The Giving Business

A few Sundays ago, a bedraggled, desperate-looking man entered our sanctuary as I was leading the congregation in the Call to Worship to begin the service. As I’m sure happens to other pastors, just as I’m leading the congregation, I’m simultaneously having a parallel conversation with God. As I’m speaking, I wonder who this man is, thinking he looks exactly like someone who could use an encounter with the love and grace of God. He was in the right place! Still speaking from the pulpit, I try to love him with a glance of my eyes and silently will him into a seat. I pray that the congregation will wrap him up in love and give him a sense of belonging. Quietly in my spirit, I appraise the situation with God: who is this man, what’s his pain, what will be the best way to communicate love and compassion to him? Should I stop what I’m doing and address him directly? Will this church family embody radical Christian hospitality, one of our core values? As I wind down the call to worship with an “Amen,” he is still standing there at the back, center of the aisle, grappling and gripping his hat in nervous hands. His hair looks unwashed, his face haggard and weather-beaten. In an instant I know he is going to interrupt the service to speak. I’m still simultaneously assessing all angles of the scene, and it occurs to me he might be dangerous. In a split second, the Charleston and Texas church massacres run through my head. I plead with God to give me wisdom to do the right thing.

How do we deter a crime without treating him like a criminal, stave off danger without treating himlike he’s dangerous? Lord, how do we turn away threat without turning him away? After all, if Christ formed the Church for anyone, he did it for this man. Still suspended in that same split second, I give a barely perceptible nod to my husband and one of the ushers. I knew they would be prepared to make a Christ-like response while also protecting us from harm if needed. Then the man began to speak. Words tumbled out of his strained face as he recounted a stack of tragic circumstances including the death of his daughter the day before and a state of destitution that disallowed him and his wife from traveling home to be with family and plan the funeral. He was asking us to help him buy gas and other supplies they needed for the trip.

You need to know, I’m not naïve and I’m no stranger to people stopping on Sundays to ask for assistance. It’s a popular time for scamming because pastors are rushed and service needs to start on time, so people are more likely to be supplied with cash and sent on their way. My approach is always to first kindly welcome them to stay for worship so I can spend more time understanding their need after the service. They rarely, if ever, accept that invitation. So, still at the pulpit, I sensitively suggest the gentleman make himself comfortable and worship with us, let us pray for him, and address his need following the service. He declined by explaining his wife was in the car and she was in such a state that she was embarrassed to come into the church. At this point my church members got involved. Many of them spoke up and assured him they didn’t need to be ashamed, that they were loved here, by God and by them. This is when God sent me out of the pulpit down to the man. I knew we couldn’t talk him into staying, so I walked to him and asked him if we could pray for them right there on the spot. Other people left the pews and joined in laying-on hands and praying for the man and his family. Tears streamed down his face, and I could feel the power and love of God encircling us. I knew we were doing the right thing. After we prayed and loved on him, my husband and ushers went out with him to address his need. I would learn later that they gave him a fairly large offering for gas and food.

In the days following the event, as we reflected on it, I heard the ever-present skepticism that it was a scam, that they would spend the money on something else, probably something destructive like cigarettes, drugs or alcohol. This curiosity is natural, but it’s also one that those of us in the giving business have to talk about. Obviously, God calls us to be good stewards of the resources He’s given us, and to not enable irresponsible spending or perpetuate cycles of poverty and dysfunction. He wants our help to helpin the long run, not hurt. On the other hand, I believe he calls us to give without judgment and control of others. If we can’t, we shouldn’t be in the giving business to begin with. Jesus clearly gives us this example.

Even Jesus couldn’t or didn’t control how people used his help. Jesus healed people and asked them not to tell anyone about it, but they did anyway (Mark 1:41-45a). He cured lepers and all but one headed off without saying thanks (Luke 17:11-19). He gave himself fully to his disciples, yet he knew one of them would respond by having him arrested (Matthew 26:23-25). Also, Jesus didn’t sway to pressure from others to change his giving policy. His disciples tried to shield Jesus from feeding a hungry crowd, but he provided a feast instead (Matthew 14:13-16). Jesus was faithful to his mission, he never wavered from helping others, even if what they did with it was unpredictable. He commands us to do the same. Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me” (Matthew 25:35-40). “Freely you have received; feely give” (Matthew 10:8). Hey, it may have even be Jesus himself that walked into our church that day.“

For further study (References are starting points, they are not exhaustive):

Two great books on how to offer assistance that helps and empowers: When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett;and Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton.

