So, What's New?

More and more each year we receive Christmas cards that include a letter that chronicles the events, changes and heroics of the past year. It seems to be one parting shot at a year gone by and well wishes for the new. Most of these epistles are informative and often entertaining and truth be known the McQuiddy’s have penned a few familial yarns themselves. This exercise in reflection is also a written form of the age approved conversation that begins with, “So, what’s new?” In one sense the New Testament epistles are primarily one party informing the other about what’s new.

As we enter the New Year the prospect of what will be new is both exciting and a challenge as well. Each year brings the renewed hope that this one will top all the others and that God will bless each of us with opportunities for service and the maturing of our faith. O, we all know that lingering in the shadows is the imminent reality that with all of the excitement of new adventures there rests the reality that death, illness and ill fortune will come our way. Nothing will stop that reality but never-the-less nothing will diminish the assurance of our faith and love in a God who works for the good of those who love Him. Faith will be tested, love will need to conquer and hope will have to anchor not only our souls but our aim to do mighty things in the name of our Lord.

So, what’s new? I’m praying for fresh eyes to see how I may serve my family, my community, my church and most of all, my Lord. My prayer is that we all find newness in our worship, our service and our play. That God grants us a new spirit of joy in faithful living and reverence for His guidance in all things. I long for us to know with unwavering assurance that we are the body of Christ and ambassadors of His love and presence in this world! So, what’s new? Solomon says, “Nothing under the sun.” But I say, “Nothing original maybe but every opportunity to meet each new day with a new and renewed spirit of passion and compassion for ministry. So, watch out old her comes the new! -DAN

The Mighty Three

Christmas is exactly that… Christ mass, the worship of Christ –the celebration of the promised one coming into the world to give light to all men (John 1:9). A long the way the tarnish of myth and commercialism have diminished the light with a host of Christmas characters from Santa to talking snowmen and even a Christmas version of Bigfoot that’s just abominable! Yet, still glowing from this menagerie of misfits who deck the halls of history is the true spirit of Christmas that is not only about the joy of giving but the need for a hero! “…you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).” The nativity scene is as much about the birth of a champion as it about the unexpected arrival of a messiah.

God was in the hero business before creation. Many He has called were unexpected heroes like the little shepherd boy David or the mama’s boy Jacob yet, all had in common a reliance on God for their strength. Even the great Samson needed God to fill him with strength. However, there are times that God used the few, the proud… the first SWAT (Spiritual Warriors of Ancient Times) team to carry out His will. One special force unit was called “the Three (2 Samuel 23:19).” These were devoted soldiers for David who once risked their lives just to get David a drink from a well behind enemy lines in Bethlehem. Each had saved the day in heroic fashion and donned the annals of history with heroic tales of strength and courage that inspired one and all. The three were Joe (that’s short for Josheb-Basshebeth), Eleazar and Shammah. They were more than a superhero trio they were men of unrelenting faith that knew the battle belong to the Lord! Like Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (that’s Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego for those you who like Babylonian names) their confident proclamation was, “the God we serve is able to save us… (Daniel 3:17).” Their strength was not about 24 hour fitness memberships but faith in the God who delivers!

This week when many will turn their hearts toward that Bethlehem delivery may we sing with the angel choir once again, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests (Luke 2:14)!” May we all long to be heroes for our God and find our strength in the one true hero of life, Christ Jesus our Lord! Thank God for that starry night so long ago that heralded shepherds, angels, magi and a world in need of a Savior! -DAN

My Boy

The picture is of our granddaughter Tia in the hallway of the Hart Senate Office building on Capitol Hill beaming with a smile because she’s in front of office 713. The sign still reads, “Senator Barak Obama, Illinois.” Tia calls him “My Boy.” Tia and family with the help of a friend who works at the White House were able to see the Senator’s old office and his new office (unfortunately there are no pictures allowed in the Oval Office). The memory may fade for this four year old but the picture will be a family treasure. History will tell whether Tia wants to continue to claim President Elect Obama as “My Boy.” By the way for those of you who don’t know Tia… she’s a young African-American woman who’s wiser than her years and supplies a lot of snap to her flava and ‘tude to her roll (translation – precocious with a capital “P”). So, now you know how to enunciate “My Boy.”

Tia’s picture in front of 713 is a treasure not only because of its historical significance but because it reminds us of the power of belonging. My prayer for Tia will always be that Jesus will be her boy! That is, as her faith grows and matures that belonging to Jesus is the most important thing in her life. Scripture describes this love affair in various ways from the imagery of a bride to the paradox of being crucified with Christ so that it is no longer ourselves that live but Christ who lives within us. Faith connects us to the one who not only redeems us and intercedes for us but who loves us! Paul asserts, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15).” Living for Jesus is more than lyrics or VBS banners… it’s the natural result of feeling connected to the one who connects us to heaven!

One of my favorite verses of Scripture is Ephesians 2:6 where Paul blows us away with the ethereal promise, “…God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…” I don’t expect (though I may be wrong) that Tia will ever get to be seated with President Elect Barak Obama –but I’m hopeful that she will accept the invitation of God to be seated with Jesus… whom I pray will always be “Her Boy!” -DAN

Prone To Wander

I love when Pam Sikorski (my favorite Lady of England) says, “Do you have all your bits and pieces?” It’s far more descriptive and quaint than the American “all your stuff” or “things.” I like to think that my life is full of bits and pieces… bits that I’ve borrowed, accrued or acquired and pieces that have fallen my way. One of my favorite bits of hymnody is Robert Robinson’s phrase, “tune my heart to sing Thy praise.” I think I’m drawn to this spiritual snippet because of Robinson’s vulnerable honesty that confesses in the last stanza of this great hymn (Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing), “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.” I don’t think that the Christian heart ever entertains spiritual mutiny or designs to betray its first love… however; we struggle with being wandering sheep who can be unwittingly lured away from the safety of the flock. We are like instruments that if not tuned daily with praise will slowly go out of tune until all that remains is a discordant sound unpleasant to both ear and soul. Praise can not be taken for granted! It tunes your day and combats the natural tendency to wander.

The challenge here is to cultivate mature worship in our lives. All of my children had to be watched closely when they were toddlers because they were fascinated with kitties. If a kitty wandered down the street they would follow in pursuit oblivious to their surroundings as they held their arms opened and called out, “kitty.” Likewise, we remain spiritual toddlers if we do not train ourselves to cultivate a life of praise. Worship is not just a church experience, that is, it only happens in a church setting on church time with church bits and pieces. Worship is recognition of God in the moment. We beat our tendency to wander when we take seriously Jesus promise to be with us and He truly becomes the same today, yesterday and forever! Then our vision becomes clear and we can see “streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for sounds of loudest praise!”

