Ain't No Sunshine

I graduated high school in the early 70s. That dates me pretty severely I know. In 1971 an R & B artist, named Bill Withers, from West Virginia came on the scene. His first album entitled Just As I Am won him a Grammy. You probably know him for his most famous song, Lean on Me. It has been covered by at least a dozen bands since. The song that won a Grammy in 1971 was called Ain’t No Sunshine. It is an R & B ballad about a man’s lament on the absence of his sweetheart.

We have all felt that have we not? Someone we really missed is not with us, and it feels like there literally is “no sunshine.”

For those of us who live in Pittsburgh, the song carries an entirely different meaning. It will come as no surprise to you to hear that Pittsburgh rates near the bottom of the list of US cities in number of hours of sunshine per year. (Google it for yourself.)

Today is February 28th. This lack of sunshine, coupled with the cold and snowy condition of Pittsburgh creates some very unique emotional situations in the city. By the time we get to February, the number of cases of depression increase dramatically. (Ask any counselor.) The clinical name is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It is a form of depression linked to autumn and winter time when sunshine hours are shorter. Symptoms include low mood, weight gain, food cravings for carbohydrates and sleeping more. SAD is believed to be caused by changes in serotonin levels in the brain. Some just call it the “winter blues.”

I have a counselor friend who told me that it was a revelation for his wife when he pointed out to her that he felt this was a disorder she struggled with. I have at least one close personal friend and two family members that I think struggle with this same issue. To be perfectly honest, I think it can affect all of us to one level or another.

I am not a counselor. I do Pastoral counseling on issues where I feel qualified and quickly refer out when I do not. So, that makes this a unique blog. Let me ask you quite pointedly. On this last day of February . . . is this an issue with which you struggle? If it is, when God grants us some sunny days, as he did in Pittsburgh this weekend, get out in them. Open the blinds; let the sun shine in!!

If you need to visit a professional counselor, by all means do so. If I were to break my arm, and pretend it was no big deal while refusing to see an MD, you would not call me a hero, or a really tough guy. You would call me an idiot. So, why do we feel the need to avoid an MD when it comes to our emotional health? If you need professional help, please get it. If you simply need to get in the sunshine when it is available, then get in it!!

By all means, let the sun shine in. Oh and while you are at it, the Son of God would like to shine in as well. Let Him in too!

Lois, Kenneth and Rusty

There are certain advantages to driving a straight shift automobile as opposed to one with an automatic transmission. One advantage is that if the battery dies, you can “roll it off.” In simple English that means you either push the car or let it roll down a hill until it picks up enough speed so that you can put it in gear, drop the clutch, give it a little gas and let the transmission force the engine to turn over and thus start the car running.

The same is not true for an automatic transmission; there is no clutch. However I have been told by several knowledgeable persons on automobiles that if you get a car equipped with an automatic transmission up to 30 or 40 mph by pushing it with another car, it will start.

We were discussing this several years ago when one guy half joking half serious said: “Don't do what my sister did.”

He had our attention.

“What did she do?” we asked.

“She heard about this way of starting a car and had a friend hit her in the rear at 30 mph to get the car going.”

We did not know whether to fully believe him or not. Since that time I have heard several variations on that story. One thing that remains constant in every version of the story: IMPACT. Imagine the impact if that were true. It would certainly get you going!

Our lives are like that, there are certain individuals who make an impact on our lives. In one way or another they get us going. Lois Reid and Kenneth Munday are two such persons in my life. Both are very unassuming individuals. Humor me as I tell you a little about them.

Lois a schoolteacher who last I heard taught fifth grade. She wasn't even my teacher. She isn't old enough to have been. However she was the FIRST person who ever commented to me that I could teach; encouraged me to do so and was willing to listen to me.

The story goes something like this. My “home church” used to have (still does) Vacation Bible School in the summer. Lois being a school teacher was often asked to have a part. This particular year she was the chairperson of a department. Getting help then was like it is now . . . hard. She got desperate one year and asked me to help. I do not recall how it all came about, but I was elected to give the main lesson to the kids. (Like I said, they were desperate!) To this day I still remember walking up to the lectern my first time. (I did not stay behind it any better then than I do now.) I loved it, and strangely enough, so did the kids and other adult workers!

