Sometimes Life is Tough

 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord...  The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah. Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me:  Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’            “Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’           “I knew that this was the word of the Lord;  so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales.  I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard. “In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.  For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’   --Jeremiah 32:1-2, 6-15

Ever get tired of constant obstacles?  We wait in line at the DMV, are put on hold 20 minutes by customer service, and then sit three times through a red light. We have a tough time remaining relaxed until our turn finally comes around. It would be bad enough on its own, but the extra time reminds us of the 2 dozen other things that really could have been done earlier, or of the major crisis at home that we still haven’t figured out.
Well, there’s nothing that can be done about DMVs or customer service lines but wouldn’t it be nice to rid ourselves of at least one nuisance by the touch of a button? Imagine. You’re in the middle of an awful day and running late for an appointment. The light in front of you turns from yellow to red. Instead of having to sit around praying for the light to hurry and change, you simply punch a little button and give yourself permission to go. 
           Unfortunately, such traffic light switchers are a bad idea. Interfering with traffic in an intersection is illegal in most states, and the random switching of signals is bound to create significant safety problems. Oh, well...
Israelites found themselves in the place where things were definitely not going their way. The army of the king of Babylon has surrounded the city of Jerusalem, and the people within the walls are desperate for relief. Some want God to remove the Babylonian army, some want to take up arms and fight, while still others want to find a way to escape. The army of Babylon is a huge, glaring red light — and it doesn’t look like it is ever going to change.
Finally, the word of the Lord comes to the prophet Jeremiah, but it doesn’t tell him how to build a traffic light switcher. Instead, God orders Jeremiah to buy a field in Anathoth, the town of his birth, outside the city of Jerusalem. The Lord promises Jeremiah that the light is going to change, but not for a long, long time. God wants the prophet to wait patiently for the green light, wait through the conquest of Jerusalem and the devastation of Anathoth, wait until that time when the exile in Babylon is over and people will be able to return and repopulate the land. “For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ,” reports Jeremiah: “Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’” (32:15).
How bizarre: to buy a piece of land in a town that is about to be destroyed by an invading army. About like buying oceanfront property as a hurricane is ready to hit.The traffic light may be red, but God tells Jeremiah that he doesn't have to feel stuck — he can use that time of captivity to take an action that shows his complete faith in God. 
So Jeremiah buys the field at Anathoth, and carefully weighs out the money — 17 shekels of silver. He signs the deed, seals it, gets the proper witnesses, and then orders that the papers be put in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long, long time (vv. 9-14). Jeremiah is prepared to wait as long as it takes. He trusts that God is going to create a better future for the people of Israel, but it’s not going to happen as quickly as the people would like.
I know that people would love to hear me talk about a formula of prayer or a few verses of scripture that would erase and immediately change our lives when we find ourselves trapped and hurting.  I have some good news and bad news: The bad news? there is no such thing as a traffic light switcher in life. Sometimes we just have to live in and through the difficult times
How some farmers in Alabama felt. They were accustomed to planting one crop every year – cotton. They would plow as much ground as they could and plant their crop.  Year after year they lived by cotton.  Then one year, the dreaded boll weevil devastated whole area. The next year, farmers mortgaged homes, planted cotton, and hoped for a good harvest, but the boll weevil destroyed the whole crop as it began to grow. Only a few farms survived.
People of Israel had come to realize what we know all to well, in life, there is no magic button we can push that makes all the trouble and pain to go away. Jeremiah has shown them that they will have to endure this for the long haul.  
That's the bad news; where is the good news? We may not have a traffic light clicker for life, but we do have a God who gives us the strength, the patience, and the grace to out wait any obstacle.
         And what about those farmers? The few who survived decided to experiment the third year by planting something they’d never planted before—peanuts. Those peanuts were so hearty and the markets so strong that the third year profits paid off the debts of the previous two.  The farmers planted peanuts from then on and prospered greatly.
Because God is alive and God is with us, we always have hope, even in the face of the worst life brings.  And I don’t just mean this as a bunch of feel good platitudes. What is the worst that we can face and fear when God is with us?  Death?  God has conquered death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…If we die, we are with Christ forever.  What is the worst that we have to fear and face? the pain and discomfort that is caused to us by ourselves and others, most often emotional, that leaves us hurt and wounded.  It is in those times that the Apostle Paul speaks to us when he says, “we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
God is always working to turn evil into good, and death into new life. Over the course of our lives, we will certainly experience pain and suffering, but punishment and defeat are never the last words in our story. “I will rejoice in doing good to them,” God promises, as he looks to the future, “and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul” (v. 41).
         The parable is told of an old dog that fell into a farmer's well. After assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the dog but decided that neither the dog nor the well were worth the trouble of saving. Instead he planned to bury the old dog in the well and put him out of his misery.
         When the farmer began shoveling, initially the old dog was hysterical. But as the farmer continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back he should shake it off and step up. but he did not know if he could…
        This he did blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up, shake it off and step up, shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself.
         No matter how painful the blows or how distressing the situation seemed, the old dog fought panic and just kept shaking it off and stepping up! It was not long before the dog, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well. What seemed as though it would bury him actually benefited him—all because of the way he handled his adversity.
It is natural for us to want to control our destinies, which is why a high-tech traffic light switcher is bound to be so attractive to us. But as people of faith, we are challenged to allow God to shape our futures with us, and this requires waiting for God’s guidance with open hearts and receptive minds. “To wait open-endedly is an enormously radical attitude toward life,” said the Christian writer Henri J. M. Nouwen. “The spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, trusting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination, fantasy or prediction. That, indeed, is a very radical stance toward life in a world preoccupied with control.”
The challenge before us is to find a way to live within life’s difficult moments. This means letting go of our craving for control. Instead, we can trust in what God is doing, move ahead with faith and persistence, and gain a clearer picture of the future that is being prepared for us.
      This road is not easy, but the Companion can carry us forever.

