A Valentine For Jesus...

So good to have a moment to reflect and allow His hand to hold my pen. I've missed this so much. The last several months have been filled with great silences in writing. With the exception of journaling my prayer times, today's poem is like a fresh breeze filling my sails with new words...

In an ordinary task, on an ordinary day, trying to find a ‘jump-start’ thought or poem for a “Valentine message board for Jesus” (for a little girls’ Valentine party at our church next week), I couldn’t find anything that seemed to fit the occassion. Then, as I sat staring at the computer screen, the Lord began composing in my thoughts. 

 

If you could give Jesus a Valentine,

How would it appear?

Would it include the sound of your laughter,

or perhaps bear the stain of your tear?

 

Would it feature traditional Valentine colors,

of pink and white and red?

Or perhaps you’d use all of the colors

found in a rainbow instead.
 

I wonder if the best Valentine,

the one most precious to Him,

Would be the offering of your humble heart,

filled with His love – to the brim!!

 

I want His heart to be what guides, inspires, compels, instructs, restrains and loves through my heart and pen.

 

I’m so thankful for the Savior’s gift of love and eternal life.

In Desperation, Surrender = Victory!

Earlier this month, I read a prayer appeal written by a Christian working in Asia. (For safety reasons, the author’s credit must be limited to “Leah W.”)  Here is the guest blog piece as posted on Vonda Skelton’s blog page, “Christian Writer’s Den”: 

"June 8, 2012, Today’s post is a request for prayer, coming from a dear friend who is working in Asia. I hope you’ll join me in prayer for all the desperate people crying out to a god who cannot hear.

Desperation   by Leah W.

As I was standing on the subway on my way to the office yesterday I saw a man desperately trying to communicate with his god. With eyes closed and rapid breathing, he desperately chanted under his breath. He moved his fingers in a very distinct pattern as if it was ritually required for his prayers to be heard. He then touched his head and stopped praying for a few seconds, only to start again as if afraid of what the repercussions might be if he did not continue.  He finally stopped and sat with his eyes closed as if exhausted from the mental effort he had just put forth. He then pulled a string of beads out of his bag, presumably to pray some more. At that point I moved to a different spot on the train in order to make way for the people entering/exiting and this man was obstructed from my view.  I was struck by the sadness of such desperation. The sadness of such desperate rituals to a god who is powerless.  As I think back to the image of this man, I am also struck by my own desperation. I too desperately need for my prayers to be heard, need salvation, need to see change in my life. But unlike this man, when I pray in desperation, I know that my prayers are heard and that I have a loving heavenly Father who willingly forgives, willingly works, willingly molds me into the image of His Son. My desperation is for something that is living and active; this man’s desperation is for something that is hopeless and void of all love.  Please ask the Father of all hope to reach out to the millions of desperate souls who daily chant and pray to a god of no hope.  “Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.” Psalm 55:17
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I pray God’s blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts, Vonda." **

Uttering a brief prayer and then moving on seemed an appropriate response, but as I worked down my “to-do-list”, I could not shake the image of people around the globe appealing to gods who do not hear and cannot answer their deepest longings for hope and deliverance. Even though this prayer appeal reflects the desperation of one man on a bus in Asia, I’m compelled to echo Leah’s heart cry that desperate souls everywhere will know the living God and instead of clinging to gods that are “hopeless and void of all love!”

Desperation knows no boundaries. It’s not limited to certain time zones, continents, people groups, or stations in life. It strikes anyone, anywhere and anytime it pleases, and it is the gut-level expression of heart longings for anything from employment, healing or reconciliation, to acceptance, forgiveness, affection, or encouragement. People everywhere are experiencing various levels of desperation every moment of every day. Today, you may be a reader thinking, “So what. We all have stress and we all do the best we can.” If today, this does not apply to you or to anyone you know, that’s great. But if, however, you’re a reader who happens to be swatting at desperation like angry hornets attacking your peace – this column was written for you, and the simple message is this: don’t give up seeking, and if your seeking has been focused on the gods of your own choosing, consider changing your focus to the God who chooses you!  His Son’s name is Jesus, and getting His attention isn’t necessary, because He already sees you, already knows your name, and already has your back!  Vain repetitions aren’t needed, but surrender is.

