Posted on by Pastor Poet

Deal with My Heart, LORD…

Mandela’s Quarry, Robben Island, South Africa

A small stone can feel like a boulder when you carry it too long. Minor offenses become major rifts when they go unaddressed.  

Molehills become mountains when we don’t deal with them appropriately.  

An offense, a grudge, a little bitterness, a reoffense, a sleight, some abuse, neglect, unrepentance, hatred, violence – and the cycle continues…

So here we are. Generations confronted with repackaged versions of the same issues, refusing history’s lessons, because we give into apathy that keeps us drowsy and makes us numb. We’d rather be entertained than educated- amused rather than inspired…

And now the only thing that rouses us is the most intense pain and the overwhelming fear of mutual destruction.  

Why do things have to get so bad before we decide we need to pay attention?  

Why do we ignore the sages and prophets that warn us against selfishness, greed, and malice in our hearts? 

In times like these, I admit it, I have to guard my heart against the rage and bitterness that will only make things worse.  LORD, deal with my heart! 

Will you pray with me today? 

“ …Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of us speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 

Let no corrupting talk come out of our mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  

Ephesians 4:25–32

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

Posted on by Pastor Poet

Integrity…

Treating people the way you want to be treated is called the Golden Rule.  Regardless of how you feel about them, whether or not you understand them, whether or not they look or talk like you, whether or not you share common heritage or interests, or whether or not you even ‘like’ them.

The Golden Rule is the firewall against revenge, pettiness, slander, greed, vindictiveness, prejudice, or partiality.  And it is the only rule that inclines us toward a peaceful and compassionate community. But each time we transgress this Golden Rule, we devolve bit by bit towards inhumanity.  

Such a simple phrase with such intense weight levels us all.  The Golden Rule is an equalizer that erases categories of privilege and oppressed, and places the ability to change the world squarely in the hands of each individual regardless of the corrupt and unjust systems that deceive us into thinking we have no power or control. We still get to choose.  It is not always an easy choice but it is a choice nonetheless.

The Golden Rule demands integrity.  The Golden Rule demands tenacity and faithfulness that proves itself especially when one possesses great power or when one is under intense pressure.  And, it is impossible to obey without intentional humility and intense spiritual fortitude. God help us!

Perhaps this is why we abandon it so quickly.  It’s much easier and quite understandable to want to match energy, to retaliate, to return evil for evil.  But the cost becomes our own humanity along with the possibility of any real peace within or without.

So what will we choose?  While the lines that separate us become deep grooves and ruts – who among us will choose to be and to do differently?  

Jesus expects that anyone who follows Him would attempt to live by His rule – this Golden Rule.  Are you, are we among these?  

A tree is told by the fruit it bears, yes?  

God help us all to possess such integrity.  It is the only hope for our humanity.  

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Luke 6:31

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

Posted on by Pastor Poet

When You’ve Been Blessed…

After Adrienne and I exchanged vows before our friends and family, we were blessed by our pastor and then serenaded with the song, ‘When you’ve been blessed,’ originally recorded by Patti Labelle.

That was thirty years ago – it was one of the most important moments of our lives.  I am sure that over the years we’ve side-eyed one another, wondering if it was worth it.  Anyone who’s been married for any length of time has come to this point- if we are honest!

But I am grateful for good counsel.  I am grateful for those who challenged, encouraged, and held us accountable.  I am grateful for those who’ve reminded us that as  our lives were being woven together, as beautiful as this is, that it wasn’t just about us. I am grateful that God kept us when we couldn’t!

God put us together because God loves us, but God wants us to be a blessing to others as well.  We’ve been serving the LORD together for over thirty years – that’s as long as we’ve been together. We’ve shared our time, our talents, our hearts, our home, our energy, our resources, our joys, and our sorrows – we’ve shared our lessons and blessings – we’ve had our share of ups and downs – and yet God’s grace towards us and our deep love for God and one another continues to overflow. We are better than we deserve and somehow have more than enough!

As enamored as we were with one another when we stood at the altar all these years ago – we knew that it was never just about us!  

“When you’ve been blessed… Pass it on!”

…give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”  

Luke 6:38

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

Posted on by Pastor Poet

christian?? (2)

The greatest challenge to the Church’s witness is not some extraordinary external enemy but an internal erosion of the ethics that should exemplify who we are.

In a courtroom, if a witness lies under an oath, they can be charged with perjury. To be a credible witness (per Brenda Salter McNeil), one need not be perfect – but at least be honest. To willfully lie under oath is a crime, and depending on the conditions, can carry jail time and fines.

