Why We Do What We Do

 Good morning and welcome to another Thursday Thought

 Before I get to my thought for this week, I want to acknowledge the tragic crash that happened last evening between a commercial flight originating in Wichita, and an Army helicopter. That crash happened in Washington, DC last evening.  Apparently, all 67 people on both aircraft have been lost.  If you know of someone who is hurting because of this accident, please be the hands and feet of Jesus as you serve and comfort them.

In the panoply of things I do in my work at the church lies the ministry of benevolence.  There are many ways that benevolent ministries can help both church members and those outside of the membership.  Some of the more common needs are food, clothing, transportation, housing, and help with bills.  We do get some of the more uncommon requests from time to time, such as for denture adhesive, eye glasses, and other such things.  But most of the time the requests wrap around the more common areas of benevolence.

We can’t do everything that comes our way.  We’re a relatively small congregation, so we’ve decided to concentrate our benevolent help on food, clothing, utility bill help, and help with fuel for transportation.  I also, as the benevolence minister, have a sort of cadre of social services people who work in the community non-profit sector who I trust to provide me with good information should they encounter someone with a need they can’t otherwise fill.  They will contact me and ask if the church could help their client with this or that.  We usually are able to oblige, and we trust their judgment.

One such client recently came to us by way of Suzie, one of my social services contacts.  Suzie asked me if there was any way we could provide a little food and some Tylenol and Ibuprofen for a woman she was helping.  The woman was temporarily staying in a hotel, had been in the hospital, was in recovery, and needed to stay in town for a short time.  She had no family or resources.  Nor did she have a way or the ability to go somewhere to get what she needed.

I immediately said we could help.  Suzie and I made plans to meet later that day.  I went to the pharmacy and bought a bottle each of generic Tylenol and Ibuprofen.  The total bill was about eight dollars.  We also provided a small box of food from our food stash that the woman could use in her room by using the microwave.  Suzie gathered the things together and delivered them to the woman.

Yesterday, I received an email from Suzie about the woman we helped.  Here is what it said:  My client wanted me to thank you on her behalf for helping her with the meds and the food items. She felt really lost and like nobody cares. I spoke to her this morning and she sounds way better than she did yesterday.

This is Jay again.  I am sometimes asked how many of those we help in the benevolence ministry attend services with us or want a Bible study.  Their thought is that the benevolence ministry needs to be an evangelistic ministry…and that if it is not getting evangelistic results, maybe we need to be doing something else with those resources.

Very seldom does someone attend services because of our benevolence.  Even less often does someone wish to study the Bible or discuss spiritual matters.  Most of the time we don’t even receive a written thank you like I did with this woman, given through Suzie her social worker.  One might wonder why that is.  I think I have an answer for that.

By far most of those we serve are not thinking so much about what we might call “spiritual things” as they are thinking of ways to survive the day.  That survival could include finding a relatively safe place to sleep that evening, feeding their kids for the first time in two days, keeping the electric, gas, or water utility collections department at bay for another few days, or finding a way to get to work that evening so they don’t lose the job they have.

Most of the time, these people are struggling to survive…and I mean that in a truly literal sense.  They are expending an incredible amount of time and energy to just be able to live, let alone have the time and energy to have a Bible study or clean up for church services.  I think you would agree that if you had no electricity, an empty gas tank, and had just been served an eviction notice from the squalid apartment you were in, you wouldn’t have a lot of desire to sit down and have a Bible study either.

What I do find with many of those we help is just what this woman articulated to Suzie.  These people feel like they are all alone…lost…and that no one really cares about them.  Often they don’t have family.  They often feel like government agencies put more roadblocks in their way to obtaining resources than work with them to provide the help they need.  They tell me that many agencies don’t want to listen to them, act like they don’t have time for them, or reduce their humanity to a number or an appointment.

Being in need of services is all too often a dehumanizing, degrading, and embarrassing experience.  At RiverWalk, we work to make that experience non-judgmental and as helpful as possible.  With few exceptions, we insist that we personally meet the one in need.  We sit down with them, visit with them, hear their story, try to make them more at ease, and give them the dignity and respect they deserve.  We may or may not be able to help them with their need.  But hopefully, we can leave them with a good feeling toward the church and let them know that we care and are hearing them.

I have long ago lost count of the times I have heard someone thank me for just taking the time to listen, even though we couldn’t help with their need.  In fact, that very thing happened again just yesterday.  I’ve also long ago lost count of the number of times we have been able to help by at least temporarily removing the threat of disconnection of utility services and seeing the obvious look of relief wash over someone’s face, usually a woman, and sometimes accompanied by a sobbing breakdown here in the office.