Mark 1:41-45a

Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news.

Luke 17:11-19

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a] met him. They stood at a distanceand called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Matthew 26:23-25

Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

Matthew 14:15-17

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

Matthew 25:35-40

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 10:6-8

Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Picture: “Man Clutching Hat” by Rafael Coronel

Triathlon and Faith

I raced the Xterra Myrtle Beach off-road triathlon this past week. The format of the race is a 1k swim in the Intercoastal Waterway, 14 miles on single track mountain bike trail, and 5 mile trail run. This is my first race of this year and one I’ve been training for and looking forward to for three months. These are the lessons I learned from this race. They not only equip me to improve in my next race, but there are vivid parallels to my life as a disciple of Jesus Christ:

To swim well in cold, open water, you need to train in cold, open water. Although I’d logged many, many miles swim training in my rec center pool, its warm water did little to prepare me for the conditions I encountered in the race. I never could catch my breath in the 60 degree water, and I struggled because of it. What I thought was a strength turned out to be a nightmare experience. This lesson is true for our faith life. If we limit our practice of Christian lifestyle to comfortable conditions, God can’t use us a effectly to reach those outside our safe boundaries—the different; the stranger; the politically opposite; the immigrant; the smelly; the sick; the prisoner; the bitter and rejected. Further, when we don’t extend ourselves and seek experiences that stretch and hammer us, we will have trouble surviving difficult circumstances. When tragedy, oppression, or loss strike, if we have already successfully endured hardship, we will have a deeper faith helping us through the toughest times.
Keep the main thing the main thing. I was disappointed in my performance. I felt like I underachieved and was down on myself for days after the race. My competitive spirit had taken over my original objective for the race. A friend had to remind me what I was racing for in the first place. A race, for me, is simply the reward, or expression, of the many hours of training I’ve put in. I train because that time in the pool, on the bike, and on my feet is my intimate time with God. While exercise to some may seem like a body in motion, for me it’s spirit and mind being still in communion with God. When I work out, I am focused in prayer and meditating on scripture. I can craft sermons, Bible study ideas and devotional writing in my mind while swimming, biking, and running. So, when I make it about my time or my finish place, I’ve lost sight of the main thing, and that leads to disappointment.
I’m not who I thought I was. It was humbling. Okay, I accept I’m old and slow. But I imagined I was faster and more fit than I turned out to be in this race. Whatever identity we invent for ourselves, it will never be quite on the mark. Even if I was satisfied with my speed and fitness, I would be instantly greedy to be even faster and more fit. Isn’t this true for all areas of our lives—who we are is never enough? Whether in fashion, or body type, or career, or status. The truth is, the only identity that we will ever find peace in is our identity as child of God, made in the image of God. When I cling to the truth that it’s the image of God in me that defines my identity, then those other desires no longer have power to blow up my contentment.
A smile makes everything better. When being pushed to the limit of endurance, I can suffer, or I can have fun. Under adverse conditions, a smile doesn’t come naturally. But it can come when we intentionally cause it to. Forcing myself to smile during competition, when I felt like I wanted to quit, changed my whole attitude. When I smile I take pressure off myself and am reminded to just have fun. This applies to the rest of my life. I can decide to smile, and simply do it. It not only changes my face, it changes my outlook, and can even change the circumstances and people around me. Mother Teresa wisely pointed out, “Peace begins with a smile.” There is one thing The Lord of all Creation sacrificed himself to the point of excruciating death for us in the moment of our greatest mistakes and wrongdoing. And that proves His love for us (Romans 5:8).

God cares about the whole person: mind, body, spirit. Approach care for yourself within the frame work of loving God and others, and it will come with greater fulfillment, joy and peace. Whether it’s walking, running, biking, swimming, pickle ball, yoga, zumba, gardening, get your body and faith moving!

#FoMO

They are out having the time of their lives, and they didn’t invite me. They are on the dream vacation; one I’ll never get to go on. They are doing one of my bucket list adventures that I doubt I’ll ever do. Their children overachieve and are gorgeous. They are super fit and performing impressive athletic feats. Envy grips my heart, a bitter root taking hold and blossoming slow and hot, rising through the top of my head. The feeling of being left out, left behind, is more rapid, stabbing my heart and dropping fast through the bottom of my feet, dragging my joy and contentment down with it.