The christian church in the West and in America is under a heavy indictment. Repeatedly landing on the wrong side of history by promoting oppressive forces or being silently complicit to abuse and bigotry, it’s a wonder that anyone would call themselves christian. It’s a wonder that anyone would trust such an unreliable witness.  

Thank God for those Christian communities that refuse to cede their witness to the powerful.  Thank God for those who advocate for those who’ve been shoved to the margins.  Thank God for those who value all human beings as precious and beloved!  Thank God for those who don’t separate their love for God from those made in God’s image.  Thank God for those working publicly to preserve and protect the dignity and rights of every human – every single one! 

History will be our judge.  Will we be found faithful or at fault? The jury is out, but the clock is ticking…

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 4:20–21

Does that seem way beyond us? Perhaps.  But what kind of witness are you? 

Good Morning, I love you all.

ihs,

just adam

Posted on by Pastor Poet

Scars…

After Jesus’ resurrection, it would take a while for the news to spread.  And even among some of His disciples, there were still some doubts about the stories that were being told.  The most famous of the doubters is Thomas.  

Evidently he wasn’t present when Jesus first appears to the disciples.  I don’t know where he was or what he was doing, but for whatever reason, he was not at the meeting when Jesus showed up.  And despite the witness of the other disciples, Thomas declares defiantly, ‘I won’t believe until I see…” 

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 

John 20:24-25

Most of us are not as audacious as Thomas, but we live very much by the motto, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.” We are suspicious and mistrustful of one of God and one another.  We’ve been disappointed and let down before, so we reserve our hopes and limit our faith to what we can confirm – which is ironically the opposite of what faith is supposed to be. 

Graciously, Jesus obliges Thomas and shows up. Jesus reveals himself and allows Thomas to touch his wounds. Jesus shows and shares his scars. 

Thomas is not alone in his doubts, huh?  We are surrounded by those in our families, on our jobs, in our neighborhoods, in our circle of friends who have doubts about who Jesus really is.  They want proof.  The temptation may be to debate with them – to try to convince them through compelling arguments – but honestly I never met anyone who became a Christian because of an argument.    Maybe we should learn from Jesus’ example.

Jesus reveals his scars.  He makes himself vulnerable by allowing Thomas to see and handle his wounds – to witness personally the truth of the Resurrection.  I wonder if some of the doubt we encounter in the world is because we’ve been conditioned to hide our scars rather than reveal them as evidence of God’s grace and power! We stifle God’s glory by concealing our own stories of healing and resurrection.  Something to think about, huh?

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!

John 20:27-28

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

Posted on by Pastor Poet

What’s on the Inside? (3)

Jesus reserved his harshest words for those who were religious.  Some might wonder why Jesus was so hard on those who appeared to be trying so hard to do the right thing.  Shouldn’t Jesus have congratulated and celebrated them for their piety? 

Instead of praise, Jesus offered a rebuke – what had to be a painful critique!

What’s on the inside?

Sometimes in our spiritual walk, we can get enamored by our own virtues – standing so close to the mirror that we cannot see our own flaws.  Sadly, our myopia causes us to become judgmental and hypocritical.  We get puffed up and sanctimonious, and we forget that it is only by God’s grace that we are not consumed. 

We turn, ‘all have sinned’ to ‘y’all have sinned.’  And we place ourselves in danger of judgment. We are undone with a single question. 

What’s on the inside?

Can you hear the voice of the Spirit today? Has someone offended or frustrated you? Are you ready to curse them and throw them away?  Before you call down fire, take a long slow look in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘What’s on the inside?’

Yes, there are times when anger is appropriate, and righteous indignation is justifiable.  Yes, there are times when wrong needs to be called out and protest is necessary.  There’s a time when a curse seems like the right thing to do, but this is a slippery slope. We may find that we’ve become what we despise!

May God guard our hearts against self-righteousness, and cultivate compassion in our hearts toward others – especially those we think don’t deserve it. 

What’s on the inside?

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

Matthew 23:27

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

Posted on by Pastor Poet

We are Still Here…

I’ve got a very early start this morning, and I’m straining to hear what Good News the day will deliver.  I refuse to turn on the television, because I don’t want to hear about the latest overnight shooting or the antics going on in our government.  But the pause, I know, will only be temporary.

As I’m preparing for my first meeting, I can hear my youngest getting ready for school, and guess what?  She’s singing! “I am still here, and it’s by the grace of God…” 

Thank you, Jesus.