The answer to why we do benevolence is what I’ve just said.  We provide dignity, respect, a non-judgmental listening ear, and sometimes we can provide a sense of relief, knowing that at least for now, the collections and disconnections people have been kept away.  That, in my view, makes what we do here truly a ministry…a ministry to the hurting, marginalized, and forgotten.  It’s a ministry that’s well worth the time, effort, and resources…don’t you think?

 Blessings,

Grace and Peace

 Good morning, and welcome.

 Earlier this week, I came into the office and found a short letter on my desk from Larry.  Larry was one of our church Elders, and had just lost his wife of many years a few weeks before.  The letter was his official, if you will, letter of resignation from the Eldership at RiverWalk church.

 Larry is an older gentleman, and has served with honor and wisdom for many years.  His resignation was not unexpected, because an Elder serves best when his spouse…his companion…his wife…is able to support and sustain him in his work.  Sometimes, a person just knows when the time is right to make a change and move on.  This, evidently, was the right time for Larry.  And we honor his decision.

 To serve as an Elder in our faith tradition is much more than having a meeting once a month or so and making a few decisions regarding building repair or some other administrative thing.  In fact, Elders in our tradition would much rather not have to do much of that kind of thing, and leave those decisions to others who may well be more suited to making them.

 The New Testament likens the work of and Elder to being a shepherd to a flock of sheep.  If you know anything about shepherding sheep, you know that the shepherd cares for his or her flock in many ways.  Finding water and food, protection from predators, giving shelter when needed, and many other aspects of caring for sheep are part of the shepherd’s work.

 Similarly, the Elder shepherds those members of the congregation he leads.  He cares for, loves, guards, teaches, and otherwise fosters and enables spiritual growth in the lives of those people of the congregation.  Paul the great apostle of the New Testament tells the Elders of the Ephesus church to “Guard yourselves and God’s people.  Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.”

 The charge to love and care for the church is, or should be, the primary focus of an Elder.  Larry was always not only aware of that charge, but fulfilled it lovingly, joyfully, and with wisdom and grace.

 In his letter of resignation to be given to the congregation, he spoke of service.  The idea of service is one that is embedded into the fabric of what it means to be a Christian…a follower of Jesus Christ.  Whether that service is in or for the church, or in service to one’s fellow man, a life of service is a noble calling.  Larry’s words are meant specifically, I think, in regard to service in and for the church…that body of believers who meet together from time to time in worship and fellowship with God and with one-another.

 I’ve made some minor edits to make the text flow a little better for this venue, but have not changed his message in any way.  Listen to what he had to say to us all in the RiverWalk congregation.

 My last thoughts that I want to leave you with, is about service.  Why serve?  I know that some time in the future there is going to be an opportunity for you to serve the church in some compacity.  I'm not telling you what you need to do (you know your situation better than anyone else) but you need to share some of your life experiences in service to the church.  It is pretty easy to stay hidden and convince yourself that you aren't able to do anything, there are others more qualified, or there are more important things that require your attention.

 And the truth be told, all those things are probably true.  Here is what I know though.  Riverwalk has faith in you.  That faith is backed up with God's faith and promise.  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". (Phil 4:13)  l like the way one commentator explains it that Christ is there to help us endure hardships, and it's about perseverance and not personal triumphs.  And I believe Christ does enable us.

 If you consider yourself a nobody, good.  God likes nobodies.  Nobodies are the ones that step out on faith in God and not themselves.  Just consider the apostles.  God has a purpose for you too.  Consider allowing Him to use you for His purposes.  He has done that with a long list of saints which have passed through the history of this church, and I can testify he has amazed me with how he has used this nobody.

 Finally, I look forward to see what God has planned for you and what He can accomplish in your lives, and this church, and His kingdom by you being a nobody.  Thank you again for being that very special and loving church  Grace and peace to you.

 And grace and peace be unto you, Larry.

 Blessings.

 Good morning, and welcome.

 Today, I could have utilized the services of Microsoft Co-pilot in drafting this Thursday Thought, as it was loaded as an update to my Office suite.  However, I politely declined and disabled the app.  I’m not fearful of A I, but have been doing rather well, I think, writing without it’s “helpful” suggestions all these years.  Although I know I use it by default in other ways…the search engines being one of those ways…I don’t see the need to begin using it now in a writing capacity.  So, what you will hear today…and going forward…will be my own words.

 Bob Dylan wrote the song, “The Times…They Are a Changin’” in 1963.  It was released on an album in 1965.  One of the lines in the song is, “You better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times, they are a changin.”  Sometimes I get that feeling, especially with all of the “new stuff” that comes out about every ten minutes or so.  The various manifestations of artificial intelligence are just one of those things.  And, of course, you can think of many other changes and “new stuff” that have come about in the last while.  I sometimes wonder if the human race is going to run away with itself some time.