There is little else I remember about that week, except the last night. Lois came up to me, touched my shoulder and said: “You're good! I'm putting the word in right now. You are going to work in my department next year.”

I cannot tell you all of the emotions that swept over me. I was encouraged; I was challenged to go on. I was fulfilled. She gave my fragile ego a shot it has never gotten over. SHE HAD AN IMPACT!!! She hit me at 30 mph!

In an attempt to live out what Lois had stirred in me, I asked the church leaders if I could teach a Sunday School class. I was made the assistant teacher in the second grade boy's class. The main teacher was Kenneth Munday. Yes, the spelling is correct. Kenneth worked in the local cotton mill. He was a very unpretentious type person, but by observing him, he started the balls rolling that have been modified and developed into my present teaching style. Simply put: Kenneth also had an impact on me! He hit me at 30 miles per hour.

A couple of years later I was resigning that class because I was moving away to attend seminary and prepare for ministry. A small boy handed me a gift. It was a hand crafted plaster of paris plaque from a second grade boy, given to his teacher who was leaving. It is a small praying hands plaque that on the back reads: “To the best teacher in the whole world - Rusty Hawks - May 9, 1976.” Don't ever try to take that plaque; I'll fight you for it. The reason I was able to make an impact on that little boy, was because Lois and Kenneth had an impact on me! But the funny thing is, I doubt if Rusty knows the impact he and that plaque had upon me.

Who is your Lois? Who is your Kenneth? Who is your Rusty?

Let's get extremely personal, to whom are you a Lois or a Kenneth or a Rusty?

You are having an impact on someone. Romans 14:7 reads like this: “No one lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.”

In my church we are concluding a series of messages from the book of Jonah. This morning we looked at the impact Jonah had on the city of Nineveh. He did not intend to, and he did not understand what was happening, but he had an impact just the same.

You are having some type of impact. Are you seeking to be an encouragement to people you meet so they can look back and call you a Lois or a Kenneth or a Rusty? Or are you sending different signals? Here is the tough question, what if the signals are being sent to your own children?

Who is the Terry Mann in your life? You know, the person that may ultimately move away, and impact others without your ever knowing it? What will be their impact on the world based upon your impact on them? Will they have learned from you to backbite, criticize, gossip, make biting remarks and be unforgiving? Or will they have learned to trust the Lord? Will they have learned to quit when things get rough? Or will they have learned to be steadfast and obedient at all times?

You, my friend, are having an impact. Do not sell yourself short. You determine what the impact is. Why not give the people in your life a 30 m.p.h. kick of encouragement? Why not make it a positive kick they never get over?

Old Things

I heard it as soon as I hit the first key. Someone said: “Finally, we are going to hear about how much better the old things are than new things.”

I've heard it. So have you. “They just don't make them like they used to.” It is said in reference to cars, clothes, and almost anything you can name. And it's true. They DON'T make “them” like they used to.

Maybe I'm kind of weird, but I am sort of a fence straddler on this issue. There are some older things that I like. How about an example? Okay. '67 Malibu. I really like that car. I think it is one of the nicest cars ever built. And NO, I am not a “Chevy man.” I also like a '68 Mustang. I am by no means an “old car buff,” but these are old things that I really like.

But I don't like ALL old things. I don't want things to go back to the way they were. As I sit here at my computer I am not desirous of my old manual typewriter. I like the usefulness of a computer and don't want to go back to doing without it. I'm glad cars don't have tail fins. I'm thankful for CD's and new music. I don't want to return to the days of black and white television and mono record albums.

Okay, so we do like some of the old? Does it serve a purpose? It sure does. Especially, the “old things” in Scripture. It is stated very clearly in Romans 15:4: “For everything that was written in the past, was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

What about the old things in your life? It is February. Just last month we marked the passing of another year. 2004 has now become an “old thing.” What does that mean to you as you look back? I know what it means to me: It means that everything that happened cannot be changed. It is set in stone, so to speak. Did you speak harshly to someone during 2004? It can never be changed. Oh, you can apologize, but the damage is done; and the resulting harm along with it.

