That Got Blown To Bluey

Okay class… if my dog is 9 years old today how old is he in dog years? And the ever so intelligent student on the front row with his hand raised high says, “63… seven dog years for each human year!” And Professor Dan says, “Sorry, the answer is 50 in dog years.” Now, before you question my math let me tell you what blows the 7 to 1 ratio we’ve always heard of to Bluey! It’s simple, Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who lived to be twenty-nine years old, would have been 203 years old in human years by those calculations. The ever so bright Bluey raises his paw high and says, “I was old but not THAT old!” So then, Professor, how do we calculate dog years to get 50? The answer factors in the accelerated growth of puppies over babies in becoming adults… thus, the first year is equal to fifteen human years, the second year would be 10 and the third 7 and each following year would be 3 years for each human year.

Okay, I get the idea and even can see how 110 years old for old Bluey makes more sense… but how in the world are you going to make any spiritual application out of such Bluey? Much indeed Professor Dan responds. Often we are prone to formula, statistics and empirical measurement to determine how we view both physical and spiritual reality. Bluey reminds us that what we need to keep in perspective is the principle not the facts. Principle challenges us to see personal application not sit in judgment of history or galvanize formula driven religion. Let me see if I can illustrate by using a personal experience from my puppy years.

When I was a young teen in Modesto like most young men I was encouraged to participate in services by serving at the Lord’s Supper. One Sunday evening it all fell into my lap and I was sole officiate at the table. Unfortunately I started off by offering a prayer for and distributing the fruit of the vine. Afterwards a “Church Lady” chewed me out for a full ten minutes for messing up the order and then stormed off. My father later told me I should have asked her what the order was in Luke 22:14-20 (cup, bread, cup if you didn’t notice before). You see, the issue here is not formula but principle. It’s about celebration and proclamation of Jesus in remembering Him and His sacrifice and life. The Eucharist is a sacred call to recognize the body (1 Corinthians 11:29) not nick pick its youthful members! It’s about principle not formula… about mercy and grace not law… about God’s will instead of ours! And that’s what counts! -DAN

Singing Bible

Camp is always such a joy for us not only because we are privileged to share a week with young people with eyes brightened by God’s creation but we get to spend time with our out of state grandkids. Our granddaughter Tia is at the age where she is filled with a myriad of questions and overflowing with non-stop requests. One of these requests held the charm of both laughter and rumination. Tia inquired, “Poppy (for some reason this year she chose to call me Poppy instead of Pappy), can you get me a singing Bible?” Now you must understand that I am extremely visual and I immediately picture in my mind a human sized Bible down on one knee with arms spread wide singing, “The B*I*B*L*E, O, that’s the book for me…” Now, of course on second thought I realized that she meant a songbook… but it’s the third thought that crystallized this anecdote in my memory and got me thinking. The Bible really does sing!

It has often psalmed its way into my heart lifting my spirits; commiserating with my misery and reminding me that my doubts are ever embraced by a faith that will not let me go. The Bible has sung to me in moments of reflection when like Moses for the briefest of moments I have glimpsed the glory of my God. My singing Bible has lullabyed me to sleep yet left me in wonder searching my soul. My singing companion has oft left me with the refrain, “Woe, with me for I am a man with unclean lips in the midst of a people with unclean lips!” Yet, it never fails to cheer me up, ground my cynicism and challenge me to sing on key. While I personally sing to the tune of one note selfishness it calls me to harmonize with God’s will and concern for my fellow man.

Yes, my Bible sings with the exuberant and melodic affirmation that Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so! It sings of a homecoming that will right the wrongs and unite the separated. It belts out not a big finish but rather a still small voice that has never failed or left us… but has been singing all along of the wondrous grace of Jesus! It has been an unchained melody that soothes the soul and lifts the eyes toward heaven longing for that great and glorious day when Christ returns! O, yes… O, yes… my Bible sings! -DAN

Dad Or Pop

Whether you call him Dad or Pop it is a palindrome. Palindrome is a word coined in the 1600’s by English writer Ben Jonson and is a word that is spelled the same forward and backwards. The first known palindrome was a Latin phrase discovered in 79AD: "Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas". This is known as the Sator square, since it can be written out as a five x five square and is the same whether read across the squares or down. So, whether you called him Dad or Pop at some point you probably thought he was a square! But if you are like most of us you discovered like Mark Twain did, “When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he'd learned in seven years.” Yes, my Dad was and is the wisdom that I return to time and time again. You see, I promised myself as a youth that I would never say to my children the things that my Dad said… like: You call that music –that’s just a bunch of noise or You’ll understand more when you get my age. But I did and I suspect that they will too. All this brings me to the forward and backward point I wanted to make about Dad.

