Do you ever feel like your life is like an ongoing sound check: Testing, testing… Just when you think you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, you discover it’s an oncoming train. Put another way, You know it’s going to be a bad day when…
-You see a 60 Minutes news team in your office
-You call suicide prevention hotline, and they put you on hold.
-You turn on the news, and they’re showing emergency routes out of the city.
-Your twin sister forgot your birthday.
-Your car horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell’s Angels on the freeway.
-Your boss tells you not to bother to take off your coat.
-Your income tax check bounces.
-You both contact lenses in the same eye.
OK, so chances are none of those things is in your immediate future, but what about others, such as...
-You are 23, and despite a commitment to Christ, the earnest prayers of hundreds for your healing, and the love and support of a wonderful family, you succumb to cancer (Jonathon Pound—Sunday at 5:30 am)
-You remain unemployed after months, if not years, of seeking work
-Your home feels increasingly unsafe due to emotional or physical abuse
-Your childhood innocence was shattered by sexual abuse
-One of your parents abandoned you just when you needed them most
-You are drowning in debt and see no way of escape
-Your prayers for deliverance from addiction seem to go unanswered
-You are facing retirement with uncertainty and financial instability
Where is God then? Is He on a break? Does He still care? What about God’s promises, like the one we are singing in “The Lord Is My Light”? In the time of trouble…he will keep you safe. I don’t pretend to understand God in all of these circumstances, but he has clearly stated in His word that my ways are not His ways, my thoughts His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9). And He pointedly doesn’t just declare His thoughts and ways to be different…He says that they are HIGHER. They ultimately lift us up! That is encouraging!
As we are learning in Hebrews 11, faith is the conviction of things not seen. Not clear. It is not faith if God can be figured out using our mind and senses alone. It involves a trust leap. In Psalm 27, David reminds us of the need for tenacity in our faith.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
I experienced this literally years ago when I left the Lutheran Church, in which I was confirmed, to go on staff at Willow Creek Community Church in northwest Chicago. My dad treated me as an infidel and a prodigal and did not speak to me for 6 months. I was devastated, but waited on the Lord to change him and restore our relationship. Eventually, God brought him to a place of wanting what God wanted for my life more than what he wanted. Before he died, we enjoyed a sweet reunion. Though this story had a happy ending, it did involve my trusting and obeying and leaving the rest to the sovereignty of God. Ultimately, where I want to live is not only trusting in the God of the Happy Endings. Rather, I want the assurance and conviction of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, who concluded:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
Indeed, his ways are higher than mine. For whatever I am facing right now, I can trust Him. After all, whom have I in heaven but Him? Choir, can I get an Amen?
-tad
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
What's Holy about Holy Week?
Welcome to all of you joining us this evening by invitation as the Easter Choir! Also, welcome, everyone, to that great time of the year when we begin anticipating and preparing for the most historic week of the church year…Holy Week. I say “church year”, which may be a new concept to some of you. Traditionally, the Christian church has marked certain seasons and dates as worth honoring and repeating every year. So they have made their way into what is universally called The Church Year. Such terms as Advent, Christmas, Lent, Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost, etc. are all meant to refer to those events and commemorations which represent the core of our faith.
Those not making the “Church Year?” Well, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, July 4th, Halloween (go figure), even Thanksgiving, to name a few. They may get you a day off work, but as part of an overarching outline of our faith, not so critical. And none of those dates was born out of a biblical event. As an evangelical church, most people would not consider Hope traditional, perhaps, but we do have and try to honor certain traditions which we find meaningful.
In our values statements, referred to as our Sweet Sixteen (available on our welcome table), we actually address this issue in Value 11. Here are a few excerpts:
“The tension among different generations or cultures when it comes to honoring tradition isn’t so much about having traditions, but what makes them meaningful? So it is with the family of faith when we seek to pass on what experiences should be universally treasured, as opposed to what is valued by certain individuals. In some churches, traditions are maintained that were, at one time, valued by the vast majority, but now are recycled simply because “we’ve always done it that way.” Contrast that with the fellowships which never do the same thing the same way twice, simply because of the fear that “if it’s not new, it’s irrelevant.”