In desperate times, the next right step is always surrender, and getting through the valley of desperation is easiest if taken one surrendered step at a time – on our knees.  (pub. date: 6/25/12;  **bold font added by the author of Echoing Faith)

Waiting In the Desert

            Tucked inside the Old Testament book of Numbers amidst meticulous details of sacrifice regulations and records of clans is an attention-grabbing account of God’s reaction to the murmurings of Aaron and Miriam against their brother Moses. The comparison of their connection with God as being equal with Moses’ evidenced just how far self-deception can lead us astray.

Here’s my paraphrase of Numbers, chapter 12:

It all started because Aaron and Miriam didn’t like their sister-in-law. While they verbally patted each other on the back and built themselves up, they put Moses down. They had convinced themselves they could lead the Israelites just as well as Moses (and they said as much) but God was listening and He immediately halted them: “Whoa! All three of you meet me at the Tent now!” Without mincing words, God directed His anger at Aaron and Miriam. “Listen up! Unlike the visions and dreams I give to My prophets when I give them instructions, Moses is the only one I speak with in person. He’s the leader I personally hand-picked. In case you missed what I just said – Moses didn’t ask Me for this position. I chose him to do the leading. Do you get My drift? He and I are on a first-name basis. Not only that, he is the most humble man on earth. So how is it that you arrogantly assume you can say such bad things about him, let alone think yourself on the same level with him? You’re not even close. And the most amazing thing to Me is - you actually assumed you could act in such a disgraceful way and that I’d do nothing about it!” Then, in a fiery display, God’s presence left them, and when the smoke cleared there stood Miriam covered in leprosy. At the sight of her, both brothers panicked and began to plead with God for her healing. God’s answer was that she deserved to be shamed with a public “time-out.” Basically He told them, “If her father had spit in her face, she’d be confined outside the camp for seven days. Confinement is exactly what she needs. After that, she can be brought back.” And the community did not move on until she returned to the camp.

Something the Jews had in common with all people in the East (according to the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible commentary) was an intense abhorrence of spitting. For a parent to express his displeasure by spitting on one of his own children (or even on the ground in his / her presence) marked that child in the eyes of society as unclean for seven days. The act of spitting in the face of one’s own child was the ultimate mark of disgrace; like a branding the words “disappointing fool” across the forehead.

God’s instant response in Moses’ behalf demonstrated:  1) He is intimately aware of our true intentions at all times, and 2) He passionately loves and protects His humble children. When you honor God, God “has your back.” God’s response also demonstrates the consequences of sin. Even when there’s regret and brokenness, there are still consequences for wrong choices. Miriam’s “time-out” was her own hard lesson. Yet, it served as a warning to all others that God expects to be taken seriously, and even though Miriam faced her consequences, everyone paid a price for her error by having to wait in the desert.

Desert seasons come to all of us sooner or later. In her book “Deserts of the Heart” Pamela Reeve wrote, “Some deserts are forced upon us; some of our own making. The desert speaks of barrenness, helplessness and aching loneliness. It is a place of changeless deadness. …There are many such deserts in life; places were the very things that gave life meaning and direction have disappeared under shifting, blowing sand.” The desert is where we’re plagued with questions like, “How long will this go on? Where is God in all of this? Why is He so silent? Has He forgotten me? Where is that magnificent sense of significance?” Being in a state of waiting stopped the author in her tracks. She had to “wait on the One (she) couldn’t control, trust Him at a deeper level, and believe He had a reason for this barren season of (her) life.” She summarized it this way, “The desert is the place where we meet God. It is the place of personal transformation… the place of trial and testing; the place where He woos us to Himself. Looking back on my encounters with the Lord in those places, I now value my days in the barren lands. The memory of God’s past goodnesses gave energy to hope in Him, and believe He still held me in His hands.”

Deuteronomy 8:15-16 (NASB) reads, “He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you to do good for you in the end."

God’s ability to teach, heal and restore is not diminished by our deserts. Our choices to trust and honor Him will be rewarded with blessing and much growth. In the meantime, however, we’re wise to strengthen our grip and not let go as we wait in the desert…
(orginally pub. as a two-part column, March 12 & 19, 2012)

Will You Believe?

            “Faith,” according to Souter’s Pocket Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (http://www.textkit.com/learn/ID/155/author_id/73/), is the “leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence.” Just as we trust a chair we sit upon with a relaxed confidence that it will support us, God looks to His children for the same kind of resting and trusting in Him. How can we know He’ll follow through with honoring our trust in Him? Because He does not lie. Never has, never will.

