Anaphora

Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th of 1963 and for 17 minutes mesmerized an audience of more than 200,000 civil rights advocates who felt more like they were in church than a political rally. Dr. King’s words were not only poetic and weighted with references from the bible to the constitution to Shakespeare but in the cadence and rhetorical style of a Baptist minister King delivered a speech that was voted the most influential speech of the 20th century. The rhetorical device that King employed as he often did is called anaphora (the repeat of a word or phrase that captures the essence of the subject). He reiterated several phrases but the one that captured the heart of many Americans was, “I have a dream!” Much of his dream has come to life and the spirit of his words still stand in testimony against the vestige of injustice and prejudice that remains. If you’ve never heard the speech or it has been awhile take time to listen to his stirring words at www.mlkonline.net/video-i-have-a-dream-speech.
I love the anaphora of “I have a dream!” Whether one is calling the soul of America to rise above the dark torrent of racism and segregation or for Christians to dream for the cause of Christ… the anaphora “to dream” is vital. To keep the dream alive is to reaffirm that life is a journey. Where we are today is not where we will be tomorrow. To dream is to have not only a vision but a confidence in God’s provision and guide. To dream is to open the heart to the imagination of the soul to dare to risk failure while focused on victory. To dream is to view possibility as a door to the future. The church must always be a place for dreamers who long for the kingdom of God to prevail. The church must pioneer the way to spiritual adventures and courageous faith. Yes, the church must have a dream!
I know that the dream is as simple as for all to hear of the saving grace afforded by the blood of Jesus in his atoning sacrifice. However, the fullness of that dream is captured in the many dreams of the body who long for deeper service, worship and fellowship. The dream is as dynamic as those who are willing to bring their hearts and their imaginations to visualize a world illuminated with the light of the gospel and the gentle presence of the Savior. So my dream… my prayer… my hope for us all is to follow our dreams! Now that’s, worth repeating! -DAN

Understanding

On my desk top at work is Byron Pickering’s business card. Byron is a master artist who has given his eyes and heart to painting the sea. On his card set apart from his general information is the statement, “Painting with understanding the ways of the sea.” Byron an insightful and gentle soul has given 30 years to the observation and interpretation of not only the beauty and power of the Great Pacific but to capturing the life energy of the ever changing but never ceasing current of waves that grace the Oregon Coast. His paintings truly reveal that Byron has an understanding of the ways of the sea! You can see his mastery of color and movement at his web site, www.pickeringstudio.com. For fun search Byron’s name on youtube and enjoy a quick glimpse at his master artistry set to music and excerpts of his instruction in teaching what he has come to understand about the sea.
Proverbs 3:13 reads, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding.” Wisdom and understanding are personified by Solomon as a fair maiden whose beauty and worth are to be sought. Even God in creating all we know… even the formation of sea used Understanding’s fair charms. Understanding then is not only the desired goal of the discerning soul but should always be recognized as divine precedent. That is, we live in a world formed by understanding and wisdom. I’m sure it is much more mysterious and exegetically deeper but John boldly states that Jesus is that logos/word/wisdom/understanding (John 1:1). Thus, the world as we know it (and certainly the sea that covers two thirds of it) are formed by wisdom and understanding. And Jesus is that wisdom. So, I maintain that Byron and many before him have sat reflectively in observation discerning the imprint of the divine and translating it into art. Art is the ultimate expression of our connection to God’s creative Spirit and Wisdom!
So, I say drink in the beauty of such paintings as created by Byron and hear the Word preached and the soul of creation captured in worship and praise to the Creator! Listen to the pictures painted in Sunday’s hymns’ lyrics. Bask in the warmth of the colorful images captured in God’s Word and expounded in sermon. And leave the portals of communion with the desire to proclaim His death until He comes again as you splash the color of your soul across your week. And come to understand the ways of the sea! -DAN