So worship God this week… on your way to the mall sing at the top of your lungs a song of praise… take a twilight stroll and pray every step of the way… look someone in the eye and wink, “You know I like Christmas because it begins with ‘Christ!’” And hey, if you find yourself following a kitty down an unfamiliar street –stop, drop and roll because you’re in danger. Then ask God to tune your heart to sing His praise! -DAN

P.S. If you read Mike Cope's blog then... yes, I was inspired (bit and pieced) by him.

Just Married

The other day as Pam and I were making our way to an undisclosed destination (undisclosed because I don’t remember) from the passenger’s side of the car I spotted a vehicle with the windshield marked with the familiar words, “Just Married.” I was anxious to pull up along side the happy couple because my curiosity was sparked by the appearance of their joyful message. “Just Married” had been painted on in brown. Now, I don’t know about you but such blissful announcements seem to mandate cheerful colors or wedding white but not dirt clod brown. Viewing the happy couple as we pulled along side of them didn’t seem to add any explanation… so a very dangerous thing happened… my imagination took the driver’s wheel and spun off into possibilities. Maybe this couple had been married for awhile and the letters weren’t brown but rather covered in dirt? Or could it be that this was a prank and that somebody had discovered white paint that gradually turned brown? Or what if these were really bad terrorist who hadn’t done their homework and they were on their way to blow up a church? No… that’s too sinister but maybe they are farmers or green peace nuts who are celebrating both marriage and the good earth? -you see why I said it was dangerous!

Now, I have had practice with this take the ball and run with it stream of consciousness. I’ve often been on my way to an undisclosed destination as I’ve read through Scripture only to find something that just didn’t seem right to me. I’d get stuck on the color of it all and miss the message. I would shake my head at Paul or humph at Moses and the prophets thoroughly unsatisfied with their obtuse, incomplete or inconsistent renderings. I wanted black or white and they were giving brown… or any other color than what I thought was the right shade! Somewhere along the journey though I decided to be still and know that God wanted me to hear the whisper not the thunder… to delight in the message not the package it came in. So, maybe it’s okay to have “Just Married” in brown because it’s the message that counts –not the color.

All of this is to say… we live in an imperfect world with imperfect knowledge to make sense out of the nonsense we struggle with. Should we seek truth and pursue it? Well, of course we should, but only if we resolve that the way, the truth and the life are not determined by externals like color, shape or form but in Jesus the living Word of God! I love that God continues to challenge us with the puzzling, humble us with the unknowable and enable us with undeserved love that invites us to the wedding feast to become His Son's bride! -DAN

You Must Be Out Celebrating?

For a moment, if you will, please lay aside your political views and partisanship. I want you to see some gospel from thousands of miles away on the southern tip of the African continent. Dr. Dottie Leveque is Pam’s sister-in-law who made most of the arrangements that made it possible for a group of us last year to travel to Cape town, South Africa to build a home through Habitat’s program and to visit and support a local congregation, a struggling school and an AID’s orphanage. She did most of this with the help of her good friends Trevor and Jo Tyers. The Tyers are no ordinary couple they both are ordained priests in the Anglican church of South Africa. They both were advocates against apartheid with Trevor serving alongside of Desmond Tutu and Jo boldly standing in South African streets protesting with the Black Sash a women’s group that was greatly harangued by apartheid supporters. These are brave souls who risked their lives in the name of Christ to rid their country of racism and unconscionable hate crimes against fellow human beings. As a group we were privileged to be in their company and to hear their stories.

Recently, Dottie was in town and we met for breakfast. During breakfast a warm grin spread across Dottie’s face and with a glint in her eyes she said, “I’ve got something you’ve just got to hear!” She retrieved a cell phone message and one by one let each of us listen to it. The message was from Jo and Trevor who wanted to share their enthusiasm over the election of Barak Obama the first African American president. They spoke of not only the joy of hearing the good news but were confident that they were unable to reach Dottie because she must be out celebrating! The pure joy in their voices echoed the feeling of victory they had felt when the walls of apartheid finally came tumbling down. They were veterans of the battle who shared the hopes a world undivided by racial or economic boundaries.

Such is the kingdom of God… such is the efficacy of the cross that breaks down the “dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:16).” Such is to be celebrated! This is beyond political prudence or party platforms. This is history that resonates with the gospel clarity of the old spiritual “He’s got the whole world in His hands!” None of us is outside His love and grace but are invited to become “one in Christ (Galatians 3:28).” Now, that IS good news! God bless America and God bless our new president elect. -DAN

Do You Speak English?

On our way to church last Sunday as we approached an intersection an obviously distressed and anxious woman waving her arms at us approached our car straining to see our faces and asking us, “Do you speak English?” Now, keep in mind that we live in the very culturally diverse South area and such questioning only underscores the frustration this woman was feeling. We found out she was trying to get to her mother’s home where her elderly mother had fallen in the shower. We drove her to assist her mother but be assured in the midst of our Good Samaritan trip we wondered if we were helping, enabling or God forbid, being set up to be victims. How much we helped… well, only God knows but I’m glad we spoke English.

Well, of course you speak English… you’re Americans. It’s the universal travel language and hey, the Bible is written in English! At least we sometimes act as if that were true. We seem aggravated by those living within our borders who don’t know how to speak English especially if we’re trying to purchase a pack of gum at the 7/11 or decipher a telemarketer’s pitch. Speak the language…we insist in patriotic tones! I sometimes wonder if we would have insisted that Jesus stop the Aramaic chit chat and stick with Greek or at least Latin. We seem to want the Spirit’s enabling on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) to mean that when everybody heard in their own language it was probably English and they just thought they heard it in their own dialect. Which brings me to what I really wanted to say…

Our desperate woman who posed the question, “Do you speak English?” Was really asking the question, “Can we communicate?” Now, that’s what Acts two is about and that’s the most important task of the church. Can we speak the name of Jesus and model his presence in the world so that he can be understood and therefore, be believed upon? Can we keep the message of God relevant? Can we articulate the faith of our fathers in a way that is true to our heritage and God while also being user friendly to the world we live in? The answer is a resounding, “YES!” And I believe that the key to making it happen is for us to speak in the only true universal language… the language of love! When we stop loving the lost… when our focus becomes so internal that we are deaf to the voices beyond our four walls, then I’m not sure we are communicating! May God enable us all to speak so that we can be heard (check that… so He can be heard). -DAN

Elect Larry Cain

As I drove up to the preacher’s peer meeting that was scheduled at the Peachtree Lane Church of Christ facilities I took a double take. Parked so that it was visible to passing traffic was Larry Cain’s automobile with a sign that touted in patriotic colors: Elect Larry Cain for District Commissioner. Now, if you are not aware of it… Larry Cain is the minister for the congregation there in Yuba City. When we asked Larry about his political aspirations and when did he make the plunge into the dark side he responded as only Larry Cain can. With a glint of mischief in his eyes and a coy lifting of the cheeks to an all knowing smile he informed us that we would have to go to Alabama where he had just visited his parents, so we could register to vote. That is, this Larry Cain was not our Larry Cain but rather Alabama’s Larry Cain. Larry’s aunt had had great fun supplying her nephew with some rather coincidental political posting. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if it had read: Elect Larry Cain for Dog Catcher.

