A Faith That Creates Laughter

Browsing the shelves at a second hand bookstore, I ran across a book in a happy yellow dust jacket.  The color and the snappy title caught my interest.  I would recommend it for anyone who wants to explore life, faith and the balancing of the two with a fresh tone. "Does This Church Make Me Look Fat?" by Rhoda Janzen is an honest, witty, and thought provoking look at what it means to be human and a person of faith.

As a woman raised in the Mennonite church she explores and contrasts church in  various traditions: Episcopal to Pentecostal.  The lens of her conservative background, her liberal arts education (she is a PhD who teaches literature), and her natural inclination to see things through a glass twisted enough to be a fun house mirror all unite to create a fun and meaningful read.  It is a spiritual book but it is not a religious book.  There is too much honesty in it for the later and too much willingness to accept that people are less than perfect even if they are trying to live a Christian life.  For Janzen, however, that is okay.  She has seen her own fun house reflection and come to terms with herself as the unique and gifted person she is and can become.

What truly attracted me to the book was the willingness to aim at sacred cows, to examine this thing we call church and Christian life and take a pea shooter to it as needed, and finally, to say I am who I am, the person God must have intended me to be, and so there!  Having begun my own life in one faith group and then later in life migrated into another faith group, I understood many of the observations of the experiences.  In such situations you meet wonderful people, but see things about them with a different eye and the choice is to ignore, minimize, patronize, or recognize the messages and lessons they provide.

This ability, and willingness, to laugh at who we are is refreshing because Christians can be so boring, so deadpan, and so serious.  We apply a heavy varnish of sacred holiness to so much of life and live in fear that we are not somber minded enough.  We live from extreme to extreme.  In the middle space is the ability to laugh at ourselves, accept the foibles, and tolerate the humanity we see in the mirror everyday.  This, in turn, allows us to accept those same things in others around us.

The grim faced, everything is a sin or provides a slippery slide to one, mentality is one that attracts no one to a life of faith.  The pious inability to laugh at our own human weakness as weaknesses and move on is not one that Jesus would recognize.  The illogical and wrong headed thinking that says we will not do X, W, Z but turn around and do L,M.O should be recognized as the human nature it demonstrates. 

We are illogical, inconsistent, demanding, hypocritical, hypercritical, superior, fearful, fearmongering, and hopeless at times.  All people are and the fact we claim a relationship with  God should not make us more so but should make us humbly aware of those faults and grace filled enough to make allowances and help one another to be better - in love. 

The title question is a good one.  Does this church (my faith, my life) make me look fat (complacent, self-satisfied, inactive).  I say we all start focusing on finding the laughter in life and in our faith.  Yes, there are deadly serious aspects to life but moping and be melancholy do not help the situation and actually show a decided lack of faith.  

If your God is not big enough to laugh and cause you to laugh at life - maybe you need to reexamine the nature of your God, your faith and yourself.

Like if You Believe

Anyone using social media is familiar with the graphics (memes) with a message.  Christians have a tendency to post ones that say "Like if You Believe Jesus Saves" or "Share if God is Good".   Most feel they are doing the work of the evangelist and sharing their testimony.  They are spreading the good news and giving strength to the weary souls.

Wait a minute, though.

Most Christians also seem to keep their friends on social media in the same religious view or unique heritage that they have.  They often delete anyone who does not share their religious faith, denominational affliation or their personal understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

They are evangelizing the already evangelized, or in the words of an old sayings, they are preaching to the choir.

While these graphics are often lovely, inspiring and carry a Bible verse - they are also a form of passive aggressive behavior.  We hold this up to say - this is what I believe and no others need apply!  It reveals that deep seated suspicious ingrained in many Protestant groups.  Can you, they really want to know, prove you are the 'right kind' of Christian?  Do you measure up to my yardstick?  Are you one of 'us'?

This is not evangelism, this is not even witness, because it has a certain 'in your face' sense to it.  It is not being strong for your faith or prophetic in the discipleship of others. It is simply short sighted, loveless, intolerant, and narrow focused.  Often Christians  have difficulty discussing their faith, or the challenges it faces, without a retreat to fidiasm or a collection of cliches that mean nothing to people who are not believers.

Creatively use social media, express your faith but find ways to do in ways that are construction instead of simply challenging.  It is how Jesus did it...

www.christianmemes.com 

Old Wisdom - New Days

I was riding in the car as a child and father behind the wheel. I do not recall all that was being said but do remember he launched into a recitation...


Bucket Of Water (There Is No Indispensable Man)


Sometimes when you're feeling so important

Sometimes when your ego's in bloom

Sometimes when you take it for granted

Your the best informed man in the room

Sometimes when you think that your going

Would leave an unfillable hole

Just follow these instructions

And see how it humbles your soul




Take a bucket and fill it with water

Put your hands in it right up to the wrists

Pull them out and the hole that remains

Is a measure of how much you'll be missed

You may splash all you please as you enter

You may stir up the water galore

But stop, and in a moment

It looks just the same as before



The moral is quite simple

Do just the best that you can

Be proud of yourself and remember

There is no indispensable man.

I recalled this recently when something happened to remind me people can be - people. I was invited to attend a small gathering and when I arrived at the location at the appointed time - it was locked up. Attempts to contact the person who had invited me provided futile. I was a little hurt; rejection is never kind. Coming as it did at the end of a long string of rejections - I was a little numb to its most forceful impact.

It came in the spring, while all around the flowers and shrubs were struggling to shake off a winter that would not die. Those plants wanted to grow, they wanted life and light. I too wanted the harsh killing field of the winter to fade, to slink away and something good to rise victorious in a gloriously hopeful spring. The long winter was too harsh.

There had been attempted murder of my soul. Hit and run on the security of my life. Willful aggression on my spirit and assault and battery of my self-esteem.  A winter where I found more kindness, openness and support from pagans and heretics than people who called themselves people of faith. I was the body tossed out of the speeding truck to fall bloody to the side of the road and only the despised Samaritan seemed to see, to care or tend my wounds. Yes, a harsh long winter where I had learned friends were few, kindness rare, and loneliness as painful as a knife. 

