Oh what a night!

There is a song, whose lyrics escape me except the chorus, “Oh what a night.” This describes my evening last. Quite a night. One I will not soon forget. It all began with youth group, at which the group actually listened. Did it impact anyone? We will have to wait and see. It was followed by “Lost”—gripping, compelling, informative, great. It was followed by the season finale of “Alias.” Also better than I could have hoped for. And it ended with a midnight screening of Star Wars Episode III. Wow. Some night.

The best stories come from the trip to the movie theater. There were of course your hardcore fans with the outfits (the full Darth Vadar Costume was easily the best). There were your dorks trying to duel one another with light sabers. There were your wackos who camped out in front of the theater merely for the fun of it. But none of those things was the weirdest encounter on the night. This award goes to a person whom I will call “hotty bo botty.” She arrives to the Star Wars premiere in stellettos, a super mini-skirt, and a skintight tube top. And I wonder—have you exhausted all the possible booty calls from the bars and clubs that you are forced to come to a Star Wars movie to find possible hook ups. If so, you are scrapping the bottom of the barrel. I mean seriously, when you think Star Wars geek you may think eligible, but you don’t think desirable.

A couple of pet peeves. First, talkers during the movie. One of my buddies shared how 2 rednecks talked the entire movie. From, “Man she has big boobs” to other comments about the princess, to idiotic statements about the movie, these guys all but ruined it for my friend.

Secondly, a non-existent curfew. Why are 9 year old kids out in the middle of the night to watch a movie? You know they are skipping school the next morning. Do you really want to expose your kid to the madness of Star Wars hype? Well, each parent will be accountable.

All in all a great night. I am tired and Elijah doesn’t realize that daddy has only had 4 hours sleep, but I live with my choices. My only regret—I left my camera at home. Let me know what you thought about the movie or either of the great shows on ABC.

Only in East Tennessee Part 2

My world is falling apart. I can’t go anywhere without being struck with the lunacy that is my current situation. First was the tractor. I suppose that the number of tractors in the area might eventually lead to the incident described yesterday. But what happened to me next has no explanation.

I was driving to meet Carrie at school before a Disc Golfing tee time. Shadow and Elijah were in the car. We were leisurely driving along, when I cam around a curve and a chicken jumped out in front of my car. Yes, you read correctly—a chicken. Not wanting to add to the already mounting numbers of road kill consisting of possum, squirrel, muskrat, etc., I locked my car up. I can’t remember the last time I heard the squeal of tires followed by the smell of burnt rubber that comes from slamming on the brakes. But I did anyway. Shadow ended up in the passenger seat. Shaken, but okay. The car barely missed this stupid chicken as it just fluttered on to the other side of the road.

I was forced to pull over to side of the road for a minute to compose myself. I was enraged. I couldn’t be mad at the chicken, after all it doesn’t know that a car traveling at 50 mph will destroy it. But I was still mad. Who is to blame? Hillbilly Jim who decides that he wants to have chickens but doesn’t want to go through the work of making a coup to keep his chickens penned up. How much does chicken wire cost you lazy redneck?

You may think this is an isolated incident, but it happens regularly down here. There seems to be little concept of civility, as people just do what is easy and expect everyone to understand. Maybe it isn’t only in East Tennessee. But I feel like my world is collapsing. If we can’t even keep our chickens from terrorizing the neighborhood what hope do we have for a redeemed society.

Only in East Tennessee

Last night I had an interesting experience that I thought I would share. It was around 11:00 at night. I was shutting down the house for the night. Then I saw a police car with his lights on pull into the parking lot of the church/my driveway. He got out an was examining my cars. I walked out and greeted the State Trooper and asked him what was going on. He said and I quote:
“Do you know anyone who owns a green tractor?”
“No. Why?” I replied.
“Well you see those blue flashing lights down there (pointing down the street)? There is an abandoned big green tractor with a hay bailer parked in the middle of the road. It is there at the curve and we don’t want anyone to hit it.”

I assured him that I did not know the owner of the big green tractor. He thanked me for my time, and went on his way. I share this story not to make a philosophical or theological point, but merely to say, “Only in East Tennessee.”