Grace and Peace,

Believing When Things Are Not Seen

Here is the sermon I shared on Sunday, May 6th with my congregations.  May it help you as you discern God's voice in your own life...

Hebrews 11:1-8 (Common English Bible, 2011):  ¹ Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. ² The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith.³ By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible.⁴ By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, which showed that he was righteous, since God gave approval to him for his gift. Though he died, he’s still speaking through faith.⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he didn’t see death, and he wasn’t found because God took him up. ^g He was given approval for having pleased God before he was taken up. ⁶ It’s impossible to please God without faith because the one who draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards people who try to find him.⁷ By faith Noah responded with godly fear when he was warned about events he hadn’t seen yet. He built an ark to deliver his household. With his faith, he criticized the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes from faith.⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going.

            Some sermons are easy to preach.  Others are more difficult, especially when they touch our lives in specific and challenging ways.  This is where I find myself today as we talk about faith here in Hebrews 11:1-8.  Faith is difficult by definition – it is trusting in something that doesn’t have substance, in something that we can’t get our hands around.  Faith is when we claim a future hope and promise is real, even when it has not been realized.

            We show faith by acting when we hear God speak and following even though we are not sure where God might lead. Abel had faith by listening and following God’s desire for sacrifice.  Enoch was faithful because he drew near to God and followed where God led.  Noah showed his faith by telling the world of the warning God revealed to him and by building an ark (which was seen as ridiculous by his friends and acquaintances). Abraham’s faith was obvious as he obeyed by going where he was called – without a clue as to where God might lead. The story goes on through the years…by faith Sarah…by faith Moses…by faith Rahab.

            Again, faith, by definition, is difficult.  We must trust that God loves us, that God wants what is best for us, and that God will be our strength as we follow.  I say all of this because we have been drawn to a time which requires faith. 

            Some of you may have guessed, and others will not be surprised to hear what I will say next: After eight years of a blessed ministry with Antioch and Dacusville churches, I have been appointed to another church beginning June 27.  I am sharing this today with permission from the District Superintendent because word is beginning to spread in the community.  We will make a full announcement about who has been appointed to the North Easley charge next week. (Please do not quiz the PPRC as they have not met the new pastor yet.  The introductory visit is scheduled AFTER next Sunday).