I don’t want to ruin Larry’s great fun but I have thought that I would like to make a slight alteration to his sign. With white out and marker in hand I would like to change the sign to read: Elect: Larry Cain. You see, one thing I know about Larry Cain the minister for the Peachtree Lane Church of Christ is that he is one of God’s elect. Now, I mean this not only in its theological context of one of the redeemed immersed in the blood of Jesus, led by the promised Spirit and secure in the grace of the cross… but I proudly testify that Larry Cain is one of God’s chosen in vocation and demonstration. Let me explain… Larry like many who have gone before and will in the future, heeded the call to give his life to preaching the gospel. Yes, I have a soft spot in my heart for those who take up that cross in service and solemnity. But Larry is a saint among saints. Larry not only accepted the call to preach by making it his vocation but also embraced the meaning of the cross by becoming a servant to all. At every gathering you will see Larry making every effort not to be the preacher but a servant. Larry truly has the heart of a servant… the heart of our Lord!

Now, I said all of that, not so we might elect Larry Cain as preacher of the year but that Larry and those like him might remind us how precious… how honorable… how important is the kingdom of God in proclamation and in manifestation. In him we were also chosen… in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:11,12). -DAN

Dancing Dinosaurs

In Vermilion Cliffs National Monument along the Southern Utah/Arizona border geologists have determined that what was formerly thought to be potholes formed by erosion are in fact highly concentrated dinosaur footprints and rare tail drag markings. The site seems to indicate that a much sought after oasis roused a certain excitable activity from these prehistoric giants which produced some dinosaur dancing. I’m not sure if we’re talking square or disco dancing but the geologist seem to think these behemoths were bust’n a move Paleolithic style. Now, I don’t know about you but I don’t doubt prehistoric bounce parties existed I’m just a little cynical of science sleuthing that turns potholes into dance floors.

It somewhat reminds me of my oldest sister’s enthusiasm with her first born. My nephew Kenny would take sheets of paper and tear them up and proclaim he had made an airplane or car, or cow, or pig, or house, or you name it… the only problem was that all his paper scraps looked the same. However, my sister thought he was the Da Vinci of paper tearing! She just knew his potholes were dancing dinosaurs! Don’t get me wrong, Kenny was creative and his imagination entertaining but scientist in the next millennium will not dig up his paper creations and label them airplanes or pigs or dancing dinosaurs.

Now, I said all that to say I’m not interested in bashing modern science or pouncing on paleontologists but rather want to heed the personal warning not to engage in my own theological sleuthing that turns my think so into a thus saith the Lord. I long for the wisdom that comes from heaven that is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). I want to see with eyes that are fresh and unfettered by prejudice or preconceived notions of how I think it ought to be. I want to hear God’s word so that I am uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom I must give account (Hebrews 4:13). I don’t want to be dancing with dinosaurs when I should be marching to Zion. And I desire to be free from the noise of the crowd so that I only hear Jesus! That’s the tune I want to dance to! -DAN

One of These Things Does Not Belong With the Others

Embedded in my memory are random clips and tattered tales from Sesame Street. It is the result of many hours of TV prison while raising my children with Bert and Ernie. One of these Sesame Streetisms that finds its way to my lips from time to time is “One of these does not belong with the others.” Recently, these words found their way home when I witnessed a young man walking down the street. Typical of what I often see in the South area this young man was sporting a wave cap topped with a Raiders baseball cap turned sideways. He had an oversized bright red leather jacket over what had to be a triple X tee-shirt that draped over his slender frame. This ensemble was accessorized with the suitable bling of oversized chains and emblems. And of course, it was enhanced with sagged pants and tongue flapping sneakers. So, what doesn’t belong with the others you may ask? Not one item… except this young man was walking a dog –a prancing little Pekinese! Need I say more?

Now, before you accuse me of canine profiling or even worse of left-handed racism… let me explain. Yes, I think anyone should be able to walk the dog of their own choosing and that really is my point here! We have expectations of how things group together and what is to be expected but because we all have been created in the image of God we often chose the unexpected. That is… I know grandmothers with tattoos and NFL linebackers that knit. Life is full of this doesn’t seem to belong with the others! Which leads me to what I really wanted to talk about –Sacred Ink?

Okay, you’ve got my attention… what is Sacred Ink? Sacred Ink is the ministry of Patrick Mead of the Rochester Church of Christ. His web site explains: A Tattoo ministry for people who don’t quite “fit in” with other church folks. I grew up in a household where we weren’t allowed to even put bubblegum wipe on tattoos on our bodies… tattoos weren’t exactly an abomination but they weren’t Christian! Now, Patrick and his team are winning souls for Christ through Sacred Ink. Because after all… it’s the Antioch Effect (The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. Acts 11:26). That is, the church took on the name Christian when it became a body that made no distinctions between Jew and Gentile, bond and free, or male and female but became one man in Christ Jesus (cf. Galatians 3:26-28). In the kingdom of God it’s what is written on the heart that matters, even if it finds its way there through a tattoo! -DAN

That's No Glove

Recently, at the Budget rental location near Milwaukee’s General Mitchell Airport employees servicing a returned vehicle were cast in the sequel to “Snakes on a Plane.” To their surprise and ophidian affliction they opened the glove box to discover a four-foot red-tail boa constrictor staring them in the face (the opening scene to “Snakes in a Car”). The man who returned the car said he was glad he didn’t know the snake was there or he might have passed out! My wife who told me this story was delighted with the serendipity and prospect of finding a friend in the usually cluttered catch-all of a car. Certainly a silky affable pet is a better discovery than broken sunglasses, hairy lifesavers, crumpled maps and assorted receipts from fast food runs? Well, at least if you are under the impression that snakes in car is a happy fortunate turn of events… in Pam’s defense she did say she wouldn’t just try to pick up red without a proper introduction (snakes do bite you know).

As I have confessed many times before I suffer from ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) and though I have held snakes it has only been with fear and trembling and considerable consternation. I respect Pam’s love of all God’s creatures but I still maintain that Satan’s first and lasting form was not a ruddy complexion, nor a pointy goatee or tail but rather the form of a snake! So I feel the bible backs me up on this one… but that’s not really the important lesson in this story. What strikes me as spiritually challenging and eye opening is that one never knows what is on the other side until the door opens. My Dad was fond of saying, “Never, say never.” That is, we can never know what is possible and should expect that life will have a few surprises for us.

