for quite a while until finally Kramer began making such a fuss about being by himself that we had to figure out a new system of separation.

                Even when we put them in the kennel when we would go away, they both were in different cages adding to the cost of boarding. Interestingly though, we discovered that despite their mutual mistrust and dislike, they did like being in adjacent kennel compartments. They may have hated each other, but hey, they were family! But at home, we kept them very, very separate.

                This past year, we began to experiment with having both dogs on the same ground floor level at the same time, now separated only by dog gates. To our surprise, there were no attempted altercations, although Charlie was a little unnerved, at first.  In fact, in the mornings the two began to go outside together. Then a just a couple of weeks ago, I removed the barriers and so far, so good. The two now get along and are often found lying not far from each other or are mooching together when one of us is eating. We pray it lasts as it is so much easier to have two dogs who get along.

                The above text came quickly to mind in light of the racial violence we are watching on TV. We have seen a president wave a Bible around carelessly proving that you can lead a president to the Word  but you can’t make him drink. Never mind him for now.  If we are truly motivated by the example of Jesus Christ then the love of others, even and especially loving those who seem different, is an essential core value for peacemaking and breaking down divisions and walls. This Christly Love is more than a cheap photo-op.

                This love is not sentimental, soft-hearted drivel. Christ-like Love is one of justice, respect, tolerance, acceptance, benevolence, kindness, and doing good. 

                Let’s make this Love more than abstract; let’s make it real. I sometimes wonder what I would do if I saw someone, a person of colour, being racially abused in some way.  Would I have the loving grit to intervene and confront the racist and risk being told where I could go or being attacked myself? Or would I choose to slink off, not wanting to get involved and only think how terrible it was? (Remember the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan?)

                I regret the actions of a few who are turning the protests into violence. It means that a lot of folk, probably mostly white, who are missing the point of the protests, that Afro-Americans, in particular, are frequently victims of police brutality and targeting. We should not be smug in Canada, for racial inequality exists here also. The slogan, “Black Lives Matter” is a poignant reminder that too often our black brothers and sisters do not matter in a culture deeply divided by race.

                Christly Love is the best response to this problem. It will take time, patience, intense, intentional efforts, the not-so-easy facilitation of good will, a serious building up of trust and respect if the walls of hatred, prejudice and fear are to come tumbling down. If our two old dogs can do it, so can we! All of us have the responsibility of taking down the barriers and making peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5: 9)

             There will be peace in the valley for me, for me.

Well, the bear will be gentle;

And the wolves will be tame,

And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes.

And the beasts from the wild

Shall be led by a child.

And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes.

There will be peace in the valley for me, some day.

There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray.

Dale

Wednesday, May 27, 2020
“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3: 18 – 20, New Living Translation) 

                OK, it’s time to fess up. What gastronomical guilty pleasures have you been indulging in during these last too many weeks?  What have you bitten into and chewed with utter bliss and satisfaction? What food have you made excuses about as you delightfully crammed them into your mouth? What rationale do you come up with as the deliciousness hits your palette?  Has it been ice cream? Pie? Chocolates. Fast food? Potato chips? Cheezies? Donuts? Handfuls of chocolate chips straight from the bag? A half a box of Lucky Charms?

What food has given you a lift, a boost and a moment or two of thinking that the world is not as bad as your feared?

My guilty pleasure – for this week anyway – was a bag of Pork Rinds. Mmmm, good! How could you not love pork rinds? They are  wonderfully simple and totally un-doctored by additives and chemicals. It says so right on the package: pork rinds, lard and salt. That’s it! Let me repeat. This is a righteous snack made up of bacon and pork bits, deep fried in fat until they are a crunchy goodness and then well-salted to perfection. How can all that tasty scrumptiousness not be good for a person?

I won’t judge your guilty pleasure if you don’t judge mine.

As noted in our text our actions tell a lot about us as individuals. The old adage is that you are what you eat.  But this is not about at the foods that we occasionally  indulge in. It would be highly hypocritical of me to counsel about good diets for others.

This is more about certain types of guilty pleasures which become problematic and get in the way of healthy living and break down our relationships with others.  It is when certain worthless things constantly and continuously take over our lives and become personal habits that ignore the lives of others. I am not necessarily talking about a big slab of chocolate cake here, obviously.

This corona virus has been quite the test for humankind. Far too many have indulged in the (not-so) guilty pleasure of ignoring any or all saftety precautions. Selfishly, they go out in groups, protest, play by the thousands in parks and on beaches; some who apparently are going to go berserk if they don’t get a hair cut right today or go to a mall or throw a frisbee around.  Bad enough that they thoughtlessly put themselves at risk, it is the rest of us whom they have so selfishly endangered. It is one thing to wolf down a half gallon of cookies-and-cream ice cream but it is another matter of inconsiderate respect for others to flout social distancing.

I hate this period of social distancing with all my heart.  But I do not want to risk the health of my loved ones by indulging in visits and get-togethers with family and friends. It is killing me not to be able to hug my grandkids, but neither would I want to be the cause of them getting sick. So, I endure forgoing the not-so-guilty pleasure of their company and love.

