Felix The Cat

“Hey, there _________ you’re a real cool cat; you’ve got a lot of this and a lot of that; We all think that you’re real sweet so come on down and do the chickee, chickee beat!” If these words are foreign to you and you have been chickee chickee deprived in your life –let me explain. This Bible Camp campfire standard is a way to recognize kids and staff at camp by getting them on stage to do a silly dance that rejoices in the common identity of this week long community of self-imposed castaways escaping the grind of everydayness. O, this community has plenty of drama, pranks, flare ups and nonsense but it inevitably takes on the Spirit of God. Both campers and staff are immersed in a sense of Christian joy that transforms them. When parents arrive to reclaim their real cool cats they find a mixture of joy to see them but tears to leave their week long family.

Let me tell you about one of those real cool cats… William Felix the cat. William is a member at the May Street Church of Christ. William is a handsome African American young man who happens to be mentally challenged (but then aren’t we all). William by a landslide vote was our Mr. Camper for 2010. This honor is given to those who distinguish themselves through the week with acts of kindness, service and spiritual leadership. William was such and unlike Felix the cat who resolves things by pulling something out of his magic bag of tricks… our Felix just operated out of a heart for the Lord. William sat next to me one afternoon and preached to me the gospel of Christ. Now, I have to admit ashamedly that preachers don’t like to be preached to… because that’s kind of our territory. I fought through my natural aversion of, “Hey, who’s the expert here?” –to be still and listen. This cat knows the book but even more important he knows the Lord! So, I listened and said a few amen’s and felt the presence of the Savior.

At the banquet, the last night of camp, when William was recognized as Mr. Camper 2010, as is our custom last year’s winner puts a crown (a shiny cardboard Burger King type of affair) on the newly crowned winner. Usually, this crown doesn’t make it past the banquet and finds itself in the trash by the end of the night. William kept his on all night… and I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t wear it to church on Sunday! Yes, William you’re a real cool cat… you’ve got a lot of this and a lot of that… but most of all William you’re what camp is all about! -DAN

Who Is The Preacher?

I recently heard a lesson on the subject of what the Bible has to say about preachers. After defining preaching as proclaiming a message and suggesting such would include Hitler the speaker went on to say that in Scripture there is no example of a paid located minister/preacher. He couldn’t remember the location of the passage but alluded to Ephesians 4:11 as a listing of those who speak for the church. That is, “It was he (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers.” This sermon was given to a small church that was looking for a minister. To the speaker’s credit he wanted to communicate that preachers are not hired guns to do all the dirty work for the church. All proclaim Christ, all minister to the body, all reach out to the hurting, deprived or bereaved… the church is a body that works in unison. However, the lesson was arduous fare for a preacher sitting in the audience… and I wanted ever so much to say but… but… but… what about? So dear reader brace yourself because you get to hear “the what about.”

Of first importance the one we call the preacher, the minister, the evangelist, the pastor and an occasional “Hey, you” is a human. That means he is like you, ever in prayer asking God to forgive, to transform, to enlighten and to Spirit fill his life. He assumes this humble station not as excuse or to ward off accountability but because he longs to hear the still small whisper of God, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).” It is in this cross shaped weakness that the one who desires to be nothing less than God’s man attempts to be the following: 1)A student of the Word so he may share the feast he has discovered; 2)A servant of all; 3)A reflective light of the warmth of Christ that desires to spark the love and joy of Christ in the hearts of all; 4)A counselor who is accessible who listens more than they speak; 5)A bringer of glad tidings and thus, joyously infectious; and last of all obedient to the perfect law of love that compels heart and hand to work tirelessly for the Lord.

Now I said all of that to say this, “The preacher is just one of the guys.” He’s not on a pedestal nor is he to be a footstool. He’s devoted to Christ and His body and feels a calling from God to share the good news. He laughs, he cries, he’s Tom Joad from the Grapes of Wrath on the run from sin but called to be the voice of justice in a world heavy with the fruit of the grapes of wrath. He’s James Bond fighting against sin but perceived as Barney Fife with one bullet in his pocket. He stumbles but he gets back up only to finish the day on his knees in thanksgiving and humble petition. -DAN

You Can't Attend Our Church

This past holiday weekend Pam and I enjoyed the beauty of the Oregon Coast and for a little while the joy of our Missouri grandkids (O, yeah… and their parents too). Caelleb is always full of energy and Trystyn at four months has a win your heart smile and Tia is well… Tia. She’s a juggernaut karaoke tornado gale force wind of non-stop imagination and incessant verbiage but I love her to bits. But she DOES go on. On our way to lunch she asked me if I could clap. Ever so helpful I responded, “I miss that day at school and I didn’t learn how to clap.” “Yes, you did Pappy… show me how you clap.” I start snapping my fingers… she lets out a sigh and says, “That’s snapping.” I flap my hands in the air. She sighs and narrowing her eyes says, “If you can’t clap then you can’t attend our church!” Membership into the kingdom is getting tougher and tougher these days!