Jesus is kind of bold in this area…Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you…Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake? ...your Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask him (Matthew 7:7-11). You don’t know… I don’t know… WE don’t know what will be on the other side of the doors of life but WE will pray that the God of good gifts will bless us with whatever we find –even if at first we think it’s a snake only to find out it’s a pet… even if it looks like trouble and turns out to be a blessing! -DAN

A Million Reasons

I know you rather not hear this but Pam and I tell each other that we love one another quite often. Some may attribute it to an overactive thyroid producing too much love insecurity and some may roll their eyes and moan, “T.M.I!” (For those of you who didn’t suffer through teenagers that stands for “too much information”). None-the-less, this past Sunday I informed my lovely wife that I loved her for a million reasons. Little did I think she would put my feet to the fire and ask me to list said devotion! So, for the next 25 miles of our journey to church I began to list the reasons. When she stopped at Starbucks for her “Sunday Morning Treat” I had reached number 70. When she returned to the car after retrieving her caramel frappuccino light, extra caramel, no whip… I said, “Number 999,999 -because you are the lyrics to my music… and 1,000,000 because your kisses are sweeter than the morning light that reveals that one more day God has blessed me to wake by your side!” (Yes, insert gagging sound here and voice over disclaimer that some facts and details may have been altered for dramatic enhancement). However, this unadulterated fact goes uncontested… it is hard to articulate a million reasons for anything and is best reserved for hyperbole and romantic poetic license.

Not learning my lesson, I tell God quite often I love Him! I love Him for a million reasons… and if He holds my feet to the fire to list said devotion I hope He stops at heaven’s Starbucks for a treat! Seriously though, I have challenged myself in my prayer life to try to articulate to my heavenly Father the million reasons I love Him. I figure at the rate I’m going it will only take me into the next millennium to get to the last reason. I pray that it will be words I speak with wings, a harp and a crown… and that I vow to list them again and again as I join in the new song that hails the Lamb and lauds the Creator and Sustainer of all things!

At this point you’ve probably grumbled a few times under your breath that this is silly nonsense from a silly source… and I will freely admit to this being romantically charged, poetically driven and idealistically based. However, I would implore you on some occasion to engage in such unrestrained love and praise that you experience a little heaven, “Day and night they never stop saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 4:8).” Number one… I love you LORD because…Come on fill in a million blanks! -DAN

There's Got To Be A Name For That?

Recently, I was a chronic victim of serial mental blocking where I was unable to recall the names of an author, a quarterback and a… well, I can’t quite remember right now but I think it was a 15^th century metaphysical philosopher and philanthropist who dabbled in painting and sculpture? I’ve got to believe that there is some technical terminology for this muddled mind jam that crusts over the memory synapses preventing them from firing and making contact with stored information in the cerebral cortex. Well, at least that’s what my mad scientist imagination assures me. Reality is that the older I get the more forgetful I become! So, what is the name for this geriatric defect? It’s not quite Alzheimer’s and it’s more than a brain burp… thanks to my googling fingers I’ve located a name for it: I suffer from Memory Block Effect –MBE. Now, I feel better that I have scientifically labeled my forgetfulness. There’s a certain serenity to be able to just acknowledge that I suffering from MBE… or is that MBC… no I’m confusing that with NBC… or is that NBA??? Well, so much for having a name for being unable to name whatever I can’t remember!

All this just reminds me how thankful I am for the Holy Spirit! You know… you’re praying along and you just can’t find the right words or even worse, you fall asleep and your narcoleptic prayer trails off… then the Holy Spirit steps in and intercedes with what we fail to express (Romans 8:26,27). God planned for our MBE! In fact He uses it to His glory and purpose for verse 27 assures us “…he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” We may have memory blocks but God assures us we will never have Spirit block. Okay, that’s great but I’m a little uncomfortable with it being labeled “groans that words cannot express (v.26).

Good! I’m glad we’re uncomfortable with the mystery and sovereignty of the divine that surpasses our knowledge and refuses to let us explain away His working and presence in our lives. Mankind has found it greatest weakness when it thought it knew it all or could explain it all. Can you say Babel? I thank God for MBE that reminds me how frail and temporal are all my ways and how much I depend and need the God who holds all things together through His Son! May God enrich me daily with the fullness of His grace and the intercession of His Spirit. -DAN

What Kind of Pilot?

In 1993 on the first night I was scheduled to preach I kept repeating to myself the cliché K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Son). My first time to speak to a Russian audience with an interpreter was a challenge to be persuasive but also to be understandable. At first it was a bit like an old car sputtering at a stop light but I finally felt I had their attention and a good rhythm of speaking that made it easy for Serge to interpret. But that all came to a squealing halt when I smiling waited for Serge after I proclaimed, “Jesus was King of kings who now rules over a kingdom not determined by physical boundaries but a spiritual kingdom that unites Russians, Americans and all people.” That would have been fine but then I added, “Just as Jesus said to Pilate…” Serge instantly turned to me and said, “What kind of pilot?” I did my best to quickly explain that Pilate was a Roman ruler who sentenced Jesus to the cross but Serge still looked puzzled. We went on but I thought then and I still continue to think –what a great question!

What kind is truly a question we ought to ask ourselves more often. Paul wanted the Corinthian brethren to examine themselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) to articulate what kind of Christ connection they had. What kind of Christian are you? That may be a painful question but then again it may force us to look honestly at our lives. In a world crowded with ideas and politically correct positions it seems appropriate that one stop and inventory who they are… what kind of person has one become. This is more than if I wasn’t me… would I like me? It’s about honest scrutiny of our faith. Have we put our faith in Christ or the world… in our Maker or our own character? Such leads us beyond Socrates “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Spiritual examination is not a progress report but a confession of a daily need to keep our eyes on the pilot of our lives, Jesus who not only redeems us but refines us!

Who pilots you? He’s looking for a certain kind of passenger… those who want to reflect His image and transform into His body. What kind of pilot is He? The kind that never fails you nor leaves you… the kind that makes promises that won’t be broken and His supreme promise is that He is your advocate! -DAN

Church Portmanteaus

On my home web page this week was the subject line, “How to identify Frenemies.” This current portmanteau combines “friend” and “enemy” to create a title for those people you in essence either love/hate or maintain a fake friendship with for selfish purposes. Such neologisms tell much about where society finds itself but also remind us that we are constantly looking for new words to describe our ever changing world. A portmanteau (the French word for suitcase) was first used by Lewis Caroll in “Through the Looking Glass” when Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice that slithy is the combination of lithe and slimy. Subsequently, history is full of such combination words. For example, smog is smoke and fog, or brunch is breakfast and lunch. I know this because I heard it on an infomercial from a former televangelist who was a Texican who spoke Spanglish. Yes, many a new word has come through the portmanteau.