While it may be trending more recently as a hashtag, Fear of Missing Out (#FoMO) anxiety has been around since those first humans rebelled against God because the serpent seduced them into thinking they were #MissingOut on the knowledge God possessed. The temptation to “be in the know” was too great to resist, and that fear led to the tear in Creation that has continued to fracture ever since.

FoMO is a legitimate psychological state marked by a “pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent” and an accompanying social anxiety “to stay continually connected with what others are doing”(1). It’s a fear “that one might miss an opportunity for social interaction, a novel experience, profitable investment or other satisfying events” (2).

There is a cure. The God who spun the universe in a single exhale, has gone all-in to offer us peace, love, joy and hope in all circumstances. Our Lord died that we might always be accompanied by His Spirit, and never ever be alone. Has anyone ever gone to such lengths to keep the rising heat and sinking joy from overtaking your heart? Have you ever received a better invitation? There is nothing more adventurous than following the One who has no home, sleeps under the stars, eats around campfires, drinks from streams, silences a storm, walks on water, summits mountains, and rocks the status quo. There is none more fun to hang out with than the one who can turn water into wine, brings friends back from the dead, and picks up the tab for thousands. There is nothing riskier than having dinner with the one who brings con artists, undocumented aliens, criminals, prostitutes and other despised characters to the table. There is nothing more dangerous than joining the target of smear campaigns, hit men, and corrupt politicians. This is the same One who urges us to be content with what we have, to be free from love of money, and remedies us from feeling left out and left behind through his promise of always being at our side (Hebrews 13:5). He is the only trustworthy friend in the promise that nothing can separate us from his love and presence in our lives (Romans 8:38-39).

Next time FoMO creeps in, remember that these eternal promises are more real, and infinitely better, than the window dressing of other people’s social media stories. Instead of #FoMO, let’s say #contented.

Przybylski, Andrew K.; Murayama, Kou; DeHaan, Cody R.; Gladwell, Valerie (July 2013). “Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out”. Computers in Human Behavior.

Shea, Michael (27 July 2015). “Living with FoMO”. The Skinny. Retrieved 9 January 2016.

Painting by Sieger Köder.

Road Kill

I’ve been called tender-hearted by the well-meaning and teased by the mean whenever I agonize over a dead animal in or on the side of the road. Yes, I’m THAT person. I stop so Mama Goose and her goslings can cross the road. I swerve to miss squirrels (if there is no traffic). I grieve the sight of someone’s tragic dog or cat and worry whether a dead raccoon or possum has left behind a family in its nest. Likewise, I can’t watch animal documentaries or see clear-cutting and deforestation without being swamped by sadness.

Yes, I understand biological cycle of life. But, I believe that the cycle of life that we accept in a world fractured by sin and tectonic collision between what God intended and what humans purposed, does not resemble God’s original plan—the context in which he gave us stewardship of creation.

God calls us to be a foretaste of heaven—to create the best facsimile of God’s kingdom here on earth, and to live into that vision now, without delay (Matthew 6:10; Ephesians 1:14: Romans 8:23). Our relationships with God, others, and creation should resemble that which God promises to one day redeem. God promises to restore not just humankind to himself, but all of creation (Revelation 21:1-5). To me, this means that it is critical to care for the health of the natural world in the here and now.

John Wesley, the 18th Century Anglican priest who influenced the Methodist movement, strongly and beautifully argued for this Kingdom value of creation by drawing on Revelation 21:1-5 and 2 Peter 3:7 in his sermon The New Creation:

“In the living part of the creation were seen the most deplorable effects of Adam’s apostasy….But it shall not always be so. He that sitteth upon the throne will soon change the face of all things, and give a demonstrative proof to all his creatures that “his mercy is over all his works.” The horrid state of things which at present obtains, will soon be at an end. On the new earth, no creature will kill, or hurt, or give pain to any other. The scorpion will have no poisonous sting; the adder, no venomous teeth. The lion will have no claws to tear the lamb; no teeth to grind his flesh and bones. Nay, no creature, no beast, bird, or fish, will have any inclination to hurt any other; for cruelty will be far away, and savageness and fierceness be forgotten.”

