I. What is Christianity About?--A Lenten Reflection

I.

A Lenten Essay about The Nature of Christianity

The well-known TV personality and Interviewer Barbara Walters remarked about Christianity in this way. She said, that after all her conversations with Pastors, Evangelists, and other noteworthy Christians, she has concluded that Christianity is about going to heaven, and avoiding going to hell.

It is not surprising that she has come to that conclusion. A majority of active Christians share that view and see their faith in that way. In most Sunday worship services that is what the stress is on--sin, and avoiding punishment, heaven.

Is this what Christianity is mostly about? Is that the impression we want the Barbara Walters of the world to have-that Christianity is mostly about going to heaven and staying out of hell?

Certainly Jesus death on the cross is the enormously dominant theme of Christianity. "Jesus died for the world." Definitely John 3:16 stands high above other verses in crying to the world to enjoy the gift of salvation: "God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life."

There is the key to salvation, embracing that incredible truth. But salvation is a lot more than gaining the key to heaven. The fact that Barbara Walters bottom-line impression of what Christianity is about is the heaven-hell question is a sad revelation.

We must re-learn what Jesus had in mind when he came into this world. He did a lot of teaching, he performed miracles, he died on the cross, and then was raised from the grave. Think about the very earliest announcement about Jesus, the angels words to Joseph The Carpenter-“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife….She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The Jewish Joseph could not have had a clue what this meant-“He will save his people from their sins.” His life was still immersed in the religious practices of the Israelites. Sacrifices, rituals, altars, sheep, oxen, goats and doves and strict rules impacted every day of their lives and all they did. It was all about paying for and preventing sin.

These verses illustrate the context in which Joseph and Mary lived: Leviticus 4:32 "If the offering you bring as a sin offering is a sheep, you shall bring a female without blemish. You shall lay your hand on the head of the sin offering ; and it shall be slaughtered as a sin offering at the spot where the burnt offering is slaughtered. The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. You shall remove all its fat… and the priest shall turn it into smoke on the altar, with the offerings by fire to the Lord. Thus the priest shall make atonement on your behalf for the sin that you have committed, and you shall be forgiven”

How could Joseph the Carpenter have a clue about what Jesus significance was to be, living as he was in that context of sacrifices for forgiveness. Even if he shared the conventional longing for the Messiah, no Jew expected the Messiah would die like ordinary people.

My next Lenten reflection will jump from Joseph to Jesus on the cross and his words “It is Finished”.

I Appreciate The Crucifix--a Thought for Lent

I Appreciate The Crucifix

The empty cross on which Jesus died, I have known all my life, is the proper representation of that symbol. Jesus was removed from that terrible device, carried to a tomb and the tomb was sealed and guarded. Then Easter! There is the heart of Christian life. Death is defeated. A new age is inaugurated. The resurrection of the body we celebrate and anticipate for the human race. So the Cross is properly vacant. Christ is risen, not hanging on the cross.

Nevertheless there is powerful and important teaching in The Crucifix. Looking at the Lord Jesus hanging there in terrible agony tells us of God’s love in a graphic way. It speaks a message softened by the empty cross. It is the message of God’s pain, and a divine love, that would experience such an awful death for his people.

I have come to appreciate and love the Crucifix. Looking at it is a lesson about love. What greater love is possible than that—dying, voluntarily, being put to death, in a terribly painful way, on behalf of others.

That is love! And we are called to live that way. Not to go to the cross literally but to leave our comfortableness to help others. Every action taken whereby we bother to reach out to lift another person is of the species of dying for another. Every tiny, medium sized or major action of giving up time, money, energy, a preference, to help someone else is a form of dying for others. Looking at The Crucifix, the dying Jesus, can serve as a reminder of what our lives must be aimed at. The Crucifix, more than the empty cross, portrays love.

Jesus said: “If anyone desires to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever desires to save their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Mt. 16:24). That is the remarkable thing in all this. We find such meaning, purpose, vitality, and hopefulness, in carrying the agenda of dying for others, every day of the week. We find life in that kind of love-giving.

The Crucifix magnifies Jesus final words: “It is finished.” A whole religion was being ended and a total new age welcomed. All the preoccupation with sin, guilt and punishment was over. “It is finished.”

