Complacent Rites

   I got a call from the church office the middle of last week, asking if I would be one of the men to serve communion at the early service today. I often have mixed emotions about this role, because I think it is an important one, one that has the opportunity to not only serve Jesus Christ in obedience to His command to His disciples, but also the people that come forward to partake of the elements. Secondarily, it can also be a blessing to me if I look on the act in an attitude of humility and service.

   I have felt, at times, not always, that I did not want to accept the assignment, because I did not want to do it with a feeling of "just another communion observance", but to perform this service in gratitude for God's sacrifice for me.

   It was easy for me to look back and remember times that I have been busy doing things at church, even sitting in the service listening to the message, and all of a sudden the pastor called the servers to the front to distribute the elements. I would go down front, receive either the bread or juice, go to my station, serve the people and sit back down without any preparation on my part. The busyness or the music or the message had not put me in an attitude that was either respectful of the act taking place or was even an act of worship for the congregation or myself.

   It does not seem right to serve in this way without it being an act of true worship and service. What does the ritual, if I can call it that, mean to me, to the others that I serve, to God? At times, it has only been something else to do at church, and I have come away with the feeling that I should not have even participated.

   There was something different about today. I prayed silently as we neared the church, and, as the service progressed, I felt at peace with the whole thing. When we sang the Doxology, I felt the emotions leading to true worship, and as we sang the first verse, one more time, this time without any instruments, as I listened to the voices raised around me, and even heard as mine joined in, I knew the following communion time would be special.

   Looking into the faces of those who came to be served, seeing the smiles in the eyes and sometimes tears, I was satisfied not to be a complacent server of a spiritual rite.

   God was in all of that, not that He is not always, but for me, having been prepared by the things that had preceded it, I felt His presence and knew that it was right. So I served, passed the bread to the ones who came, looked into eyes and felt that I was right where I was supposed to be. It was a good feeling.

   There was nothing special about the way that communion service went forward, but, as I look back on it from the perspective of a few hours later, I realize that I was different. My heart was prepared to serve and that made all the difference.

   There is no way to be complacent when the heart is prepared.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Amen

Teach Me To Number, And To Act

   A verse from Psalm 90 this morning:

   " The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;"

   And another from the same Psalm:

   "So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom."

   And yet another from that same passage:

   "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!"

   What do they say to me this morning?

   By any account, my life is near the end. How near I do not know, but definitely I've many fewer days left than I have lived in my past. So, what is to be my lifestyle? How will my last days on earth be remembered, by others, and by God, Himself?

   From this Psalm, I read that I need to realize where I stand on the continuum of my life. I need to continue to learn and seek God, knowing full well that I am not filled with all the wisdom of God, even a small part of it. For what purpose is all this wisdom? To hold onto and brag about?

   No way, any wisdom that I receive from His hand is not to be hoarded. It is to be used in finishing well, and in passing on to any others that He might point out to me. Not in any foolish pride on my part, but in humility, and in a loving way, and with a prayer of all that being God's Work.

   So I pray first of all this morning for wisdom, not worldly wisdom, but true wisdom from God. Not just a lot of knowledge, but those things that are reflected in how to live. Next I pray for a loving and caring heart to be able to ascertain the times and the lives of any that might benefit from any of the above.

   None of us know where we are on this continuum, what birthday will be our last here, but we can all pray that last verse if we are trying to live each day for Him.

   "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!"

   Let it be said of my life, that this is what I want to be my goal. Let my hands be busy in the worthwhile service of God, not wasted in idle pursuit, and let me know the difference.

Visiting Oatmeal One More Time

   Since I am the oatmeal maker in this family, I like to have very detailed instructions in my recipe. So many cups of this, so many tablespoons of that, so many teaspoons of the other, mix well, stir in the bowl, put the bowl in the crockpot, turn on low for 10 hours, and there it is. All the ingredients are spelled out in detail and the cooking instructions cannot be misunderstood.

