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

Hell Dot Com

On my way to work displayed in placards on an overpass was the message, “JesusSavesFromHell.com.” The word “Hell” was in red letters. I could hardly wait till I got to work to see who in the world was behind this red letter edict. The web wove an interesting answer to my question. It appears that this freeway forecast was an advertisement for the books of one Mary K. Baxter an ordained pastor in the Pentecostal movement. It seems that Ms. Baxter in the mid seventies was visited by Jesus and given a guided tour of hell for thirty nights followed by a glimpse of heaven for ten more nights. Her two books give an account of her Dante’s Divine Comedy experience as she and Jesus work their way through the human shaped portals of hell located in the core of the earth. I’ll let you youtube an interview with Ms. Baxter and you can judge the veracity of her witness and cast you vote whether delusional or divinely inspired. What I would like to discuss is not the reality of heaven and hell but the upside down approach of asserting Jesus as savior for the hell bound (i.e. a red letter emphasis).

Do I think preaching ought to have a little “hell” raising? Yes, the reality of eternal punishment is a fear that ought to hold its place in the heart of all believers. However, I think it might be best served in the ratio that Jesus employed. Take up a concordance and see how many times Jesus speaks of heaven as opposed to speaking of hell. Talk of heaven just naturally dominates the conversation when hearts are turned toward God and the promises of eternal life. Would I like to see a freeway placard proclaiming, “Want to know how to make your way home to God in heaven?”… Why, yes!

But aren’t you afraid some will be saying, “Lord, Lord (Matthew 7:21-23).” If we don’t put the fear of God in people they will cheapen grace and have false expectations! If our destination was dependent on making sure we didn’t do anything to deserve hell I might agree. However, entrance into heaven’s gates is not based on who you are but who you have become in Christ! It’s about living heavenly lives in a world marred by sin. It’s about surrendering to Jesus Lordship and being sealed by the Spirit until that promised day. It’s about Jesus writing your name in the Lamb’s book of life! It seems to me that Ms. Baxter forgot an important part of Jesus story of the rich man and Lazarus. Abraham tells the rich man that his five brothers don’t need a witness from beyond because “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead (Luke 16:31).” I’m with Ada Powell… “Sing to me of heaven, let me fondly dream…” DAN

Garden Party

I grew up on those black and white family sitcoms like Leave It to Beaver , Father Knows Best and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Show. My oldest sister loved Ricky Nelson and so she was elated when she met his wife and twin boys while working at a five and dime in Burbank in the early seventies. Ricky had become cool again by that time with the biggest hit of his career, “Garden Party.” The song was auto-biographical about a rock’n roll reunion concert at Madison Square Garden in 1971. If you remember the lyrics reflect his rejection that night because he didn’t sing or look like he did in the fifties and consequently was met with a wave of boos. I woke up recently singing this song and it made me think of another garden party that’s been on my mind.

It’s the original garden party where an uninvited guest spoiled all the future parties of life. This talking snake with a “not” in his tale convinced Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil by telling her if she ate the forbidden fruit, “you will not surely die (Genesis 3:4).” Deceived, complicit and dripping with consequences Eve and her acquiescing partner Adam opened death’s door. When God shows up to the party in the cool of the day, sin is in its usual place –hiding. But you can’t hide from God and you can’t hide from the destruction that sin always leaves in its path. This is the only time in Scripture that I have ever felt sorry for the devil (and of course I’m kidding) but Adam blames God for the defective woman he gave him and Eve blames the devil snake and the helpless snake hasn’t got anybody left to blame. You see the loss of innocence is also about the birth of the blame game. Sinners from this point forward will tend to blame others for their selfish indulgences. But as promised the fruit bowl at this garden party resulted in God’s proclamation, “from dust you are and from dust you will return (Genesis 3:19).” Or as Paul reflects, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12).”

This garden story I believe has one more veiled insight. Before God put Adam and Eve out of the garden he made them suitable clothes (fig leaves have a shelf life). So, he clothed them in skins (leather is the original fashion statement). But what must be assumed and is vital to our understanding of sin and grace is that such required the loss of innocent life… the shedding of blood in behalf of mankind. This awful mixture of grace filled love and the consequences of sin should never be far from our lips. How great is the price for our sins! May we never forget what we lost at the Garden Party… and lament our sinfulness as we embrace the grace that covers us! -DAN

What Is Your Life?

Life has its favorites… favorite sport, favorite ice-cream, favorite vacation spot, and I guess if we go back far enough, favorite stuffed animal/blanket/thumb to suck. What lasts a lifetime is favorite people, close friends, those birds of a feather that flock together. This past week I reunited on the phone with some of my favorite people, Ken and Jan Siminoe from Ukiah days. Their house was always a place to let my hair down… yes, I had more hair in those days. One could be themselves and share heart, fears, joys and laughter. A preacher doesn’t always find a place where he doesn’t feel he has to put on the airs of the calling but Jan and Ken made me always feel at home. After some formal matters we began to catch up and reminisce about times. Realizing how long it had been since seeing each other, Ken reflected on the book of James affirmation that life is short… “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14).” Those are sad words if your mist isn’t rich, full and joyous. However, if your life is “good” as Ken asserted, the answer to “What is your life?” is “a great ride!”

Maybe the most revealing question is to ask, “What makes one’s life rich, full and joyous?” Let me be brash enough to say what I think makes up that list. First and foremost would be resilient faith. This is the kind of faith that is not hitched to people, facts, feelings or tradition but rather is anchored in relationship with Jesus. This is faith that can’t be taken away by any force on earth because it rests in heaven! Second, and companion to this faith is a humble humorous bone. People who take themselves too serious have frail misty lives but one who can laugh at his weakness, chortle over his mistakes and belly laugh at life’s blemishes is rich, full and joyous indeed. (Ken and Jan were the first to join me in laughing about my pulpit plunder when I said prostate instead of prostrate). Included in this list is family and like a favorite child not heralded but known to be favored, family is just the best! My list would be incomplete if I didn’t include art appreciation, world travel (or at least exposure to different cultures), silly time, reading enrichment, hand and foot (or whatever card game you like), poetry and yes, O yes… the greatest of these is love!

I’m quite sure your list looks different than mine but amazingly the same! From our guts we know what makes life rich, full and joyous! The common prayer of all our lives is that we can say with Ken, “Life’s been good!” So, how has your ride been? -DAN