The January 20 devotion titled, “Working For God” by Aletha Hinthorn (http://cometothefire.org/alethas-journal/2012/1/20/how-i-learned-to-work-for-god.html), beautifully captures the essence of our first priority as God’s children. We are to “believe.” When He tells us in His Word that He is trustworthy and that His affection for us is permanent and never-ending, He intends for us to take Him seriously. He expects us to “believe” Him.

Aletha writes: “When I was a young mother I wanted God to use me. I went up to our bedroom one day, and knelt down and said, "God, let me work for You full-time." I didn't know if He would answer that but was just voicing the desire I found in my heart. Sometime later I read what Jesus said about how to work for God. The disciples asked in John 6 what must we do to do the work of God-the very question I had. Jesus replied, "Believe...." That is our work. I also saw that Paul wrote, "God's work – which is by faith" (1 Timothy 1:4). 

God asks us to believe: that this moment He is with us; He is working all things together for our good; He loves us; He is directing us, using us; He continually gives the wisdom we need; He answers our prayers;  He will provide in the future as He has in the past. This was good news. My work for Him would be faith. Thank You, Jesus, for counting our faith as righteousness.  "The righteous shall live by faith" (Galatians 3:11).”

As I read Aletha’s summary of what “God asks us to believe,” the following prayer rose up in my own heart and poured onto the pages of my journal:  “Thank you Father that this and every moment, you are with me working all things together for my good. Thank you for loving me, directing me, using me, and for continually giving me the wisdom I need. Thank you especially for answering my prayers. Thank you for assuring me of your provision for my future by reminding me of your provision in my past. I ask you to strengthen my faith. I wholly agree with the author – my work for you, my most important job as your child, is to believe you. Thank you for teaching me to live by faith.”

As His chosen vessels, we not only have the chance to welcome Him, but the welcome we extend to Him also invites His power to work through us as well. One of the most humbling aspects of His love is the truth that our Creator is eager to fill us with His presence and operate His graces through us to the hurting, broken world around us.

With every challenge ahead for all of us in 2012, there’s great encouragement in remembering that God is not indifferent to our concerns. He’s not distant to our isolated loneliness. He is not deaf to our cries. He’s not blind to our circumstances. His is not mute in speaking His peace, reconciliation, healing, protection, and provision over us. His active involvement is a continuous offering of His love, direction, wisdom, provision and strength to all who welcome Him. All this is available for those who “believe!” (pub. 02/2012)

The Parable of the Birds

The original text for the following story is not available. It was released by Louis Cassels in 1959 through United Press International and over the years since it has been printed with a variety of titles and text in newspapers across the country. Permission to use the following version was granted by Angie Mosteller who published it in her book Christmas - Celebrating the Christian History of American Symbols, Songs and Stories (copyright 2008, p430).
 
        Now, the man to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a scrooge; he was a kind decent, mostly good man. He was generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that stuff about God becoming a man which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn't make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise.
        "I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church this Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite and that he'd much rather just stay at home. And so he stayed, and they went to the midnight service.
        Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier. Then he went back to his fireside chair to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another and another – sort of a thump or a thud. At first he thought someone must have been throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.
        Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it.
        Quickly he put on a coat and galoshes, and then he tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs and sprinkled them on the snow. He made a trail to the brightly lit wide-open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow.
        He tried catching them. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them and waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn. And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me – that I am not trying to hurt them but to help them. But how?
        Any move he made tended to frighten and confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.
        "If only I could be a bird," he thought to himself, "and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe, warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see and hear and understand."
        At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. “Now I understand,” he whispered. “Now I see why You did it.” And he sank to his knees in the snow.  (pub. 12/19/11)

Out of All Nations

Deuteronomy 4:32,37-38, “…has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? …he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you…”

Exodus 19:3-5: “…tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession...”