I often recalled those gloomy words of my father that day in the car. Oh, yes. Dad, I understand now! That is how much I am missed! That is how much I matter. That is how much any one cares about me! Pity me! Feel sorry for me!!

Then - I found the anonymous poem and saw the final lines "do the best that you can/be proud of yourself and remember/ there is no indispensable man." What others thought did not matter - it was what you thought inside. The only measure was that you used on yourself. As long as you lived up to your own ethics, your own standards, your own values and lived to your own expectations....what others said or did meant nothing. Everyone was subject to the same eventual fate of being forgotten and cast aside. 

So that a bucket if you must....I will empty mine, and no longer measure myself against others.  "Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence." (1 Corinthians 10:12 MSG)

Where Were You?

In the sacred moments of this sacred season, Christians can boldly proclaim what their actions during the passion drama would have been.  They would not have hidden, they would not have run and they would have died for their Lord.
It is easy to look back and be courageous, thoughtful, caring, and concerned.  It is easy to look back and be smarter.

Those sacred moments and opportunities come every day though and the question is, "Where were you?"

Judy lived her life alone, she went to church, she worked with Christians but she had no friends among them. They never asked about her, got to know her or tried to be her friend.  When her relatives died it was her non-Christian, sometimes Pagan, friends from work who supported her, paid attention, and showed her that someone cared.

Where were you?

Dan's marriage was falling apart, his wife was leaving him and his children hated him.  His friends at church turned their backs on him and drove him from their 'holy communion.' As a divorced man....he was not welcome.   He soon found his friends at the local bar where he was accepted, loved, and even cared for by his friends.  He missed his family, his church but felt rejected and hurt and so terribly alone.  One morning, in the cheap hotel where he lived he ended his life.  At his funeral were his friends from the bar but none from his church.

Where were you?

Look around and see the opportunities to be Christ to a hurting world. We cannot be everywhere but we can be somewhere.  Look around and see the needs only you, and others like you, can help fill.  Look around....

When someone asks 'where were you?' when I was hurting, naked, in need, alone,in need of prayer, strength, you can tell them, "I was the one right over there..."

Three Simple Things! Dr. Marvin J. Hudson

In a few short weeks graduating classes will sit in tight and airless auditoriums and on their heads will sit  the cap and tassel so representative of their achievement.  The culmination of effort, accident, and parental dreams.  The hard won finish line to the first great race of any student's life.  Take a deep breath, that is not the flower arrangements in the air, that is the stuff of dreams and hopes.

It is a time when wise and sage advice are sought and so occasionally given.  Were I able to be at each and every one of those events I think I would tell them this...

Dream! If you can find what you love and then do it.  Your biggest barrier is your own belief or lack of belief in yourself.     Remember  these important things - 

• Never stop learning. The wise store up knowledge but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.  Prov. 10:14
• Keep a gentle spirit all your life.  A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth. Prov. 11:16
• Choose your companions carefully.  He who walks with wise becomes wise, but a companion of fools comes to a bad end. Proverbs 13:20. 

The gathered crowds at all those events will finally toss those caps high in the air, give a rousing cheer and slap one another on the back.  Those students, friends and parents will pose for photos and then go out to celebrate the milestone achieved.

When the dust has settled and life looks them in the face....I hope they remember those three simple things.  They make life a lot easier when all is said and done.  Because...when all is said and done  - that is what you made of your life. 

Hidden Treasures

From the dirt road in northeastern New Mexico the canyon was not visible.  The cattle ranch of nearly a millon acres stretched almost as far as the eye could see. The horizon, as is customary in the desert, merged in a hazy seam with the distant sky.  As we treked out across the pasture covered with scrub brush my companion was telling me about the history of the place.  The owner had shown him the canyon when they were out hunting lost cattle.  He had been the go-between for me to be hiking out across the plain.

A fork of the Sante Fe trail crossed one cliff near the path down.  The well worn and rock hard track was clear as it came out of the desert and then moved away along the rim to continue west.

Climbing, and sliding down the canyon path, a new world came to light.  A row of buildings, a cemetery, an old church and a house or two.  An old artesian well had been tamed and a pump stood ready to fill canteens, buckets or wash tubs.  One of the houses had the tattered remains of more recent occupancy; cowboys as they rounded livestock and others.  A few places, faded gray and rusted over, showed no one had lived in them since the late 1800's.

Sitting on the rocks, drinking from the well, feeling the breeze in the canyon and enjoying the shade of Cottowoods and scub pines, I marveled at this hidden treasure.  From the road there was no clue the place even existed.  You had to climb higher on the plataue at one end and then turn back to see it behind you.  It was the only way baring a fllight overhead.

It is something to remember.  The way may look like nothing but desert, empty, barren and hard to reach.  You will never know what treasures - what surprises - await until you decide to may that journey. Hidden treasures - little surprises to remind us that there is always something more waiting to bring us joy and allow us to sit by fresh water as the wind cools us down from our efforts.

Happy journey.

Seasons Revisited

Recent events and challenges caused me to revisit this post and this subject.  Hope you enjoy...

Balancing precariously on crutches as a fractured ankle began to complain, I saw the sign on the wall "There is a reason for everything that happens".  I squinted down at the wad of bandages on  my foot, felt the bruises which I knew would bloom in a few hours, and really wondered what the reason for this particular incident might be.

I know the sentiment is a form of the 'there is a season for everything' of wise Solomon. An idea that there are some times  or seasons which phase in and out of our lives bringing with them some treasure or challenge. A season for falling passionately in love and, apparently, a season for falling down stairs to fracture an ankle.  Hmmm. I like the first better, I think.

From my Calvinist, Wesleyan, and Holiness background my immediate assumption was it was something to teach me, correct me, or punish me.   Despite the words of Jesus telling his followers the rain falls on the just and the unjust with equal abandon - sometimes we rush in and assume blame when we have no need - and I did that too. Dutifully, however, I prayed, I meditated, and I hurt.

Then I thought I was being too self-centered. 