Coming from a very traditional, ritualistic even, church background, I understand this concern. There is a commonly held axiom in communication that to the extent that something is familiar, it loses its impact. Said another way, the more we know what’s coming, the less intently or expectantly we receive or anticipate it. I still recall singing portions of the liturgy (the repetitious and routine parts of the worship service) as a child while, at the same time, looking around the room, waving to late-comers, or wondering why I had worn one brown shoe and one black. Imagine the impact of the words, Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, on my heart, while I am simultaneously winking at the cute girl across the aisle. Talk about your multi-tasker!
But let’s not throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water. While Jesus warns us against vain repetition (Matthew 6:7), he does not advocate never repeating anything. Indeed, that is what traditions are: determining those events, occurrences, and corporate experiences which are repeated, whether it is weekly, monthly, annually or otherwise. This is suggested in the Old Testament in the book of Numbers: “Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God.” (Numbers 10:10) This wasn’t just a Hebrew thing, it was a people of God thing, suggesting that part of trusting God for our future was remembering our past. And part of retaining the identity as a unique work of God’s hand was to replay, occasionally, our unique story.
If we find, in this contemporary American culture which seems addicted to the new, that nothing we do seems worthy of repeating, then maybe it wasn’t worth doing in the first place. And the day we allow the priority of our fellowship to become the mere perpetuation of empty traditions, we may as well join the cast of Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye’s backup singers. Tradition!!! Perhaps we have merely lost sight of our connection to the story line which God is unfolding as we approach the end of the Age.”
This Sunday, Pastor Stephen will walk us through the incredible faith chapter of Hebrews 11. If the account of the lives that have gone before doesn’t inspire you to keep telling the story, you may want to check your pulse! As we begin again this exciting and sobering season, let’s realize the incredible continuum on which we find ourselves, and do our part to faithfully declare God’s goodness to this generation and the next.
Again, welcome, all you newbies and returnees! We are so glad you have made this choice. We trust you won’t be disappointed.
-tad
Those not making the “Church Year?” Well, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, July 4th, Halloween (go figure), even Thanksgiving, to name a few. They may get you a day off work, but as part of an overarching outline of our faith, not so critical. And none of those dates was born out of a biblical event. As an evangelical church, most people would not consider Hope traditional, perhaps, but we do have and try to honor certain traditions which we find meaningful.
In our values statements, referred to as our Sweet Sixteen (available on our welcome table), we actually address this issue in Value 11. Here are a few excerpts:
“The tension among different generations or cultures when it comes to honoring tradition isn’t so much about having traditions, but what makes them meaningful? So it is with the family of faith when we seek to pass on what experiences should be universally treasured, as opposed to what is valued by certain individuals. In some churches, traditions are maintained that were, at one time, valued by the vast majority, but now are recycled simply because “we’ve always done it that way.” Contrast that with the fellowships which never do the same thing the same way twice, simply because of the fear that “if it’s not new, it’s irrelevant.”
Coming from a very traditional, ritualistic even, church background, I understand this concern. There is a commonly held axiom in communication that to the extent that something is familiar, it loses its impact. Said another way, the more we know what’s coming, the less intently or expectantly we receive or anticipate it. I still recall singing portions of the liturgy (the repetitious and routine parts of the worship service) as a child while, at the same time, looking around the room, waving to late-comers, or wondering why I had worn one brown shoe and one black. Imagine the impact of the words, Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, on my heart, while I am simultaneously winking at the cute girl across the aisle. Talk about your multi-tasker!
But let’s not throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water. While Jesus warns us against vain repetition (Matthew 6:7), he does not advocate never repeating anything. Indeed, that is what traditions are: determining those events, occurrences, and corporate experiences which are repeated, whether it is weekly, monthly, annually or otherwise. This is suggested in the Old Testament in the book of Numbers: “Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God.” (Numbers 10:10) This wasn’t just a Hebrew thing, it was a people of God thing, suggesting that part of trusting God for our future was remembering our past. And part of retaining the identity as a unique work of God’s hand was to replay, occasionally, our unique story.