Tia as she often does unwittingly gets me thinking about the way we see the world and experience our place in it. I think our Lord’s prompting to be more child-like in how we view the kingdom is an exhortation to simplify things… well, at least in part. Children reduce the complex or inflated precepts to their most basic application. They want to know why but don’t question the reality of what is to be done. That is, they may want you to give them motive but never demand more choices or alternatives. If we clap in children’s church then clapping must be important. No discussion about is sacred music melody driven or does Psalm 47 give our youth license to jazz up the service with their syncopated hand popping camp nonsense? It’s eyes that trust, hearts that are open and imaginations still fertile and receptive.

You see… Tia wants Pappy to know that if you want to serve the Lord and be filled with praise then you need to get with the program and learn how to clap. You need to follow the leader… hold hands while you cross the road and sit in your square quietly until you hear directions. In short, take God at His word and stop fussing and fighting over what He didn’t say or what you thought He said and just praise the Lord! And O yeah, learn to clap! -DAN

Toot Your Own Horn

Standing around with Mike and Jeremy pontificating about the future of King’s basketball we are interrupted by Lizzie who displays one of her drawings to her dad. Mike remarks on her capable drawing of a dinosaur. Lizzie promptly corrects him that it is a picture of her hand with a bracelet and the father daughter banter begins to our delight. Once it dies down Lizzie looks at me and says meekly, “Sometimes my dad toots.” The father daughter banter is rekindled while Jeremy and I laugh! Now, for the sake of an article on the front of our bulletin, I’ll assume Lizzie means Mike toots his own horn every once and awhile. That is, every little engine finally makes it up the hill and toots the victory blast that proclaims, “I know I can!”

Now the dilemma here is that the bible challenge is to be humble and that the first will be last and the last will be first. So, should we toot our horns or not? Paul laments that Corinth forces him into boasting (i.e. listing his achievements, accolades and pedigree) and reflects, “In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast (2 Corinthians 11:17, 18).” Earlier he had quoted them Jeremiah 9:24 “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” The context of Jeremiah is a call for Israel to lament their unfaithfulness and not rely on their wisdom or their strength but their covenant relationship with the Lord. It seems that boasting is not the problem but what one chooses to boast about! When we esteem those who serve the Lord and recognize the faithful it encourages the body as a whole and honors the Father. Self promotion is the problem. Not introspection that acknowledges God’s gifts and His challenges that should be praised… that should be tooted!

So toot away… if it brings the spotlight to God’s wondrous grace and the joy of sacrifice in His name! If any man boast let him boast in the Lord for such acknowledges that God works within those who are working out their own salvation in fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12, 13). And yes… I know Lizzie wasn’t talking about her father’s laudable achievements but she was giving testimony to Mike’s human reality. And I dare say that in a way she took some pride in the vulnerability of her hero… her father! Let us all stay humble in the eyes of a child. -DAN

The One You Love

Some say that 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 defines it and others in protest say its depth and height defies explanation but everyone lays claim to their hold on love. Each of us testifies to its importance and witness to its divine nature best summed up by the apostle of love, John, when he surmised, “God is love (1 John 4:8).” Love is the only force in the universe that triumphs over all. Love conquers injustice and callous apathy. Love dissipates tyrannical brutality and selfish exploitations. Love is the music that sooths the savage breast and orchestrates the soundtrack of life. Love is as essential to life as is water, light and air. That is why when Scripture says of Jesus, “the one you love (John 11:3)” –you take notice. O, we know that Jesus loves us because the Bible tells us so (so at least we sing) but seldom in Scripture do we hear the words with such specificity. Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to know that their brother Lazarus was sick and they subtlety reminded him that he is the one you love. Well, maybe not so subtle since they wanted Jesus to rush to Lazarus’ side.

In the selfless and altruistic world of the Messiah is there room for such favoritism? Can Jesus love encompass partiality or at least deeper love for some whom he esteems? Yes, yes, yes, yes… I like it! Jesus intimacy with those close to him doesn’t diminish his love for anyone else but rather deepens his love for us all. I know the value of close personal friends who love you without barter or demand but simply enjoy your company. I cherish the bond that is unthreatened by honesty and buoyed by mutual concern. True love… the one you love, will tell you if you have spinach in your teeth or your zipper is down (or I guess in the case of Lazarus, Jesus may have pointed out Lazarus’ “you’ve-been-in-the-grave-four-days” body odor and you got a little burial cloth stuck to your tunic). Such love benefits us all… so, I’m glad that Jesus had those he loved like no others. I’m enriched by Jesus passion for friendship and his loyalty of love. Once again the Savior sets the standard for behavior and the path of Sonship.