Yes, I had been hurt but perhaps it  was not an expectation in my life but a challenge to others which was the focus of this type of season.  The poor soul helped by the maligned Samaritan had been bypassed by many people of good faith and ignored. It was not until that hated individual stopped and responded in love and kindness that the core of the story emerges.  

Who was the victim? Who knows; all he had to do was lay there and be hurt through no fault of his own as the "rain fell".  We love to assume that all misfortune occurs as punishment, as lessons, and as God forcing his will on a life.  That O.T. and Puritan influence likes to hasten to agree that problems occur as punishment but those words of Jesus whisper 'taint always so.'  That is definitely not the case in this story of the man by the road side. The victim was not the point of the story. He was the not the one challenged. He was not the one who needed to change.

The rainy season of misfortune does fall on all - regardless if they are saint or sinner - but not everyone carries an umbrella of love, compassion, kindness, or service.  How many strutted past that guy in the ditch, feeling superior that they were not in that place, suffering in such a way?  How many floated past on a bubble of their own inflated sense of grace or their own belief that to ignore reality was the only way to retain their own happy-happy-joy-joy grasp of life?

Sometimes the greatest challenge comes disguised as the easiest of acts: a phone call, a letter, an email, a note.  Sometimes the greatest cost is not arranging a room and getting a doctor (like that Samaritan had to do) but to simply widen our vision to see those around us in need and respond.  

Sometimes the most expensive gift we can give to another human being is the gift of awareness; a recognition that someone saw they were not in their place, were missed and a recognition that someone knew they existed.

Yes, everything has a season....and reasons.... but just maybe not the ones you thought.

Marilyn A. Hudson

The Carnival of Life

Life is sometimes a merry-go-round, sometimes a roller coaster, and sometimes a fun house complete with mirrors and things that jump out at you from the dark. While on this carnival midway we call life always go for the spun sugar and the peanuts, always scream to the fullest, and laugh til it hurts.

Memory

I opened my hand and the sands blew away in the breeze;
memories rich and warm filling heart and soul.
No more summer struggle and no more winter's freeze;
somewhere in the distance one pure bell begins its toll.
This is the way of life as one stays and one leaves;
fragrant beauty on the air; one more vessal sets sail on eternal seas

With Thoughts of Love

A long time kind of love -
Two people fitting like a hand and glove.
Lives together to never part -
two people, but only one heart.

A firm secure kind of feeling -
That sends your heart and head reeling.
A burning ember steadily glowing red -
One who says, "I do" and means what they said.

A friend to have while you talk -
Lips to kiss, and a hand to hold while you walk.
Fire and ice...flame and spark -
A love that never ends, only starts.

(c) Marilyn A. Hudson, 2013

Falsehood and Lies: Information Literate Christians

One of the most painful experiences in life is when someone lies about you.  When they actively spread false tales to besmirch your good name it is soul shattering and worse, hard to overcome.  The Bible says we are not to bear false witness yet we do it everyday (Exodus 20:16).  We do it as much from ignorance as we do from willful intent to do harm.

Much of it stems from our ignorance about how to use the flood of information coming at us every day.  We are often gullible and fall for every photo shopped image in the email, every partly true story, and every carefully selective set of statistics we see.

Modern students are taught more than basic research.  They are taught information literacy.  Research is too often here are tools and how to use them.   Information literacy is about understanding information, knowing how to look for, select, and use information. Most importantly, however, are skills to evaluate and critique the information found. Is it good? Is is bad? Is there an agenda driving how this information is being presented?

Christians can get their feet tangled in the nets of error, bad behavior and unChristlike actions easily.  We have views, beliefs, and convictions about politics, culture, and religion. 

We should be above such things as spreading gossip, rumors, and bearing false witness.  Yet, we cheerfully forward everything we get in an email or on a social networking page with glee if it includes a zinger against someone or some belief system we do not support.

An example is a photo purported to show the President and his wife saluting the flag with the wrong hand.  It has been making the rounds for several years - yes years - and it is false. A quick check with Snopes.com reveals the larger, and uncropped, image that reveals important things in understanding the photo. The placement of decorations on the two Marines, for example.

It is perfectly permissible in the United States to complain, gripe, grumble, and discuss leaders. No one has to love them, merely give them due respect for the terms of their service in an office. Every few years we get the chance to do it all over again and allow the other party to give it a go.  Then the other party gets to complain, gripe, grumble and discuss.

What we should not allow is the flagrant lying, the false witness, and the trial without witnesses or evidence.  Christians, and all people of faith, need to develop some skills in analyzing information, their sources, uses and abuses.  As Jesus said (in paraphrase) we should be as gentle as doves but as information literate as we can be to avoid being used.  

Marilyn A. Hudson, M.L.I.S.
2013

Real Pastor's Wives

The word is that a cable network is planning to produce a new reality television show called, " The Real Pastor's Wives of Atlanta".   An earlier spoof shows what most fear the reality show would becom (see YouTube video). 

In a time when ridicule of religious faith, churches, and associated values is at an all time high, the move is not  too much of a surprise.  The problem is that there is no way anyone can speak for pastor's spouses.  The role is as diversive as the numerous strands of American Christian faith.  

The role can be explained best by a spectrum with conservative/fundamentalist groups at one end and liberal/traditional groups at the other.  This spectrum addesses issues of history, theology, social views, marriage traditions and a thousand other issues.

It is not a one-size-fits-all field of discussion.

Some religious traditions view the pastor and spouse (not always a wife) as a 'two for the price of one' bargain deal.  The spouse is expected to do certain leadership activities in the church/congregation. 

Some religious traditions view the pastor and spouse as a single entity. They are a ministry team. They function as pastor and assistant pastor, or co-pastors/prophets/leaders.

Some religious traditions view the pastor and spouse as a 'President and a first spouse' and expect social representation, good works, and other aspectrs relected to a more executive lifestyle.

Some religious traditions view the pastor as one thing and the spouse and family as two totally unrelated subjects.   The spouse is not expected to do anything but attend church and not necessarily in the church of the pastor. Worlds of work and home are totally separated to achive a more healthy and balanced home life.

