Run In With The Law

I got pulled over one day by the cops. Flashing blue lights in my rear view mirror, I in a daze of confusion pulled to the side. The officer approached and asked if I knew why I was being pulled over. “No Sir.” I replied nervously. “Do you know how fast you were driving?” he asked. “Yes sir, I was going 45 mph.” I said timidly. “Well, it is 45 about four miles back but it changes to 35 about ¼ of a mile back.” He informed me. “I am sorry sir, I had no idea I must have missed the sign.” I replied. I handed him my driver licenses, insurance information, and registration. He slowly returned to his car and after a long wait returned with what I presumed was a ticket. He proceed to give me a lecture about: ignorance of the law is not a legal defense or excuse, how I needed to pay more attention, and that since the fact I didn’t slow down when I passed him, I must not have known the correct speed limit. He then handed me a warning because my intent was to obey the law. Every time I traveled down that street, I was very conscious of my speed, I even told my friends about my run it with the cops, and reminded them that the speed limit changes from 45mph to 35 mph.
The religious leaders had derived 613 commandments from God out of the Pentateuch or the five books of the Law. Two hundred and forty-eight of them were prescriptive or things that God told them to do. Three hundred and sixty-five of them were prohibitive or things that God forbade them to do. Six hundred and thirteen laws in totality, each one of them carrying the truth of a divine imperative, each one of them are carrying the authority of a divinely appointed leader “Moses” each one of them having the historic sanction of religious tradition and the full endorsement of the faith community. That is too much for me to remember so Jesus broke it down to just two. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul and love your neighbor as your self. Sometimes it is easier to love others than love ourselves. Depression, low self esteem, insecurities, doubt, reservations, illness and mistrust all hinder us from truly loving ourselves. It can keep us from viewing ourselves as God created us. It robs us from our full potential as God’s children. Other times it is easier to love yourself than love others. Arrogance, pride, self gratification, selfishness, egotism, and even busyness can keep us distracted from loving others. It hinders our ability to love, serve, and help other children of Gods. Maybe the mission of the church is to help all of us to work on both: loving ourselves and others. This is not new news but a reminder, a warning of such, to slow down and recall Jesus’ two.
See you in church but until then love of yourself and one another.
Shalom,

Tommy

What Belongs to God?

The political campaigns are in full swing. The candidates are beginning that big push to the end. November 4th is in sight and advertising, debating, stumping is at full throttle. You can not go an hour without someone or something reminding or suggesting to you to whom to place your vote. The thing that is unsettling is the fact that each candidate uses fear and trust to win your vote. The basic ingredient in our decision to vote comes down to fear and trust. Do you trust this person? Do you fear your future if this person is elected? Through all the rhetoric this is the two core values we are looking for in the leaders of our government. Fear and trust seem to drive our decision and feelings of hope for the future. During this time we have also been bombarded by issues of the economy. Experts are all over the news media telling us how bad is it, how the future looks hideous, and we are in desperate times. We hear words like Bailout, tax plans, and economic relief. We are flooded with news of Acorn, voter fraud, and disenfranchised. Each story is again more innuendoes of trust and fear.
Jesus was confronted by the chief priest and Pharisee’s when asked should one pay taxes. Their intention was to trap him by this trick question. If Jesus said no he was in violation of the law. He could be arrested for treason against Caesar. If he said yes then he would be labeled as one who was loyal to government not God or the church. Jesus answer was simple and brilliant. He asked for a coin. Asked who picture was one it. And said if Caesar picture was on it, it must belong to him, so give back to Caesar what is his and give God what is God’s. So what do we have that is God’s? If money doesn’t matter to God, why is it so important issues in elections? Does God care who is president?
When I think about my personal inventory and search for things to give to God I have along list. I can give to God: my time, my talents, my joy, my devotion, my soul, my words, my actions, my compassion, my service, my grace, my identity, unity with others, my integrity, and last on my list my money. When I look at my list am I giving all I can to God. Not really, as I have much more to give. I give by giving the things on my list to others. When I begin to give to God what is God’s, I ironically find the things that are driving the campaigns. I begin to place my trust in God and God removes all fear from my life. I can trust that God will take care of me and my family, which removes fear from my future. I find hope, peace, and joy from my investment of God. I begin to value myself as God values me. What Belongs to God? All of ME…