So, who are the ones you love? This is not a request for a list of those you’d take a bullet for or even those of intimate connection but rather who does your heart connect to. I think the answer tells us much about ourselves and what direction is evident in our lives. Yes, love is the most powerful force in the universe… May God bless you and those with whom you share its joys! -DAN

Merit Badge

I heard recently that the Boys Scouts of America now have a merit badge for video games. Once again the cyber world tries to edge its way into reality. I mean seriously a “merit” badge for mindless thumb twitching, bomb exploding screen flashes of aggression vicariously ridden on skateboarded, tank driven, Mario-carting death machines? And the shy thick glassed scout with his shorts hiked a little too high clears his throat and says, “Excuse me Sir, but the badge is for choosing good games and involving your parents while keeping your playing time down to an agreed amount of time with parent approval.” And in the immortal words of Emily Latilla, “Never Mind.” (Now, for those of you who never saw Saturday Night Live’s original cast Gilda Radner’s character Emily Latilla she was a spinster type character that gave mock editorials about an issue that she always got wrong because of poor hearing so she would say, “What’s all this I hear about making Puerto Rico a steak?” To which she would be corrected that it was “state”). Thus, let me stand corrected…

I love the idea of a merit badge for video games! Teaching young people to properly use and control their recreation time is a valuable and meritorious effort by the Boy Scouts. I believe that one of the most neglected biblical principles is moderation. Paul tells the church at Philippi, “Let your moderation be known to all men (Philippians 4:5, KJV).” The NIV translates it gentleness. It’s a Greek word that literally means a heightened fairness. That is a sweet reasonableness about life that uses without abuse. If we treated most of the self-appointed taboos of life with moderation and restraint I dare say that many of the inevitable abuses would have been avoided. And if truth be told many a lie would have been avoided. Dancing does not lead to sexual activity; the bible doesn’t denounce drinking it abhors the drunk; and cultural mores about the length of this and that are exactly that… cultural mores not thus says the Lord! And at this point you might be thinking, “A little moderation in this article would be nice!” To which I concede but under protest.

My protest is this: we need more merit badges! We need a Christian merit badge for those who turn away wrath with a gentle answer (Proverbs 15:1). An elite badge for those who rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). And a crown of life for those who stay implacable in the face of meritless, heartless, cruelty in the name of the Lord! We need to rise up and call blessed those among us who practice moderation in temperament and lifestyle. We need to regale those who lead the way in counting their blessings and being good stewards of all that God has given us! -DAN

Mom's Housecoat

Have you heard Dolly Parton’s song, “Coat of Many Colors?” I’m not a country music fan but somewhere along the line I remember hearing this song. It is a song that recounts Ms. Parton’s days of poverty when someone had given the family a box of varied colored rags that Mamma Parton sewed together to make Dolly a coat. While Dolly watched her mother told her the story of Joseph and prayed the coat would bring Dolly great fortune. She couldn’t wait to show it off at school and was met with ridicule from her classmates who scoffed at her raggedy coat. The message of the song is recounted in the chorus, “That one is only poor, only if they choose to be; now I know we had no money, but I was rich as I could be in my coat of many colors my momma made for me.” Avie Parton died December 5, 2003 but her spirit lives on in Dolly’s song.

My mother didn’t make me a coat of many colors but she did sew us clothes, darn our socks and had her own coat she wore. I remember that while growing up that I was always a little embarrassed that my mother was in her housecoat for many hours in the morning and was afraid that when she waved goodbye to us at the door as we went off to school that someone might see her in that raggedy old housecoat. Mrs. Cleaver was always dressed and even had a pearl necklace on! If a sitcom mom could make an effort why not mine? I hope at this point in the story you are booing and hissing me like I was the villain in a melodrama! I would give anything to see my mom in her chair in her raggedy old coat reading the bible as she gently rocked. That old housecoat is a cherished memory now. It reminds me of my mother’s sacrifices and her humble spirit that brought such joy to the lives of her children. As a child I didn’t even consider that she was more interested in meeting our needs than doing simple things like getting dressed. Everybody should have a saint in their lives and my mother was mine!

To all our moms who make such great sacrifices and share such unfathomable love… may all of us rise up and call you blessed! May the Lord of blessings shower you richly with an abiding sense of how much you are loved and appreciated! And may you know with the greatest certitude this Mother’s Day that you are loved and honored! And mom if by some incredible grace the Lord lets you look upon these words… I love you and miss you and cherish that raggedy old housecoat! -DAN