The same is true of the good things that you may have done. Words of kindness, deeds that showed you cared, harsh comments kept to yourself: they are unalterable as well. That pill is a little bit easier to swallow, but it is disconcerting to realize how few of those we have isn't it?

Look at what has happened to you in the past. Are you learning from it? Are you allowing it to encourage you? Why not? It is supposed to. Look at where you are, where you MIGHT have been and then compare it to Scriptural teachings, like “everything being for our good,” and let it encourage you. After all there are only two options. Either God is in control or He isn't. You cannot straddle the fence on this one.

You have a choice to make. You can look at 2004 as a complete success, which few of us will; or you can see it as a failure, and some of us might. More than likely you will be somewhere in between those two extremes. So what are you going to let happen with what has transpired? Are you going to let it encourage you or DIS-encourage you? The decision is yours. You cannot pass this one off, and neither can I.

Some things transpired in my life in 2004 that hurt more than I could ever put into words. Conversely, some things happened that brought more unadulterated joy than I could express. I can let the past build me or destroy me, but I cannot change it.

What about you? Which will you do? 2005 offered a fresh new start in many ways, but only you can decide which route you will traverse this year. Don't become bitter and cynical. No one likes to be around a constant critic or cynic. Make the most of your past. Learn from it. Allow 2004 to be an old thing that can teach you. It can encourage you to endure.

Favorite Names

While I was still in the business world, I had contact with numerous companies. This contact could come in the way of a sales order, a shipment, a correspondence or any number of ways. Whenever reading a company's letter, I would notice their address. Some of the locations were interesting. Some of my favorites were:

Ten Mile, TN – Five miles up the road from Five Mile, Tennessee. No kidding

Loafers Paradise, NC – A small town in the mountains near the TN/NC state line

Old Convict Camp Road – How old was the convict?

1/2 mile west of Lion County Safari – Guess you had to be there

Big Ugly, WV – Enough said

Romeoville and Joliet, IL – Two southwest suburbs of Chicago very near one another

Some of the sources for the names are obvious, others . . . well. Who was big and ugly? Ten miles from what? (Actually it was ten miles from Athens, TN.) How many loafers called it paradise? You get the point.

Have you ever wondered about the origin of your name? If your name is Smith, your ancestors could have been a blacksmith or a coppersmith or any number of options. Miller could have been just that. Some names have foreign origin and meanings. My name is Mann. My pride will let me guess what it may have meant.

This season is Lent. It extends from Ash Wednesday to Easter. This is the most holy time in the Christian calendar. It is a time when we focus on the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The name we call ourselves Christian comes from “Christ.” Interestingly enough the early believers were not originally called Christians. They were called followers of The Way. The name Christian originated in Antioch (Acts 11:26). Also, interestingly enough, it was not meant to be complimentary. It was a name of derision. The people of Antioch were notorious for coming up with derogatory names.

Today, the name does not carry the same stigma it once did. For the most part we can hold the name with pride. I wonder how many of us do just that however? Some of us are ashamed to be associated with Christ. Well, maybe not with Christ, but certainly with some of his followers.

This holiday season let’s ask ourselves: Does our life make the name Christian something to be embraced or something to be shunned? Are we a follower of The Way that makes Jesus and other Christians proud? I will leave the answer to you as I seek to answer it for myself.

Check Your Coat

A few months back a friend of mine invited me to lunch. This lunch was held at an extremely exclusive restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh. The restaurant was impeccable, the food was excellent, the service was superior and the conversation was stimulating. All things considered it was a wonderful experience. The only strange thing is that my mind went in an entirely different direction shortly after we entered the building.

As is the case in many finer restaurants, one of the first things you encounter after entering the door is a coat check room. Now I am fairly sure that everyone reading this has used a coat check before, but just in case someone has not, it works like this. After you are safely inside the building, you take off your coat and hand it to an individual behind a counter. They will take your coat and trade you a small piece of paper. Actually, at first appearance, they seem to be getting a pretty good deal. That piece of paper is important, for on it is a number. That number corresponds to the hook on which they will hang your coat. Once the exchange is complete, you go to see the maître’d and have your dinner. It is a relatively painless procedure.