God And Natural Disasters

Headline after headline recently have chronicled earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and the like. The loss of life, devastation to property and the harrowing prospect of nuclear contamination have made some to wonder where God is in such tragic events. How can he allow such chaos and devastation to continue? Where is this God of love when so many are hurting? Truth is… in this world there’s not a moment that goes by that there isn’t some heart wrenching disaster, injustice or evil impaling the lives of individuals, communities and nations. We live in a fallen world where everyone has some misfortune or tragedy come their way. So then, why does God let such continue?
I’m not presumptuous or arrogant enough to tell you that I have an answer to why innocent babies are born with debilitating birth defects or young children’s lives are cut short with cancer or countless other diseases. Nor will I tell you that I know the mind of God and can quote you book, chapter and verse to explain why or how God lets this current of misfortunes continue. What I will tell you is that I have seen God intervene and rescue souls from grave misfortunes and I have also seen him rescue others with the aid of great misfortune. What I feel safe saying in witness to what I have experienced in life is that God is always there. Sometimes his role is deliverer and sometimes his role is comforter. Sometimes God is in the calm and sometimes God is in the storm. What’s most important is that God is there!
But if he is there then why is he all too often silent? Could it be that in his silence he has done his best work? I’m not trying to side step the issue here by pretending that innocent suffering doesn’t exist and that there aren’t legitimate questions. But what I am saying is that God who reveals himself as Father often assumes the parental role. As parents we all have experience how hard it is to let our children learn through their failures, bad judgments and naiveté. Jesus’ story of the prodigal son recorded in Luke 15 paints a picture of a God who allows bad judgment to lead to bad times. However, the father stands in wait scouring the horizon in hopes that tragedy leads to restoration and thus celebration. Rejoicing is over that which was loss can be found and that which was dead can come to life!
Our granddaughter Makaiya was born with Down syndrome. Do I wish she was born whole and healthy like our other grandchildren? You might be surprised at my answer… because it is no. Makaiya is a blessing to us and her parents. Her smile warms me more than any other I can think of. As many Down syndrome kids would like you to know they are not down they are up! Will Makaiya become the first lady president? No, but she will always be first to us and most importantly she is first to God. He watches over her… over us and over a world that he loves and patiently (often silent) waits to redeem and restore. That’s not an answer to innocent suffering it’s just a witness to the love of God I have seen, felt and hold on to in faith. -DAN

Foulweather

My commute into work requires me to traverse Cape Foulweather as I make my way from Newport to Lincoln City. In 1778 Captain James Cook (and no, that’s not Captain James T. Kirk) spied the prominent basalt rock point and because of the inclement weather named it Cape Foulweather. Early on the 500 foot high promontory was used as a modest stagecoach rest between Depot Bay and Newport. In the 1930’s Buck Bradley and his wife Anna built what they initially called the Fairweather Coffee Bar with hopes that people would enjoy watching the breath taking view while they enjoyed a meal. Noticing people were more interested in taking a souvenir home they renamed the place the Lookout gift shop and made their money selling Oregon coast memorabilia. Interesting enough it really was a lookout during WWII when the Coast Guard stationed 6 men to be lookouts in the basement of the gift shop. Though initially the Bradley’s believed their nautical niche to be “Fairweather” the reality of winter time winds that reach 100 mph and consistent unpredictable weather patterns Captain Cook’s appraisal stands… it’s Foulweather.

However, I like the Bradley spirit! Take the foul weathered experiences of life and put a fair weather label on them to enjoy the view while one feasts on the joys of life. High winds may blow and fog may obscure the view but even the storm has beauty. When we first built our beach house in 2004 and were able to visit from time to time I looked forward to being there during and after a storm. I still have many “treasures” that I have gathered from the beach after a storm. Foul weather often drives buried treasure to light… and so it is with life and our spiritual walk. We often discover the treasures of grace after the storms of conflict or mishap. We realize the mettle of our faith when tested so James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (James 1:2, 3).”

The Bradley spirit also touts that one should be willing to change their vision to fit their reality! If people aren’t going to sit and enjoy a meal with the view then give them pillow cases with “Mother” monogrammed on them (believe it or not that was their biggest seller). When our spiritual journey begins to stagnate and become unproductive we should prayerfully be willing to re-vision our path. I’m not advocating that we become culturally driven by the winds of change but that we build a better sail to navigate the winds of change. We value the goal enough to be new wineskins that stretch to meet the current needs of the kingdom of God. With the “Bradley” spirit we let “the” Spirit continue to do His good work of convicting the world of its sins and leading them to the joy of redemption in Christ! -DAN