If we find, in this contemporary American culture which seems addicted to the new, that nothing we do seems worthy of repeating, then maybe it wasn’t worth doing in the first place. And the day we allow the priority of our fellowship to become the mere perpetuation of empty traditions, we may as well join the cast of Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye’s backup singers. Tradition!!! Perhaps we have merely lost sight of our connection to the story line which God is unfolding as we approach the end of the Age.”
This Sunday, Pastor Stephen will walk us through the incredible faith chapter of Hebrews 11. If the account of the lives that have gone before doesn’t inspire you to keep telling the story, you may want to check your pulse! As we begin again this exciting and sobering season, let’s realize the incredible continuum on which we find ourselves, and do our part to faithfully declare God’s goodness to this generation and the next.
Again, welcome, all you newbies and returnees! We are so glad you have made this choice. We trust you won’t be disappointed.
-tad
Shift Happens
SHIFT HAPPENS. It’s been said that the most dependable aspect of life in these times is that things change. Somebody “moves our cheese.” Shift happens. Just when we think we’ve got all our life neatly organized (right!), something changes. Sometimes, it’s really big. A boss says the company needs you in another city. Or another department. Or not at all. A child leaves the “nest” for school or a life on their own. A spouse walks away. A doctor gives a not-so-welcome prognosis. Worse, someone we love dies. This shifting happens even in the church. Worship styles change. New staff come and go. Different kinds of people start showing up. We are asked to share the role we once thought was uniquely ours.
For me, as a creative person, I usually greet change with excitement, enthusiasm. But recently, as some of you know, I experienced a change in my life that rocked me more than I care to admit. The little 5½ pound dog that shared life with Deb and me for 15 years, needed to be put down. And “Sammie” was no ordinary dog (I know we all say that). She was like a furry angel God placed in our life for the very reason of providing stability and unconditional love through the many changes we would navigate
during her lifetime. Her death has left a bigger hole in my heart than I imagined was possible from a non-human. She still shows up in my dreams. Our house feels different. It’s a noticeable shift, and one which will never return to the way it was.
As a person living in an increasingly unstable and changing world, I am beginning to weary of it a bit, seeing more and more of change as not so much for the better, but just because we can change. Technology is shrinking our world and enabling us to get places faster, do things cheaper, and do whatever we can dream. In fact, human kind appears to be growing more and more restless. So I find myself simultaneously excited and uneasy. Stimulated, but suspicious. Eager, and yet a bit dreadful.
Where do we turn, when, as the ancient hymn writer once wrote, “every earthly prop gives way?” Lately, I’ve been finding comfort in Psalm 34, penned by another artistic type, King David himself.
“I will extol the Lord at ALL times. His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord: let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces
are never covered with shame.”
From these five little verses, my 3½ lbs of brain conclude: I need a song, I need a community, I need faith. Or better said, WE need a song. WE need community. WE need faith. If I am to be delivered from all my fears, I need to keep singing, keep joining myself with others, keep trusting the One who is the same Yesterday, Today, and Forever. And so do you.
Dear ones, God consistently uses you to do just that in my life through your song, your friendship, your faith. In worship ministry, it is the nature of the beast, or better said, the nature of the best. As we anticipate new arrivals next week to prepare for Easter, remember that some will risk change in their routine for a greater good, a bigger glimpse of God, and a better sense of where they belong. They, too, need a song, a community, and faith. Let’s be joined with them joyfully, and exalt His name together.
-tad
For me, as a creative person, I usually greet change with excitement, enthusiasm. But recently, as some of you know, I experienced a change in my life that rocked me more than I care to admit. The little 5½ pound dog that shared life with Deb and me for 15 years, needed to be put down. And “Sammie” was no ordinary dog (I know we all say that). She was like a furry angel God placed in our life for the very reason of providing stability and unconditional love through the many changes we would navigate
during her lifetime. Her death has left a bigger hole in my heart than I imagined was possible from a non-human. She still shows up in my dreams. Our house feels different. It’s a noticeable shift, and one which will never return to the way it was.
As a person living in an increasingly unstable and changing world, I am beginning to weary of it a bit, seeing more and more of change as not so much for the better, but just because we can change. Technology is shrinking our world and enabling us to get places faster, do things cheaper, and do whatever we can dream. In fact, human kind appears to be growing more and more restless. So I find myself simultaneously excited and uneasy. Stimulated, but suspicious. Eager, and yet a bit dreadful.