 However, even in these times of incredible change, there are those things which tend to bring us back to a reality that is more grounded…more gentle on the spirit.  Think of the seasons of the year.  Yes, they change, at least in our part of the world.  But the change comes on gradually, almost imperceptibly.  They give us time to adjust from spring to summer, fall to winter.  And there’s always the promise of new spring growth, summer produce from the garden, the fall colors, and the winter snows.

 Then there are those things which indeed change, but do so over a period of time that makes that change invisible to us.  I’m thinking of things such as the constellations in the heavens, which, the astronomers tell us, are changing shape due to the motion of the stars that make them up.  Yet we cannot in our lifetimes discern that change in shape.  To us, they are a constant…something fixed.  Something that has been a part of human history for eons.

 In speaking to Job in the book in the Old Testament by that same name, God asks Job if he can control the stars.  He specifically mentions two well-known constellations…The Pleiades and Orion.  “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s belt?” God asks.  And, of course, Job has no response at that time.

 I’ve said before that one of Archie Bunker’s lines in the old “All In the Family” TV series was, “I like change better when everything stays the same.”  But for better or worse, change is inevitable.  We may not see it.  We may not perceive it.  We may think that we’ll just go on with life and living like we always have.  And there are times when we can “disable” some change like I disabled Microsoft Co-Pilot.  My disabling the app, however, doesn’t mean that it no longer exists.  It’s still there on my laptop.  And it, along with other artificial intelligence applications, are spreading like a virus…pardon the expression…into the world scene regardless of whether I use it to help me write or not.

 I’ll close this by going to a place where I’ve gone before…God and his unchangeable nature.  “I am the Lord,” God says.  “I do not change.”  The Psalmist says, “You remain the same; your years will never end.”  In the face of change…whether that change is swift and easily seen, or whether that change takes thousands of years to detect, God remains the same.

 If you’re anything like Archie Bunker, you’ll appreciate the unchanging nature of God.  You can rest assured that what He is, says, and does today has always been, and will always continue to be…the same.  And that means that his promises, his love, his justice, his mercy, his kindness, his purity, his goodness…always have, are, and will be…the same.

 May God bless you with his unfailing and unchanging love in this time of sometimes radical and incredible change.

Outside Beauty

 Good afternoon, and welcome to this, a Friday edition of the Thursday Thought.  That may at first sound a little strange, but I didn't have a chance to write or record the thought yesterday...so am doing it now.

This week was the week of the big snow in South Central Kansas.  Last weekend we received over three and a half inches of ice and snow.  Yesterday, Thursday, we received another six inches or so of the white stuff.  It's like another world out there.  Sights like this in the Wichita area are all too infrequent, although I'm sure there are many who would rather not have to deal with any of it.

We lost power at our place last Sunday morning, but only for an hour and a half or so.  Others weren't so fortunate and were off for several hours.  We were otherwise fine and comfortable just being in the house for the weekend, and for part of the day on Monday.  I did venture out to work Monday if for no other reason than to check up on the church building to be sure all was OK there, as we didn't have services Sunday and the heat was on, but was set minimally at 50 degrees.  It was cold and windy that weekend, and I wanted to be sure things were OK.  They were.

I stayed for a couple of hours and did some work in the office.  In that time there were two unhoused gentlemen who came to the door at different times.  One who we know as Rocky, needed a few snack items and to warm up a bit.  I let him in, got him some snacks, asked if he needed anything else, and he went on his way.  He had what seemed to be a good amount of clothing and coats on, and looked to be OK.

The second gentleman who I didn't know also needed some snacks.  Normally, we don't hand out food from the office door, but because of the weather and my not thinking to put food into the Paxton's Blessing Box outside the door, I got him some things as well.  I also invited him in to warm up a bit.  He too seemed to be in good shape and had good clothing.

I have a background in emergency health care and did quick assessments of each of them while they were inside because of the cold.  I didn't want to send them back out if they were suffering from the cold...but each of them seemed OK and denied having any issues with the cold when I asked.

After they left, I put food into the blessing box along with a pair of gloves and some hand warmers and water.  That was gone before long, so I refilled it before I left the office.  Much of the time, the things we put into the box don't stay there very long.  They generally are taken by the next unhoused person who comes by and looks into the box.  We can't obviously fill the box except during times when we are at the office, so it goes empty much of the time.  Our office hours are approximately 9am to 4pm five days a week, but can vary depending on other responsibilities we may have away from the office, the weather conditions, or some other reason.