I embrace the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church, which states the following regarding the natural world:

“All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God’s creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings. God has granted us stewardship of creation. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect….Therefore, let us recognize the responsibility of the church and its members to place a high priority on changes in economic, political, social, and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world leading to a higher quality of life for all of God’s creation.”

The label “tree hugger” has long been used as a pejorative by people supporting development and enslavement of creation for capital gain. You may label me that, but I prefer—and believe it’s more biblically correct—to be called a “creation hugger.” I look to the day when drought-browned pines will instead burst with scented green, when depleted roots will instead reach deep into infinitely robust soil, when the haunted eyes and anguished cries of animals will instead radiate with peace and sing glory to God.

When that day comes, the twisted values that corrupt the wonder of creation will be roadkill along the path to God’s new heaven and earth.

More than musings…What to do?

Pray that God would break your heart over an environment issue that breaks his heart.
Engage your mind and reason to discover truths about care of creation, environment and climate change, and not settle for repeating what you have heard from others.
Look for planning commission and rezoning hearings for new developments and attend one.
Volunteer at a nature park, beach cleanup, or river keeping.
Plant fruit trees and berry shrubs and let the animals take freely
If you live in Conway, the Waccamaw River Conference is ‪Saturday, February 10th at 1pm at the Horry County Museum.
Explore Christian environmental justice organizations and events:
- https://www.umccreationcare.org

https://christiansforenvironmentaljustice.wordpress.com

http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-64-the-new-creation/

No Left Turn

The coffee crash, the breakfast dash. The school morning jig, the sleepy daughter zig. The packing lunch rush, the highway traffic crush. The race, then wait, as cars creep along the school drop-off line. It works, it rolls, until there’s a no-left-turn troll.

If you drive the morning or afternoon school car line, you know the logistics precariously balance traffic safety and school access. This is particularly challenging for a school like ours whose car line dumps right out onto a two way road where cars are merging in from both directions. When a driver wants to turn left out of the car line, waiting for a clear opportunity, it backs up the line behind them, complicates matters for the cars wanting to turn turn left off the main road, and creates good odds there will be a collision with the oncoming traffic. In an attempt to move traffic more safely, the school instituted a no left turn policy during the peak drop off times, and placed a “No Left Turn” signboard in the left turn lane. Drivers can swiftly turn right and take another route, or make a u-turn at a turn out spot. As you can guess, there are drivers who refuse to follow the policy and insist on turning left. Worse, with the sign sitting in the left turn lane, the back-up behind them is even worse since those wanting to turn right can’t do so until the car at the front makes their left turn.

Now that I’ve hopefully painted in your mind this scene and possibly stirred up feelings of impatience and frustration, let’s talk about summoning up patience and consideration of others when it seems impossible. First, let me just say there is no law against this particular left turn, and that when there is light traffic, and no one is inconvenienced, I have taken that left turn. I am amazed, however, by the number of people who stubbornly sit there waiting to lumber left while cars stack up behind them. Viewed through the most basic lens of our shared human morality, this act is unkind and inconsiderate of others. Viewed through the lens of Christian obligation, it is a refusal to love others as self (commanded by Christ Matthew 22:39-40) and a rejection of sacrificing benefits to self in order to elevate the needs of others. That is, putting others first (Philippians 2:3-4). I have heard people label themselves as “impatient” and “busy,” life-limiting and self-proclaimed labels. The truth is, there is no such thing as a statically impatient, superior, or stubborn person. There are only those who refuse God’s offer of Holy Spirit superpowers of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galations 5:22-23). The good news here is that when these things aren’t naturally part of our DNA and our personality rebels against them, we don’t have to conjure them up out of non existent wells and dry reservoirs, but merely access them by prayer. I’m easily frustrated and impatient, because my time is stretched to the max, but when I take a few seconds to breathe and pray for the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, I not only make someone else’s day better, I create an access point for them to experience God’s goodness by removing obstacles to grace, and I, myself, am blessed by this self-sacrifice.

Can a person change the way they are? Can they switch gears in the middle of a regrettable act of selfishness? Can a rude person become kind? I believe, with God’s help, they can.