Where do we turn, when, as the ancient hymn writer once wrote, “every earthly prop gives way?” Lately, I’ve been finding comfort in Psalm 34, penned by another artistic type, King David himself.
“I will extol the Lord at ALL times. His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord: let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces
are never covered with shame.”
From these five little verses, my 3½ lbs of brain conclude: I need a song, I need a community, I need faith. Or better said, WE need a song. WE need community. WE need faith. If I am to be delivered from all my fears, I need to keep singing, keep joining myself with others, keep trusting the One who is the same Yesterday, Today, and Forever. And so do you.
Dear ones, God consistently uses you to do just that in my life through your song, your friendship, your faith. In worship ministry, it is the nature of the beast, or better said, the nature of the best. As we anticipate new arrivals next week to prepare for Easter, remember that some will risk change in their routine for a greater good, a bigger glimpse of God, and a better sense of where they belong. They, too, need a song, a community, and faith. Let’s be joined with them joyfully, and exalt His name together.
-tad
Hands, Feet and Workshops
In less than two weeks (Monday, February 28), we will be gathering together for our first regular, quarterly worship arts workshop as an entire ministry area (see article on back page). You can view them as an on-campus mini-retreat, with the three-fold emphasis being teaching and training (stronger), socialization (closer), and vision- casting (further). In most cases, as in this first one, we will begin with a meal together (our attempt to grow wider). This usually will be provided, so fret not. We will include some round table discussion questions to help you get to know each other better. After eating, we will move into some form of instruction or inspiration. This month we will watch a powerful video called Indescribable, which celebrates our God as the Master Artist. You won’t want to miss it! Finally, we will conclude our time together with some group discussion on the “so what’s?” or “now what’s?” of what we have learned. Every member of the worship and arts ministry is invited, including singers,instrumentalists, actors, writers, technicians, etc.
You might be asking yourself why is this necessary? Don’t we already have opportunities for this? Yes, we do have a yearly retreat in the fall, but it is often a working retreat preparing Christmas music or the like, and it is decidedly tilted toward the choir. We have fellowship opportunities and prayer support at our Sunday morning communities, but again, we routinely have only a small percentage of the entire ministry, and we are always
pressed for time.
By choosing to intentionally invest three hours a quarter in the form of a mini-retreat, we give everyone a chance, apart from the work of their ministry, to rediscover what binds us together as a team, builds us up, and sends us out again. As your pastor in this area of ministry, I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important I think these gatherings will be to help unify us and strengthen our ministry to Hope and beyond. We need each other, and we need to discover together how each part of the ministry contributes to the whole. Paul wrote about this in his first letter to the Corinthians, a church which, by the way, was not doing unity OR community very well. This was his very practical, yet powerful, illustration:
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor… If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
My prayer is that each of you will prioritize this quarterly event by making a place for it on your calendar, attending, and coming ready to fully engage and invest yourself for the work God is doing. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. See you there!
-tad
You might be asking yourself why is this necessary? Don’t we already have opportunities for this? Yes, we do have a yearly retreat in the fall, but it is often a working retreat preparing Christmas music or the like, and it is decidedly tilted toward the choir. We have fellowship opportunities and prayer support at our Sunday morning communities, but again, we routinely have only a small percentage of the entire ministry, and we are always
pressed for time.
By choosing to intentionally invest three hours a quarter in the form of a mini-retreat, we give everyone a chance, apart from the work of their ministry, to rediscover what binds us together as a team, builds us up, and sends us out again. As your pastor in this area of ministry, I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important I think these gatherings will be to help unify us and strengthen our ministry to Hope and beyond. We need each other, and we need to discover together how each part of the ministry contributes to the whole. Paul wrote about this in his first letter to the Corinthians, a church which, by the way, was not doing unity OR community very well. This was his very practical, yet powerful, illustration:
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor… If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
My prayer is that each of you will prioritize this quarterly event by making a place for it on your calendar, attending, and coming ready to fully engage and invest yourself for the work God is doing. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. See you there!
