Number Your Days!

Are you a little tired of Octomom, Oprahland, Paris Hilton dribble that fills the airways with such silly nonsense that it leaves you glassy-eyed and stunned? War, Recession, and Global tension seem to be passed over for more meaty subjects like should Rihanna forgive Chris Brown for hitting her (I don’t know who they are either!)? In a week where a nine year old girl with leukemia married (i.e. ceremonially vowed eternal friendship) a seven year old boy with leukemia and Hollywood laments the death of greasy haired actor Mickey Rourke’s dog, Loki… well, loki, loki, where we’ve landed! Moses’ prayer (Psalm 90) seems to scream out at us –“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (v.12).”

Psalm 90 is this wonderful poetic reminder that life is too fleeting and fragile to be bogged down with nonsense and misdirected energies. God grant us the wisdom to buy up the opportunities that measure our lives and honor God with hearts filled with His wisdom and His direction. I recently was in a conversation with a young man in his senior year in college and he expressed how anxious he was for his life’s goal and dreams to begin to take shape. I reminded him that life moves by way too fast and that he should enjoy the time he now has in college. I didn’t say number your days but then again I did. Each day should be weighed not in light of future goals but embraced with the present joy and delight of the moment. O, I know some days are dog days and some days are rainy, curl-up until it’s over days but I think even those days build an important part of our lives. But only when we are searching for God’s voice in all that we do and say!

Now, I said all of that to say this, “Worship is best when it is a state of mind!” I can’t read minds nor am I the judge of anyone's heart but I do often see what appears to be worship catatonic syndrome (i.e. pew snoozing) where it appears that worship has been nudged out by boredom. It could very well be the preaching, or the singing, or the air conditioning… but my guess is that it’s a disconnect from the moment! Random thoughts, concerns and an endless list of distractions have robbed us of Psalm 90’s most important point. “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us –yes, establish the work of our hands (v.17).” Never forgetting that He is with us in the pew keeps worship alive… it keeps life on track! -DAN

I Cry Out!

Christian musician, Craig Musseau, wrote the stirring song that our youth often sing. It begins, “I cry out, for your hand of mercy to heal me.” We’ve all been there emotionally, physically and spiritually. It’s all too much and from somewhere deep within we cry out for God’s healing touch! Last Monday was a rollercoaster ride… Pam and I were off and running until it caught up with us. First we heard that Jim Spencer who we were laughing with and praying with Sunday evening had passed away. Then finally another call catches up with us to let us know our little Lilly was in emergency on IV’s and oxygen so we rushed to emergency. Our unhappy redhead was glassy eyed while mom and dad stroked her lovingly assuring their big girl all would be okay! A battery of tests, x-rays and fluids drawn were accompanied by the sound that breaks even the toughest among us hearts… a child’s cry! Pneumonia discovered… but with the fever down and fluids up and those awful tubes and needles gone Lilly finally smiled. And then she said the words that always fill my heart, “Pappy.” For several hours Lilly’s Pappy had been crying out to God for his hand of mercy to heal her!

The title of Craig Musseau’s song is not “I Cry Out.” It is, “Good to Me.” The refrain of the song affirms that God has been good to him… that God is good! Here’s the rest of the story I need to tell you… You see while I waited patiently by Lilly’s bedside holding her hand I kept fighting off the story that had been told to me the day before. Someone had told me about a little girl in the very hospital we were in who had come in with pneumonia and they were unable to stop the damage it made to her lungs and the child died. Now, my granddaughter lay in a bed fighting against the ravages of pneumonia. I’ve not prayed and promised and petition so long and tear filled with my God in a long time. Lilly is getting better… my God is good… but what about the family that lost their precious little one? Is God just good to a few?

That’s a hard question. Many shout it away with resounding faith that testifies to the ever present God of comfort who rescued them even in the valley of death. Yes, our God never fails but life and the consequences of fallen mankind often rip away from us what is most precious. In this life tragedy will sometimes prevail but God who feels its weight stands by waiting to offer His greatest gift… His presence! I’ll keep praying for Lilly and each prayer will include a whispered ache of sorrow and a hope for comfort for the family who lost their little girl! I’ll do this because… my God is good! -DAN

Worst Christian I Know?

What qualifies you as the worst Christian someone knows? Ask Mike Garza and you are treated to a creative communion talk that grabs your funny bone so it can sneak up on you with a Nathan the prophet sucker punch that leaves you reeling with the reality that “you are the man!” Like the apostle Paul we are left with the resolve, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners –of which I am the worst (1 Timothy 1:15).” Fortunately, Paul also concludes, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 7:24-8:2).” Such freedom however, cannot be taken for granted or cheapened by disregard for the costly price that had to be paid in our behalf. Our place in Christ spans from the lofty assurance that we are seated with him in the heavenly realms to the sacrificial call to be crucified with Him. Being conformed to the image of Christ is a daunting challenge that requires more surrendering than it does rendering. That is, the sinner redeemed never forgets the sins that kept him from his God. Like Isaiah we cry out, “Woe to me… I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5).” And so we live our lives in grateful stride hoping that our meager offerings of obedience and love will be acceptable to our God not because of who we are but who we have become in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I’ve spent a lot of time recently with three brand new grandkids holding, rocking and drinking up the beautiful innocence of a newborn. How can these precious little ones ever be viewed as part of sinful mankind? It is their innocence that highlights the woeful reality of our lot of being the worst Christians we know! They remind us that not only do we need the cleansing blood of our Savior but we must be reborn… we must discover the birth that is from above that strips us of our arrogance and releases us from a selfishness that is self-destructive. We must rest in God’s hands and trust in His Spirit’s lead.

Now, the rub here is that all I have said is a spiritual truth that you know, believe and trust in. How is it that even though we have crucified the old man and put on the new man, we continue to struggle with sin? The good fight of faith is as much internal as it is external and only when we accept that we are the worst will we embrace the one who is the best! So let us gather around His table again and again to be reminded of where we were, who we have become and where we are going as we proclaim His death until He comes again! -DAN

Olympic Spirit

Once again the all too human nature of those hoisted high on the public square pedestal has fallen. Super Olympian Michael Phelps was caught on camera smoking from a bong at a party. The Olympic spirit tarnished by a youthful misjudgment and the enormous weight of public scrutiny. Unfortunately the public felling of such a giant has overshadowed the real champion of the Olympic spirit this week. Shawn Crawford who won silver at the Beijing Olympics in the 200 meter sprint confirmed that he had given his medal away. He didn’t gamble it away, or sell it, or pawn it to support any wayward behavior but left it for Churandy Martina before he left the Olympics. Martina had finished second in the race but was disqualified because he had stepped out of his lane. Crawford felt that anyone who had beaten him by such a large margin who barely stepped out of his lane without impeding any other racer still deserved the medal. So, he gave the medal to who he considered was the one who deserved it. This doesn’t change the official record but it does underscore the Olympic spirit that erases national barriers and hails those who devote mind and body to excellence.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown of laurel that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man shadow boxing. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

What do the Olympic spirit and the Christian spirit have in common? They share the goal of excellence. I’m truly sorry that fame, fortune and the fading nature of that laurel crown exposed Michael Phelps youthful weakness. Yet, I applaud Shawn Crawford for his desire to set the highest standards for his personal goals. May we all align our spirits with Paul in seeking to pursue Christian excellence in our lives so that we will not be disqualified for the prize! Excellence is not about the bong, the wrong, or anyone banging their own gong but about the one true song of grace… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus… Hebrews 12:1, 2. Keep your eyes on Jesus! -DAN