   But then, when we make a 4 serving recipe and only eat 2, what do I do then? Do I put it in the freezer for tomorrow, or is it OK to put it in the fridge for 24 hours? If I reheat it do I put extra liquid in before I use the microwave or wait till it gets hot and on the table? How long in the microwave if it is frozen or how long from the fridge? Then, if I luck up and get it right, can I remember what I did so that can be replicated the next time? Is there even "one" right way?

   I like the detailed directions from the first recipe, but dislike the uncertainty of the guesswork on the second part.

   Is my life somewhat like that also? I read a phrase in the Bible, realize that it is true and that it sounds good, but then after thinking on it for a time, come to the conclusion that, although I sense its truth for my life, I don't know the details of how to work it all out. Too often, I just say "that is right" and just go on about my day, not thinking about the "how"s of living it.

   Take this verse in Psalm 37 this morning:

   "Trust in the Lord and do good;"

   The psalmist has stated a truth, and I know that if I lived that way, God would be pleased. But where are the detailed directions, the recipe for victorious Christian living? Does God expect me to go by trial and error and then luck up and get it right?

   There is no uncertainty with God. He has written, and we are to read, understand and act. We can get that knowing and acting through more study and prayer. When I want an answer to that leftover oatmeal problem, I type in a question on Google and get a bunch of answers. When I want to know "what is good" I pray and then look for situations coming into my life that give me opportunities to find out that definition.

   It might be nice if a person met me on the street, carrying a sign that read "you can do good here", but even without that visual reminder, God can show me if I but look and listen.

   So my prayer for today is for ears that hear and eyes that see the things that God has out there. I'll use that verse quoted above and then add "and keep your senses open".

   God, I know that You do not command things that I cannot do. Please forgive my indifference, and give me grace to continue to try to understand all that You want me to be. I need Your strength for the task.

The Relevance of Oatmeal

   Is there a relevance in the mundane? I think that there must be a lot of that because of the fact that so much of our times are caught up in the normal (maybe mundane is not a good word for all of this) affairs of our lives. Sure, there are the momentous occasions, but they come few and far between.

   Why do I think about this right now, when I am trying to find some tie between the Scripture I have read and the life that I have lived, even between the time I read early this morning and right now, this time of writing. What giant spiritual discovery or insight have I gleaned?

   Let me digress a bunch of years back. When my wife and I began traveling a lot, since our kids are far away in all directions, we usually try to leave on our trips early and eat our breakfast on the road. Now this is not a plug for Cracker Barrel, but they do know how to make good oatmeal. The right consistency and taste, along with the proper condiments, make for an enjoyable breakfast.

   Since finding out what real oatmeal should be like, we have experimented with various types of the grain, and also various methods of cooking it, so as to come up with the right product. This has been a several years long process, but I think we have hit upon the formula. I won't bore anyone with the details, but I will try to tie it in with the Scripture of today.

   Let's say that the process we go through, from starting the night before, cooking it overnight, and then the serving and cleaning up is not an instant breakfast, but it is downright good.

   So much of my life is lived in the daily normals of existence. If I put down the major turning points in my life, I find that there is a lot of time between them, time that is spent in everyday routine. I feel that God is in the ordinary events of our days, even those between momentous spiritual events and decisions. He cares about each of us, every day, the ordinary ones as well as the special.

   Our lives are spent seeking. We look for the answers. We search for solutions.

   Then we find it, right in our everyday existence...the perfect Oatmeal. God knew it was there all the time. He just wanted us to have the joy of discovering it for ourselves.

   Oh, before I forget, the Scripture for today comes from Nehemiah chapter 6 where the prophet says:

   “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down"

   Perseverance in the task, whether building a wall around a city or searching for the perfect morning repast.

   The relevance of Oatmeal

 

Hit the Pause Button and Think

   There is a story, recorded in Mark 6, of Herod and his relationship with John the Baptist. It seemed as though John was constantly telling Herod that he was a sinner, a man who had wrongfully married his brother's wife, and yet Herod, realizing that there was something unique about this prophet, listened to him speak with great attention. Herod knew that John was a "holy man" and maybe even had him imprisoned so that he, Herod could listen to him, John, speak whenever the notion struck him.