-tad
Food For Thought
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican
Luke 18:9-14 (New International Version)
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Parable of the Phari-sing and the Probably-can
(Loosely based on) Luke 18:9-14 and I Corinthians 13:1
To some who were confident of their own artistic pedigree and overall superiority in things artsy-fartsy, and who looked down on everybody else, a parable was told: “Two men went up to the temple to worship, one an arrogant musician and the other a humble worshiper. The Phari-sing stood up and prayed about himself:
‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—you know, the little people, the “no-counts,” the ones I must endure sitting next to in choir—those of untrained ear, those whose vowels bespeak a dialect formed in southern Kentucky or, perhaps Arkansas, men and women who mistake a Coda for a common illness and a crescendo for a large butter roll—those of squeaky voice, shallow air supply and ill-placed diphthongs—or even like this lowly choir wannabe next-to-me, who sings straight through the repeat signs and believes fine is an editorial comment on his performance thus far.
‘Unlike him, I attend every rehearsal (including the THIRDthursday fellowship meal), have my own music ready and make sure I have scanned any new music or worship materials for repeats, alternate endings, editor’s comments or anything else which might give me a “leg up” when the actual rehearsal begins. I remain properly hydrated throughout the entire rehearsal or worship service, keep my sharpened number two pencil at the ready and vigorously mark my score as directed by the conductor, making sure to press lightly in the unlikely, but occasional, event of his changing his mind (go figure).
‘I stay seated in an “upright and locked position” throughout the duration of the rehearsal (even, and most importantly, during the ritualistic prayer time so as to leave no doubt as to just how upright and Godly I am); I never forget my music and encourage others to do the same by refusing to share my score or, God forbid, my plethora of musical knowledge. I spend approximately one tenth (a time tithe) of my waking hours listening to my choir specials CD, until I am absolutely confident of my part for each upcoming anthem, or until the CD disintegrates in my player, whichever comes first. In conclusion, you must be pretty happy to have me on Your team.’
“But the lowly Probably-can stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘It’s me again, God, HELP!’ I admit it, Lord, I love to sing and I love to worship, but after all these years, I still don’t know the difference between a descant and a dischord, D. S. al fine or day-old linguine, but given enough patience and a supportive, safe environment, I’d like to hang in there and try to make a difference in some small way.
“I tell you that the prayer of the Probably-can was like music to God’s ears, while the ramblings of the Phari-sing were like fingernails on a chalkboard—audible but not very edifying. The moral of the story: Though I [sing] with the tongue of men and of angels, but have not love, I am like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
Food for thought...
-tad
Luke 18:9-14 (New International Version)
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Parable of the Phari-sing and the Probably-can
(Loosely based on) Luke 18:9-14 and I Corinthians 13:1
To some who were confident of their own artistic pedigree and overall superiority in things artsy-fartsy, and who looked down on everybody else, a parable was told: “Two men went up to the temple to worship, one an arrogant musician and the other a humble worshiper. The Phari-sing stood up and prayed about himself:
‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—you know, the little people, the “no-counts,” the ones I must endure sitting next to in choir—those of untrained ear, those whose vowels bespeak a dialect formed in southern Kentucky or, perhaps Arkansas, men and women who mistake a Coda for a common illness and a crescendo for a large butter roll—those of squeaky voice, shallow air supply and ill-placed diphthongs—or even like this lowly choir wannabe next-to-me, who sings straight through the repeat signs and believes fine is an editorial comment on his performance thus far.
‘Unlike him, I attend every rehearsal (including the THIRDthursday fellowship meal), have my own music ready and make sure I have scanned any new music or worship materials for repeats, alternate endings, editor’s comments or anything else which might give me a “leg up” when the actual rehearsal begins. I remain properly hydrated throughout the entire rehearsal or worship service, keep my sharpened number two pencil at the ready and vigorously mark my score as directed by the conductor, making sure to press lightly in the unlikely, but occasional, event of his changing his mind (go figure).
