New Year's resolution time- A Variation on a Parable

In Matt 25, Jesus relates the parable of the land owner who went away and left his 3 servants with 5-, 2-, and 1- talents. Upon returning, he commended identically the 5-, and 2- talent guys for using their assets to advantage, and condemns the 1-talent guy for burying his out of fear and producing nothing.

Hmm, how much worse would it have been if the 5-talent guy had produced nothing? Well, we don’t know, because Jesus didn’t use that possibility in His parable. But that aside, let’s apply this story today.  How do YOU used the gifts you have been given?

I work with University faculty, around the world. It strikes me that many of these are 5-talent folks. They are intelligent, well-educated, well-placed, influential, and respected, in general. But many, many folks are cowed by fear and produce NOTHING of lasting value. Sure, they publish papers, get grants, and mentor students… but do nothing to have an eternal spiritual impact.

But I doubt many/any readers are profs. So, what about you? Are you using the gifts G^d has given you? Are you using them to invest in eternal things?

The Master’s response to those who invest their talents is, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Matt 25:21

What will He say to you?

The Most Important Question Ever

  

In the gospel of Matthew we encounter the key question of all time, asked by none other than the Roman Governor Pilate.  Pilate asks, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” Matt 27:22.

            The context of course is just prior to the crucifixion when Pilate is hoping the Jews would release Jesus since there was a “Get out of jail free card” for that particular holiday. Instead of selecting Jesus to release, the crowd cries out, “Barabbas”. Pilate in his disappointment then asks that crucial question, “What shall I do with Jesus…?”

            And, as we all know, Jesus was then crucified for OUR sins, which only He could do since he was sin-free himself.

            But Pilate’s question is a CRUCIAL one for us. What will I do with Jesus?  What will you do?

            “What do you mean by ‘…do with Jesus?’”

            Well we have several options as to what we will do with Jesus. We can ignore him, which is a common response among many of my friends. They believe Jesus is simply irrelevant. Another option, and more common in the SE USA, is to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and Messiah, and then ignore Him and what He taught. In some ways this response to the question may be WORSE than the first one. This second response is worse because it renders Christianity as a conceptual-only belief that does NOT impact one’s life. The third option is the ideal response. “What shall I do with Jesus?” I will follow Him in obedience. I will study His word, and when I see one of His commands, I will endeavor to obey it. Following the Christ will dominate my life. Every decision, every action will originate in our relationship with Jesus the Christ.

            So, how will you answer the most IMPORTANT question in history?

Life Review: A Memorable Christmas

Our first Christmas together as a family, 1972, was spent apart from each other.  And, I do mean, really, really apart. In September of that year I had left Charleston aboard the USS Sellers, DDG-11 for deployment with Commander Mid-East Forces in beautiful Bahrain.

Now, that was a rough way to start Christmas family traditions. Fortunately, that Christmas, and one in about 1976, were our only two apart, even with 8 years in the USN after the Academy. And, that is a very good thing. Being far, far away from family is tough any time, but especially during special holidays.

I remember going outside on Christmas eve and looking at the clear sky and stars. It had occurred to me that I was CLOSER to Bethlehem than ever in my life. That was a small consolation, but sure didn't relieve my loneliness. In that circumstance, our ONLY means of communication was hand-written letters, mailed through the US postal system. It took about 2 weeks to get these back and forth.

I love Christmas, and I love being with family. I recall those two Christmases separated from family and my heart goes out to our DoD and others who are separated from their families by duty and circumstance.

Don't take your time with loved ones for granted... not everyone is so blessed.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Christmas Wellness

One of my friends asked me to write an essay on Wellness at Christmas.  Hmm, never thought about that one before, but here goes...

When I think of Wellness these days, I think in terms of the Relational, Emotional/mental, Physical, and Spiritual (REPS) wellness.  Clearly the true MEANING of Christmas is founded on the SPIRITUAL aspect of health. In my view, if we miss THAT aspect, the rest are nothing.  Really, think about it. "What does it profit a person to have a tremendous Christmas holiday and lose her own soul? Or what will a person give for a soul?" to paraphrase Matt 16:26.

So, assuming we have a clear, heart-centered Spiritual view of Christmas, and we DON'T lose it, we can look at the other aspects. So, let's start with Relational wellness. So how's your relationships with family? Often these folks are the toughest to love, in part because we have little options here. Do NOT let bitterness or grudges from the past ruin your relationships or your Christmas. Ask G^d to help you forgive and take action to LOVE the offender!

Emotional/mental wellness means that we are careful of our attitudes and activities. Being aware of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression (S.A.D.ness) in ourselves is key to being healthy.  Stress is part of life, but HOW we deal with stress is crucial. Anxiety is ubiquitous, but G^d's word has a LOT to say about this.  Take a look at the Bible. And, be on guard for depression.  Depression, for many, can be common during these holidays. Regrets, losses, things missing from the past, all can lead us into depression.  Beware and seek help if needed. Keeping EXERCISE in our lives can be an effective means for combating stress and burning off some of those extra calories ingested.

Physical health can take a beating during most US holidays. Our tendency at Christmas is to over-eat those delicious treats. It has been suggested that US folk gain about 2 pounds each major holiday, leading to a gain of 6 pounds a year if unchecked.  So, in 10 years, we have gained 60 pounds!  Wow! So, do NOT deny yourself treats, just be judicious, and think about how many more miles you will have to walk to make up for that fruitcake!

So, set your mind to make Christmas a GREAT celebration of the Christ, and, at the same time, use this time to HELP your REPS, not hurt these aspects of wellness! 