My friend commented to me as we gave them our coats: “We certainly don't want to take these with us to lunch; in fact we could use one of these coat checks at church.” Here is where my mind went haywire. It occurred to me that we already have one. The only difference is that it does not say: “Check your coat at the door.” Instead it says: “Check your problems at the door.” Oh we may not say it, but we imply it don't we. We sometimes seem to prefer that a person only comes if they have their life in order and will not take too much of our time and energy.

Guess who would never say or imply that . . . Jesus. He would say: “Problems welcome.” In fact they are not only welcome, they are His specialty.

What in your life are you hiding from others because they may not accept you if you reveal it? I am not saying you should reveal it to others, in reality, you should be cautious in such revelations. Reveal it to Jesus. He not only will accept you with it, He invites you with it. He put it like this: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

Shouldn't we be more like Him? Shouldn't we accept others as they are? Shouldn't we offer rest instead of condemnation? Yes. That leaves us with this gaping hole: “Why don't we?” We may have a thousand reasons, but the one question that must be asked is: “Is your reason valid in the Lord's eyes?” Neither is mine.

Storms

In all likelihood there is not one person reading this that has not seen The Wizard of Oz at least once. The movie starts out calmly enough with the usual troubles of a young teen age farm girl in mid‑twentieth century Kansas. Early on, one of the all time movie understatements is uttered when one of the cast members say something to the effect of: “There is a storm brewing.”

A tornado being called a “storm?” That's like the captain of the Titanic saying: “Looks like we're taking on a little water.”

Dorothy was about to see her entire world changed. She was about to go on a ride that no one else has ever been on, before or since. She was about to have it pointed out in very clear fashion that her home life was not as bad as she thought. Her journey down the yellow brick road was fraught with the unexpected. She sees the strangest creatures, experiences the strangest events, feels the strangest sensations and all because of . . . a storm.

The real shock comes in the last scene. That is when the audience is let in on what Dorothy never comes to fully believe. Oz never existed. It was only in her mind. She was just dreaming as the result of a blow to the head during the “storm.”

What you have are the two conflicting accounts of this experience. In one she is in the strange and yet wonderful land of Oz. In another, she is lying unconscious on a bed. But there is a similarity. In both of the accounts, her world is changed by the “storm.” She is never to be the same again after this one event.

We can be like that. The Lord has brought many a Christian into a “storm” and thereby altered that Christian . . . permanently.

That occurred to twelve men about two thousand years ago as well. In the Bible in the book of Mark chapter 4 we have the account. After a full day of serving others, Jesus decides they are going to cross the Sea of Galilee. The disciples go about their job of rowing across. Jesus takes a much needed nap, albeit a brief one. At that point in the narrative Mark says a “furious squall” came up. It must have been one more storm. Many of these men were fishermen. They had seen unexpected storms numerous times in their past. But somehow this one was different.

Jesus is summoned from the land of the sleeping, only to rebuke the wind and waves, and end the storm. He turns and rebukes the disciples as well and then as far as we know went back to His nap. Leaving the disciples to question themselves, and their faith.

Do you see the resemblance between Dorothy and the disciples? Both of them had their lives changed forever by a storm.

A few blogs ago, I wrote about “rain.” Rain represents the steady onslaught of trouble that hits us periodically. It seems unrelenting. At times, it is.

Storms are usually brief but much more intense. Rain takes a little time to finally get to you. It can be a major source of discouragement. But it gradually creeps up on you. You become “depressed” without even realizing it. Storms on the other hand, knock you completely off of your feet in seconds. They send you for a loop that takes the same amount of time as rain; only with the storm those hours are spent in recovery.

Some of you are in storms this very minute. It could be the storm of divorce, the storm of loneliness, the storm of financial struggle, the storm of business struggles, or even the storm of spiritual turmoil as you seek to evaluate your relationship with Jesus Christ. You may doubt the existence of your faith or the reality of its impact in your life.

It will change you. One way or another, it WILL change you. It is up to you to determine HOW it will change you. You can become bitter and cynical, or you could become strong and more resolved to stand firm with the Lord. It is your choice. But one thing is dead certain. You will not be unaffected by the storms or the rain in your life. The disciples weren't and neither will we. Not the rain. Not the storms. Especially the storms.