Decency Laws

I have noticed that our government is spending a lot of time investigating and making laws about things that I have little interest in (steroids in pro sports being a major one). Well I have an idea—let’s make some laws that actually make an impact on the common man. Here’s one based on something I have noticed when I go into restaurants. Let me take you through the encounter:

I walk into the restaurant with my wife at my side and my 9-month-old baby in hand. The inevitable question is asked: “How many?” I reply, “2 and ½.” Chuckle chuckle. The hostess follows up with: “Smoking or non-smoking?” I look at my child and say wryly, “Non-smoking.”

Does anyone else see the problem? Who would expose their infant child to unnecessary smoke inhalation? With all we know about cancer, asthma, emphysema, allergies, and more, one would have to be insane to say, “Smoking section please.” I know parents smoke, but for the sake of the child, could you refrain for an hour?

Thus, I propose that we make a law that if a family has a child under 4 years old, they cannot be in the smoking section. I don’t know what the punishment would be, but in my mind subjecting kids to such abuse is at the very least a crime, and probably is a sin.

Hannah’s Heart—Our Heritage Part 3

Another thing I noticed from Hannah’s story is her amazing sacrifice. Can you imagine going through your entire life, just wanting one thing. All you can think about is that one thing. It haunts your dreams and your waking thoughts. It is your heart’s desire. It is the one thing in life that you think will make you complete. But upon finally getting it after years of hoping, you have give it right back. You barely have time to enjoy it before returning it to the place where you got it. That is the story of Hannah. She finally received what she had longed for—this child. And after he was weaned, she gave him back to God for His service. That is an unbelievable picture of sacrifice.

Mothers are asked to sacrifice quite a bit for the sake of their children. Mothers are willing to lose precious sleep time, their pre-pregnancy figures, often their careers, sometimes even their dreams and aspirations. And they willingly do it for the sake of their children. That picture of sacrifice that Hannah displayed and that many mothers display is the picture of our relationship in the church. Being a part of the body of Christ, being committed to one another takes sacrifice. But this church is built on the sacrifices that have been made by those who have gone before us.

Hebrews 13:15-16 reads: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

You don’t need to be a mother to display sacrificial love. There are many in this congregation who have been spiritual mothers through their influence and teaching. There are many who have given time, money, encouragement, and more for the sake of the kingdom. Carrie and I especially being so far from our families have felt the love that people have poured out. And we do these things because we are united not by blood lines, but by the blood of the Lamb. When we as mothers, or fathers, or children, or neighbors, or friends display sacrificial love, we are merely taking after Jesus’ example and fulfilling His wish that we “feed His sheep.” Our sacrifices will leave a heritage for those who follow after us.

God blessed Hannah with a wonderful son, and an even larger family because her heart was following after God’s. Her faith and sacrifice not just as a mother, but as a worshipper stands as an inspiration for us all.

Thank you Lord for our mothers. We remember today those women who have displayed their loving care and their ceaseless love for us. May we show them by our gifts, our words, and our actions that we love them and care about them too.

God I pray for those who have experienced heartache over motherhood. Whether they have lost a mother, been estranged from a mother, or who have struggled with the inability to be a mother, I pray you instill a peace in them that returns their faith to you. You have the power of healing and restoration in your hand. I pray you extend that hand to the hurting among us.

God we thank you for the family of the church. May we know your blessing and strength as we care for others. Through your mighty name we pray, Amen.

Hannah’s Heart—Our Heritage Part 2

What do I know about being a mother? Not much. But I know a good mother when I see one. When I read instances of women like Hannah I see what it takes to raise a godly child. I think we can learn much from this story. Whether you are a women or a man, a mother, a child, a woman who has known the loss of a child, a woman who has known the feelings of futility that come from an inability to bear children, or someone who has never had the opportunity to have children, this story speaks to all of us. Hannah’s heart gives us an example that if we emulate can leave a lasting heritage.

The first thing I notice about Hannah is her faith. Year after year went by, and though some of her hopes never came to fruition, she refused to cease worshipping God. She would make the trek each year to celebrate with the rest of her family, despite the pain that she endured. And though each year seemed to bring more disappointment, she steadfastly prayed to God seeking His will in her life. She was a woman of faith. Though her circumstances may have dictated otherwise, she continued to keep God at the forefront of her life and believe that He could overcome anything, even barrenness.