Shalom,

Tommy

Excuses to avoid A Wedding

Weddings are strange occasions. I have performed many weddings, attended many weddings, and honestly enough avoided many weddings. The wedding ceremony is intended to a beautiful worship experience, a time when love had called a couple to join together in the presence of God, and make vows to each other, and to God to love each other to the fullest. It is to be a joyous event for the whole community when two families are joined together. It is awesome when God is put first in the wedding ceremony.
But that is only in theory.
Here is the reality of most weddings: The parents of the couple are stressed out. Maybe it’s the cost, planning, or disagreements over control of the whole affair. The bride has had a dream of this day in her head her entire life. The groom rather attend a sporting event with his buddies. The wedding party usually is made up of friends of the bride and groom who owe them a favor. They are dresses up in outfits they would normally not pick out themselves. There is usually some kind of conflict of who actually will and who will not be in the wedding party. Most weddings determined by the look on the faces of the wedding party there is always one that looks like they would rather be anywhere else but there. The day of the wedding is stressful as the women work hard to look their best and the men work hard on entertaining themselves while they endure. Always one piece of clothing is usually left behind or no longer fits. One family is also concerned about that one family member who might show up. That one family member that usually has one too many and embarrasses all. As I perform each wedding and look out over those that are gathered I can actually hear what is going on in their minds. The women are critiquing the fashion, the decorations, and the flow of the service. They are comparing and contrasting it to every wedding they have attended, will attend or plan on their own. The men are just wondering how much long is this going to take and wondering what they are going to serve at the reception. Parents are both filled with joy and sadness. Joy that their children have found true love, sadness that they have grown up, moved on and matured. Sometimes the joy and sadness are reversed for exactly the same reasons. Weddings full of emotions, nervousness, and anxiety. No too are the same and they are no indications on the strength, happiness, or longevity of the couple relationship. Weddings are the weirdest events of human rituals and Jesus uses it to tells us a parable about the God’s kingdom.

Matthew places this story right after Jesus has thrown out the money changers in the temple. Jesus has gathered at the house of the richest Pharisee, with many people gathered round listening attentively to his every word. The parable is about a King who has a wedding reception for his son’s wedding. He invites the guest, they do not come. He sends the servants again to invite, the invitees kill the servants. In anger the King kills everyone and burns down the city. When everything is ready he sends his servants to the streets and invited anyone and everyone. The hall was filled the celebration under way. The King enters and notices one person is not dressed for the occasion. He instructs his servants to kick him out, and Jesus says, many are called but few are chosen. That’s a bummer of a wedding.
What was Jesus trying so hard to teach all that have heard this parable?
It seems to get more complicated as we look closer. Although the original invited guest were to merely just show up the second group were welcome but had somewhat higher expectations. Every guest off the street was welcome, but they were expected to be prepared, dressed, and changed for the banquet. In other words, there was an expectation of change from the time the new guests were picked off the street to the time they came into the presence of the king.
For us that seems strange in the context and customs of our weddings today. Remember in Jesus time weddings lasted weeks not hours. People were told about the wedding and invited on one visit. When everything was cooked, prepared, and ready to serve, they would be invited again to come. It was expected as guest to be ready to go, when the second invitation arrived.
It is clear that Jesus was speaking about the Pharisee’s as the first guest. Those that would reject him, murder him when He comes to invite them to salvation. But what concerns us are the second set of guest. That is us, you and I. We have been invited as Christian, I believe that God meets us wherever we are, and desires our presence in the kingdom no matter our pedigree or background. As a matter of fact, we had the phrase “come as you are leaved changed” as the invitation on everything we printed at our church. It was Christ invitation that we accepted everyone as they were; all they had to do was show up and plug in. If they showed up God would be the one to transform their life.
Come as we are. God wants us however we are.