Putting a lot of food in the box doesn't help because the next person who comes by will empty the box whether it has a lot or a little in it.  I get it because their next meal may well not be assured, so they take what is there in order to have maybe two or three meals ahead.  However, we normally put only enough in there for just one meal so more can take advantage of the limited amount of food we have available to give.

The Thursday snowfall was much different from the one last weekend.  The Thursday snow was wetter and came down with virtually no wind to blow it around.  Everything is covered, and the temperatures outside today are at about freezing, so kids can go outside in the sun and somewhat milder air and enjoy the snow.  It is these kinds of snow days that don't come often enough.  Much of our winter snows are accompanied by ice, or wind, or bitter cold.  This one, however, was just right.

Not much else is going on at the Plank home this week.  My thoughts are centered on nature, the beauty of the snows and the pleasure of watching the various kinds of birds attack the bird feeder on our deck.  The occasional squirrel manages to sneak some sunflower seeds and peanuts as well.  Lots of juncos, cardinals, bluejays, and several sparrows, usually the harris sparrows, along with titmice, black capped chickadees, sometimes a red bellied woodpecker, and even once in awhile I think I've seen a house finch or two.  There are also a few doves that come in, chase everyone else away, and just seem to park there eating.  I let them stay awhile, then chase them away to give others a chance.

May your weekend be safe, pleasant, and enjoyable, and above all, may we all glorify God and praise Him for the beauty that is ours to behold outside.

 

Blessings.

The New Year

 Good morning, and welcome to the last Thursday Thought of 2024.

 This year has been for many of us a sort of a mixed bag, if you will.  I’m not certain I’ve experienced a year quite like this one was, and you may well be feeling the same way.  And those I visit with about the year consistently tell me that the year has been an unusual one for them, to say the least.

In the political realm, for diehard Democrats, the year is one of disappointment yet again and a wondering about where things went south.  For diehard Republicans, the year proved to be one of pleasant surprises.  For the majority of us who are in the middle, the year was one that was interesting to say the least, and only solidified our determination to stay above the morass of political fussing and fighting.

In other societal news, mass shootings continue virtually unabated.  Homelessness has been brought front-and-center to the collective societal conscience.  Terror, wars, and all kinds of mayhem continue in the world.  We continue as a nation, both government and families, to spend more than we receive.

And yet even with all of the negative, the good, the right, and the lovely continue to shine through the darkness in the lives of countless millions who expend their time and treasure to make their corners of the world better for their having been there.  One can rather easily cut through the muck and find their stories…stories of generosity, grace, and love for one’s neighbor.  Stories that make the muck and mire so much the more despised…and the desire for gentleness, goodness, and generosity in this world so much more intense.

Many of us have experienced the loss of a friend or loved one this year.  Some of us have gone through…or continue to go through…painful family issues.  Some have fallen on hard times and difficult circumstances.  Others of us who have largely escaped such things still cry out on behalf of our friends and loved ones who have succumbed to tragedy and loss.  We hear and participate in a collective sighing and groaning for relief, whether we have been personally affected by grief and loss or not.

On the other side of things, some of us have welcomed new life into the world.  Some of us have spoken vows of fidelity to another.  Some of us have made a commitment to be a Christ follower.  Some have gotten new jobs or have graduated from school.  Maybe we were able to take that once-in-a-lifetime vacation this year, or finally see and reconnect with a long-lost relative or friend.  We may have been able to remodel the kitchen or buy new transportation.

One thing, regardless of our experiences this year…one thing is certain…things never stay the same.  Change is constant and inevitable.  Oh, it may seem like things are now just as they were a year ago, but that isn’t true, and we all know it.

Archie Bunker of All In The Family…a television sitcom of some years ago, once said, “I like change better when everything stays the same.”  In a way, we all have experienced the desire that time stand still.  However, the endless carefree summers of childhoods of long ago have given way to adulthood and the continued responsibilities and problems that come with that.  Older age brings on the issues of health and wellness, relevance and for some of older age, loneliness and the emotions which accompany that reality.

I hope I’ve not been too dismal in this post.  The reality is, however, that we don’t always experience rainbows and unicorns in our lives.  They do come our way from time to time, but it’s a mixed bag for virtually all of us this year as it is every year.  For those of us who are Christians and are Christ-followers, this mixed bag of life and living is not all there is, and is not the end of things.  For we believe there is a better place that is being prepared for us by Jesus Christ himself.  A place where there is no dismal news.  A place where loneliness is not.  A place where there will be no more loss…no more pain…no more war.  We look forward to that day and say along with the one who wrote the Revelation, “Surely I come quickly.  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”  That…that is our hope and our future.