What if we started creating portmanteaus for life in the kingdom of God? I’ve got a few church portmanteaus to start us off:

1. snackmunion –The process by which the Lord’s Supper became the Lord’s Snack.
2. sermlongated –The state in which the sermon has continued past its logical conclusion and now intrudes on after church lunch plans.
3. hymunknowlogy –The confused state of a song leader who is unable to locate a certain hymn and in some cases the pitch.
4. bulletoodling – Random drawings found in the margins of Sunday’s bulletins (not to be confused with bulliter – The folded, wadded, paper-planed and scattered residue of Sunday’s bulletins left in the pews).
5. squaide – The high pitched squeal coming from a senior saint’s hearing aide that is worn by the only person who is unaware of its piercing siren.
6. handfake – The awkward extension of your hand to shake hands with a brother or sister who brushes it aside to give you a holy hug.
7. repipraise – Good intending brothers or sisters who ‘amen’ everything and inadvertently ‘amen’ an ailment or death announcement.
8. prayerliché – The use of overused, over-worked, antiquated and often unintelligible clichés in public prayers.

Of course… my intention here is to be humorous but within that humor to ask each of us to look closer at what we do and what we say. Then maybe we can become Snoves – i.e. shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). -DAN

True Religion

When I first made my entrance into the teen years my family had moved from Salt Lake City, Utah to Modesto, California. No longer surrounded by Latter Day Saints I now was cradled in the Big Valley and the home of fruits and nuts… of which not all grew on trees. I’m not sure if it was the cultural shift or puberty prodding but I suddenly became aware of what I was wearing. I didn’t just throw things on… I carefully selected the coolest threads available to me. Since their cool factor was some where in the barely showing on the scale I begin to save what little funds I had available to me to purchase a pair of button down 501 Levi jeans and a pair Converse sneakers. I lucked out in time to find both items on sale for $4.00 each. It was a considerable fortune for me but I hooked and crooked it out until my threads finally made the mark on the cool meter! Fashion is, after all, what life is about –right?

Recently, I heard someone talking about True Religion jeans. My curiosity was peaked because of the name but I was flabbergasted (a term appropriate considering the cost of gas) when I heard they cost from $200 to $350 a pair! Who pays that kind of money for jeans! The answer is quite a few and not many of them have Beverly Hills addresses. The hook and crook stakes are much higher than my 1960’s ensemble but the idea is the same. People want to be cool! Their “true religion” is for everyone to be envious of their cool threads. Now, before you go shaking your head at such shallow adolescent validation first be informed that many of the purchases are by adults and that status buying crosses all age barriers. Trying to look cool is as old as the fig leaf craze of the Garden of Eden.

On the label for these overpriced, over-hyped, only the cool celebrities wear them jeans is a picture of the Buddha holding a guitar and making the thumbs up sign. You see these postmodern/post-Christian era symbols are not just about fashion or status, they reflect the “true religion” of our times… anything goes! The Buddha never wore jeans or played guitar but in this “new” religion the cool factor is not about reality but the reality we make! Can a Christian wear these jeans? The answer I think leads us to “pure religion” (James 1:27) –Why would one want to? Cool is not in threads, or golden calves, or outward appearance but rather in the heart (1 Peter 3:3, 4). True Religion is not about us but about our God! -DAN

Jesus Is A Revolutionary

Usually when someone says, “I like to hear more of that from the pulpit,” –what they suggest is more sermons on fundamentals, or more detailed invitations, or turn up the heat with some hell fire and brimstone! So, I was a little surprised to hear the suggestion, “I like to hear more about Jesus as a revolutionary.” The suggestion was not to present Jesus as the Che Guevara of first century Palestine but rather the counter-cultural divine dignitary that regaled a kingdom not of this world! Jesus is a revolutionary… and the revolution is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Jesus came not to revolt against the status quo but rather to reveal the grace and truth of the Father. Grace that defeats complacency, apathy, self-righteousness and spiritual arrogance. Truth that uncovers hidden motives of greed, self-centeredness and lust. Jesus came to break down the walls that separated men and to build bridges that kept open the lines of communication and delivered a needed supply of love.

However, in the heat of this battle the casualties of war would be those who love this world (1 John 2:15-17) not some easily identified army of darkness. Many would be from among us and many would be those who claimed to be at the head of the battle. This revolution is about turning things upside down (Acts 17:6) with paradoxes the world counts as foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18) but revolutionizes the world of the believer. Such revolutionaries become strangers to the world (1 Peter 1:1), no longer molded by its dictate or conformed to its image (Romans 12:2). They render unto Caesar that which is his and to God what belongs to Him (Mark 12:17). They are radically committed to being in the world but not of the world (John 17:14, 15) so that they can be light in darkness and love when hate prevails.

So, are you in the battle? How has Jesus revolutionized your world? Has your faith called you to be a counter-cultural warrior armed with love and a message of reconciliation? O, as we sing, “the battle belongs to the Lord”… but the question remains –is Jesus revolutionary in your life or is He just a Sunday morning pal eager to give you five good suggestions on how to improve the quality of your life? -DAN

I Love To Tell The Story

A little bird (a.k.a. Dick Maynard… scientific name –taxmanicus cackler) told me how well the Sunday night presentations of Chris Brewer and Evan Beecher went. He explained how different but individually rich was each retelling of the ancient chronicles. A smile spread across my face as I responded, “That’s what I had hoped for when I first conceived of this program.” It was my hope that each participant would not only recount the text but as they gave it life once again in the retelling they would bring themselves and their insights into the story. Scripture is NOT a dusty lifeless history textbook nor is it indecipherable code or weighty theology relegated to squinty-eyed scholars who stroke their beards and moan, “Well, this is a variegated text with multi-layers of historical aggregate nuance.” They are the words of LIFE (Philippians 2:16)! To tell the stories of God’s Word two things I believe need to be in place: 1) That one truly loves to tell the story… i.e. these stories are beloved because they are our heritage, they read us as much as we read them (Hebrews 4:12); and 2) Because these stories have become a part of our nature… i.e. we sometime Peter out and sink in the waves of trouble and on better days we dream like Joseph and climb past our small thinking to sit with Zacchaeus so we can see Jesus more clearly! Yes, these are the stories we love to tell… we love to live!

My little bird also told me what a great job Mike and David had done with very challenging messages. No surprise there… Mike and David love to tell the story! Tonight Mike will tell his favorite Jesus stories. I don’t expect him to dress up like Jesus with sandals, robe and a wig but I do expect to see Jesus. In Mike’s eyes. In Mike’s heart. In Mike’s telling the story with passion for one who sits with him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). I expect to hear insights that tell me about Mike, myself and most importantly about the one who draws us together… our Savior. Mike loves to tell the story and I love to listen and be challenged once again to be more like Jesus!