            As difficult as this news is for me to share, I have come to understand over the past several months that this is God’s leading and God’s desire.  Ashley and I have known that our time with you is limited.  Pastors are only appointed for 1 year at a time, and are able to be moved any given year in the UMC.  Eight years is a long time for a pastor to stay in one place.  Not only that, but this year is a year with many moves throughout the conference.  My understanding is that there are over 3 dozen moves just in the Anderson and Greenville districts alone!  Because of our length of time here and the need for experienced pastors to serve churches where pastors are moving or retiring, it was highly unlikely that we would remain for a 9th year, but we still didn’t want to leave.

            January 1 God began speaking to me most clearly about our possible move.  After staying up to ring in the New Year, I went to bed unusually late on Saturday night – after 12:30am.  Even though I was exhausted, I awoke before 5am with an overwhelming sense of God’s Presence in the room with me and with a specific message on my heart.  That morning I was preaching on the Wise Men listening to the angel’s warning to travel “By a Different Road.”  I knew that this sermon was for me, and I knew that it was about where I serve as a pastor. I was to allow Christ to be in control, even if I didn’t know where God might lead – even if the road would be difficult.

            I was overwhelmed, unsure, and confused.  I prayed for some confirmation that this was, in fact, God speaking and guiding.  I turned on my phone and read the daily scripture reading for that morning; it was Matthew 7:13-14 CEB 

“Go in through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction is broad and the road wide, so many people enter through it. But the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it.”   

        Again, I felt this was pointing me to follow God in faith even through I did not know where this road would lead, even though it would be difficult.

            I have always told people that whenever I seek to confirm that God is speaking to me, I make sure of two things: first, it fits within the Biblical understanding of God’s will, and second, it is revealed to me three times from different sources. (I believe that God speaks multiple times; we just need to listen.)  Within a couple days of this experience, I received an email from another pastor sent through the district office.  I want to share some brief excerpts from this letter:

            ..Several nights ago I was abruptly awoken by the Lord around 3 a.m.  I am sure many of you have had a similar experience (where the Lord chooses such an “opportune” time to speak with you).  As soon as my eyes opened my immediate thought was, “Encourage your fellow United Methodist brother and sister pastors.”  It was such a strong emotion and inclination that I could not fall back asleep …Always view what the Lord is telling you through the lens of scripture, tradition, reason, and experience – but listen and trust!  …Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

…Perhaps many of you need this note of encouragement.  Perhaps one of you needs it…  Lead with strength and integrity.  Psalm 56:11 is the verse that has resounded in my mind over and over again, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?”  If God is leading you, obey….Let’s move forward, giving it everything we have, and trusting God all the way.

           

            With all of this on my heart, I met with Dr. Johnson, our District Superintendent, telling him what I just shared with you.  I confessed that the only thing holding me back how much I loved the people in the churches and knowing that I would upset and hurt some of them if I left.  Two hours later, I met with someone who shared with me how God has richly blessed him.  He also told the story of a time when he knew that God was calling him to respond by going to the altar following the sermon.  The reason he didn’t was that he loved his wife and knew that she would be upset and hurt her if he did.  He told me that he regretted not following God’s leading and told me that if he knew that God was leading him to do something, this time he would follow regardless of how he thought anyone else might react.

            Still seeking confirmation of God’s will, Ashley and I fasted praying for God to lead me away from this decision if it was not God’s will.  During this time of discernment, I shared my journey with a trusted colleague.  She said that it was clear what God was saying to me – that “it isn’t a matter of interpretation, now it’s a matter of obedience.”

            I knew that it was very likely that we were going to move this year.  Since January 1st, God has told me in a number of ways that I needed to trust and follow in faith.  As a pastor, if I teach that we should listen and follow wherever God leads, do I have integrity if I refuse to listen and follow? For these reasons, I indicated on the advisory form in January that I was available for appointment to this or any charge, but that I felt God was leading me to move.

            Yes, this has been difficult and painful.  The road is still long, and the future is filled with many things that we do not see. But we are people of faith and people of hope.   By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God. By faith we can trust that that same God will lead us into a bright and promising future that we can’t even imagine.

             Faith, by definition, is difficult.  We show faith by acting when we hear God speak and following even though we are not sure where God might lead. I pray that we trust that God loves us, that God wants what is best for us, and that God will be our strength as we believe, even when things are not seen.