So, as we go into the year 2025 (I can’t believe I’m even saying that year, let alone entering into it), we understand that it too will be a mixed bag…a mixed bag of blessing and heartache.  And we look to the unchanging God of the universe as our anchor in the uncertainty of this life.  May God bless you as you look to Him in this new year.

A Christmas Thought

 Twenty years ago, I was in the final days of my tenure as the CEO at the Logan County Hospital in Oakley, Kansas.  The hospital board decided to not renew my contract for another year, and we would soon be on our way to Topeka, where we had found work.

 During our time in Oakley, I was invited by John Montgomery, editor of the Hays Daily News, which at that time was circulating throughout northwest Kansas, to write a twice-monthly opinion column for the News on life in that part of the state.  The specific topics were mine to choose, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity.

 One of my last columns came during the Christmas holidays.  In it, I bent into the realm of faith and the Christmas season.  The column is as pertinent today as it was twenty years ago.  The rest of this thought is that column which was published in The News.

 “Tis the season to be jolly!  Fa la la la la la la la la”.  I suppose these words are very familiar to you, as they’re from the Christmas tune, Deck the Halls.  But if your take on the season is the same as that of Lucy Van Pelt in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, you’ll relate very well to her as she says, “I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that.”

 The unfortunate thing is that many in our society feel the same way.  Instead of a time for joy, it’s a time for depression.  Instead of a time of contentment, it’s a time of greed.  Instead of a time fulfillment, it’s a time of unfulfilled (and unfulfillable) expectations.  We go through the motions, succumb to the commercial temptations, break our necks to have the perfect holiday celebration, and put on the best show we know how, only to find that something is terribly wrong.  We have not found what we’re looking for.  We’re not even close.  And instead of sitting back and taking stock, we pedal even faster, so to speak, in the futile hope that somehow things will be different this time.

 In the TV program “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Charlie Brown, exasperated, tired, and harried because of the antics of the others at a Christmas play practice, shouts out to anyone who will listen,  “Isn't there anyone out there who can tell me what Christmas is all about?”

And Linus Van Pelt, Lucy’s little brother, takes center stage and says,  “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you.  Lights, please. (A spotlight shines on Linus.)”  Linus goes on…

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you this day is born in the City of Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men'. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

 It is interesting to note that Linus, forever dependent on his security blanket, lets go of it when he quotes  “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.”  There’s great meaning in that action that Charles Schultz wrote into the script of the show.  Because Immanuel was born on that night so long ago, we no longer need to fear, and we no longer need our security blankets, whatever they may be for us.  And you well know what they are…getting lots of presents, having the approval of others, shopping and spending money (yes, that’s a huge security blanket for many), having the latest and greatest gadgets, and putting on the Ritz in front of others, pretending we’re all together when we’re really falling apart.  We no longer need our security blankets if we truly understand what St. Luke (and Linus) was trying to tell us.

 You know, maybe it’s time for a little less “Deck the Halls” and a little less “tis the season to be jolly”, and a little more quiet reflection and understanding on just what this time of year really means to us.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re Christian or not.  Even atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Jews and others believe that Jesus of Nazareth is a historical figure; that he did roam the earth 2,000 years ago; that he was the greatest of teachers, and that he did die by crucifixion at the hands of the Romans.

 The question is, what are you going to do with Jesus?  And what are you going to do with the time the world has set aside to honor him?  You can choose to ignore Jesus, do nothing and go merrily on your way.  You can choose to honor Jesus as a good man and great teacher.  Or you can choose to worship Jesus as God Incarnate.  But you have to do something.  You have to choose something.

 If Christmas isn’t what you want it to be, maybe you need to choose something different than what you’ve chosen in the past.  Maybe you need to take another look at this man Jesus.  Maybe you need to get a new perspective on him and what he has to offer to you.  Maybe you need to truly understand, as did Charles Schultz and Linus, what Christmas is all about.

Open Your Eyes...

 Sometimes, when one is rocking along in life with things seeming to be pretty well coming together, God decides to give a wake-up call.  For me, that call was this week.  No, it wasn’t anything tragic or disastrous.  It was just a round of gastritis that put me down for a couple of days.

If you’ve ever had the “24 hour bug,” as many call it, you know what I’m talking about.  For a time you’re pretty much out of circulation, except for trips to the bathroom.  You sleep a lot and at times wonder if you’d be better off just going ahead and croaking right then and there.  It doesn’t last long, and recovery is usually rather quick.  But during the time of disability, it’s a whole ‘nuther thing.