How can anyone group adequately express that diversity?  The truth is the proposed reality program will not try since they are apparently all wives of African American pastors in a southern city. A person from a Nazarene, Pentecostal, Reformed or evangelical background will have a different worldview and standard of behaviors than a person from an Episcopal, Preysbterian, Methodist, or Church of Christ background.

The truth of the matter is that - as the spoof video link reveals - the stereotypical  catty, jealous, hypocritical, judgemental and barely Christian spouses reflects a lot more on the church than on its leaders.

Churches - the people on the pew - determine the mindset, the values,and the behaviors of a local congregation.  Churches often want the pastor and spouse to be the community reflection of themselves, to do the things they are too busy to do, and value the things they have put off to a future date.  

Pastors, spouses and church people are all just the same people at the core but each unique in their life.  They are all people of faith who  are seeking every day to live their faith, make a difference in people's lives, and be a witness of the life changing work of Jesus Christ.  The  real pastor's wives and spouses  are more than a caricature and more than a single definition. 

OF PIGS, PUKE AND PEARLS

Don't cast pearls before swine. Taken from Matthew 7:8 " Give not that which is holy to the dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine..."

Generally people translate this in terms of presenting sacred doctrine to those unready to hear it. That seems a little out of character and does not reflect the general mission ethos of the Gospels.  That model would otherwise encourage sacrificing and witnessing to those who would not appreciate or value the message. So what is its meaning?

 It is also in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, which defines the life of the God-person of the New Testament. The better question is not who are the "dogs" and the "pigs" but what are the "holy" and the "pearls"? Parables and wisdom statements are not intended to be taken literally but rather are representative of deeper and more nuanced truths.

2) Pigs will trample and destroy pearls. ibid. "lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you". This is really a cause and reaction statement.  It has clearer meaning if read as 'don't cast those pearls before swine BECAUSE they will trample them under their feet...and then turn back to attack you.' You have been warned.

2) A dog will return to its vomit seems to fit as well - Proverbs 26.11 As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly. Have you ever had a sore tooth or a wound you kept touching? You knew you should not but your tongue kept finding that tooth or  you had to mess with that scab despite instructions to leave it alone. The dog goes back to smell, to lick, to sometimes re-consume that which it has divested itself.  Short-term memory loss, a sense of ownership, or just really loose food tastes - "why" does not matter here only that it happens.  Symbolically it was probably understood as a foolish action.  We think today in terms of imprudent actions, mistakes, errors but an older definition uses terms such as evil ways, actions, sins.

3) What is "holy"?   What are the "pearls"?

LIFE IN THE WORLD, PART 5

Matthew 25:36 “Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me;” James 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless, and widows in their affliction, and to keep self unspotted from the world”. Zechariah 7:9 “This what the Lord Almighty says, “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.”


The work of Christ is a work inside the heart and soul of an individual but it is not to remain there. An old portion of the wedding liturgy calls the ring the ‘outward sign of the inward emotion’ and that is exactly how the life of the Christian should function. 

From the motives and desires of the Christ-like heart there should be a need to share God’s love and forgiveness with the world and those who have need to hear it. From the changed heart comes the desire to be the hands of Christ helping others. “Social Justice” is not merely a 20th century political action statement or buzz phrase. It is centuries old with the words of Zachariah that true justice in society was grounded in showing mercy and compassion. 

Thus the Church – those who claim Jesus as their Lord – should be leaders in society and demonstrating the power of the people of God to positively impact their world in the name of Jesus. Instead, we too often allow government groups and social agencies to do the work of the church. Government should be able to assist citizens in time of need and emergencies/disasters but if each community saw people of faith doing “pure religion” - society would be better.

LIFE IN THE WORLD, PART 4

Titus 3:1  / “ Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them and to be ready to participate in every good activity, to insult no one, not to be quarrelsome, to be gentle, demonstrating full consideration for every person.”

In ancient Rome, Christians were walking a tightrope of being accepted or persecuted depending on who was in charge. Some were rounded up and went to their deaths, some escaped, and some fled to other areas where they tried to live by Titus 3:1.

In Antebellum America, people rose up to say the long tradition of black human slavery was wrong. They wrote books, preached sermons, and lobbied government for change in the name of abolition.  Meanwhile, on the side of the slave holders books were written, sermons preached and government lobbied to keep the practice in place. Each side thought they were right, used the Bible to prove the point, and actively engaged in accomplishing what they thought was best for the nation.

In WW2 German pastor Dietrich Bonheoffer saw the abuses of the Nazi Party, the blind obedience and godlike adoration for Adolf Hitler, and witnessed the slow squeezing of opposing voices.  He rebelled for what he saw happening to his Church, to what was happening to the Germany in had grown up in and for the abuses to humans made in God’s image.  He wrestled with the dilemma of standing by and doing nothing to change the horrors he saw or doing something to stop the madness. He chose to act helping Jews escape to freedom and supported an attempt to assassinate Hitler.  As a result, he died in prison.

One of the challenges for Christians is this issue.  The chief goal of the verse is the concept of order, support, and being Christ like within society – as Christ said to go the extra mile and turn the cheek in encounters within abusive social contests. Situations can and will be imperfect but the Christian must always follow the higher road being light and salt in the world.

In the case of the U.S. Government, where citizens are permitted the ability to encourage their government to exhibit “every good activity” ,  as they seek to fulfill the full vision of the Constitution for its entire people. It is very important to recognize the need for civic action which is Biblically influenced.

LIFE IN THE WORLD, PART 3

Exodus 18:21 “but select capable ones from all the people – ones who fear God, trustworthy ones who hate dishonest gain.”

Leadership is important at every level of life and every field.  We see on the news stories of leaders caught in flagrant affairs, disregarding federal or state laws, flaunting immoral or unethical business practices, or violating the trust placed in them by employees, share holders, church members, or citizens.  They are, in a very true manner, given a sacred duty to ‘do no harm’ to those under them. As the Israelites pulled together a corps of men to assist their leader the advice was clear: capable, God-fearing, trust-worthy.