But we all have excuses don’t we. We have many excuses on why we can not attend the banquet. I don’t have enough time. Church does not fit into my schedule. I am too tried on Sunday mornings or Wednesdays evening. I’m too old. I’m too young. You don’t offer anything for young people, old people, rich people, poor people, all churches want is your money, have you heard how bad the economy is? I be there next week, I have to get back into the habit? I have a new boyfriend or girlfriend and they are Catholic. People there are not friendly or welcoming. I work all week. The kids have soccer, baseball, basketball, softball, swimming. I don’t have the energy. My teens are really busy; they have a lot of things going on. Excuses, that what they are. Excuses, we all have them, creative of not. Jesus tells us we are invited and to invite others. When in the presence of the king, we should be changed. Yes, God wants us as we are imperfect sinners in an imperfect world. When we accept the invitation, however, there are some things that we need to change to prepare ourselves for God’s presence. We can all have excuses on not accepting the invitation of the king, or we can show up off the streets as we are prepared to be transformed, or we can give our excuses on how to avoid the wedding. Jesus gave no excuse to avoid that day on the cross. The choice is ours. Amen.

From My Window

I once had an office on the second floor of the church. One spring day I noticed some leaves and branches sitting on the ledge of my window. Perplexed I was about to brush them off, when the next day I noticed a bird was building her nest. My first reaction was to destroy it. Remember I don’t like birds; I categorize them with weird clowns and Brussels sprouts. But something deep inside me told me to stop. I watched daily as she methodically built her nest and laid her eggs. Each day when I can in my office I would check on her. When it stormed I found myself wondering about her safety. When the wind blew hard, I worried if the babies were alright. I witnessed her feeding, tending, and taking care of the little babies until one day they were big enough to fly off on their own. I realized I got an up close seat to witness nature just as God intended. I was an observer of the balance miraculous circle of life that most people miss. It was an awesome thing to be a part of even if I was only a bystander. Long after the babies flew off and the mother left the nest, I kept the nest untouched on the ledge. As people would enter my office and notice this pile of leaves and sticks, all would suggest I needed to clean off my window. I realized that they did not get to witness what I saw. They only viewed the pile of trash. I was the only one that saw God’s creation and circle of life because I viewed it each day I was in my office. For me it was a reminder of God’s activity in all of life, everyone else saw a pile of trash.

I also have realized the same hold true in our church. I get the awesome privilege each day to see God working in the lives of people in our church. I get to hear statements like “what are YOU going to do” be transformed by the Holy Spirit into “what are WE going to do.” Most of Gods work goes unnoticed by most because they do not get to look out my window. I get the sacred opportunity to meet people at their bedside, homes, or my office, and hear their prayers. I catch sight of their pain, frustration, and struggles. I get to see God’s healing in lives of people but because of trust and confidentiality I can not speak about them. I get to experience how scripture can play a prophetic voice to sermons and things that happen around us. The way the Holy Spirit moves us, how God is transforming us, and how Christ is influencing the lives of people in our church are intangible facts or data. They are not numbers, or something we can add up to find a sum, an answer, or hard data. They are the reflection of Christ in the lives of us. I forget that most of the time most of the individuals of our faith community are not there on Sunday evenings to feel the energy of CYRCLE, hear the prayers and concerns of our Elders, work weekly with the Visioning ministry team, see kid’s playing soccer with FCC on their uniforms, or witness God’s physical healing on people. There are many more to list, but God is doing miracles in our community, the fire of the Holy Spirit is burning brighter, and Christ love is exhibit even if EVERYONE is not their to observe it themselves. All they see is a pile of trash on a window sill; I am reminded of God’s active in His creation, that’s something to think about.

Peace & Grace,

Tommy

Drying Out

The more I experience self awareness and observe people the more I am convinced we live in a desert. I don’t mean a global warming issue, weather patterns, or melting ice caps, but a society that is drying up. The desert is a dry baron land that life is reduced to pure survival. Politicians running office shout the theme of change but revert to the same method of politics. Advertising bombards us with messages that we need products, services, and goods that make us fill better about ourselves. Economics experts give us not so beautiful scenery for the future. We are drying up on life, creativity, adventure, and hope. So where is God?