As I was in both the disability and recovery from “the bug,” I noticed some of the things that Pat did for me as I was down.  She did everything from turning down the bed for me to replacing the toilet paper roll.  She kept the house going and checked in on me from time to time.  She fixed chicken and noodles for me when I was able to eat again, and bought some 7-up, which I like to have on hand for times like this.  In short, I was well cared for.

I had to wonder what it would have been like had no one been around to help with those things and the many other things she did to keep things going.  It’s been a long time since I had been ill with no one else in the house to look after me.  Oh, I would surely have survived with no one else there.  But it was so much better having someone who cared…someone who knew what to do…someone who was willing, able, and ready to help in whatever way she could.

And it was even better that the someone who was there was someone I had known for decades…someone who knew me inside and out…someone who I truly enjoy being with in times of health as well as times of illness.  I’m truly appreciative of this good woman who looks after me…and not only me, but many others in both of our families as well as our church family.

Just today she’s going to Hays to pick up grand Rachel from school.  She’s doing this to save Rachel’s mom from taking an afternoon to do that, and also to have some Grandma/Grandkid time with her.  She’s purchased Christmas for who knows who in the family, decorated our live tree, and always seems to quietly be able to do the right thing in varied situations.  Maybe it’s the nurse in her that gives her that ability…I don’t know.

I don’t know what your situation in life is right now.  But I do know this.  People need other people.  All you have to do is look around for a minute or two and you’ll find someone…family member…friend…next door neighbor…church member…who may well need something you have.  And I’m not talking about money.  I’m speaking of your time, your energy, your compassion, and your love.  All you may have to do is take a few minutes and listen.  Or you may need to help out in some tangible way with some difficulty that person is facing.  You may be asked for advice.  Or you might just need to be there, quietly, being present.

This Christmas season, open your eyes to the possibility…no, the probability…that your services are needed by someone within your view.  Helping someone else without expectation of something in return is one of the most gratifying things you will ever do.  And it will be a great demonstration of the first and greatest commandment, which is actually two put together.  Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

 Blessings,

Our Future

 Good afternoon, and welcome.

 Today, the wife and I attended the final chapel of the semester at Friends University here in Wichita.  We normally don’t attend those chapel services, which are held weekly.  We aren’t alumni, nor do we have any other connection to the university.  However, the final chapel service of the fall semester is an advent devotional, with the music provided by the Singing Quakers.  In the event you aren’t familiar with the Singing Quakers, they are a first class choir with a rich history.  They are truly a “class act,” if you’ll excuse that expression.

 Today was no exception.  With a mix of Bible reading, songs by the choir, and traditional carols sung by the audience, the thirty five or so minutes we were there was uplifting and fulfilling for me.  As I said, we have no other connections to the university, but truly enjoy this last chapel of the fall semester, as the choir and others put a lot of thought and work into this service.  We are grateful they open it to the public.

 But, there’s another reason why I like to go to events such as this.  As these young adults are singing and conducting the chapel service, I like to look at their faces and imagine something about their daily lives.  I think back to when I was about that age…what I was thinking and doing about then.

 I also think about the fact that some of these people may live to see the turn of the next century, or at the last live to see the final decades of this century.  These are also the people who will…and already are…helping shape society, government, education, and in fact the state of the world today.  These are the people who will be the decision-makers and movers of society.  These are the people who will bring humanity into the next decades.

 I don’t know any of these young adults.  However, as I look out on them, I am comforted to know that there are people of faith, of good will, and of good moral character in the world.  These are people of intelligence, drive and ambition, but also people who know what it means to love one’s neighbor.

 Now, I don’t pretend to believe that every last young adult I see in these chapel services are like who I just described.  Some will fail.  Some will be law breakers.  Some suffer from an intractable mental illness.  Others will somehow go off the deep end…so to speak…in later years.  I know that.  But I also know that there are plenty of these people who are just like I described…intelligent, driven, humane, humble, and loving.  And it brings me comfort as an older adult to know that the world may well NOT go to hell in a handbasket because of many of these ordinary individuals who come together in common cause and yes, in love for one-another…to do the right thing in the right way at the right time for the right reason.

 These people are our future.  And from the looks of it, what a bright future it appears to be.

Holiday Celebrations

 Good morning and thanks for listening to this Thursday Thought, which is being sent out on Wednesday, as tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.

 These holidays always are a tug of emotions for me.  As an adult, I never really went overboard in celebrating any holiday, and still don’t.  However, these days always bring back an ocean of memories of holidays past as a child and teen, along with a certain melancholy feeling that refuses to go away.  Maybe that’s the reason I don’t go “all in,” so to speak in celebrating these days.