Enjoy the Holidays, healthily!

Telling a Strange Story

Did you ever consider what a strange story we have in Christianity?  I have written about this before, but it bears repeating.

Humans are in trouble. In creating us in Their image, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit gave mankind the responsibility of making choices. By early in the 3^rd chapter of Genesis, mankind had chosen “poorly” separating a sinful man from a RIGHTEOUS G^d.

So we now have a serious CONUNDRUM. We have a HOLY, HOLY, HOLY G^d and a sinful, sinful, sinful mankind. Sinfulness cannot abide in the presence of Holiness, so we have a separation problem. It is a difficult problem to resolve, and difficult problems require clever solutions.

So, the solution was this. G^d became man and did so without a human father. His virgin birth, an obstacle for those unwilling to believe that the G^d who spoke the cosmos into existence can easily overcome simple human reproductive biology.

The virgin-born man, the Christ (Messiah), lived a sinless life, verifying his deity in many ways on many occasions. This G^d-man then gave His life, His Blood as a sacrifice to resolve the problem. Our only part in this resolution is accepting Christ’s sacrifice for our sin.

Hmm, a strange story indeed! How is it that we don’t have to work, we can’t ever do enough good to cancel our sin, but G^d, through his mercy and grace did for us what we could NOT do!

A strange story indeed!  But even strange stories can be true, as is this one. It is true, and obviously NOT a human creation, as we aren’t capable of coming up with such strange stories.

What will you do with the Christ?

Family for Thanksgiving

Unlike many of the stories, we just had 3 of our five kids, their spouses, and their kids here in Allums for Thanksgiving.  And, NO DRAMA!. Everybody got along, we enjoyed the food and the fellowship, and a good time was had by all.

The ONLY negative was that one of the cousins pushed another cousin off the dock. Fortunately the one pushed landed on on land, not water!  Thanks be to G^d!

The 22-pound turkey was put on the smoker at about 01 AM. At a bit after 5, I added charcoal, and water and took off the top rack of small turkey pieces and venison, and added the remaining venison and turkey pieces. Speaking of pieces, for the FIRST time ever, I took the wings and legs OFF the turkey and removed a good bit of skin and fat.  I am guessing I took maybe 4 pounds of skin and fat and neck off that carcass. The result was a well cooked bird that was the MOST tender I have cooked- at least in my recollection.

This PM we went over to our new home and showed the kids around. We moved the office desk over, and then moved the old sofa and love-seat into the downstairs den from where they had been stored temporarily in the garage. We took 3 short canoe rides with the kids on the calm lake and I got to meet one of the neighbors.

Here are a few photos of the day.

We are thankful for a GREAT Thanksgiving!  Thanks be to G^d!

Teaching NO students?

I heard an excellent lecture recently, which I thoroughly did NOT enjoy. The material was excellent, and the speaker had good communication skills, but something was missing. I am still not totally sure as to what it was, but it seemed like the lesson would have been delivered whether or NOT anyone was present.

It struck me that the lesson was “FLAT”. I am not sure exactly what that means, but there didn’t seem to be enough “energy”. Again, the material was good, there was just something missing it the delivery.

When Jesus taught, he taught people. What alternative is there? Well I think I saw it. My friend taught the lesson, but not people. Jesus engaged his listeners. He used emotion and vivid images in his teaching. My friend didn’t, though he had some good stuff.

Jesus, G^d on earth, didn’t seem overly concerned with CONTROL. I find many today, to be consumed by control. We can’t engage our students because they MIGHT go OFF script and we certainly can’t have that. Jesus taught with confidence, and we so often do NOT.

This raises some questions about teaching. What matters? What changes? What can we control, and what should we control? How do we teach to maximize impact? How do we teach more like Jesus?

Hmm, I wish I knew the answers.

How’s YOUR mission going?

Brenda and I are now full-time missionaries. It’s a good job. BUT, we have always been missionaries- as are you! What? Yes, YOU are a missionary—a good one or a bad one, but missionary—like everyone else.

“Wait, how am I a missionary?”, you ask.

You are a missionary because you are testifying to those around yu about what you really believe, and what is really important to you. The old saying” Actions speak louder than words.” Yes, yes they do.

Let’s take Christianity as an example. If you act as if wealth is tops, that status is key, that you’re looking out chiefly for yourself—you’re a missionary for those things, but NOT for Christianity. And we ALL are missionaries, whether we realize it or not.

Some of us have MORE influence and Impact than others, but we all influence/impact some. So, like that old saying, “I’m a fool for Jesus, whose fool are you?” We can vary that a bit, “I’m a missionary for Jesus, whose missionary are you?”

So How Much Time and Money will I spend Decorating my Hotel Room?

We are often the hardest one to convince. I know intellectually that I don't have many more years on earth.  At my advanced age, I don't even buy green bananas.

I wear a old gray bracelet that used to say "Guest". I found it on the beach several years ago, and quickly donned it to remind me that this earth is NOT my home. The word, "Guest" has long been worn away, but I know what it said.  I needed, and still need, reminding.

We are under ENORMOUS pressure to invest heavily, heavily in THIS earthly life--which is too soon passed. Yet most of us just keep on decorating this temporary home. I have mentioned before in this blog the value of Matt 6:19-21, the heart of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. "Lay NOT up treasures on earth...but lay up treasures in HEAVEN... where a man's treasure is, there will be his heart also. You don't really need to know Greek to know what Jesus was saying.

And, as I have shared, most of us lack faith regarding heaven. We KNOW when we've laid up treasure on earth, but that heavenly treasure, we are none too sure about that.

So, how's the decorating going for you?