This same challenge faced the early founders.  They wanted George Washington remain President. He, however, knew that it would be too easy for the new nation to fall back into the rule of monarchy or worse tyranny without controls and limitations in the workings of government.  As popular and good as one leader might be the next might be susceptible to temptations, bribes, and given to ‘dishonest gain.’

Keeping God in the process – through prayers, participation in the process by Christians, and supporting ‘capable ones’ – is an important way to see a strong and healthy nation emerge in each generation.

LIFE IN THE WORLD, PART 2

Proverbs 16:8 “Better a little righteousness than much gain with injustice.”


With power often comes the temptation to abuse such powers, to become filled with pride - and be responsible for creating and perpetuating injustices.

The Proverbs verse cautions against this type action. The framers of the new government also sought to minimize, as much as possible, the ability of anyone abusing their position in government as they had witnessed in Europe and under the current British government. They had to face the real concept of suffering – perhaps even dying - themselves for a small measure of right living in order to achieve the satisfaction of achieving in a small start liberty and freedom. The British government, in contrast, was an example of much gain through injustice. While not all involved in the formation of the U.S. government were thinking of the Bible as they debated, the culture from which they emerged had ingrained those values and examples into them. They were deeply influenced by many people and ideas also influenced by these Biblical concepts.

In a post-modern society distancing itself from those Biblical foundations it is good to be reminded of the truth better a little righteousness than to gain through injustice.

Ethics (righteousness) are those decisions made when no one sees or no one will know.

LIFE IN THE WORLD, Part 1

In honor of the political cycle this series will explore the way a Christian should act within modern American society.


2 Corinthians 8:21 –“ For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.”

In the hot and airless chambers of Philadelphia a group of men wrestled with “doing right” to the satisfaction of both their God and their fellow and future citizens.  As they all arrived with their own vision of what a new nation should be they argued, they got mad, they schemed, and they stalked out seeking to abandon the entire process!  Yet, the larger than they were issues kept drawing them back, urged compromise and the fashioning a single vision all could come to an agreement over.

Building consensus in church, home or society is never easy as the Apostle Paul notes in this text.  It takes effort, willingness to accept we might not always be right in every issue, and the willingness to become humble so the individual – with all their rights and privileges – is consumed in something larger which, in this case of the founding of a new nation, sought  the balance between the demanding of rights and the accepting of responsibilities equally.

Putting Out Roots

The new housing development looked bleak with no grass or trees in sight. Barren red dirt of rich red clay hugged the new homes as if daring anything to put down roots.

The “For Sale” sign went up just long enough to be taken down again. The first thing the proud new owners did put in grass. Long rows of sod were placed in intervals across the lawn. They were not touching but close and many wondered how that would work. Visions of zebra striped yards rose in the minds of observers.

The grass, the water, and the sun all worked in harmony and a very short time a strange thing occurred. A strange, even peculiar, process was observed as the grass settled into the yard. As the grass was growing down and putting in deep roots it was always growing sideways and was reaching out to merge with its neighbors on either side. Soon the whole yard was covered in one knitted whole. The separate strips and barren ground were things of the past.

It is a gentle reminder that as members of the Body of Christ we are, despite things that might temporarily separate us, destined to be united in one whole. As we dig deep to root ourselves in God, remember today to reach out to that brother or sister made in the image of God.

THE HEART OF A CHAMPION

When the great racehorse, Secretariat, rare winner of the U.S. Triple Crown, died something interesting was discovered.  He had set a record in two races which still, nearly forty years later, has not been duplicated.  They often say the race is to the swiftest, the one with the stamina, but really is to the one with the heart to run.  In this great horse was a very large heart.  His winning was in his genes, his family tree, as much as the unique animal he was.  Research into his bloodline found winners going back for centuries, all with extra large hearts and a history of winning.

Winners have Heart

What a message to the humans about the nature of success, achievement, and accomplishment.  The winner is the one with the largest heart!

Although, for people it is only symbolic to talk about people of generosity, love, and victory as having a 'good heart' or a 'magnanimous heart' or a 'pure heart'.  The example of the horse Secretariat shows there is more truth than fiction in the analogy and maybe a lesson for us as well.

So we should get working to exercise that heart, grow it big with courage, stamina, vision, and love for others.  Most importantly, we should pass that along in our relational gene pool and positively impact all those we know and meet.   

The heart of the champion is big.  How big is your heart?

Mending the Broken

Th ex-ray was clear; the fracture would always be there.  The surprise was that when broken bones mend the two parts do not magically blend back together in an invisible fuse as if nothing had ever happened.  No, as the doctor pointed out to me, new growth wraps itself around the break to encompass it and make it stronger. The ankle bone that was there prior to the break will not be the bone there after the mending is done.

It was later that the elegance of this small fact revealed to me a truth with applications across the spectrum of bones to human relations and organizational management.

The 'break' in a relationship cannot be mended as if it never occurred, however, something new can emerge that takes that break, recognizes it and then wraps its arms around it to grow something new and stronger.

It does not happen overnight, it may be awkward, clumsy, and occasionally painful, but it will happen.  It does not happen instantaneously but in small stages, bit by bit, over the time needed for the process to finish.  It is not a pretty thing; just as dead skin is trapped beneath that cast during the healing time, the residue of an old life may linger on, may be resistant to healing oils, and may take awhile to recover to a healthy state. 

It will happen though, with attention, care, and caution the broken will once more appear normal.  All of life is lived by many small steps - sometimes they are nimble movements and sometimes they are encumbered by the heavy process of healing and recovery.  In that slow, intentional process when we drag a cast around it seen the truth that we need to slow down, examine things, more carefully live our life and choose our actions with more wisdom, grace, and forgiveness.

The fracture may always be there but it is our choice, ultimately, whether it is made stronger or compromised. Do we allow the fracture to remain a raw wound or do we allow the healing process to build something new and stronger from the brokenness?

Two Sides of the Same: Spirit and Intellect

Intellect - cold, unemotional, rational, logical
Spirit - emotional, non-rational, warm, illogical

Rather than being an 'either/or' the elements of intellect and spirit should be viewed as being totally coexisting within humans.  Similar to the use of foot and hand; these are not 'either/or' but two separate parts of the human body with different purposes.