Thoughts on Life and Death

It's late at night. You are weary of driving, but you are almost home; so you continue on. As your eyes focus ahead in the beam your headlights create, you notice an animal playing off to the side of the road.

The distance between you and the animal is decreasing rapidly. You become aware that he is moving precariously close to the path that your vehicle must take. When it is too late to do anything, he suddenly darts in front of your car! You want to swerve, but there is another car approaching quickly in the opposite lane. In a split second you realize that you must choose between hitting the animal, or wrecking your vehicle and possibly injuring yourself.

The feel of the wheel in your hand as your car makes impact is sickening. You shudder. "I didn't want to do it," you convince yourself aloud. But it is too late.

You stop the car and go back. You must see how badly injured the animal is. As you approach, you move cautiously. Animals that are injured can be extremely dangerous you have been told.

That animal isn't moving. The realization hits you full force after a few moments, it isn't alive. You cringe. "Why did it jump in my path?"

After some time, you return to your car. What a contrast. One moment bouncing and full of life, and the next . . .

Think with me for a moment. That animal did not understand the concept of automobiles. But an automobile took its life. It could not grasp the abstraction we call life, yet it just had its own life snuffed out.

As you look at that animal, what just left? The body is still warm. The outward appearance is basically the same as it was ten minutes ago. What has changed? It is now lifeless. But what does lifeless mean?

If you consult Webster's you'll read about life being the ability to take in food, give off energy and reproduce. Give me a break! Is that all there is to life? Of course not, life is much more than biological functions. To further complicate matters, our lives are much different than the life of that animal, different than the life of any animal. That animal ceased to exist when it had its life snuffed out. We do not. One of the main things that separate us from the animal kingdom is our eternal existence.

In order to fully understand life, you must have at least a general understanding of death. Many (most) falsely believe that death is a ceasing to exist. It is not. Death is separation. When a human being dies, they do not cease to exist, they undergo a separation. The spirit separates from the body. James 2:26 gives a pretty clear statement of that, “. . . as the body without the spirit is dead . . .”

As humans we think we know pretty much what happens when the body dies. It is then that the eternal aspect of humanity comes into play, however. The individual will either be ushered into the presence of God, or into an eternity of damnation. Once again we have the aspect of separation. Eternal death is separation from God. Now, don't jump to conclusions. I am not denying a literal hell. I fully accept that very clear Biblical truth, but the torture of the flames (whether literal or figurative does not really matter for the sake of this post) will pale in comparison to the torment that arises from a person realizing that they are eternally separated from God. It is that point that makes hell more terrible than we could ever imagine. I am convinced that the separation factor is what is meant by the “second death.” The first one being when the body and spirit separates, the second when the spirit is eternally separated from the One their spirit longs to be with.

If death is the separation of the body and spirit, then what is life? Is it merely the presence of the spirit within the body? Yes . . . and no. There must be that aspect in order for it to be life. Man is made up of a material side and an immaterial side. Neither ceases to exist at the moment of death. They are separated in order to be reunited at a future date. But the idea of physical life partially being a union between spirit and body, illustrates a glorious truth about eternal life. Eternal life is among many other things, a uniting of our spirit with the presence of Jesus Christ!

Stop for a moment and contemplate that. You will be IN THE PRESENCE of Jesus Christ. We have studied it, talked about it, preached it, even desired it; but in one incredible moment, you will instantaneously be WITH HIM . . . FOREVER!

Do me a favor please. Don't run off half cocked telling everyone that Terry has redefined eternal life. I haven't. What I hope I have done is to give you a different perspective to what eternal life will mean. While it is true that eternal life implies the idea of no dying, I am convinced it does not end with that discussion.

BTW – I do not buy the idea (like many of my theological ilk) that since we will leave this earth, we do not have an obligation to be good stewards of this planet. I most certainly think we do. But, for a moment pause and reflect upon seeing the face of your redeemer. Jesus, the one who died and rose again, will one day greet you in your new home; and you will forever enjoy the blessed gift of “eternal life.”

