Learning from Experience

 

If you're in the middle of a pickle or located in another fine mess and in need of some confident hope, you could do a lot worse than turning to the Psalms. Often, King David exudes confidence in Yahweh's loving care for him.

Case in point, Psalm 27:1-3 (CSB)...

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—

whom should I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

whom should I dread?

2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,

my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army deploys against me,

my heart will not be afraid;

though a war breaks out against me,

I will still be confident.

Why is David so fearless?

The answer is right there in the middle two lines. David could review his personal history and recall times when God came through for him. Yahweh had helped him...indeed, saved him...in the past. There is no reason to suspect Yahweh will fail him in the future.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...Past protection leads to current confidence.

Sure As Hell

 

Once considered foul language but now, apparently, barely eliciting a PG rating, the phrase "sure as hell" strikes me as...well...odd.

The phrase is meant to express that the person is absolutely sure about something or is 100% convinced of something, but I mostly hear it being spoken by someone who I'm not convinced is all that sure there even IS a hell.

Now Jesus...he could use the phrase with integrity because he often talked with certainty about the existence of a realm where God is absent and weeping and gnashing of teeth is present. But I just can't imagine Jesus trying to convince his listeners of the surety of a future event by saying something like, "And it's as sure as hell that I'll be with you always."

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Truth is...I'm pretty sure that some of you are at least a little uncomfortable, perhaps even offended, by this train of thought. And I can't say I really blame you. But I'm as sure as all get out that Jesus understands my warped curiosity and lack of filter and will continue refining me until the new Jerusalem arrives. My prayer is that you desire the same thing for yourself.

Why Do We Wander?

 

A former co-worker messaged me out of the blue:

Asking for myself  -  why do we sometimes wander from God? Why do we get caught up in the world? Just some deep thoughts this morning.

My response:

Deep in the realm of My Personal Take here, but I do think these thoughts are Scripturalesque-ish. We sometimes wander from God because we are bent toward sin. Our human nature is one that wants its own way. We are NOT basically nice people who sometimes "make mistakes". Without Jesus, we are dead set against the things and ways of God. And I do mean dead.

Now, when we accept Jesus' work on the cross, we are instantly forgiven and justified...just as if I'd never sinned. But the work of being sanctified, actually being made holy, is a longer process. We LEARN to walk in step with the Spirit, but there are many missteps along the way.

The ways of the world are right here in our face 24/7 and we ARE called to be in the world...just not to be OF the world. To live in the midst of something but not accept its wrong motives/desires/priorities is challenging.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...I am grateful for this opportunity to focus on the fundamentals of faith. It reminds me to be thankful for Yahweh's everlasting love and overwhelming grace.

Muhammad Ali Poem Packs a Punch

 

Yes, I know World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali was a Muslim, but that doesn't preclude his poem about truth from being worth considering. Put this in the same category as Paul quoting Greek philosophers in his sermon on Mars Hill.

The face of truth is open

The eyes of truth are bright

The lips of truth are ever closed

The head of truth is upright

The breast of truth stands forward

The gaze of truth is straight

Truth has neither fear nor doubt

Truth has patience to wait

The words of truth are touching

The voice of truth is deep

The law of truth is simple:

All you sow you reap

The soul of truth is flaming

The heart of truth is warm

The mind of truth is clear

And firm through rain and storm

Facts are but its shadows

Truth stands above all sin

Great be the battle of life

Truth in the end shall win

The image of truth is the cross

Wisdom's message is its rod

The sign of truth is Christ

The soul of truth is God

Life of truth is eternal

Immortal is its past

The power of truth will endure

Truth shall hold to the last

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Truth is...If I were given the task of editing this, I would change the third line to "The lips of truth are NEVER closed," but it still is a fitting personification. Almost as good as fixing our eyes on Jesus: the way, the truth, and the life.

James Taylor and My Identity Crisis

 

I recently had a kind of cultural identity crisis.

Because of a song snippet that came tumbling out of my mouth, I discovered a twenty-something co-worker of mine has no idea who James Taylor is. So I strolled over to a thirty-something co-worker and said, "Guess what. Twenty-something Gal doesn't know who James Taylor is."

To which, Mr. Thirty-something replied, "Who?"

So I clarified, "Twenty-something Gal...right there."

Only to be gobsmacked by hearing, "No...I mean who is James Taylor?"

"You know...'Fire and Rain,' 'You've Got a Friend,' 'How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You'?"

Nothing but blank stares.

When I told all this to Beloved, she pointed out that those songs are all around 50 years old and asked how many songs from the 20s did I know when I was in MY twenties?

So I did a little research and found out she was spot on.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

There is a pastoral application for this. When I'm talking to an individual with little to no church background, or addressing a group that could very well include such individuals, if I say something like "You know, it's like in the parable of the sheep and the goats," I could very well be met with blank stares.

Truth is...Never assume everyone knows what you know or has experienced what you have experienced.

Wondering About My Footprints

 

Mashing together the Japanese words for "I" and "footprint," John Koenig, in his book The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, has created a noun for the feeling that led me to travel 600 miles for a three-hour event.

I had been invited to kind of a youth group reunion for folks who had been high school students at my home church during the time our youth director was a woman called Page. (Historical Note: In our church in the mid-1970s, there's no way a person of the female persuasion would be called a youth minister.) One of our classmates had invited Page to their house for a Saturday afternoon and the plan was to surprise her with our presence and happy stories of our memories of her influence on our lives.

I decided not to go. Driving ten hours to Indiana and ten more back to Minnesota for a single event didn't sound like a lot of fun.

Then I attended the funeral of the former lead pastor of my church in Minnesota. Several people stood to talk about him in the most glowing of terms.

I thought..."Wouldn't it have been nice if Jim could have heard these nice things when he was still alive?"

And that's when I decided to make the trip to Indiana.

Here's the word that relates to all this:

watashiato (wah-tah-shee-ah-toh) n: curiosity about the impact you've had on the lives of the people you know, wondering which of your harmless actions or long-forgotten words might have altered the plot of their stories in ways you'll never get to see.

Truth is...Because I experience watashiato from time to time, I think there are plenty of pastors and former pastors who feel the same way and I wish I could arrange for each of them (and yes, even for me) the same kind of get-together that Page got to enjoy. At the very least, let me encourage us all to take the time to make sure the people we love and appreciate know how we feel about them.

Dear Jesus

 

Dear Jesus,

How do you put up with it all?

I mean...every day, thousands upon thousands of people make social media posts that pretend to understand what you've said and what your priorities were while living on the planet. And every day, thousands upon thousands of people attribute to YOUR heart whatever notion THEY are committed to.

Your name is used to express contempt for everything from human trafficking to getting cut off in traffic.

We swear to love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then pray for you to help us get even with those who disagree with us about how we voted in the last election.

I talk a good talk about starting my day with you in my heart and your word in my lap, but somehow, checking to see how many Likes my last post got takes precedence.

I honestly don't know how you put up with it.

I mean...with me.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is (P.S.)...If you didn't love us all so much, you wouldn't be so quick to show us grace and mercy. And all I can do is be grateful and pray for the power of the same Spirit that resurrected your dead body to stand me up, brush me off, and push me in the right direction again.

And again.