God gave these words through Moses to a people who had just been through a whirlwind of surreal experiences. On the heels of ten plagues (detailed in Exodus 7--12), the Israelites were finally freed from over 400 years of slavery, and they didn’t leave empty-handed either. Then, when they found themselves at the edge of the desert on the shores of the Red Sea (with Pharaoh and his army closing in intent on forcing them to return to slavery in Egypt) God did a very cool thing. He divided the water from one shore to the other. He cleared a path (not muddy but dry ground!) for His people to safely crossover to the other side. Imagine the wind noise (Exodus 14:21) or the roaring sound of the walls of water standing stacked up on either side of that dry path. Imagine the dropped-jawed, terrified stares of the thousands hurrying (with possessions and livestock) to the other side before the water returned to its place. Then again, once the Israelites were safely on the other side, Exodus 14:27 explains “at daybreak the sea went back to its place,” so maybe they really didn’t see a lot of detail since it was still dark. Before the walls of water collapsed, Pharaoh and his whole pursuing army had, with presumptuous arrogance, raced across the sea floor after the former slaves. With amazing finality, the enemy was drowned – no survivors (14:28).
          In the days following, God’s protection and provision for these desert exiles continued: rancid water was made safe to drink (Ex. 15), a daily food source called Manna was supplied (Ex. 16), water from a rock and victory over the attacking Amalekites was granted (Ex. 17).

In Exodus 19:5, to the people God saved, He declares His love this way: “…out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.”

A long list of words popped up last week when I googled: “words with the suffix ‘nation’.” I wanted to identify some strong, relevant terms regarding the various “-nations” you and I choose to dwell in today. Can you relate to any of the following:  condemnation (tongue dripping with unkind, harsh words and tone), assassination (continuous sabotaging, annihilating relationships), impersonation (identity lost in a fabricated existence), procrastination (no follow through = reputation of being undependable), detonation (self-destructive choices), coronation (self-love forms the smallest of all kingdoms), or vaccination (a sanitized existence inoculated from others’ problems that is also void of relationships or purpose)? I realize my use of this passage is taking huge liberties, and taking things out of context was not my goal here today. Instead, my goal is to make relevant application of the living, active Word of God that is still speaking and transforming lives today.

In 2011 and beyond, God is reaching out to declare His unfailing love. He is still inviting the “whosoever wills” to “exit” their current “-nations” and consider His incomparable offer to treasure and reward all who will place their trust in Him! (pub.11/28/11)

Heaven's Cheers!

            When my mother died, one of the sympathy cards contained the deeply consoling words of Henry Van Dyke’s A Parable of Immortality. The card read: 

      I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until, at last, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky meet. Then someone at my side says, "There she goes!"  Gone where? Gone from my sight . . . that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There she goes!" there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout . . . "Here she comes!" And that is dying."

I still re-read it and am still encouraged at the thought of a cheering crowd shouting “Here she comes!” as my mom crossed the finish line and ran into Jesus’ waiting arms.

            Several times a year before and after away games, our town’s athletes are led to and from the city line by fire engines and sirens, and they’re followed to and from the game by fans’ blaring horns and shouts of support. Also, folks along their route step to the edge of their yards to add their enthusiastic applause and waves of support as the athletes and fans pass by. Win or lose, our athletes know we’re very proud and we celebrate their effort!

            In Philippians 3:13 & 14, Eugene Peterson paraphrased Paul’s words this way, “…I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” Setting, prioritizing, and attaining goals is what we all do. So what is the Christian’s goal? The answer is simply: finishing well, which not only includes reuniting with loved ones and finally seeing heaven’s beauty with our eyes, instead of only through the eyes of our faith, and ultimately seeing Christ. Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) contains this word picture, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith…” / (The Message Bible) “…all these veterans cheering us on…” To me this passage suggests the cheering throng of heaven as being presently near, constantly observing, praying, and cheering. Why? Are they that interested in our progress? Could heaven be surrounding us on all sides, rather than “out there” in the distance somewhere? The Holy Trinity and heaven are too much for this mere woman to comprehend, but this is what I do know: I am to live ready, remain faithful, be available for God to work through me, and keep focused on the goal of my faith – Christ.