A Tale of Two Gardens

I found these stories about two very different gardens to be enlightening:



Story One

This year's garden has to be the best one we've ever had. Everything is growing like weeds (except the weeds are actually under control). The radishes came in much faster than we expected, and now the harvesting has begun. Cukes, squash, and basil are already coming in (with a few hopeful basil plants from seed that look forward to a new spot in the garden). The tomatoes are loaded! The green beans are full of blooms, and the okra is just where it needs to be. We have not had to water at all because the rain comes just in time.
Even better is the fact that we have been able to share the garden with others. Just yesterday, we had fresh herbs and veggies for supper with friends and were able to make a couple loaves of zucchini bread -- YUM! Friends have also made the garden easier to manage this year as we have had help from people hailing as far away as India, China ... even KENTUCKY! Even if we get nothing else from our garden, we have already been truly blessed.

Story Two

Wouldn't you know it, our garden is just a mess this year. Grass is EVERYWHERE! I wish I had weeds because they are easier to pull up than this infernal Bermuda Grass. I think that's part of the problem we've had so far this year. Of course, the radishes came up -- so hot that no one has been able to eat even part of one without gasping for breath. But along with the radishes came the grass and the bugs -- THE BUGS!!! I have already found squash bug eggs on the zucchini, and my wife and I have both found Mexican Bean Beetles on our green beans (they ate all the green beans before we could stop them last year). We might be able to keep the grass under control except for the rain. Every time we have the opportunity to work in the garden, it rains just hours before.
What's worse is that our kids show little interest at all in the garden this year. We use weeding (actually pulling grass) as a threat for punishment. Doesn't matter though, I seem to be a little "gardening impaired" this year, anyway. I have broken okra off at the ground, chopped down bean bushes, driven stakes through soaker hoses....I did not plant the peppers in a place for them to thrive like I wanted, and the few basil seeds we sowed that actually came up are going to die in the shade of the tomato plants. I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I had forgotten this crazy idea of a garden!

Here's the part I like: both gardens are the same garden! That's right. Both stories easily describe the little slice of Eden/Hades that I have intentionally planted beside the house. Each story is true, depending on the way I choose to look at the world and my place in it. Honestly, there are days when 'story two' tries to creep into my mind. The discouragement, the pessimism, and the cynicism are always ready to leap into service even before I call their names. But the Apostle Paul, I believe, would like 'story one' the best. In Philippians 4:8 he wrote,

"Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse." [The Message Translation]

Yes, things can be difficult, but God is with us and works for good in our lives (Romans 8:28). There is always more to celebrate than to commiserate. There is more given in grace than given for grumbling. There is always more life in Christ than loss in the world. So, I choose, today, to walk in the first garden -- the vision of things the way that God intends them. I will see the goodness, the grace, the extension of friendship and fellowship, and thank my God who provides them all (James 1:17).

Grace and Peace,

Let's Hear it for God!

As I was working on my sermon for Sunday, I discovered a story that I just do not have time to include, and yet it is quite profound...

My wife and I recently went on vacation and took along a camera and several rolls of film. Upon our return, my wife began proudly showing off our latest set of vacation photos; she’d then tell me her coworkers’ reactions. After a few days of this, I noticed a recurring theme. Invariably, people would say, “Wow, your husband must have a really nice camera!”

Even though people liked my photos, I was disappointed. I wanted them to acknowledge what a good photographer I am, not what a good camera I have.

I ranted to my wife: “Why do people do this? Nobody looks at a painting and says, ‘Nice brushes!’ Nobody looks at a skyscraper and says, ‘Nice drafting table!’ Nobody looks at a sculpture and says, ‘Nice chisel!’ What’s wrong with these people?”

It felt good to get that off my chest. Until my wife reminded me, “So, how often do you look at creation and say, ‘Nice work, God’?”

— Larson, Crag and Elshof, Phyllis (eds.).1001 Illustrations that Connect. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.p 122.

The world that surrounds us is amazing, far beyond anything that people have been able to adequately describe through the years. Let us take time to celebrate the One who has given us life in this most wonderful world. Let us praise the Creator for this marvelous work!

Let's hear it for God!