There is an illustration that you have probably heard before, but I couldn’t resist:
A man fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The following conversation ensued: "Is anyone up there?"
"I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?"
"Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can't hang on much longer."
"That's all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch."
A moment of pause, then the man said: "Is anyone else up there?"

God is still in the business of doing things that seem impossible, improbable, and impractical. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love. As people of faith continue to pour their entire selves into this God, He responds with gifts of love and blessings. Sometimes those blessings come in a physical form like cures from diseases and illnesses. Other times they are spiritual and help us grow in our faith. And often, he uses our hardship and pain to bring blessings to others. If you are sitting here today, dealing with frustration and disappointment because of a circumstance in your life, God is calling you to keep faith. Whether it is a broken relationship, the pain of the loss of a loved one, frustration over your place in life, or whatever may be disturbing you today, God is calling you back to faith. God’s ways, though hidden to us, are often revealed in the way we he uses our faith in the lives of others. As Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hannah epitomized this kind of faith. May we live that same kind of faith out, and pass it on to those who will come after us.

Hannah’s Heart—Our Heritage

Another annual festival had come and gone. Another year that Hannah was forced to suffer the pain of broken dreams, the ridicule of other women, and her disappointment with God. Her name meant “grace” but she felt very distant from God’s favor. Hannah was barren, and though she and her husband Elkanah had repeatedly tried, she could not give birth to a child. And each year, the trip up to Shiloh that was supposed to be a celebration of God’s blessings was just another reminder that she was not a recipient.

Elkanah constantly told her that he didn’t mind. That he loved her even if she never conceived. He told her that she meant more to him than 10 sons. In fact, he often presented her with gifts and extra portions of the sacrifice in an attempt to appease her. But Hannah saw the way that Elkanah looked at his other children. She observed how his eyes lit up as they ran to him. She knew that children were the joy of Elkanah’s life, and she would never provide him with that joy. It did not help that Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah would flaunt her fertility in Hannah’s face. Peninnah would push her children right up in front of Hannah and say things like, “There is nothing like children to make you feel complete” or “God’s greatest blessing is a child.”

Hannah could normally control her emotions and cordially reply, “Yes, they are beautiful children. You are very blessed.” But inside she was boiling over with anger, resentment, and feelings of inadequacy. And when these emotionally crushing episodes ended, she would run off and cry until she had no tears left.

During this past festival, she ran crying to the temple, fell before the altar of sacrifice, and poured out her soul before God. She let go of her bitterness, her sadness, and her disappointment. She made a vow before God, saying simply: “O Yahweh Sabaoth, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the YAHWEH for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” Hannah was desperate. She was not just asking for a son. She was willing to return that son back to God for His service if only God would bless her.

And she continued to pray, her head bowed, her mouth moving, but no words coming out. The priest, Eli saw her crumpled body lying there and immediately thought that she was some drunk that had staggered up to the temple area. To further her shame, he accused her of being a lush and told her to stop with the booze. She defended herself and explained her situation. At which point, Eli quickly recanted and gave her an offhanded blessing: “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” Hannah left, feeling somewhat better, but still unsure as to her future. The festival ended, and their family went back home with no resolution in sight.

But soon afterward, God did the unthinkable. He opened her closed womb; he brought fertility out of her barrenness; Hannah became pregnant. It was a miracle. It was a surprise. It was a blessing straight from God. After 9 months Hannah gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, and she named him Samuel, which means “Heard of God.” She prayed to God and asked, and God heard and answered her. And she did not forget her vow. Though it was time to return once again to Shiloh for the festival, she waited until Samuel was weaned. And as hard as it was to let go, she brought him up, offered sacrifices for him, and presented him to Eli the priest. Her words again were simple, but expressed her deepest desire and thankfulness for this blessing from God. She said: “I give him to YAHWEH. For his whole life he will be given over to YAHWEH.”

The son that was given to her, Hannah gave right back to God to use as He saw fit. Hannah’s thankfulness at God’s blessing overflowed into sacrifice. Hannah was so appreciative of finally receiving God’s favor that she was willing to do whatever was required to raise a child who sought after God. And Samuel grew up to be a great prophet among the Israelites. He was the voice of God among the people. He anointed the first king. He helped rear David and anointed him as King.

Hannah had no idea that her baby would be this great man and great leader. She only knew that God deserved him for whatever use he had. And that made it worth giving Samuel over to God.

Birdie!!!