 Those past memories are always pleasant.  We never had family quarrels or other such issues during the holidays; many times it was quite the opposite.  As a child, I was able to reconnect with both sides of the family…aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on.  There was plenty of conversation, plenty of food, games and just general togetherness.  I enjoyed listening to the adults in their conversations catching up on what was happening in their lives, and I enjoyed hanging out with cousins.

 As for that melancholy feeling, well, I suppose it has to do with those pleasant memories and the truth that those times with those people will never come around again.  Oh, I know we continue to gather together as family during these holiday times, and it is truly a joy to be with siblings, nieces, nephews, and grands.  But there was something about those times long ago…those times when families would pile into a 1960 Chevy and drive a thousand miles over two-lane roads to be with their loved ones for a few days.  Or maybe they would catch the train from Oregon and someone in the Kansas family would pick them up at the station.  We’d find accommodations for them in one of our homes and the next several days would be days of re-connection, good food, good conversation, and pleasant dreams.

 As a young single adult, I worked at a job which required me to pull shifts on most holidays.  Those days quickly became just another day at work, and I lost much of the, shall we say “magic” of the holidays.  I think that experience has carried over many decades later in my not being especially excited about any of the holidays.  Yes, I participate.  Yes, I am happy to be with loved ones.  Yes, I think about the meaning of the holidays.  But in all seriousness, most holidays could come and go and just let me go on with my day.

I’m reminded of what Paul the apostle said about holidays.  In Romans 14, Paul is talking about passing judgment on others for what they may or may not do.  One of those things is the celebration of certain “days,” or holidays.  These days were many times connected to a religious practice or faith.  He said this to those who were reading this letter:  “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike.  Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

Not all of us are in a giddy frame of mind, excited for the coming of the holiday season.  Some of us celebrate the days, but do so in more of a contemplative way.  Some of us have to work those days and can’t celebrate in any meaningful way.  Others of us really enjoy the days, and go “all in” to celebrate.  We make special plans to be with family and friends.

However it is that you think of and celebrate the holidays, know that it’s OK.  You are unique.  You have a unique personality, a unique world view; a unique outlook on life and living.  How you choose to celebrate the holidays…or not…is a choice that should be yours to make.  I would urge you, however, to take part in the upcoming holiday season in some way that is meaningful to you and provides you with pleasant thoughts and activities.  The world is in such a state that humans of good will need times to consider the good, the right, and the lovely.

As my best childhood friend Karl Detweiler said during this holiday season several years ago as he battled stage four cancer,  “Don’t forget the One to whom we all are to be thankful.  If we have a warm place to sleep, live in a part of the world without war, and have clean drinking water, we are among the very top of the richest people in the world.  May we all live with gratitude for what we have been given.”

 Blessings,

Down & Dirty

 Good morning, and welcome!

Some time ago, my friend, writer Kendra Broekhuis, started a monthly email publication called “Present Tense.”  In it she speaks of various aspects of life and living as a sort of tension…the tension between right and wrong.  Saying something and not saying something.  Doing this or doing that.  Going here or going there.  You get the idea.

In one of those emails some months ago, Kendra, who lives with her husband and family across the street from the school where Collin, her husband, teaches, told about an encounter with a neighbor.  Kendra and her family live in a part of the city where many would prefer to NOT be living.  They purposely are living there, not only because of the proximity to Collin’s work, but in order to live out lives of faith in a community desperately longing for hope and promise.

I will be quoting her as she tells the story.

A man was staying in the vacant home next door to us that his father owns, trying to detox from the hard drugs he’s addicted to.

One thing I learned during his stay was that while many ministries in the city offer rehab support for people trying to get sober, many also require you to be completely detoxed from all substances—even ones meant to keep you off other drugs—before they can get support.  I read more about detoxing and was humbled to discover just how brutal it is.  

Whatever pleasurable effect a drug has on the body, quitting that drug has the reverse effect.  For example, heroin offers a high mood, decreased anxiety, and insensitivity to pain.  While someone is detoxing from heroin, their withdraw symptoms will give them a low mood, extreme pain and anxiety.

To put it lightly, this was horrific for our neighbor.  It seemed like he was either out of his mind from the drugs or out of his mind from the pain of being off the drugs, and the sound effects went on next door for weeks and weeks, at all hours.

In the middle of one night, he was outside making a lot of disruptive noise and other erratic behaviors.  We tried to coax him back inside, asking him to let us take him to a detox facility where he could get more help through the process.  He wasn’t hearing us on multiple levels, but before he wandered away, he looked at my husband and said:

“Tell me you love me, Collin.”

I looked at my husband with wide eyes, shocked by our neighbor’s request. Did this man know what he was asking for?  More importantly, who he was asking it from?  My husband—who’s forever loyal to his commitments—still shrinks away from I love yous and hugs that aren’t from his wife and kids.