In similar way the discussions of intellect and spirit ignore the fact that both are part of the package.  They are in essence two sides of the same coin.

Spiritual Gluttony

I happened across the 14th century classic, The Dark Night of the Soul, an a section called 'spiritual gluttony' caught my eye.   Gluttony, one of those seven deadly sins, is well known as eating to obsessive excess.  So how, I wondered, could there be spiritual gluttony?

Too much of anything is a path to problems.  When we lose balance we are prone to errors and consumption of things which are bad for us. 

Spiritual gluttony hordes experience.  The self-indulgent praise and worship of many churches comes to mind. The exclusionary decor or elitist attitudes of others also springs to mind.  In error, some pull up their chair to the feast of God's presence and begin to focus on how it makes them feel, what it does for them, and what they get out of it.   Purpose and meaning can become confused, and as Saint John of the Cross wrote so wisely, "These persons think that their own satisfaction and pleasure are the satisfaction and service of God."

Spiritual gluttony robs the body of Christ.  The self-centered focus on personal experience takes away from the communal, sharing, building of the whole aspect of Christian life.  How many times are we urged to pray for one another, take up one another's burdens, and share with one another? Spiritual gluttony was the sin of Corinth, an expression of an 'every man for himself and I don't care about you' spirit that is anti-Christ.  It is the spirit which says let others starve, grow cold, be lost or suffer - I have mine and that is all that matters!

Spiritual gluttony leads to weakness.  Just as consumption of too much food leads to a comprised physical body, spiritual overindulgence leads to a weakened spirit.  Self-denial and sacrifice, so well known to Biblical prophets and Christ, are foreign terms of alien meaning.  The sacrifice of prayer is set aside unless it is prayer about our own needs and wants.  " These persons who are thus inclined to such pleasures have another very great imperfection, which is that they are very weak and remiss in journeying upon the hard road of the Cross; for the soul that is given to sweetness naturally has its face set against all self-denial, which is devoid of sweetness ."

In reading these words, written to another religious time with its own unique customs and practices, I was struck by how unchanging basic concepts are. We often explain away problems as being reflective of our culture, our time, or a stage of life.   Spiritual truth is spiritual truth and as such remains unchanged by cultural passing modes.

Spiritual people, then and now, in their ignorance and enthusiasm, can focus in on only the sweet blessed presence of God and like children over indulge to the exclusion of other spiritual disciplines designed to help grow a balanced and healthy Christian life. The sacrifice of service, the commitment of prayer for others, the work to become a worthy worker in whatever field, and the suffering of life.

The Pain in Healing

I remember as a child some hurt that as it began to heal began also to hurt and worry me with constant irritation.   My mother repeated sage advice: “You know it's healing when it begins to (itch, bother use, twitch, sting).”

So, as I recently broke my ankle and had some wonderful people pray for its speedy healing, I found myself remembering those wise words.  Especially, when the fracture occasionally stung just a bit.

Then I found myself wondering why in the process of healing is there pain?  In the natural and normal process this “pain” is considered just that and has been for centuries.

There are some who would claim a promised immediate and total free-from-pain type of healing as the result of some perceived blessing of God to those who enough faith. Yet, it is clear, some pain is not supposed to be masked or made invisible.

Pain has a purpose in life to remind us of several important truths.

1)          Pain is everywhere. We are not alone. We share and can empathize with others because we know pain. Let those suffering in accordance with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good. (1 Peter 4:19)

2)          Pain is a reminder to us that we have frailties and are not super human. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. (2 Timothy 4:18) My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9a)

3)          Pain is a reminder that we cannot have things our way all the time but we can know a God who will bring comfort. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12a,13)

So often we ask for signs for assurances as big as a battleship in the sky!  Yet, often the sign is in the small things, the tiny things, like a twinge in a wound knitting itself whole or a sting in a bone weaving itself together.

“For everything there is a time” says the Bible and sometimes it is simply time to sit, think, and experience the miracle of the healing forces God gifted each of His creation with and as those forces work there will be pain, discomfort, and frustration.  These all can be used to work in you the processing, the refining, and the spiritual development that can make us stronger in our faith.

Only if we let it and only if we embrace and understand in the healing there is sometimes pain.

Reflections on Love

If we love we put our feelings into practical expression. Someone once said that love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service, and from solitude to kinship. Everywhere we go there are people and circumstances in need of that practical application of love. The simple act of friendship, a smile, a word of encouragement, a bit of bread, a drop of water, and human support allows us to bless others. Thomas Aquinas said , “If you truly love God, you will love your neighbor. It does not matter if he loves you or not.” A million small acts create a blazing light of grace in a world shadowed by loneliness. Today, help turn the lights on in your world.

Miracles Comes While You Are Living Life. M. Hudson

The story of the wedding of Cana with guest Mary and her son Jesus provides us with a heady lesson about how the miracles in life occur. The focus of the day was the happy celebration of the commitment and future of two people. The guests were there to witness the solemn vows and then joyfully partake of the feast that would cement the relationship in the eyes of family and community. The event was the diversion that faces each of us in life. We are busy living life. We are involved in survival. We are involved...occupied...distracted....

So, what does God do? While we are busy looking over there....he is quietly at work over here. The miracle occurs while we are not looking because the miracle itself if not the object but rather the gift the miracle brings. The wine produced in this miracle story is finer, better, and more tasty than the best wine produced earlier in the event when the high priced wine would be served. Guests marvel that the tradition has been flipped on its head and the best was saved for the last.

God chose this moment of simple human celebration, when two become one, to remind people that miracles come while we are living life and not while we are waiting for life to provide miracles.

[Image:Picture: Fresco of the Wedding at Cana at the Monastery of Descani, Serbia, ca. 14th Century. Source.http://www.wegm.com/coins/frescoes/images/cana.jpg]

The Windows. M. Hudson

John Greenleaf Whittier wrote "All the windows of my heart I open to the day." What an image! The heart like a house closed up by heavy drapes and closed windows, shadowed, and cold. Do we have the courage to throw back the curtains, throw wide the windows, and allow the light and warmth of God to stream in bathing us with His divine presence. Wrapping us in arms of illuminating grace that provides us both strength and direction?