‘I stay seated in an “upright and locked position” throughout the duration of the rehearsal (even, and most importantly, during the ritualistic prayer time so as to leave no doubt as to just how upright and Godly I am); I never forget my music and encourage others to do the same by refusing to share my score or, God forbid, my plethora of musical knowledge. I spend approximately one tenth (a time tithe) of my waking hours listening to my choir specials CD, until I am absolutely confident of my part for each upcoming anthem, or until the CD disintegrates in my player, whichever comes first. In conclusion, you must be pretty happy to have me on Your team.’
“But the lowly Probably-can stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘It’s me again, God, HELP!’ I admit it, Lord, I love to sing and I love to worship, but after all these years, I still don’t know the difference between a descant and a dischord, D. S. al fine or day-old linguine, but given enough patience and a supportive, safe environment, I’d like to hang in there and try to make a difference in some small way.
“I tell you that the prayer of the Probably-can was like music to God’s ears, while the ramblings of the Phari-sing were like fingernails on a chalkboard—audible but not very edifying. The moral of the story: Though I [sing] with the tongue of men and of angels, but have not love, I am like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
Food for thought...
-tad
Monday, May 10, 2010
Perspectives on Mom from a Rear-View Mirror
Her children stand and bless her. - Proverbs 31:28
Her name betrayed the period of time and culture she came from…Edna Mae. As names go, I never really cared for it while she was alive, but since her passing, it has taken on a sweetness like few others. Born in 1925, she crammed a lot of life into her 53 years. Married at 18, a mother at 19, a grandmother at 46, her life seems to have been characterized by how much she did simply because she had to do it.
Though she loved her southern roots, she left her family and friends and followed my dad to the bustling metropolis of Yale, South Dakota. Its tallest structure was the water tower. One of my earliest memories of my mom’s life was the piles of laundry that stalked her day after day. Since she lived in the day prior to wrinkle-free anything, every shirt, pair of pants, heck—every handkerchief(!) that my dad needed in his profession had to be washed in a washtub, rung out and hung out to dry, then starched and pressed for every day of the week. Add to that the clothing needs of six kids and her own clothes, and you have just written a full-time job description right there.
And where did this stay-at-home mom work? In various matchbox-sized parsonages, some with indoor plumbing, some without. Air circulation was created by the cross breeze of open windows, or perhaps a ceiling fan; air-conditioning was inconceivable, as were dishwashers, garbage disposals, washers and driers, much less first floor laundries, master bathrooms, carpeting, frost-free refrigerators, Walmarts, online banking, or a myriad of other conveniences the modern-day mother has available to her.
She didn’t have a lot of formal education, but was full of wisdom. She was a tomboy as a child, but as a young woman she became the safe and tender incubator for five boys and one girl, all before her 28th birthday. In her seventh month of pregnancy with me, she required an emergency appendectomy. From that moment on, I gave up expecting to be her favorite. But she did know me. In a clan of six, I was still on her radar.
She started every one of her children on a musical instrument. I was the only one she never allowed to quit. She taught me my first song, “Whispering Hope”, when I was five. She observed that though, like my siblings, I hated to practice, I seemed to gravitate to the piano to express my soul. She could hardly keep me off it, and eventually I even came to love practicing.
She was not a perfect woman, but I never heard profanity fall from her lips even once. (In retrospect, I wonder where all of those frustrating thoughts got processed.) Regardless, any slips of the tongue on my part were rewarded with a mouth washing—with soap. That practice did little to cleanse the heart, but it did raise a value and leave an impression.
One thing I have come to believe is that mothers are handpicked for us. In many ways, my mom could have been more nurturing, more emotionally connected. But she sought to round me out, helped me to become more socially involved, pressed me into activities, sports, etc. which not only helped me to break free from the typical artist stereotype, but also brought me a lot of fun and a sense of accomplishment.
I remember her helping me transition from Christian elementary school to public junior high. When I came home from a football game with neighborhood kids at age 12, I was stressing over all the profanity I had heard. I went straight to my room and burst into tears. “I’m not going to school with those sinners,” I said. She would have none of it, and basically told me to wake up and smell the decaf. This is the real world, son, and you better get used to it. No one ever died from hearing curse words, so learn to deal with it. While she would never win any touchy-feely awards, it was, “like a word fitly spoken, an apple of gold.” (Proverbs 25:11) And you know what? She was right. I’m still alive.