Now we are called to build the Kingdom through love. Sin is forgiven. Look to the cross and see Jesus/God in absolute, horrible pain--for us. That is our inspiration, and example, for lives of loving-kindness toward others.

The Right Answer

The Right Answer



Pastor: (trying to generate discussion of his children's message) "Who knows the name of the little animal with a bushy tail often seen in city parks?"



Children: (silence, no one answered).



Pastor: "Surely someone knows what that little animal is called."



Child: (timidly raising her hand) "Well, I think it's a squirrel, but I know the right answer is Jesus."

Prayer Sold the House

Prayer Sold the House

When we moved from Iowa City to Grand Rapids in 1969 we bought our first house. It was a pleasant three bedroom home with a large back yard. It also had a free-standing double garage, a perfect home for our Labrador Retriever, Friendly. I loved it because of the spacious back area allowing for ample gardening and adventurous play for the children.

We did learn of a disadvantage of locating on a wide busy street. There was to be no crossing the street to play with other children. There was another problem for Linda, not for me. The busy avenue was noisy even at night. As time passed her sensitivity heightened until I was pressured into considering a move. I reluctantly said “OK” but shopping was going to be in her lap. She accepted the deal.

It wasn’t too long before she found a nice house for sale in the same school district, by people we knew. Linda fell for what she saw. I went and agreed it was a fine house. So we made an offer. Our offer was accepted and soon we were the de facto owners of two houses. It was January. Closure would be in May.

We listed the house we were in with a real estate agent, and confidently went on with life, aiming for the move five months later. We were comfortable with nearly a half year for selling and preparing to move into the new one. But to our dismay, as the date for taking over the new house, and taking over a new mortgage came closer, the house remained unsold.

Linda shared our predicament and terror with a friend who lived around the corner, Judy Gezon. Judy immediately offered to come over and pray with Linda about the problem. Linda accepted. Judy came over the morning of the day we were to go to the Home Loan Bank to sign the papers for the new house. Together they prayed for a solution; for a buyer. Then I arrived and the two of us went to do the paperwork. The prospect of having two loans to pay was a horrendous thought. It would be impossible!

When we arrived home I headed back to work. By the time I was back in my office a call was waiting for me. The message was that a lady had come over to look at the house, with the possibility of buying it. She did in fact buy it! She was only the second looker in five months, and had showed up the day of intense prayer.

Draw your own conclusions. I believe prayer was the facilitator.

Stamps.Com? No Thanks.

What a terrific idea. You can buy your U.S. postage stamps quickly and simply in your own home using your P.C. What a time saver! What nice solution to fighting the parking problem at the Post Office, and paying for stamps there after standing and waiting in line for many minutes.

Thanks, but no thanks. There is more at stake here than efficiency and convenience. I will continue to visit the U.S. Post Office.

For one thing the people behind the counter I now consider my friends. I want to greet them, joke with them, and compliment them. I want to communicate appreciation so that they know they are valued, and even loved. I do not want to leave them for quick generic postage stamps on the internet.

The second reason the Post Office will continue to be a part of my life is the beautiful postage stamps available there. Sending letters and other mail with a beautiful stamp is a quiet little joy. It feels like sending a gift along with my check to pay a bill. Adding a Mickey Mouse stamp, or one inscribed Alaska with a beautiful snowcapped Mt. Denali, is a tiny little act of beautifying the world. Maybe it will add a small touch of brightness to the recipient’s life.

The electronic world is amazing and awesome. Our lives have been profoundly blessed by the marvels of the computer and the cell phone. I thank God daily for these inventions. But Stamps.com is not for me. People are more important than quick stamps.

Just "show up"

Just “Show Up”

“Thank you so much for the message you left on my answering machine,” she gushed, “it really carried me through a difficult weekend.”

It wasn’t the first time I had heard that kind of appreciation. Always I am mildly stunned. Such a small contribution. Such a big reaction.

People are thankful for acts of kindness, no matter how little. In contacts such as my message they mostly remember somebody showed up. The woman who appreciated my recorded greeting will not forget I called, but what I said, will slip quickly away.

It is easy to call a hurting person. But the average man or woman neglects this kind act. As greatly as such calls are appreciated, as elementary as the procedure of doing it is, the calls are done rarely. Too rarely.