Now here’s a Danism… “I told you all that to tell you this…” What do you like to tell? Pray that it be not gossip, nor lies, nor “I told you so,” or “book, chapter and verse you!” May it always and forever be GOOD NEWS of the grace that redeemed such sinners as you and I and longs for a world to know that in Jesus is life, truth and the way home! O, I love to tell the story of Jesus and His love! -DAN

Frosted Flakes Theology

If you missed Moses guest appearance at the Sunday night “I Love to Tell the Story” summer series… well, you not only missed a reenactment of the parting of the Red “C” but some rich but slightly skewed theology and creative interpretation. Mo (apparently Moses nickname and obvious three stooge’s reference) recounted his three part life and apparent angst over leading the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Rob McPherson (Moses alter ego) gave us some delightful insights to this larger than life biblical character. Always the fan of paronomasia (that’s fancy talk for play on words) I literally fell over laughing when Rob (I mean Mo) recounted the first time he encountered manna. God had graciously given the children of Israel the basic needs of life during the wilderness wanderings and the most basic need was food. So, in the morning they found this white frosting on the ground made up of flakes of the bread from heaven. Mo added but it wasn’t quite frosted flakes. Now, every time I read or hear about manna, I’ll think of Tony the tiger’s favorite breakfast food! Manna is Hebrew for, “What?” …that is, they didn’t have a clue about what it was at first –so maybe it was the original frosted flakes?

Now, if at this point you are shaking your head and thinking one should not be so frivolous and cavalier with God’s word… let me suggest that you’ve missed the point of frosting the flakes. The true bread that comes from heaven is Jesus (John 6:32-40) and just like manna, that is as sweet as it gets! Tony’s flakes are frosted to make them more desirable, palatable and inviting. It’s not sugar coating for deception, but rather it’s sweetening up to enhance the flavor and delight the palate. I’ve seen enough sour Christianity to last several lifetimes. Let the sweetness of a peace that passes all understanding put joy in your eyes and graciousness on your lips! When you feast on the true bread of heaven it produces a sweet disposition… so let’s challenge ourselves not to be just a bunch of flakes but manna style frosted flakes.

I hear the objection that one should not sacrifice the sacred on the altar of humor for the sake of a play on words. Let me suggest again that you’ve missed the point if you think this is just about getting a laugh. Frosted flakes theology is about first using God given creativity to see the bridge between our world and the world of the bible. And most importantly, it is about knowing that with that bridge I will find the joy of the Lord who sustains me in all His sweetness! May His sweetness be seen in me! -DAN

Eugenics

On a trip to Salt Lake City several years ago I took my children to see where I lived and where I went to school. To my surprise the school had been replaced with a grocery store and Forest Elementary was but a nastalgic memory. Last year the middle school that Dominic attended didn’t vanish but was renamed from Goethe (pronounced – Gay-tee) to Rosa Parks Middle School. Charles M. Goethe was the primary founder of Sacramento State College, a local banker, philanthropist, naturalist, land developer and eugenicist. Goethe’s social impact in education, the state park system and development of the Sacramento region landed his name on a park, a street, a garden and a middle school. Recent local protest has slowly removed his place of honor. Why? Well, it seems Mr. Goethe as a eugenicist advocated sterilization of certain social outcasts, as well as praising Nazi doctors for their work in genetic selection. Yes, it seems Goethe cloaked his racism in pseudo-science. He was part of a movement that borrowed from the Greek and created the title eugenics (literally –well born) then sprinkled in some Darwin natural selection and a dash of Aryan supremacy and presto justified academic based racism. It’s still back of the bus prejudice so move over Goethe and move to the front Rosa Parks!

So how does this blatant kind of bigotry slip under the radar for so long? “Money talks!” -is too easy of an answer. It is more than the power of the dollar. I believe it is the mechanization of mankind. The intellectual sterilization of the populace was perpetrated by the worship of the god, Science, convincing the masses that God was their invention… life was biology… existence was a serendipity in the midst of cosmic chaos! The postmodern era has passive aggressively reclaimed spirituality and the transcendence of the human soul. God has patiently watched over us all and longs for all His creation to celebrate how man is made in His image with such wondrous and imaginative variety! Through Jesus God broke down the hostile walls (Ephesians 2:14-18) proclaiming He’s got the whole world in His hands. Such is more than a refrain from a spiritual but rich theology declaring that we all are in God’s hands and plans. You see, one is truly “well born” when He is born from above (John 3:3), born of the Spirit and the water. Now, that’s real eugenics! -DAN

If I Were King...

Have you ever used the expression, “If I were king, then…?” Of course you have, because we all would like things to be the way we think they ought to be! If you were king I suppose that church services would be more meaningful, more expressive, livelier, more theologically rich and more suited to your individual likes and needs. If you were king gas prices would be lower, poverty stricken from memory, injustice, violence, hatred and bigotry a mere fading memory and “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” would be the national anthem. If you were King everyone would live in comfort and live productive happy lives filled with opportunity to share faith, love and good wishes for all. Yes, if you were king things would be different! So, I say, “Let’s make you/me king!”

Now, this is where reality sets in and we confess that if we really were king things probably wouldn’t get better just more complicated by our want/need list. And we’ve lived long enough to know that what I want now is not necessarily what I will want in the near future. Maybe this king business is better left to more kingly types than ourselves? In fact, what we know is that there is one who is King of kings and Lord of lords who is the true resource for things to be better. If Jesus would be given His rightful place in the affairs of men and church it is guaranteed that all would be new and improved!

Hey, wait a minute there king buster… are you saying we shouldn’t try to make things better or voice our opinion when things are clearly amiss? Of course not! We should be light in darkness and support in weakness but that is best achieved by being servants of Christ. He IS King and the most delightful news is that we have been invited to be seated with Him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). I’m not sure what all that means but I know it means God wants me to be next to Jesus and rub elbows with royalty. Then maybe, just maybe you and I will make a Kingly difference in serving others! -DAN

THE DOGHOUSE

Tia excitedly informed Taina, “Mommy, look there’s a lighthouse out there… and a doghouse next to it!” What our granddaughter construed as a dog house was the old lighthouse keeper’s quarters next to the Yaquina Head lighthouse, which centers the view from our Oregon house. At a distance it does look like it’s about the size of a doghouse. Not that I’ve ever been in the doghouse (i.e. not recently) but we all laughed at her insight to maritime housing. I’m sure at least one Oops-I-Didn’t-Mean-That-Honey lighthouse keeper, spent some time in that doghouse. It probably won’t surprise you that we now call it the doghouse. Anyhow, it got me thinking about how a doghouse compliments a lighthouse. There seems to me to be an important symbiotic relationship between that which sends the light and that which stands guard ready to warn (send the bark) if a intruder comes near. It is two sides of the warning coin of life. One side is a warning light in the storm to signal us not to go shipwreck on the rocky shores of sin and sorrow . The other is a faithful companion that signals when the enemy draws near. Together they keep us safe in the arms of Jesus and anchored by the hope we have in His grace, love and promise.