The legacy of our fathers, the faith of our fathers, the resonate voice of our fathers is that life must be lived consistently. Oh, we will all fail and oft find ourselves exposed by our hypocrisy. But what will prove the depth of our faith and the value of our word will be our effort to be the same whether going forward or backward. Good Dads say what they mean and mean what they say. They’re not afraid to apologize when they are wrong or put their foot down when they’re right. They are known for their mercy but respected for their rules. Their bark is never worst than their bite because if you are going to get a chewing out it’s going to leave marks. But it is those very marks that have formed our honesty and shaped our compassion. Like our heavenly Father our Dads have grounded our souls.

I know some of you have not had a Father around or that the Dad that held your family hostage with his tyranny or his addiction was far from the image of our heavenly Father but I also know that you have met godly men that you wish were your Dad. God chooses to reveal himself as “Father” because consistent Dads who are the same forward and backwards are not only a blessing but vital to a fallen world that needs their strength and their wisdom. So, thanks Dad or Pop for all you do and all that you are! -DAN

I Dream In HD

From the insightful Joseph to the wistful Jacob, dreams have been a feature of God’s revelation and invasion into reality. Dreams often are mere outlets for unresolved issues, hidden fears or fantasy conduits to a nonsense world where one suddenly has talents, supernatural abilities or sudden fame. One is either a vivid dreamer or so sporadic that one claims they don’t dream. During a recent dream I had an epiphany that I voiced out loud (in my dream). Struck by the sharp details and vivid colors I exclaimed, “Hey, I’m dreaming in HD!” Yes, you are correct… that’s 10 milligrams short of a full dose of Ambien. However, I believe my dream musing might offer an important insight to the challenge of living a spiritual life in a world driven by technology and information.

The High Definition world advances so fast that a student studying a four year technical degree will find half of what they learn the first year of their studies will be outdated by the third year of their course work. We are now seeing hard drives in computers that have multiples of a terabyte (i.e. 1,000 gigabytes). What’s next? Well, there is petabyte, exabyte, zettabyte and finally yottabyte (I guess if needed they’ll add harpo or groucho bytes)! The point is that the techno world is growing exponentially so that information and possibilities seem endless. It is in this ever changing environment that one stops to take a breath and exhales the resolve, “But it doesn’t hold a candle to the God who created all things and hold all things together.” I may dream of an advanced HD dream world but the true highest definition is not in pixels or new technology but in a God who waits to share heaven with all who will call on His name!

The question is not whether because of the June 12th deadline I’ve gone digital with my dreams but rather will I find higher definition in my faith whether awake or asleep? I hope that in all that I say and in all that I do that I never forget that what centers my life is the God I worship and adore. Oh, I’m appreciative to live in a world that has such advances because I love me some man toys but I hope in this techno-flood that I never forget that the kingdom of God is not a matter of terabytes or HD, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17)! -DAN

We Didn't Say A Prayer

While in Monument Colorado this past weekend at my oldest sister’s house we were having a relaxed Saturday late-morning brunch. The night before we had celebrated my niece’s 40th birthday. Sitting on my sister’s deck drinking in the beauty of the mountainside view Pam and I were at a table with my sister, brother-in-law, one of their friends and our grandson, Payden. Payden looked up from his plate and surveyed the table then spoke up and said, “We didn’t say a prayer.” After a few hem and haws and a reference to saying a private prayer my sister suggested that Payden say the prayer. As you can guess he thanked God for mommy and daddy and list of things I’m sure must have included the food and then he sealed it with an “amen.” Then raising his bowed head he looked over to my sister’s friend and said, “Now, your turn.” I love not only what kids get away with but their unobstructed view of God!

As precious as that moment was for me and even though it warmed my heart that Bryan and Leah are doing such a fine job raising my grandson… I pray that his faith grows beyond saying “Grace.” That he cultivates a heart of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) that lives the “amen” life where affirmation of God’s blessings is not limited to meals, church, and night time prayers. I hope his horizon is expanded to say, “We didn’t say a prayer…” when he shares a sunset, or visits an elderly friend, or starts a journey, or laughs with a friend. I would be bold enough to pray that he laments missing a prayer for his enemies or praying for present trouble. I pray he finds the most pedestrian, boring, common, unattractive things to give thanks for or to ask for God’s care and grace to wash over them and him. I pray that his prayers are as many as his steps and that the presence of God and the longing to hear His voice and His will are the driving force of Payden’s life! Yes, I pray that prayer fills his life so that when it is absent he says over and over again, “We didn’t say a prayer!”

To all of this I hope and pray that Payden will find himself drawn back to the prayers of Jesus. That a Savior who prays, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” –becomes a exemplar for his life not only so he may forgive as he has been forgiven but that Payden’s heart becomes as compassionate as it is strong. On top of all that I hope he becomes an NFL star and buys his Pappy and Mema a mansion to live in (just kidding, I think)! No, I’m sure that the only mansion I want is that place of much room where we all will share residence with the divine! Now, that’s the prayer I hope I never forget! -DAN