I don’t play much golf. Maybe 5 rounds a year. I am hoping to play more, but with my back and schedule that is about all I can muster. But I did play on Saturday, and I registered my first ever birdie. Let me make it clear — this was a real birdie. No mulligans, no second chances on the putt once I got the read. It was the real thing.

The hole was a 325-yard par four that curves to the left, obscuring the pin from the tee. I blasted the drive down there. Chipped up onto the green nicely, and put home a downhill left to right 20 footer. For a duffer like myself, this was a big deal. It was thrilling. When the ball dropped into the cup, I yelled out, “Birdie!!!”

Though I only shot well on about 4 of the 9 holes we played, it was worth going out and feeling sore in the morning. May the little things in life bring us joy, because for some of us that is all we have.

A Mother's Day Prayer

God our Mother,
You hold our life within you,
nourish us at your breast,
and teach you to walk alone.
Help us to receive your tenderness
and respond to your challenge
that others may draw life from us,
in your name.

Janet Morley

Props

Yesterday was “National Teacher’s Day.” My wife is a 5th grade teacher. I don’t envy her. I couldn’t do what she does. She has been blessed with a gift and is returning that blessing back to the world. There is so much more to teaching than just showing up with a lesson plan and she fills many roles besides “teacher.” She is a counselor, an advocate, an intermediary, an arbitrator, a friend, a confidant, and a minister. She is a shining light in the often dark lives of these kids.

And on a day when she should have been lauded for her efforts, she came home just sick of it all. Administrative BS, Even if she doesn’t get the recognition she deserves from school, she gets my vote for teacher of the year every day.

God is greater than all

There are a lot of great things out there. There are great people, great places, great foods, great cars…the list goes on and on. But most of the time, people are not great in and of themselves. They are given worth. For example, there are certain products that are ignored until someone famous begins to endorse them. Then everyone thinks they are great. Escalades were big and ugly until some rappers started pimping them out. Now they are cool. Trucker hats were worn only by, well, truckers, until a few Hollywood folks started wearing them. Now they are all over the place. The point is, great is relative. What is great one weak is lame the next. And so it is tough to figure out what to follow and believe is worthwhile.

Let me share 2 Scriptures with you:
“I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.” Psalm 135:5
“But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man.” Job 33:12

We don’t have a problem with worshipping other gods do we? We don’t sacrifice things to them or bow down to idols. Most of the time, when we think of worship we thinking of singing to God or going to church. But there is more to worship than just that. People may not bow down to idols of gold or silver, but we still worship things. Jesus says where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. In other words, the things in life that are your priorities, the things you put stock in, the things you focus the majority of your life on, those are your gods. Those are your idols. An idol, quite frankly is anything you put in front of God. The number of idols in this world are countless. We always jump to the obvious ones—money and wealth, power and prestige. But it is not just money hungry, recognition seeking people that put their idols in front of God. We put less obvious things in front of God. We put laziness, busyness, and selfishness

Laziness—we don’t want to put the effort into really getting to know God. It is just easier to drift by and float along. Soon, we start skipping Bible reading and praying. And then church altogether goes by the wayside. I see it in families all the time. Laziness leads to absence an absence of God.

Or perhaps it is busyness. School, sports, work, relationships, and other activities become the focal point of our lives, and God is given maybe an hour on Sunday. After all, we don’t have any other time to give him. Our priorities just don’t leave time for God. Busyness leads to an absence of God.

Or maybe its selfishness. The more we care about making sure our lives are good, the less we care about what God thinks about that. When we care more about living to please us than living to please our Creator, God takes a back seat. Selfishness leads to an absence of God.

But all those things that we put in front of God are just worthless idols. They are not better than little figurines of gold. God is greater than all gods, all idols, all men, all things. God is greater than all. Nothing in this world can ever be as good or worthwhile as your relationship with God and with God’s people. Period. No amount of money, cars, prestige, pleasure or anything else can compare with God’s greatness. But you will never know that unless you experience God. And you will never believe it until you attribute to God the greatness he deserves.

The question I want you to leave with is this: “What are you going to spend your life and energy serving?”

If God isn’t at the top of the list, you are missing out. You are serving an empty idol. You are following something that will let you down. God is greater than all things. He and He alone deserves your time, effort, energy, love, and above all, your worship.