Now, some of you might think that I have finally stretched the metaphor yarn so much that it has snapped and hit me in the eye, aye matey! And I won’t protest but before you have me walk the plank let me remove it so we can see clearly the small truth that lies here. That is, my point is very simple… being a Christian is risky business. It requires holiness, that is, a concerted personal effort to stay off the rocky shores of sin. And it requires we not under estimate the power of the enemy, Satan, and listen carefully to the howling of our conscience and the lead of the Spirit. The sobering reality of life is that the enemy attacks from without and from within! We need both lighthouse and doghouse to keep us safe!
So, every time we are able to visit the Oregon house and enjoy our view of the Yaquina Head lighthouse (and doghouse)… I’ll here Tia’s voice reminding me to be careful Pappy, and keep your eyes open for the light and your ears alert to the calls of warning! Thanks Tia for seeing things my tired old eyes had missed! -DAN

Shocker

Those who called in thought that having to wear a bracelet that contained all of one’s personal and flight information and also had the ability to shock them was not only a page out of Orwell’s 1984 but was akin to animal control. The news team reporting this government proposal appeared to agree. Like their callers they decided to push the application of these airport security bracelets to the absurd suggesting that devious flight attendants might take revenge on difficult passengers or just make a game of it shocking at random unsuspecting victims. Here is what I think is the shocker… once again, our social outcry is that we will lose our personal rights and are willing to maintain them at the cost of personal and collective safety.

On this Youth Sunday here’s the shocking concern that I have… we are leaving a legacy for our youth that has displaced common sense, a common good and the rule of law that protects the common welfare of all. That is, we have so elevated personal rights and freedom that ironically we have created less freedom and fostered a paranoia that distrusts most authority and especially government. It is only natural that such suspicion would spill over into the church and the danger is for our youth to see religion and church as a threat to their personal rights. Combine this with the consumer mentality of the masses and you have a recipe for apathy, low commitment and high demand for things to be tailored to the individual. So what can we do?

Well, efforts such as Youth Sunday reaffirm that we believe our youth are not second class citizens of the kingdom of God but active, important, vital contributors to the life of the church. As our youth lead the way in worship, service and reflection we share our common faith in Jesus as Lord. We reiterate that the synergy of the body is founded on such great spiritual platforms as: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21). Jesus has shown us that our strength is not in personal rights and freedom but rather in our connection to one another and as ancient wisdom reminds us… A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12b). Thank God for our youth and the fresh eyes they provide for the vision of the church! -DAN

Knee Kissing

I don’t know why Lilly kissed my knees but she patted them and then gently kissed each knee. Maybe she thought that she had hurt me when we were playing tug of war? Possibly she had never seen Pappy’s bare knees (I was wearing shorts) and felt sorry for the old warriors? Could it be that by some cosmic anomaly a disturbance by unknown forces in the judicious flow of rational thinking caused Lilly to mistake my knees for my lips? Or what I chose to think… Lilly loves her Pappy and finds new ways to express her love for me! Anyhow it feels a little weird to have your knees kissed by a toddler… even if she is your granddaughter.

Now, I bring up this curious tale to explain that I think in the body of Christ we need more knee kissing! No, this is not some strange plea for a twist on the infamous and enigmatic “holy kiss”… but rather a call for: Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13). I believe that we should get on our knees and be thankful for our elders who spend so much time, energy and spiritual angst on their knees praying on our behalf. Now, do I think these two dedicated souls are perfect or always wise enough to know what they should do or pray for… of course not! They are our knees for they neither lord it over us nor are they doormats we wipe our feet on. They are by God’s good grace those who labor among us to bring us again and again to our knees. They keep the church, the body and temple of God bowed in reverence and postured to give all things to our heavenly Father. Humility is their badge and stability their aim. These men sacrifice daily to serve the Lord and without them the body would suffer greatly. So, brothers and sisters I ask you and myself to offer due respect and hold these men in the highest regard in love because of their work!

Now back to knee kissing… my prayer is that like Lilly we will find unexpected ways to show our elders our love and regard for them. It may seem a little awkward or strange but give some love back. I wouldn’t suggest kissing their knees (but I wouldn’t dissuade it either) but I can think of countless ways to show appreciation for those to whom honor is due! Use your imagination! Maybe, just maybe you could start with a smile and a thank you and a holy kiss! -DAN

Get Smart

In the land of sequels, remakes, spin offs and nostalgic reruns we children of the 60’s have enjoyed a plethora of old favorites revived, recast and returned for one last spin around the track. This summer a remake of the Mel Brooks and Buck Henry’s spoof on the 007 spy world has made its way to the big screen… would you believe “Gold Phalange?” …would you believe “Get Sharp?” …how about “Get Smart?” Yes, agent 86 and 99 have resurfaced to defeat KAOS and bring CONTROL back to our lives. Bill Murray plays my favorite character from the series… agent 13 (originally played by Dave Ketchum). Remember? Agent 13 was the one who was always hid in some bizarre object like a mailbox, flower pot or gym locker. I think he was my favorite because he was the one who really had to suffer for the defeat of evil (and yes, I was fascinated by what object they would put this Waldo of espionage in next). Now believe it or not I think there’s some theology hidden in this “Get Smart” trivia.

The defeat of the evil one required some divine slant on what it means to “Get Smart”. Let me explain. It is quite clear especially in Mark’s gospel that the demons knew, often from a distance, that Jesus was the divine one sent from heaven. What was hidden or transformed that they and mankind could not fathom is that Jesus would use His human frailty to defeat Satan and redeem mankind. The cross was an enigma to both Satan and the world. How could God be victorious when His Son suffered at the hands of the enemy not only shame, ridicule and torture but His life’s blood poured out over the bloody stains of countless criminals executed on Golgotha before Him? Certainly such weakness… such helplessness could not signal the ultimate victory!

Paul explains, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ (1 Corinthians 1:18, 19).” Maxwell Smart often bumbled and stumbled his way through righting the wrongs of KAOS but because good triumphs over evil ultimately Smart with the aid of such hidden forces like agent 13 defeated the enemy. God’s plan could not be thwarted by any evil chaos and beckons us to get smart God’s way… for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). Would you believe? -DAN

Gimbaled

I recently watched the British documentary, “In the Shadow of the Moon.” This film chronicles the events leading up to and including the Apollo 11 space mission that became a part of history’s top ten moments when Neil Armstrong placed his foot on the lunar surface and said, “That is one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind.” Do you remember where you were when those words rang out over the globe? That moment changed the world and I’m not just talking Tang here… it stands as a reminder of how small we are from a distance yet how graced and great we are to have the minds and the creativity that we inherited from the Father above! From above, whether Mount Pisgah’s lofty heights or the far side of the moon, man is humbled to know the greatness of his Creator and the eternal space He fills.

