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