Reach out to a struggling friend or relative, or a neighbor or stranger, with a word, touch, card or call. It literally gives them a “shot in the arm.” It is a dose of good medicine. It is love. It is God.

I called a friend to inquire about his well-being during his course of chemotherapy. His wife answered and said “Thank you for having the courage to call.” Courage?? Is that what it takes? Apparently. Why else would kind, good-hearted folks put off these spirit-lifting contacts. It must be fear.

When I ask people what they fear they say—“I’m afraid I will say the wrong thing.” They think they are expected to deliver a healing sentence, wise advice, or a spiritual thought, that will encourage the hurting person. They have the idea that their visit is about talking, saying something helpful. The pressure to do that, their fear, leads to a greater harm. They stay away. They leave the person alone. They deprive the person of their healing presence.

Most of the time the hurting person focuses little on what people say. Whatever is said is accepted but makes little difference. Wonderful words and brilliant remarks are alright, but not needed. Saying “hello”, that is showing up, makes a big difference. After that the visitor mostly listens.

So the conclusion of all this is to just “show up”.

Tricky Business Raises $10,000.00 for Youth

Tricky Business at the Youth Auction

(How I Helped Raise $10,000.00)

As I sat down with a handful of friends, including Evelyn and Frank Freed, I heard Evelyn say she really wanted to get the Laker tickets that were going to be auctioned off. There were two, courtside, and it was in the year The Lakers were flying high with Kobe Bryant and Shaq playing well together. All tickets were in high demand. But these two were special and available—at a price. Bidding was to start at $500.00

When I heard that Evelyn wanted them I made a mental note. I thought: (1) Evelyn has enough money to go to any price to get the tickets. (2). Evelyn usually doesn’t give up until she gets what she is after. (3). Maybe I can have some fun and help the cause by bidding against her a little while.

After the bidding opened and I had playfully topped her opening bid I quietly left the table. I went and stood a ways away where Evelyn couldn’t see me. There I continued my bidding. Soon the price had risen to $3000.00 and I bid $4 K. She went to $5 K. I went to $6 K. Evelyn did not know who else was bidding and she, with determination, kept going. I upped the price to $ 8 K and my knees started shaking. “Oh my, what if she stops. I cannot afford this,” I panicked. But she went to $9 K without a moment of hesitation. I then went $9.5 K and when she said “10”, I quit.

It was a few weeks later that I learned someone had told on me. But Evelyn only pretended to be vexed, I think. I had a good laugh, after I quit shaking. And I felt so good about how I had helped the cause.

.

Does Disability Destroy Faith?

Disability Can Build Faith

Popular opinion holds that a physical disability is likely to destroy or weaken one’s faith. The opposite is true. A research project studied 26 men and women who had acquired permanent disabilities relegating them to wheelchair living. Here are the results of that study:
---53 % revealed their faith had been increased by their disability.
---31 % said they had “kept their faith” in spite of the challenges of their disability.
---8 % claimed they actually found faith because of their disability.
---8 % described their faith as “uncertain”.
---0 % lost their faith

Additional Findings:
God-believers explained that they experienced God as “a presence” they could talk with, question; someone who listened to them.
God’s help was described as –providing, protecting, giving- strength, endurance, and patience. Also someone who cared and understood their struggles.
A few believed God gave them their disability but they felt no bitterness or betrayal.
All indicated that talking to people gave meaning to their life. They also admitted that feeling lonely and different was common.

The Wheelchair:
---46 % (12) hate the wheelchair and want out of it.
---31% (8) said they accepted wheelchair living.
---23 % (6) were ambivalent (they both hated the wheelchair and accepted it).
Even those who indicated acceptance of the wheelchair made it clear that their acceptance did not exclude a desire to walk again: “That never leaves!”

The 46 % who hated, and did not accept, the wheelchair, expressed anger at the wheelchair; carried clear memories of life before the wheelchair and reported feeling confined, uncomfortable and painful.

Hopefulness:
---69% (18) expressed hopeful outlooks.
---8% (2) held hopeless feelings.
---23% (6) carried a mixture of both hopeful and hopeless feelings.

HOPE---This means not giving up. It is fueled by faith in God. Hope blossoms when friends and family are close, supportive and encouraging.

Maybe those for whom life is smooth and easy are the ones who lose their faith.