Can you name the three astronauts that manned Apollo 11? Most people readily name Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldren but at best pause to name Michael Collins the command module pilot that circled the moon for more than two hours while Armstrong and Aldren walked the moon. In this documentary as they interviewed Collins he spoke of the moments they lifted off the launch pad describing the power disseminated in violent shaking of the craft and then the unsettling gimbaled effect of liftoff. He went on to explain that this pencil shaped craft being thrust into space with incredible force would naturally pitch and roll. I had to look up gimbals because the only Gimbels I knew was a department store in New York. The gyroscope is a good way to understand gimbals which are radius controls that allow an object to stay upright. Such thrusters were employed on the Apollo flights to stabilize liftoff. Hey, if you want a better explanation than that you’ll have to talk to an astronaut.

I like the spiritual idea of God supplying the gimbaled thrust to keep us upright in faith and holiness. I don’t know about you but I’m quite wobbly from time to time in my daily struggles and I need a prayer booster or Spirit led prodding of my conscience to keep me upright for the day. Though I might get a little woozy from the pitch and roll of life I’m sure that God has a plan and my faith is anchored in the hope of eternal life… so, I’ll keep on not in the shadow of the moon but the shadow of His hand! -DAN

Gone In Search

I like a good treasure hunt. I’ve spent way too many hours on the internet looking for a bargain on some new man toy I don’t really need but would be O, so happy to have if I could buy it for a steal. I must admit however, that it is the search… the primordial hunt that fills some deep-seated genetic coding to scour the information jungle to capture my unsuspecting prey as I pounce upon it in a flurry of credit card numbers, codes and secret passwords. This is a bit of an exaggeration but some of you know the raw coursing adrenaline rush of bargain hunting and bargain bragging that I’m describing. You’ve spent the hours at the flea market, the garage sales, the closeout stores and maybe have even rescued a tattered bookshelf from a garbage pile in front of a stranger’s house. I believe that in all of us is some basal need to hunt… to search for the ultimate bargain or at least the one of a kind treasure that is not only rare but verifies our persistence and shrewd wrangling skills. But why is it that once the hunt is over and the prize claimed that one feels an emotional let down?

Maybe, part of the answer is learning a little about ourselves from the wisest man to ever live. Solomon, in Ecclesiastes states that he had found, “God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes (Ecclesiastes 7:29).” Ecclesiastes is Solomon (or some unknown author posing as Solomon) offering a running dialogue (a.k.a. soliloquy) about their search for meaning. Man is truly restless about existence and often gets lost in the search. Unfortunately, the search has often led man to be entangled in the manifold schemes of the devil and his own fallen nature. Man has tarnished his original naiveté and God given uprightness all because of his foolish search for something better.

I long to be upright! I want to sing perfect harmony with that garden hymn of the Savior whose refrain is, “Not my will but His will be done!” But I can’t deny that I’m a wanderer… a searcher… a restless soul that loves the hunt. So pray with me and for me that I will hunger and thirst for righteousness… that I will search the Word daily for spiritual constancy and rest my treasures in heaven! And I will pray for you my fellow searchers. -DAN

Vote For A Redhead

In my memorabilia of my father which includes pictures, sermons, bibles and sundries –one sundry is an ad from the Florida Christian College school paper touting my father’s candidacy for school president with the by-line: Don’t be a deadhead… vote for a redhead. Okay, it’s not Shakespeare… well, okay it’s not even period acceptable but it IS nostalgic fun to remember redheaded days! Someone recently asked me if it was true that I was a redhead (Now, I’m not sure this reflects hue evaluation or the lack of cranial evidence) but I assured them that once my countenance was glowingly framed with red locks of Samson-like hair. I come from a long line of redheaded Scotch-Irishmen with fair skin, thick trunks and hearty appetites. And yes, we are no deadheads but proud redheads! There have been many notable and honorable men and women that have sported freckles and the red with pride (and by the way… Adam’s name possibly means “ruddy one,” i.e. redheaded one –ipso facto, God’s favorite or original color –RED).

My favorite redhead is indeed my father. It sometimes was referenced to explain his temper and as well as his humor and hearty enjoyment of life. But the greatest memory is that it bonded us together… fellow redheads braving “Let me rub that for good luck” to overly perfumed and exceedingly wrinkled elderly ladies squealing in high pitched voices, “Look at those beautiful red curls!” We redheads don’t have a club but there is a commiserate brotherhood that nods in understanding about what it means to wear the red… to bear the burden of answering to “Hey, Red.”

Let me tell you what I learned from my favorite redhead: 1)The greatest red was the blood shed on a cross to redeem sinful man; 2)Operate in the red because it means your life is more about giving than receiving; 3)Never forget the power of red roses for beauty deserves beauty and flowers say it all; 4)Give everybody the red carpet treatment and serve with a smile; 5)On a street light red means stop but in the shape of a heart it means I love you… and love is the best road to travel!

My favorite redhead died all too young but he lives on in my heart and the legacy of faith that he shared glows bright… a bright red! -DAN

church Of Christ

An elderly gentleman dropped into the office this past week with the question: “Is this the church of Christ associated with Joyce Meyers?” He wanted to give some money to Joyce Meyers who he thought said she was a part of the church of Christ. If you are not familiar with Joyce Meyers, she is a televangelist known for her raspy voice, witty insights and much like her contemporary electronic pulpit spewsters proclaims a gospel for every need from wealth to health. I tried to identify via the internet who Meyers was associated with but failed. Now I think that’s a good thing… let me explain. First it let me speak to this searcher of the simple, universal sense of the church and then to make the restoration plea for us all to be the church of Christ. It also let the door open to suggest what we believe and practice is what identifies us. You see… you can’t go wrong when the discussion starts with the search for Christ’s church!

You’ve heard me say from time to time that one must be a member of the church of Christ to go to heaven. I believe that to be true… not in the sense of a sign in front of the building or in some postmodern eclectic Rodney King can’t we just all get along way. I mean it in its most simple pure form. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but through Him (John 14:6). The early church was called “The Way” not because they did it their way but emphatically strove to do it no other way than His! It is HIS church that the gates of Hades cannot overcome and He is the head of HIS body… you can label the church with various tags that range from descriptive to functional but under the verbiage deep in the sinew of faith must prevail an unmovable belief in Jesus. He is Lord and King. Not by rhetoric or liturgy but by surrendered hearts that have become fiercely loyal to their sovereign. When allegiance is to any one, thing or idea other than the Christ it cannot be HIS church.

O yes, I forgot… the church even at best is spotted, blemished and wrinkled (Ephesians 5:25-27). Don’t shake your head at me –you know the rabble rousers, hypocrites and apathetic spiritual weaklings I’m talking about. At least I’m sure that if I’m in the fold there’s some major wrinkleage. But none-the-less Jesus washes us with water and word to make us not only holy and blameless but radiant! Why? –because we are HIS bride… HIS church… The church of Christ! -DAN