            Runners who don’t cross the finish line in first place still celebrate simply because they have finished the race. And their celebration increases because of the folks who are applauding and cheering their arrival. Each day my anticipation of heaven increases, and I look forward to hearing, “Here she comes!” My reward will be finally crossing the finish line and running straight into Jesus’ arms!  (pub. 11/21/11)

Chameleon Lifestyle

So, what’s with the masks? Not the masks worn by the kiddos who are trick-r-treating. I’m referring to the façades worn by adults every day for various reasons (myself included). A whole “chameleon lifestyle” can be tailored to fit anyone willing to invest their energy and sacrifice their sincerity, but is it really worth it? I found some interesting insights at three different web sites Friday while researching this topic, and have paraphrased the following:

Nisandeh Neta from Amsterdam wrote his take on the topic along with some great advice: “…we put on a mask that shows the world a different face and we hide behind it for as long as possible. We try on different masks to see which…affords us the most protection from exposure. Then we add layers and accessories for credibility – another tattoo, diploma, award, car, house, hair dye, toupee, or just simply removing the wedding band in certain situations...". Instead be willing to drop your act and commit yourself to doing whatever it takes to become the real you. …get real, lose the mask. You are good enough!”

            James Carnaghi blogged at Live Life On Purpose his perspective and encouragement on the subject of mask-wearing: “…on the outside we seem like we’ve got it together, but on the inside we are hurt, insecure… masks are meant to do one thing, COVER. But at the end of the day, the mask comes off and the real you, the you in the mirror, always shows. Wearing the insecurity mask, fear mask, victim mask? Any of these are an external solution to an internal hurt. …On the outside strong and full of faith, but behind the mask there’s doubt, hesitation… Fear of commitment, fear of the what-ifs...keeps people from trying new things and stuck inside their comfort zone. …It is time to unveil the real you. There is a great person behind the mask covering who you are. It is time to (remove it) and love life – live life!”

            These words were found in the March 2010 post at The Stepping Stones weblog: “…we become proud of (our mask). We struggle, not to correct our problems, but to maintain this illusion. We feel good when other people think highly of us. We are happiest when others believe that the mask we hide behind is really us, so we do everything in our power to maintain that illusion. (Instead), grow closer to Jesus. Realize that He doesn’t stop at the mask, but sees us as we really are” and loves us entirely. This is freedom!

            I found Dr. Richard Swenson’s “recipe” for human cloning for perfection, in his book More Than Meets the Eye, a helpful illustration with regard to longing to be like someone else: “1) choose an egg cell, 2) remove all the chromosomes from the nucleus, 3) set egg aside and save for later use, 4) discard the chromosomes, 5) next select an adult cell from Nobel physicist, 6) remove the chromosomes and carefully transfer “Nobelist chromosomes” to the egg cell, 7) bake at 99 degrees for nine months or until brilliant.” (p 76)  Isn’t this basically what happens when we decide we’d rather be someone other than who we were created to be? We “extract” ourselves from the heart of who we are, and replace it with someone we envision ourselves becoming in order to pass the muster with all who watch us do life. Dr. Swenson added his two word description of humanity in that God designed us to be “His image-bearers.” (p 91; see Gen. 1:26-27) God does not, has not and will never make junk. Not only that, no matter how inferior we feel at times to the point of hiding behind some kind of new persona, His Word promises He will never leave or abandon us no matter how unlovable or inept or unacceptable we feel. His love is constant, pursuant, vigilant, passionate, unconditional, dependable and true!

Halloween, or any day of the year for that matter, is a perfect time to remove the mask and just love the person staring back from the mirror! (pub 10-31-11)

An Autumn Blessing

            One of the nicest things about the home we purchased last Spring is the burst of color on our property with each fall. Our maple trees are beautiful throughout the year, but their beauty is magnificent in October. The riotous colors that spread across the branches are spectacular when the sunlight kisses them! According to Wikipedia, this is the explanation for leaves' change of color in the autumn:  “In late summer, as daylight hours shorten and temperatures cool, the veins that carry fluids into and out of the leaf are gradually closed off as a layer of special cork cells forms at the base of each leaf. As this cork layer develops, water and mineral intake into the leaf is reduced, slowly at first, and then more rapidly. It is during this time that the chlorophyll begins to decrease. As chlorophylls degrade, the hidden pigments of yellow xanthophylls and orange beta-carotene are revealed. These pigments are present throughout the year, but the red pigments, the anthocyanins, are synthesized once half of the chlorophyll has been degraded.”

Regardless, I find the fall color display awe-inspiring. Last October when the leaves began to turn, we were in the midst of gray windy weather. Then one morning as I was opening the drapes, a bright golden glow seeping in all around the edges of the window hastened my movements. As soon as the drapes were opened, the beauty in our front yard rushed in to the room where I stood drinking in the brilliance of that breath-taking warm glow. The sunrise has always flooded our house with light from the east windows, but on that morning the sun reflected off the golden red leaves and flooded our house with the sunrise from the west windows as well. The exquisite maple tree adjacent to our living room window was like an enormous mirror reflecting the sunrise. Simultaneously, both sides of our home welcomed a brilliant October sunrise!