Collin tried dodging the request twice; the reasons could be many. But then he looked back at our neighbor and said, “I love you.”

The next day, our neighbor’s dad took him to a detox center.

This is Jay again.  I told you Kendra’s story to ask you what you would have done in that situation?  First, would you have placed yourself and your family in a neighborhood such as that?  Second, would you have tried to help your neighbor in the situation he was in, outside in the middle of the night disrupting the neighborhood?

And finally, if you would have answered “Yes,” to the above questions, how would you have responded to your neighbor wanting you to say that you loved him?

You know, it’s relatively easy to say, “I love you,” to our spouses, children, and even relatives and close friends.  And it’s relatively easy to provide some kind of help if called upon.   It’s quite another to truly love, provide help that makes one get into the dirt and mud along with the other person, and say as well as demonstrate that you love someone in the throes of incredible difficulty, sinful living, poor decision-making, and a checkered history. 

Life is messy.  Sometimes, in order to truly help…in order to truly be the salt and light that Jesus asked his followers to be, you have to step into that mess with someone.  You have to get dirty, into the gritty part of that person’s life, in order to help with the clean-up. 

May you not be hesitant to get into someone else's "mess" in order to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ as you continue to discover what it means to "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Blessings

 

 

 

Your Response to the Election

 Good morning, and welcome!

Today is bright and sunny outside, a Good morning change from the past several days of clouds and rain.  Welcome clouds and rain, I might say.  We’ve been dry for quite some time in this neck of the woods, and the days of rain, thunder, drizzle, and clouds was very welcome.  And, as I understand it, we can look forward to more of the same in the coming days.

The election is over.  Races have been won and lost.  People are ecstatic and people are depressed.  Some are welcoming in a new golden age.  Others are prophesying the end of the world as we know it.  But many are neither ecstatic or depressed.  For many of us, it’s just another event in history…a temporary blip on the screen.

You may wonder why, if you’re one of the ecstatic or depressed people, anyone could look at the results of the election, whether on the national or local level, and consider it to be just a blip on the screen.  Is it because we don’t care?  Is it because we’re ignorant of the issues of the day?  Is it because we are hermits, out of touch with society?

The answer to all of those questions is, “No.”  We do care.  We are certainly aware of world and local events of the day.  And, we have no desire to isolate ourselves from the greater society.  We are, however, aware of something much greater than the election results or the world situation.  We know who is in charge of things.  We know who it is who orchestrates human events.  We know what the ultimate end of things will be.

As Christians, we are keenly aware of several things said in the holy writings about governments and who is indeed in charge of things.  Listen to what Paul the great apostle said about government and the authorities.  And remember, Paul was living under the Roman occupation when he wrote this.  This comes from the letter called Romans, chapter 13.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good.  But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason.  They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.  Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

Another apostle, Peter, says this in I Peter chapter 2.  Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.  For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.  Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

And finally, let’s look at some Old Testament passages…some of which occurred during the time Israel was being held captive by Babylon.

In this passage in Proverbs, God calls himself Wisdom and says this:  I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;  I possess knowledge and discretion.  Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power.  By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth.

Daniel, when he was interpreting the King’s dream, said this about God:  Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.  He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.

When Jesus was before Pilate before his crucifixion, a conversation ensued between him and Pilate.  Here is part of that conversation:

Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

One difficulty in fully believing these verses regarding God’s role in establishing governments and authority is that we don’t understand why God would place this particular person in authority or why God would institute this particular government.  And because we don’t understand why, we have a difficult time believing that God would do such a thing.

Why would God allow Joseph Stalin to seize power in Russia in the 1900’s?  Why would God allow Adolph Hitler to come to power?  Why would God establish the North Korean government that presently exists?  Why would God place Mr. Biden or Mr. Trump or Mr. Obama or Mr. Bush into the presidency?  And we can go on and on with our questions which for us have no answer.  We don’t get it.  We don’t understand it.  We can’t bring ourselves around to admit that what the Bible says about God establishing governments is real and truth.

Well, I have no answers either.  But I do have this:  From Isaiah chapter 55…this is God speaking here:  My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

So, believing this and having an understanding that we will not know the why…and resting on the truth that God really knows what he’s doing, what is our job?  What is our responsibility as Christians?  In sum, I think it is this:

Paul says in the Ephesian letter, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

At least one of our responsibilities as Christians is to settle down and do those good works God has prepared for us.  It is NOT to obsess over the election results.  It is NOT to broadcast the end of the world as we know it.  It is to quietly and without fanfare live our daily lives, expanding the kingdom, relieving suffering, raising families, and worshipping the only God.   May God bless you as you seek to do His will.