As a child, I never went without a meal, attended church with unpolished shoes (or missed church for that matter, unless sick at home with a fever), felt unsafe or uncared for. She taught me much about Jesus, encouraged me to sing in the church choir, showed me pictures in a doctor’s book of where babies come from, after I embarrassed her and her pregnant sister by asking, “Why are you just fat in the stomach?”
After the discovery of colon cancer at age 52 and months of failed chemo treatments, she began preparing to die. In anticipation of her death, she wrote her own funeral service, beginning with “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” and ending with “How Great Thou Art.” Thirty one years later, I still miss her, admire her, and look forward to our reunion.
This Sunday’s anthem is especially meaningful to me in anticipation of that day.
For anybody who has ever lost a loved one,
and you feel like you had to let go too soon;
I know it hurts to say good-bye,
but don’t you know it’s just a matter of time
‘til the tears are gonna end; you’ll see them once again.
And in that moment, every knee shall bow,
every tongue confess that He is Lord
and love has come for us all.
In conclusion, I hope each of us can treasure the gift of our own mother this Sunday. Good or bad, treasure or trial, they are the vessel our Creator God used to start us on the journey of a life with Him. When He chose to reveal Himself to us, He selected the safety and security of a mother’s womb for His very own Son. Accepting His handpicked choice for our mother is the very first step toward learning to trust His judgment. When it comes to mothers, Father knows best.
tad
To Please the Father
If you’re a parent, you’ve probably found yourself saying it. If you
ever had a parent, you probably heard it, and maybe more than
once. Do what you’re told. Maybe you can even recall the phrase,
because your father said so. As those contaminated with a
sinful nature, we generally are tempted to react negatively to such
edicts. As those created with a free will, it is almost instinctive to
resist letting someone else be “the boss of us.” But have you ever
thought about how such words, when spoken of/by a benevolent
authority figure, can actually bring comfort, security, even
expectancy?
The writer to the Hebrews wrote in chapter 12 that Jesus, for the joy
set before him, “endured the cross, despising its shame, and [then]
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” What kept him
focused through all of that torment? How was he able to persevere
in the midst of such grave temptation? We often conclude it was
mainly because of His great love for us. But I would contend that
the gospels also strongly suggest another motivation: He lived to
please His Father.
Consider just the events that transpired from Palm Sunday to his
resurrection. As he made his way through the crowds, even as
he listened to their shouts of ‘Hosanna’, he was aware that these
came from people with all kind of agendas for him. Maybe you can
relate to that part of the journey—the temptation to meet every-
body else’s expectations along the way to following Jesus.
But because He lived to please His Father, it was His Father’s
agenda that held Jesus’ attention. When pressed by unbelieving
Jews as to his true identity, He answered: “I am not of this world...
He who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell
the world. When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will
know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my
own but speak just what the Father has taught me...I always do
what pleases Him.” (John 8: 23-29)
Hundreds of years before that final week, the prophet Isaiah
had already hinted at what was to come. “It was the Lord’s
[Father’s] will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and
though the Lord makes his (Jesus’) life a guilt offering, he
will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the
Lord [Father] will prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10). So, what
might that final memo have looked like?
To: Jesus
From: Your Heavenly Father
Re: Things to accomplish during this week
1) Ride into town on a lowly donkey.
2) Curse a fig tree for not bearing fruit and do it within
earshot of your friends so they get the point.
3) Clear the temple of the money-changers and call the
church – approved merchants a bunch of “robbers.”
4) Continue publicly debating the chief priests, the
teachers of the law, and the church elders, while fully
aware that they are weighing every word, in order to
find some reason to arrest you.
5) Endure the same political posturing with the Phari-
sees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees.
6) Receive a PDA (public display of affection) from a
woman with a “past,” only to have its merits
questioned by none other than Judas Iscariot. His PDA
will follow.
7) Break bread with your best buds and remind them
that the next time you drink wine with them,
EVERYTHING will have changed. Oh, and even
after three years of intense ministry with them, sadly
behold their clueless expressions.
8) Visit the garden of Gethsemane, pray in agony as your
very best buds fall asleep.