A Friendly Greeting at Costco

A Friendly Greeting at Costco

The Costco super-store I visit is always very crowded, with people I do not know. Only about once in six months do I meet someone I recognize. Not only that, there is no eye-contact or greeting offered by any of the shoppers. They are all intent on their purchases, or managing their families. Most seem unaware of those around them, even those who might need to push their carts around them.

So it was startling a few nights ago when someone said “hello” to me. The middle aged woman smiled, and I looked at her with a puzzled look. She looked vaguely familiar but I couldn’t place her. “Chicago avenue?” I questioned. “No, Fantastic Sam’s. Haircut,” she said in her imperfect English. “Oh, yes” I responded realizing and recognizing her as one of the women who cut my hair. “Great to see you” I said with a big smile, and we went our separate ways.

Her greeting lifted my spirits enormously. I went on with my shopping feeling renewed, buoyant, blessed. It is amazing. Here was a woman I scarcely know, Hispanic, low-waged, a hardworker with whom I have virtually no relationship. And her greeting was like a shot of Adrenaline. I felt joy from her friendliness.

The power of a greeting can hardly be over- rated. Never is a simple “hello” wasted or worthless. Every simple “hello” is a blessing, a gift, a vitamin for the soul of the recipient—even if he doesn’t turn and return the words.

A man named Joe Kita decided to say “hello” to everyone he met for a period of one month. He reported that when the time was over he felt lighter, more connected, and had a better sense of well-being. But he recommends setting a lower number of greetings per day. Lest you burn out or get bored. At the same time he is convinced it is a way of making the world a better place.
St. Paul said “Greet each other with a holy kiss….” Well, we better not go that far today, but St. Paul certainly is underscoring the value of greeting when he says that.

“Hello” is possible for everyone.

Act As If You're Glad to See Me.

"Act As If You're Glad To See Me"

(How To Increase Global Warming)

There are six major supermarkets to choose from when I contemplate my weekly foray into the grocery world. Sales and specials attract me toward one. "Double coupons" seduce me toward another. The free blood pressure machine draws too.

Usually I gravitate toward the store where there is an employee who regularly acts as if she is glad to see me. She stands out like The Lighthouse on a rocky, barren coastline. She radiates hospitality.

There are few like her in the marketplace. The rest offer the mandatory eye-contact and "hello" required by the management. Eye-contact is better than nothing, but not much. Mostly they appear as grim functionaries, making a living.

One day I lingered to investigate the source and power shining from The Lighthouse. I complimented her, telling her how much I appreciated the warmth she exuded, and what a difference it made.

Then I pushed a little further, inquiring how it was that she gave so much, so warmly. I was hoping, of course, that she would say "Well, I'm a Christian." Instead, "Oh I get it from my dad," she quipped breezily. "He's the same way." "Oh," I replied, "I thought maybe it came from being a Christian." "Well I'm Catholic, but it comes from my dad," she said.

True, some traits are carved in the genes, or learned by example. They're natural. But as Children of Hope we must go beyond that, to display something extraordinary in the marketplace. We can and must see our place in this world as a calling to be different. Merely doing what comes naturally may not be good enough.

While traveling in Utah a few years ago we stopped at a gas station. The car was serviced, the family refreshed, and we sped on our way again. One of the children commented, "Those people running that station sure seemed different." Everyone agreed. They exuded conscientiousness, courtesy, kindness and helpfulness. Then it dawned on me--"We're in Mormon country. Their religion makes them different." As unacceptable as their theology is to me, they blessed us by their lives. (A theologian friend says "their religion is strange, but Christ is in their lives.")

The world hungers for personal attention, caring service, and unsolicited kindness. The drought deepens. Showers of such blessings sprinkle down rarely. Loneliness and hardness, harshness and indifference, fear and worry, describe humanity. There is so much thirst for spirit-lifting, heartache healing, attitude adjusting, confidence building ,warmth and friendliness.

A friend of mine met a customer in his store one day who was wearing a colorful button on her lapel. It read "Act Like You're Glad To See Me." The human race cries for such performances.

Humor--"Atheist Day"

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

In Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days.

The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days.

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring,"Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter, and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.'
Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.

You gotta love a Judge that knows his scripture! -----------sent to me by Larry LaBonte