The desert has always provided a vital setting though out the Bible. The Israelites wondered in the desert before God brought them into the promise land. Jesus was taken to the desert by the Holy Spirit in order to be tempted by Satan. In the desert everyone is exposed, unprotected, and vulnerable. It is not a pleasant place to be. It causes every individual to be tested, battered, and pushed to the limit. Being in the desert exposes our true character and personality to all around us. While we are in the desert, we desperately need to feel and see the tangible evidence that God is with us. We need the reassurance that God has not forgotten about us. The Israelites were thirsty, complained to Moses, then to God. The desperately wanted the commodity of water to replace their thirsty. The commodity when delivered seems to replace their need for the presences of God. What commodities do we replace for the need of Gods presences in our lives? In our advertising it is the "commodity" that becomes the substitute for God and provides the answer, whether it is the answer to loneliness, depression, popularity, joy well being etc. Maybe we would not be drying out if we separated the commodity for the company of Christ in our lives. Christ tells us that when we drink from His water, our thirst is forever eliminated, and we will realize exactly the content of our character. That’s something to think about.

Forgetful Memory

I have come to the realization that I have a forgetful memory. It is not that uncommon really. I can recall in great detail experiences, moments, and situations that I have lived through in my life. I seem to forget the impact or the emotional impact on each event. It seems time erases memories from us. My memories of my younger athleticism do not perhaps match the reality of the impact of the player I was on the court. My band was almost certainly not as well-known as I want to remember. But that is fine. We as a society do the same. When we as a nation paused last week to remember the tragic events of 9-11, we quickly forget the outpouring of patriotism, unity, compassion, and a need to serve others. Same can be said of other such tragic events as the Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine, and Katrina. As time passes we tend to misplace our focus and energy.

Sometimes we are tempted to live in the past and think that those good old days were better than anything that is going on now or anything that might come in the future. We tend to falsify the past. Not intentionally, but because of our human psyche. The Israelites had the same problem. When faced with the difficulty of passing through the desert after being freed they forgot what it was like to be in bondage. They even complained to God that they were better off. They boasted to God that they had more food and better food while being slaves. This was not true. But God listened to their pleas and granted them the food they requested. It is a reminder that God’s goodness, compassion, and ability to provide for us transcend in spite of our memory defects. We like to cling to what is familiar, comfortable, and predictable but that does not prepare us for the future. The promise land was only a promise, they had not seen, touched, or inhabited the land God was to give them. They were focused on what had been compared to what could be but did not pay attention to God’s activity in the now. Caught between two destinations, one known the other unknown, they didn’t take pleasure in God’s presence during the journey. While we find ourselves between destinations let us not neglect God in our midst. That is something we must not forget.

Shalom,

Tommy

My Father's Black Book

When my father passed away the hardest thing to do was to go through his keepsakes. Looking at the things that he had held on to and collected all his seventy two years of life, seemed almost like an intrusion. One of the things I found was his little black book. It was not full of old girlfriends but was filled with quick notes, sayings, and lists. He kept it when he was a young boy serving on the USS Franklin during WWII. His ship was attacked off the coast of Japan, which lead to the greatest fatality in naval history. While I can not imagine what he witnessed, felt, and lived through, this book gave me a clue. In the book was a list. One was titled: My Buddy List: which was a list of men’s names. Not one looked familiar to me. I assumed these were men my father battled for their life with, who were brave, courageous, and responded to each other in that horrific time. Then there was another list that read. My S#@T List: here was another list of men’s name that also was not familiar. This list I assumed were men who did not fall into my father’s good graces. I was happy that there were more names on the first list than the second.

But why did he keep a list? Maybe in the time of crisis, he wanted to record in a hasty way those who acted bravely so he could show his gratitude later or just recorded it in case he did not survive. He wanted to leave something that would record their acts of kindness.

In a way we keep a conscious list in our minds. We can recall with freshness everyone in our lives that have touched us, made us better, showed us kindness, and invested in our lives. Those people who really showed Christ love to us. We might not have known at the time, but they positively influenced us for a lifetime. Then we have another list, those people who have angered us, messed us over, did us wrong. We can quickly recall every one who has hurt us, caused us pain, or embarrassed us. We hold on tightly to both.

Jesus tells us that we are to not keep track of the times we are to forgive someone. He touches on the fact that our souls are cleansed when we forgive. It is not about the other person's well being but ours. Are you willing to forgive those of your past? See what Jesus tells us about the two lists. When you meet someone in crisis, which list will your name be on? Don’t wait until tomorrow to forgive or act to help someone in need. Forgiveness makes us whole and complete people as we are no longer bond by anger. Make a difference in someone’s life. I’m glad our lord does not keep such lists.

Go make a positive influence on someone’s life.

Shalom,

Tommy