The Shore. M.Hudson

The great British scientist Issac Newton once said, “I was like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”


Standing by the seashore can be exciting and frightening. Exciting in seeing the vista displayed across the horizon. The long expanse of sand washed smooth with each rushing wave. The roar and boom of the surf as millons of gallons of water splash against the shoreline. The beauty of the sky reflected on the water's upturned face. Frightening in the gently rising bosom of the sea as it moves inward and then sweeps back out to the dark and mysterious depths. As light and foamy the encounter of the sea with the sandy shore it is that deep and secret part that frightens us even as it calls out to us.


So we distract ourselves picking up water tumbled rocks or glossy shells left as gifts by the departing sea's moist fingers. We are often like children exploring the shore line, running from the waves, and finding our little treasures. God is often like that tendril of water splashing onto the sand leaving little messages, little tokens, and little invitations for us to venture out into the deeper places. To walk boldly into the buffeting surf or dive deep into the indigo depths of discovery and encounter with God.


The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.(Ps 93.4).

Diving Deeper. M. Hudson

Our tendency as humans is to take the safe route, the easy way, and often the path of least resistance to our own plans. We stroll the safe security of the sidelines as we live life. We ask others to not 'rock the boat', we cherish the calm and call it the expected standard and ideal.


Yet, every process and activity of life is one fraught with struggle and change. The caterpillar does not morph into the butterfly without first fighting its way out of the quiet cocoon. The child is born amid pain and blood. The great and small things of life grow by movement away toward something greater than themselves.


The deep places are the destination of the life being called by the divine to grow and become more than they were. To struggle out of the quiet shell of their self protection and safety. To dive deep into the mystery and wonder of true encounter and true transformation.


So, as you stand on that wet beach, the sand tickling your toes, and hear that soul deep stirring or hear that song calling to you from those deep purple depths....be not afraid... because it is God calling to you to grow and become His more fully. As you wade carefully in the shallows and then dive more intentionally into those strange and mysterious places remember ...."In his hand are the deep places of the earth..."(Ps.95.4)

So...take the plunge into the heart of God and dive deeper....

Tending A Garden No One Ever Sees. M. Hudson

So often we can feel as if we are unappreciated, devalued, and overlooked. We can then begin to complain and harden our hearts and souls to the spirit of God working all around us. Consider, however, the great gardener who works behind the scenes creating, caring and adding touches of beauty few may ever see. Like this flower in a hidden meadow difficult to reach, God did not say, " I won't put a flower here - no one can see it!" Instead, he brought the same care, concern, and attention to detail to that garden spot as to any one by a busy path. Something to remember when we feel like we labor in vain or without appreciation. We too sometimes tend gardens none will ever see.

Lessons from the Geese. M. Hudson

The legend of the Geese shares an important lesson of the interdependence of each being with another. Sometimes we like to imagine ourselves as independent eagles soaring the high lonely places with no need of others. The Geese, however, tell us the benefit of community - especially when the community is mutually supportive. For in the legend the geese fly in a v formation with one in the lead. All around him other geese honk urging the leader forward, encouraging the lead bird, and cheering the bird on. When the leader weakens, another bird will fly into his place allowing the leader to slow and to be the follower. On and on this will go with each bird taking a turn in both leading and following. What a marvelous lesson and example. How much it illustrates the words of the Bible to "bear one another's burdens." The legend of the geese....a lesson for each of us. 

Wiki Creative CommonsCreative Commons 

Lessons from Seashells. M. Hudson

The seashore is the long curving front porch of the soul. As we wonder along the edges of self-discovery and spiritual rebirth we find tiny messages in shells sprinkled in the sand. As an anonymous poet wrote "Finding Seashells": Come walk with me/Along the sea/Where dusk sits on the land/And search with me/For shells are free,/And treasures hide in sand.

The shells found include tiny ones almost hidden by the grains of sand, common ones with beauty that escapes the hurried or causal glance, rough textured or worn glossy smooth, and some so strange that their rare presence draws a soft sigh of awe.

One shell was found tumbled up across the warm sands. It was dull, rough, pitted by the action of impact with underwater obstacles, bleached by the sun and worn down by its long journey across the world. Picking it up,shaking out the dirty sand and grass, out fell a glimmering small shell. Turning it the light caught the unworn shell bringing out a myriad of tones and rich color. 

What accident of nature had swept the smaller shell into the crumbling skeleton of another creature? Had the smaller creature been some random hitchhiker stealing a ride on a strange journey? Or, had the larger shell willingly, sacrificially carried it, like a careful mother, on its long and hazardous trip?

Are we like that smaller shell protected on our journey by the arms of another who takes the buffeting, tumbling, and hard knocks for us? The older shell grew worn and pitted, rough and harshly worn became its surface, all to allow the shell within to emerge glowing and lovely.

Sometimes we take hard knocks in life, but thanks to the grace and love of God, sometimes we emerge smooth and glowing because their was ONE who willingly, sacrificially, carried us like a nurturing parent on the long and hazardous journey we call life.

Surprises in Desert Places. M. Hudson

The hike had taken longer than I had expected on a clear June morning in northern New Mexico. Across a flat plain covered in shrub brush and sand, a clear fifty miles from anyone. The canyon was out here but scanning the horizon revealed what appeared to be only mile after mile of the same terrain. Had the instructions been wrong or had we made a wrong turn somewhere on those miles of dirt track? Another half hour and then - there it was. A crevice opened up rimmed by sturdy ancient rocks and a small path downward into a narrow canyon. The walls covered by wind twisted pines and at the base a small cluster of old buildings. Walking across the canyon floor and the mini ghost town was amazing, a surprise from another time, and something that caused voices to lower as if fearful of disturbing the long gown residents. Fluttering calendars with decades old dates. Remnants of curtains clung tenaciously to paint peeled windows. Across the open ground covered ankle high with wildflowers, slanted wooden crosses drew our attention. A small graveyard, names no longer readable on weathered headstones made us pause in respectful honor. Heads bowed, listening to the desert wind whispering down the canyon walls, the rumble of small bees dancing through the flowers, and a faint sound of water falling and dripping. Looking around we discovered a small, almost minuscule, flow of water down the rock face of the canyon into an old shallow well. Fresh, clear, and so refreshing the water flowed in the middle of a desert. Just enough to cool a face and refresh the body. Like the canyon itself, the water was a surprise springing up where least expected. Climbing out of the canyon after our day of exploration, we stood for a moment as the wind whipped by us in its hurried journey. It was five miles back to the vehicle, across a desert floor in the late afternoon heat. Yet in our canteens we carried fresh cool, clear water found by surprise in a desert canyon. We could make it.