Of Plagues and Purpose

They must have thought they were in a living hell. Even though God inflicted the ten plagues on the Egyptians and protected the Israelites each time (Exodus 10-12), God’s people would have been surrounded by grotesque calamity: blood soaked fish rotting on the shore; bloated livestock stinking in the fields; crushed, hole-riddled, pest-ravaged crops; disease-devoured, starving Egyptians stumbling, falling, and crawling in the streets; days of devastating darkness; the stench of death from one horizon to the other. Scholars estimate the total time for this lethal display of God’s power lasted from three to as many as nine months. Imagine living under these conditions for that long! Scripture doesn’t include references to Moses or the Israelites suffering or complaining during the plagues, but knowing their penchant for protesting during the exodus itself (Exodus 14:10; 15:23-24; 16:2-3; Numbers 11:1-2, 4-6; 14:2-4), I can imagine their anguished pleading. “Why, God!?”“How long, Lord!? “Deliver us!” Even those with the strongest faith couldn’t have imagined their role in the epic scope of God’s overarching plan: the development of the historic witness of God’s explosive provision and deliverance from cruel oppression that would be the bedrock of the salvation of all humankind culminated 1,500 years later through Jesus Christ, and its continual declaration spanning another 2,000 years to us today (Matthew 2:15; Romans 10:4; Hebrews 13:20-21). They were integral to one of the greatest moments in the history of humanity! What a legacy!

So, I am strengthened in my faith that whatever struggles I face, whatever chaos surrounds me, however much desperation threatens me, whenever questions of “why” and “how long” bubble up, there is a much bigger plan at work—a grand chess board that I cannot see, each move calculated by God for the pouring in of His good and perfect end-game for my life (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28). So, from this truth I draw no-matter-what peace, hope, love and joy and seek God’s Word and Spirit for the revealing of God’s purpose for my life.

If you are in such a place, gather your support people and pray the Lord’s Prayer, recognize you are asking for God’s will be done. Make covenant to pray this together everyday:

Traditional Translation:

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

My Interpretation:

Our Father, wonderful and mighty in heaven, your name towering with power above all things. O God, break open your Kingdom on the earth, that we might have a foretaste now of what is yet to come. Your will is infinitely more important than our own and so we ask that you would work things out according to your great plan, even if it causes us short term discomfort. Give us this day all we need, and may we have peace and contentment with no measure more than that. Forgives us as we, are at the same time, forgiving all who have caused us harm. May we put on your Spiritual Armor that we would resist temptations, practicing self-control and habit-breaking. We trust your Holy Spirit as our source of all truth and our guide through life. Pull us back from the edge of self-indulgence that we might not fall into a sin-death downward spiral. For the Kingdom, the power and the glory are all yours and will be forever and ever. Amen.

(Scripture references are not exhaustive, but starting points for study)

Painting:

The Fifth Plague of Egypt, 1800, JMW Turner

More than musings…Going on to…

It’s a natural evolution.

“Every one, though born of God in an instant, yea and sanctified in an instant, yet undoubtedly grows by slow degrees…” – John Wesley. Letter, 27 June 1760

In any given day, hundreds of musings pass through my mind, exiting as vapor, benefiting only myself in momentary, tantalizing thoughts. To share is to risk being rejected, misunderstood, and (gasp!) mistaken. For a perfectionist like me, the great barrier between private musings and a fully crafted communication, is that it can never be good enough, with all the right citations, every theological point covered, and all arguments and derision accounted for. So this is a scary point of departure for me. But when I take a lesson I’ve learned from another aspect of my life, I am able to overcome that barrier. As a triathlete (swimming, cycling, and running), the fun for me is not so much in the race itself but in the training–the daily workout and following a plan that points me to a better end. When I reach the end of my training, I am better than when I began and ready for a race. So, I’ve decided to apply this same approach to my musings: it’s not about being perfect in the end, but in the daily striving, working towards something better.

While I’ve shared my written devotions publicly for years, I want this to be more than musings. I want to stride across a biblical view of current events right into application of our biblical call to advocate for social justice and mercy, to help the helpless, to speak for the voiceless, to befriend the other, and to find likeness in the different.

Maybe through this effort, instead of producing wasted vapor, the musings of my mind may just churn calories of hands and feet in motion for the Kingdom of God.