   Regardless of all the possible reasons for Herod's fascination with John, there came a day when He had to make a decision. This decision was to do what he knew to be right, or to give in to his fears of other's thoughts and take the easy way out.

   Herod had given an oath to a dancing girl that had pleased him, and when she made her request to the king, a request that he did not want to honor, he was caught in a squeeze. He could deny that request because it was not the right thing to do, or he could do the wrong thing in order to keep his status among those who looked on.

   Mark records:

   "And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her."

   Herod was sorry, but he still made his decision on what to do based on what would make him come off looking good. No matter about John, no matter about right or wrong, the only matter was saving face among the crowd.

   How many times do I make decisions on the basis of what others might think about me? Or, maybe worse yet, make decisions on the basis of what I know is best for me, regardless of others at all.

   A few years back, there were many items for sale that sported the initials WWJD, or What Would Jesus Do? They may still be around, but they were worn to give a person pause in decision making. 

   Maybe I still need one!

Which Path Will I Take?

   I had breakfast this morning with a friend of mine. He and his wife had had an interesting experience the previous weekend, an hour conversation with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his wife. They all happened to be in the same place at the same time and were thrown together for this period of time.

   As our conversation continued over breakfast, this friend related what the prominent Republican representative had talked about and how their conversation went. Now my friend is not a political person, any more than I am, but had a chance to share his feelings and frustrations about politics in general and what is going on in our country.

   After he and I had talked about all of this, our conversation turned to how we felt our country was headed and some of the things happening right now that had us concerned over the future that our children and grandchildren would be living in. We talked of problems, people, politicians and possibilities.

   All of that carried over into my readings for today. The Psalmist also was lamenting the state of the country he lived in. He went over the common scenario of the Israelite people, from blessing to a fallen state, then repenting, being forgiven by God and then beginning the same sequence all over again. His words in Psalm 78:

   " In spite of all this, they still sinned;
despite his wonders, they did not believe.
So he made their days vanish like a breath,
and their years in terror.
When he killed them, they sought him;
they repented and sought God earnestly.
They remembered that God was their rock,
the Most High God their redeemer.
But they flattered him with their mouths;
they lied to him with their tongues.
Their heart was not steadfast toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant."

   It is like "woe is me, here we go all over again. Will we ever learn?"

   Then another reading in my time today. This one in the Book of Nehemiah, in chapters 2 and 3:

   "Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work."

   The contrast of the two peoples was striking. On the one hand, the people accepted the blessings of God, but then soon forgot, went back to their old ways, rebelled, were punished for their disobedience, and began their cycle of life all over again.

   The people of Jerusalem, the remnant in the land from the captivity, heard what the prophet said, realized that they heard truth, and got to work.

   Will I be a part of the perceived problems that I see in our country today, or be a part of a solution?

   "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

 

Live It Out

   I sensed a theme running through the readings of today.

   "Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!"

   And from the Gospel of Mark,

   "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 

   And from a Psalm used in the Moravian Text for today,

   "You have seen it, O Lord, do not keep silent;"

   And from the Book of Nehemiah,

   "When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven."

   All through these readings, prayer is the theme, and it may jump out at me because I do not feel that is one of my strong suits. I often feel inadequate in prayer, and, when asked to pray orally in front of others, I measure my words with thoughts of the ones that are within the sound of my voice instead of the one to Whom I pray.

   I find that the ones I pray in secret, the ones only God hears, the ones that I take the time to write out as I pray them are the most sincere, the ones that are the real me.

   So when I continue reading in the Moravian Text, these words from a hymn used there strike a chord:

                              "You taught us Lord, words to pray
                                and You alone can grant us grace
                                to live the words we say"

   Let me live them out, not just pray and forget.

   Do I ask for forgiveness? Let me live out Your forgiveness in my life, and let me forgive others.

   Do I ask for peace? Let me live it out in my relationships with others.

   Do I seek help? Let me acknowledge where that help comes from.

   Others cannot hear my silent prayers, but they can see the results in the way I live.

   So here is another prayer: "Let me so live"