We are still here.  By the grace of God.  Things are in no way ideal, and there is much to lament with all that’s going on, but we are still here!  God is yet holding all things together.  As fraught as things are, as upsetting as circumstances are, and as disappointed as we may feel – we are all living, breathing proof – witnesses to the grace of God.  We are still here.  There is breath in our bodies.  There is blood running warm in our veins.  We have the mind to read/write these words.  We are still here.  This is grace.  

We are still here. What will this grace produce in us today? My hope is that as we receive this grace, this grace will produce within us more grace until it overflows and extends to those around us.  This is the grace that gives life and transforms, no?

We are still here, by the grace of God.  It is living and active – it is at work within us – producing within us – world-changing power!  Let this be our witness, let this be our protest against the pressure and dark powers that stokes fears that leave us to despair.  We are still here by the grace of God.

Thank you, Jesus.  

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

Colossians 1:13-14

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

Posted on by Pastor Poet

Who are We Talking About?

There are some things that are consistent with God’s character and some things that are not.  There are virtues that reflect God’s heart, and there are those that do not.  Where there may be doubts, Jesus gives us clarity!

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus revises the interpretive lens.  Jesus repeatedly declares, ‘You’ve heard it said, but I say to you…’ But beyond declaration, Jesus’ Incarnation is the ultimate example – the ultimate demonstration- of how our faith should be lived out.

So, when I hear us talking about Jesus while demonstrating cruelty to strangers, callousness toward the poor, carelessness toward those suffering – I wonder – Who are we talking about??

Jesus welcomed strangers, touched the untouchable, embraced publicans and sinners, privileged the poor, blessed the last, lost, least, and left behind.  Jesus embodied compassion toward those who would otherwise be avoided, overlooked, or ignored.  This same Jesus was critical of the self-righteous religious, leery of the rich, and He made the powerful very uncomfortable. 

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Colossians 1:15

Jesus expresses and embodies the character and compassion of a loving God. Jesus is the Mediator of our relationship with God the Father and with one another.  Jesus is our Exemplar.  He teaches us how to love one another well.  Jesus points the Way, He shows us the Way, and He makes the Way for us!

Get it? Now, let’s go and do it!

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs, 

just adam

Posted on by Pastor Poet

Community People…

While things are tense around us, many of us are bracing for what’s next, and fear, anger, and anxiety seems to be the themes of the day – I hope we can guard our hearts against the temptation to isolate.

We’ve got some tough years ahead of us, from which we cannot simply run and hide.  We cannot just wall ourselves off and give ourselves to guarding only our own personal interests and things.  

Let me take that back, we can do these things, but we will cease to be who God created, called, and redeemed us to be!

As Christians in the world, we are the ‘community of called out ones’, entrusted with the Gospel, to witness to the world about the goodness and the grace of a loving God revealed to us through Jesus Christ.  

We must not shrink from this call – not in our words or in our deeds!

The most powerful and most important commandments in Scripture are the commands to love; to love God and to love others as we love ourselves.  These are positive commands that require something of us.  

The Golden Rule says, ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you…’ This is not the same as ‘don’t do to anyone what you don’t want done to you…’. The former demands community, the latter can occur in isolation.  

In good times and in bad, we are community people!  

While we will all have moments of overwhelm, frustration, and fear – we must not retreat.  Pause if you must, pull back if you need to, but don’t abandon community!  Our faith is lived out in our relationships.  This is the outworking of our witness!

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:35

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

Posted on by Pastor Poet

Fair-weather Following?

Jesus bids us to follow Him.  Wherever He goes, we are called to follow.  Whether in sunshine or storm, He beckons to us to follow Him.  Wherever He leads,  Jesus calls us to follow – that is to surrender our wills, to relinquish the right to ourselves, to struggle if we must – Jesus calls us to follow Him.

And as we follow, we are promised comfort from the Spirit, peace that surpasses understanding, and even the fullness of joy.  

But we are not guaranteed a problem free existence, we are not promised that we will be comfortable,  we are not promised that there will be no struggle, we are not promised that we will not taste sorrow.  But Jesus calls us to follow Him.

When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”  We know Peter’s reply. And we know the blessing that followed.  “Upon this rock, I will build my Church…”  

Immediately afterwards, Jesus began to tell his disciples about the difficult times ahead.  Unfortunately, they were not quick to receive or understand His words. Peter even went so far as to pull Jesus aside to rebuke Him – can you imagine that? Peter thought Jesus needed correction.  But don’t be too hard on him. 

How often have we sought to be comfortable and certain,  when in fact Jesus is calling us to be comforted and confident? There is a difference.  Comfortability and certainty are circumstantial.  But to be comforted and confident – these are gifts from the Spirit. 

Can we relinquish our idols and follow Him or is our commitment only fair-weather?  

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 16:24

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam