Raging update...

It has been many months since my last post. I'm sorry to have stayed away for so long. This is cathartic, this is healing, this is cleansing - and I have missed it.

I read the first part of 1Peter (most of the first chapter) this evening, and it was good. I began to formulate ideas in the old manner again. God is good, and His words are life.

Three weeks ago I had chest pain. After four hours I took myself to ER. The doctor said it didn't look like a heart attack, but at 'my age' they had to do all the tests. So I was admitted, and put through a bunch of test. Turned out to be nothing, other than the REAL heart attack I had when I got the bill.

Then I dropped a spa on my hand. My left hand. This is important, because I was ALMOST over the pain in my right hand from a jammed hand I received helping a friend move. But nothing was broken this time, and the pain is slowly subsiding. I had full range of motion within two days, so again, I'm sure nothing was broken. After the ER visit I am not going in for any exams until the bank account fills back up a bit. Oh, the picture? Not mine. And it's just a raspberry a guy smashed in his hand. He said it was tasty.

Short and sweet - not too neat. But I skipped the gravy and went right for the meat.

Here, let me stab you in the heart with a smile

I had a three-hour meeting this past Sunday evening. A three hour meeting is no new thing for me, I am groggy from a meeting last night which ran very close to five hours, longer if you count the prep I put into it in the afternoon. Monday night I had a two hour meeting, Wednesday night was a great prayer meeting... etc. All good.

But Sunday. Wow - the plan was to go around the room and encourage one another. You know, say only 'good' stuff about a person or couple as we advanced around the circle one by one, or couple by couple. But when they got to us, pretty much every person said the same thing, "we have always seen the humor, of course, but there was a time when you were actually serious and wow! It was really great!"

"There is more depth in you than we EVER thought even REMOTELY possible..."

OK - that wasn't exactly how it went, but with my wife as my witness, I promise you it was pretty close. They just don't know how much I have battled with this over the years. I cannot seem to stop the little voice in my head which can come up with a funny line or retort to just about any situation. It has stood me well over my life, there are times when a laugh can ease a tense situation. But with a quick wit, I have found, comes great responsibility. I say about 10% of the things which pop into my head nowadays, and it's exactly for the reason I am writing about today: if people find out you are funny, they then have a very tough time taking you serious.

A friend of mine said I should work on my facial expression - have a funny look and a serious look so completely different that people will not have to guess. I think that is brilliant - but I want to take it a step further. I am shopping on line for a tazer, or low-cost cattle prod. Failing in that, I may settle for just a needle or sharp stick. What I'll do is this - if I am about to say something funny, I'll just go ahead. But if I want to try to be life-change serious, I'll poke you first. The pain will help you focus, and my words will carry far more weight.

I may also have to deal with this 'issue' less because I have a strong feeling that it will thin the heard of my friends a bit.

Wealth

I removed an old spa and began the installation of a new one today. In fact, I also relocated another spa by taking it out of one backyard and delivering it to another back yard.

But one of the yards was a mansion in Camarillo, and the other was a very humble rental house in Silverstrand (a part of Oxnard, CA).

And the amazing part is - one was a toy, and one was a part of therapy for a man who suffers a great deal of pain and needs the hot water to keep going.

I was very happy to be part of both customer's lives, and I hope that there will be a chance to share Christ with each of them. I started the process today by establishing some relationship, and mentioning Jesus and God's faithfulness several times. Planting little seeds.

Father God - honor my attempt to be faithful to your word - bring the harvest. Touch Serge, Jenn and Chris. Amen.

Be bold, He is.

Have you spoken to somebody about Christ today? I have been focusing on this in my life for the past couple of months, and it's amazing how many times you can work "Jesus," or "I will pray for you," or "God knows" into a conversation. If you are looking the person in the eyes, and if you know the person in any way at all, you might also be surprised how many times that will open a door to further discussion about a relationship with Jesus.

Try it!

Luke 12:8-9 (New International Version, ©2011)

8 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.

Luke 12:8-9 (The Message)

8-9"Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God's angels. But if you pretend you don't know me, do you think I'll defend you before God's angels?

Busy busy boy

I just had a whirlwind weekend. I had a busy week first, then I had a lot of work on Saturday. Sunday I traveled with our Pastoral Search Committee to a church about an hour away. A 'debriefing' followed at a local restaurant, then the drive home, an afternoon with some friends over while trying to nap, digest and spend time with my daughter - who we later drove to LAX to jet back to school in Florida.

So much for my day of rest.

But - it was all heartwarming and good. First, the pastor we went to hear did a fine job. He's not as flashy as some we have heard, but his manner was perfect in another way: it allows the Spirit to 'sneak' the message into your heart. He fully allows the Holy Spirit to do the heavy lifting, and I am very happy to announce that all of the people who went with us reported that the message hit home. That's a step in the right direction. Anointed preaching is powerful even if it isn't loud.

And the afternoon was not a disaster: I did get a short nap, and Hope, Kristen, Noni and Barbie had a 'girls night out' before we loaded up and drove KJ to LAX. And a late flight on a Sunday night is apparently 'the bomb' as far as we can tell. No crowds, no lines for security or check-in, and the TSA agents were actually in good moods. Too bad we didn't find that out sooner: Kristen graduates in eight weeks.

Are you following all of this?

The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12
The Greatest Commandment

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[b] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

So - then I guess the next logical question is, "who is my neighbor?"

Do I love the lost as much as Jesus? Am I even trying to come close to that level of care for people I don't even know, people who may very well be trying to make trouble in my life? People who rail against the things I hold dear?

Jesus gave us marching orders in several passages of the Bible. This is only one of them, but He Himself declares it as the most important - that seems to me to be pretty clear. I need to love those around me as I love God: with all I have.

Religion

Mark 12
The Parable of the Tenants

1 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?”

12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Whenever I see a teaching of Christ which is aimed at the religious 'elite' of His day, I take special notice. As a Christian, I want to be 'like Christ,' and I want to have Jesus as the center of my life. To most people, that makes me 'religious,' yet I don't want to appear religious. Because religion is only man attempting to explain God, and it usually takes on the form of tradition, pomp and circumstance, and has no power to heal or to change people in any positive way.

In fact, it is in the name of religion (or religious zeal) that most historical wars, crusades and inquisitions took place, and in the name of religion that recent acts of terror have taken place.

So I would rather be the one who is active in serving God, but not religious.