This autumn, I find nature’s encore performance generating a renewed appreciation within me for God’s marvelous creativity. This season amps up my anticipation of the approach of the season of lights, and my thoughts turn toward a verse in the Bible that mentions light in relation to God’s face.  Psalm 4:6, “…let the light of Your face shine upon us, O Lord.” It has been said that a smile can “light up” someone’s face. To me this verse says, “I long for a smile to shine from Your face, Heavenly Father, whenever you look at my life. Help me to live the kind of life that makes You smile!”

There’s another, more familiar, passage that mentions His face, and I’d like to offer it now as an autumn blessing to all the readers: Numbers 6:24-26, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”

The October 20 morning reading in Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening includes these statements (my paraphrase): “We should long for spiritual growth and ripening, but to ripen in grace, we must live near Jesus. It is there we are ripened by the sunshine of His smiles. We need to cultivate a new habit of envisioning His face as being very near rather than distant. Similar to the glow that gilds everything touched by a sunrise is the glow of God’s radiance on all whom the Sun/Son of Righteousness shines.”

Each of us will have many opportunities this week to be a “mirror” for God’s light and love. Will you? (pub 10/24/11)

Appreciating Clergy All Year

I couldn’t help smiling at the following which appeared in a Sunday worship folder recently:  “Hugging (verb) = to hug physically; or “to hug the shore, to hug an opinion, to hug the road. October is the month of motivation when it comes to forming the habit of regularly demonstrating respect and esteem for our pastors and their families. Clergy Appreciation Month is the jump start month for the habit of “hugging the hearts” of the dear people who shepherd our hearts under God’s leadership!  So… have you “hugged” your pastor’s heart this week?”

According to the explanation found at http://www.parsonage.org/cam/,

“Clergy Appreciation Month is a special time that congregations set aside each year to honor their pastors and pastoral families for the hard work, sacrificial dedication and multiple blessings provided them. It is also important to remember that appreciation, affirmation and prayer support of our spiritual leaders is appropriate throughout the entire year. The nature of the service provided by pastors and their families is unique. God has entrusted to them one of the most precious of assignments — the spiritual well-being of His flock. Pastors and their families live under incredible pressures (comparable to living in a fishbowl) with the entire congregation and community watching their every move. They are expected to have ideal families, to be perfect people, to always be available, to never be down and to have all the answers we need to keep our own lives stable and moving forward (no pressure!). While those are unrealistic expectations to place on anyone, many people are disappointed when a pastor becomes overwhelmed, seems depressed, lets us down or completely burns out.  God has instructed us to recognize His servants. 1 Timothy 5:17, "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching".  Make a difference!  Clergy Appreciation Month is a great opportunity to counter the negative erosion in the lives of our spiritual leaders with the positive affirmation they need.”

On that note, if you are wondering what unique ways you might be able to bless the pastor(s) of your church, here are some gift ideas found on a bulletin board at one local church (if you want to share more ideas of your own, add your comment below this post): 

“Fresh Flowers, Fruit Basket, Specialty Popcorn, Homemade cookies, Deliver a pre-arranged meal or dessert, pre-arrange to have pizza and soft drinks delivered to their home (be sure to prepay the bill and the tip!), Ladies’ appreciation tea for pastors’ wives, Men’s appreciation dinner for pastors, Card or email shower, Dedicate a song on local radio station in honor of your pastors – be sure to give pastors some notice so they will have time to tune in, Balloon Bouquet, Invite pastors and their families to your home for dinner, Give a gift certificate for a vehicle oil change, Give a great worship cd, Make a homemade pizza (or cookie dough pizza) with the letters for “thank-you” spelled out in pepperoni (or fruit), Give “gift certificates” for raking leaves or other household help, Give a love offering in pastors’ honor, Allow children to write chalk messages on the church sidewalks honoring the pastors, PRAY FOR THEM DAILY.”

Whatever you decide to do, a little “appreciation” of your pastor and his / her family all through the year will add much encouragement!  So… have you “hugged” your pastor’s heart this week?  (pub 10/17/11)