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you be unaware? I will make a clear path in the wilderness, Rivers shall flow in the desert

Learning from the Sunflower. M. Hudson

A tall,sturdy stalk climbed out of the ditch, unfurling thick leaves, and revealing a brown face surrounding by brilliant yellow petals.

A classic sunflower of great beauty this flower in its infancy will watch the sunrise in the dew kissed dawn and then turn its head tracking the progress of the sun across the heavens. Then at the next dawn it will begin anew. The flower will do this until its head is too heavy and massive to easily turn and then it will keep its focus on the east to wait for the new dawn. You see, by the time the flower has matured the head is so heavy, it could burn the precious seeds it holds if it looked to the south or the west. The fierce sunlight would no longer nourish but instead detroy. So, it watches in great delight each morning as a new day dawns and then simply allows the harsh light and the heat go about its business. The flower can only stop the sun from burning if she chooses to ignore its demand for attention. You see, the sunflower has its mind on the really important things, the lovely enduring things, and bright promise of the new dawn.


Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward (Is. 58.8)

Ode to a Candle.

I can wax eloquent over the simple candle because we were without power for a time one Sunday night. Several hours in a dark community while ice pelted down and we looked longingly at the glow from the community to the north... We gathered the candles and enjoyed them flickering in the dark. We prayed for those who might be suffering in the cold more than we. We shared stories and remembered outages when we were children. They were more fun then, I must admit. You could just snuggle up to Mom or Dad and get sleepy while they took care of things.

All of our "new fangled" telephones were dead. The only phone that worked was a restored 1930's pedestal phone....hmm what does that say about the state of our technology? Have we really improved things that much or merely obscured the efficient with the gadget? A house filled with sconces and lamps and switches....but it was a match and candles that gave us light. Yes, I can wax rather wordy on the simple candle... 

It made me wonder though, in the big scheme of things, this thing we call life, am a steady positive force that easily and simply adds light and warmth to life or a bit of frail technology subject to the whims of falling ice and grid failures?

Wading in the Shallows. M. Hudson

The sun was hot and the wind whipped the water into tiny little frothy waves. The surf did not lap as much it seemed to just languidly lean against the beach as if it just could not be bothered to be too energetic.

The water, however, was wonderfully cool. It was a delightful counterpoint to the warmth of the day. Kicking off my sandals I began easing myself into the water. Ah! The wet sand pushing up between my toes! I stood there a moment and then slowly walked out toward the horizon. The cool water rose up my legs and I noticed the walking was a little slower now. The pressure of the water was making it slow going. The bottom was a murky glow and I stepped on a tiny shell with a sharp edge. The sun was hot, the wading was getting harder and I could no longer see where I was going....time to go back to the beach.

As I waded back to the dry sand and left the water behind, I halted in sudden awareness. How often in life had I done that very thing? Things got a little hard. The going was more work. I got a little hurt. Turning around I looked back to the horizon and the deep swelling ocean hiding the mysterious depths I had turned back before exploring or enjoying. Lord, I prayed, help me overcome the shallows and the beach. Let me learn to fight the current, overcome the swells, and take on the occean of discovery you have awaiting me in life.

A New Day

A NEW DAY (Neh.3:22)

I remember just before I met my husband my parents moved into a small house of their own. My father planted morning glories in the heat of the summer and carefully tied the string to the roof, and watered them every day.

My father was not a gardening man. He was not one to work for hours on the yard. For some reason, though, he did this one thing. As late summer and early fall came we enjoyed the vines twisting and growing and reaching out to shade the porch.

Each morning, in that fragile pause before the day begins, the vines opened blooms of every color, and turned their faces to the sky.

I never knew why he planted those flowers. I only know that he did and they brought joy, beauty, and grace to each day.

Each new day brings many things :Opportunities –we have the chance to contribute, to achieve, to try again, to do it better, to ….Compassions – those mercies that come to us each day, unfailing, steady, sure; “love, pity, merciful” (Young’s). We do not deserve them. But God’s love is so full and rich he gifts us with His pity…mercy….and love. Hope – because God has been gracious to us, because each new day gives us new purpose, and because God’s compassions do not fail and ‘great is God’s faithfulness’ to his people.

That is what God gives to us; a new day and seasons of new beginning: Each new beginning waits, in that fragile pause before the next phase of life begins, the vines are preparing to open blooms of every color;We, the blooms of every hue, thankfully turn our faces to the sky…

Because Great is thy faithfulness….

The Still Small Voice. M. Hudson

The world screams around us, tugging at our sleeves, shouting in our ears, consuming all available space.

Enjoying the moment, finding the beauty, breathing in deeply of peace, loving family, doing good, and finding grace.

They are brass rings as the merry-go-round of life rushes by in a blur.

Shut the door, take the phone off the hook, and retreat to a silent place in the heart of the home , a forest or garden, or sompleace deep in the soul. Seek communion with the Divine. Seek to  connect to the heart of God.  

Focus on the Spirit's balm and presence.  Reduce the roar of life to a faint and distant hum.  Listen....listen....for the still small voice of God. Be renewed in the silence, find the music in the stillness, and rise encouraged, restored, and refreshed.

The still small voice is the invitation of God to dance with joy and purpose amid days of pain and pointlessness.   To wander through barren deserts to find the solace of the eternal waterfall of grace, goodness, and compassion that is relationship with a loving God.

1 Kings 19:22