“Let us practice real love” (The Message Bible.) Then we don’t have to feel guilty or compromised or regretful. I will look forward to sharing a bag of Pork Rinds with my grandchildren once this is all over. (Who am I kidding? Their respective moms will do a body search as soon as I show up.) It can’t come soon enough, I admit. But I need to trust God that he is still at work through this and that God will lead a way forward. Now is not the time to indulge  and satisfy my yearnings.

And I don’t have an iota of guilt in having that faith!

Dale

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25, New Living Translation) 

                The things one learns during a pandemic:

·         I like canned vegetables better than frozen vegetables.

·         I can’t cook Minute Rice for the life of me. I can whip up a nearly gourmet-type meal but my Minute Rice is a crunchy risotto mess. 

·         Dogs don’t care about Covid19. They love having everyone home all the time.

·         I don’t really mind now standing in a line, six feet apart, waiting to get into a grocery or drug store. Normally, I hate line-ups and waiting.

·         Just when gas is so cheap, my car’s gas tank is still almost three-quarters full after filling up well over six weeks ago. It also does wonders for the mileage limits on our car lease. 

·         I am very glad that I got a buzz cut before we went to Florida in March. My hair – what little there is of it anyway - still doesn’t need combing. (My mother would have been going nuts if she couldn’t have her hair done once a week.)

·         We go through a lot more coffee when my wife is home and not at work. 

Pretty trivial and unimportant stuff, am I right? What will you remember from out of these times in which we are living?  Are you getting cabin fever yet? Are you yelling at the birds? Apparently, they seem much louder to some people because there is less noise pollution to drown them out. How’s the homeschooling been going? New appreciation for school teachers, eh? They should be paid like rock stars.

We will come out of this time period with very different experiences, memories and stories to tell. Some will be very painful and sad memories. But most of us will reflect on the small inconveniences, the minor delays, the unimportant frustrations and the small but bothersome interruptions in our usual daily routines. In the long run it may help us appreciate the small things in life and not take them for granted. Although it has been harder on some than others, we will all be relieved when things get back to normal, whatever normal may be.

In our text, Jesus is encouraging us to reflect on those aspects of life that transcend the basic needs for food and clothing and even shelter. I don’t think he meant that these fundamental needs are not important but that a full life is more than a full belly alone. This concurs with what Jesus said when he was being tempted by Satan to satisfy his appetite, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, NLT) I am also reminded of the Beatitude: “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6, NLT)

God forbid that the inconsequential ever dominates my life or that I drown in the trivial anxiety of wishing I had more of something or fretting that my life is just a lottery win away from true happiness.

I enjoy my “bread-and-butter” as much as the next person and I have been blessed that I have never really gone without in my life. I also recognize that hunger and poverty are a real pandemic in their own right throughout the world. But I also appreciate very keenly how full my life is because of family, friends and the experiences, ideas, thinking, abilities with the gifts and talents I have which all have given me so much to make life interesting, worthwhile and meaningful.  Moreover, it is a life that has been graced and led by God through Jesus Christ, granting me much joy, yet challenging me to do good and be good, inviting me to share in being a part of Kingdom building and living.

I’m not perfect by a long shot but God has gotten me this far; so, I am going to trust him for the rest of this journey.  

Dale

Wednesday, May 13, 2020
                “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

                “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

“Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds.” (Matthew 5: 1 – 12, The Message Bible)

The Beatitudes are probably my favourite verses of scripture.

They are challenging but comforting, provocative but re-assuring, insightful and hopeful. They turn the world upside down and inside out. In them, Jesus makes a commitment that God will reverse the negative circumstances for people who are powerless, defenceless, weak, poor and have no one to defend them in times of troubles. The Message Bible gives them a fresh interpretation. Please read them carefully, prayerfully and thoughtfully.

These are the perfect verses for these times we are in.

These verses invite us to see the world as God wants it to be, rather than the way it is. They imply that God is not done in re-creating this old  reality, and fighting for true and significant justice. We can be new creations. The words promise that there is a place for you and me in God’s care, no matter how low on the totem pole we happen to be. They refuse to allow the big, bad world to finish us off. None of us need to be victimized, abused, lost, forgotten or tossed aside.

These verses express for me the very core or heart of the Gospel, the Good News according to Jesus. God has a plan; evil is trying to thwart it. But God won’t give up on us; God won’t allow pain and suffering ultimately to define our lives. Jesus is the guarantee that even death loses in the end.

There is an old gospel hymn you may be familiar with:

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged that all is lost,

Count your many blessings -

Name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” (J. Oatman Jr.)

Perhaps, these words sound all too simplistic and the Beatitudes sound unrealistic. But I often think that stretching reality is the very purpose of the whole Gospel, defining fresh interpretations of salvation and redemption. This Gospel reverses the tide of human affairs. This Gospel confronts what sometimes seems to be so painfully normal and unchangeable. This Gospel gives the world a shake and upsets the patterns of sin, evil, injustice and misery. The Gospel give me courage to face the world knowing that I am not alone.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged – God is over all;

Count your many blessings – angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Dale