9) Get arrested, falsely accused, humiliated, stripped,
beaten, convicted and nailed naked to a tree. (And the
world will call it “Good” Friday.)
But one more thing, Jesus.
10) Because You “humbled yourself and became obedient
to death – even death on a cross”, by week’s end you
will be exalted to the highest place and given “the
name that is above every name, so that at your name,
Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth, and
every tongue will confess that you, Jesus, are Lord of
all, to the glory of God the Father.”
So fellow artists and disciples of Jesus, I ask you: With all the
different voices clamoring for your attention, what keeps you
motivated? Whose agenda keeps you focused and fulfilled?
Might each of us find more and more delight in just doing what
pleases our Father simply because He said so. As followers of
Christ, it is the only path to victory and true joy. After all, He
was just doing what He was told.
-tad
ever had a parent, you probably heard it, and maybe more than
once. Do what you’re told. Maybe you can even recall the phrase,
because your father said so. As those contaminated with a
sinful nature, we generally are tempted to react negatively to such
edicts. As those created with a free will, it is almost instinctive to
resist letting someone else be “the boss of us.” But have you ever
thought about how such words, when spoken of/by a benevolent
authority figure, can actually bring comfort, security, even
expectancy?
The writer to the Hebrews wrote in chapter 12 that Jesus, for the joy
set before him, “endured the cross, despising its shame, and [then]
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” What kept him
focused through all of that torment? How was he able to persevere
in the midst of such grave temptation? We often conclude it was
mainly because of His great love for us. But I would contend that
the gospels also strongly suggest another motivation: He lived to
please His Father.
Consider just the events that transpired from Palm Sunday to his
resurrection. As he made his way through the crowds, even as
he listened to their shouts of ‘Hosanna’, he was aware that these
came from people with all kind of agendas for him. Maybe you can
relate to that part of the journey—the temptation to meet every-
body else’s expectations along the way to following Jesus.
But because He lived to please His Father, it was His Father’s
agenda that held Jesus’ attention. When pressed by unbelieving
Jews as to his true identity, He answered: “I am not of this world...
He who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell
the world. When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will
know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my
own but speak just what the Father has taught me...I always do
what pleases Him.” (John 8: 23-29)
Hundreds of years before that final week, the prophet Isaiah
had already hinted at what was to come. “It was the Lord’s
[Father’s] will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and
though the Lord makes his (Jesus’) life a guilt offering, he
will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the
Lord [Father] will prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10). So, what
might that final memo have looked like?
To: Jesus
From: Your Heavenly Father
Re: Things to accomplish during this week
1) Ride into town on a lowly donkey.
2) Curse a fig tree for not bearing fruit and do it within
earshot of your friends so they get the point.
3) Clear the temple of the money-changers and call the
church – approved merchants a bunch of “robbers.”
4) Continue publicly debating the chief priests, the
teachers of the law, and the church elders, while fully
aware that they are weighing every word, in order to
find some reason to arrest you.
5) Endure the same political posturing with the Phari-
sees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees.
6) Receive a PDA (public display of affection) from a
woman with a “past,” only to have its merits
questioned by none other than Judas Iscariot. His PDA
will follow.
7) Break bread with your best buds and remind them
that the next time you drink wine with them,
EVERYTHING will have changed. Oh, and even
after three years of intense ministry with them, sadly
behold their clueless expressions.
8) Visit the garden of Gethsemane, pray in agony as your
very best buds fall asleep.
9) Get arrested, falsely accused, humiliated, stripped,
beaten, convicted and nailed naked to a tree. (And the
world will call it “Good” Friday.)
But one more thing, Jesus.
10) Because You “humbled yourself and became obedient
to death – even death on a cross”, by week’s end you
will be exalted to the highest place and given “the
name that is above every name, so that at your name,
Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth, and
every tongue will confess that you, Jesus, are Lord of
all, to the glory of God the Father.”
So fellow artists and disciples of Jesus, I ask you: With all the
different voices clamoring for your attention, what keeps you
motivated? Whose agenda keeps you focused and fulfilled?
Might each of us find more and more delight in just doing what
pleases our Father simply because He said so. As followers of
Christ, it is the only path to victory and true joy. After all, He
was just doing what He was told.
-tad
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