Be Somewhere Else

Many, if not most persons reading this are probably not aware of the type of work that I did while going through college and seminary. I was employed by the same company in Chattannooga, TN where I ultimately became the Production Manager and Purchasing Agent. In those days however, I worked in the plant. I spent forty-eight to fifty-six hours per week welding, driving fork lifts, and operating heavy hydraulic looms. It was not my idea of life employment.

Now, please don't misunderstand. I do not have anything at all against blue collar workers; they are necessary. They are in many ways the true backbone of our culture. To be quite honest, one of my pet peeves about contemporary society is the over-glorification of the white collar job. Just because a person works with their hands does not mean they are less intelligent, less necessary, or more easily replaced than a person who works at a desk. As a matter of fact, quite often we find just the opposite to be true. But I digress, that is another blog entirely.

All I am saying is that I did not want to continue in that same line of work my entire life. That was illustrated by the small sign I had taped on my locker. It was a picture of ALF (remember him) saying: "Be somewhere else!"

James Taylor, one of my favorite singers, has a song that speaks about changing your location. It talks about going to "Carolina - - - in my mind."

Have you ever had that desire? The desire to be somewhere else. Maybe you're facing a situation that is so stressful, you go to your own "Carolina" in your mind as a means of escape. It is easier to daydream and live in fantasy than to live in reality.

Jesus felt that same way one time. It occurred in the garden as He prayed. He said: "Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me."

Do you see what was taking place? As He agonized over taking on the sin of the world and then being separated from the presence of the Father, He thought: "Father, I would rather be with You, than to be here, facing this eminent separation." He wanted to "be somewhere else."

The key to understanding that scenario is the concluding remark found in Luke 22:42: "Yet, not my will, but yours be done." Jesus moved beyond the desire to see things change. He moved out of the gloom of the present. He moved into the solid foundation that only comes when you totally release yourself to the Father's omnipotent hand.

Guess what? There is no safer place in this universe. If the Son of God found His rest in the Father's will and His ability to control all things, should we seek anything less? No. I do not understand it all. Nor do I understand everything in my own life. God never promised I would. He simply asks me to trust what He is about.

He asks you to do the same thing Jesus did: trust Him and then yield to His will. With that trust comes great peace; apart from that there is no peace. Instead of asking to "Be somewhere else," let's all seek the Father's will where we are.

Catastrophes

Don't some commercials drive you crazy? I hope they are simply out to get your attention and not trying to state opinions they really believe. I especially dislike ones that paint life like it can be all fun no work, all joy and no pain. Experience tells us just the opposite. Pain is an inevitable part of life. No matter where we live, what type of work we do, whether we are male or female, we will experience pain.

Sometimes that pain is so severe we could readily call it a catastrophe. Catastrophes come in many sizes and shapes. Sometimes they come disguised as the death of someone we love dearly. At other times it looks like an unfavorable medical diagnosis or being laid off from a job. Still other times it is the color of a divorce. No matter the color, it is always painful.

This is February. The winter has been dragging on for many months now. I realize that in truth, this has been a relatively mild winter. But temperature and precipitation notwithstanding, there is just not enough sunshine this time of year. It can make folks begin to feel their own personal catastrophe. Problems that seemed small in the summer sunshine seem insurmountable as the sunshine is less frequent. Issues that remained buried in the summer, rise up in the fall and winter.

How do you support a friend during a catastrophe? Below are excerpts from an article in Strategic Adult Ministry Journal on just how to do that. The author, Paul Litten, dealt with his own catastrophe and shares these lessons.

Focus on the Person. Evaluate the person in light of this catastrophe in their life. How deep is the loss the person is experiencing? Some are worse than others. What is the cope-ability as it were? What else is taking place in their life? Do not overstep your bounds, you are not Superman or Superwoman, but you can focus on the needs of this particular person. There is no one size fits all assistance. Carefully evaluate how to help.

The Power of Presence. Let them know they are not alone. Call them. Send them a card. Write an email. Do not, I repeat, do not offer advice unless it is specifically asked for.

The Community of Faith. Ask yourself what your role is. Everyone has certain issues they are able to help with. Do not work outside of your gift set.

Listen in Love. There is a healing that comes from someone listening to us. Don't try to fix them, just listen. As Harold Ivan Smith would say, "Listen all the way to the end of the sentence."

Be Practical. Do not always look for the emotional or spiritual need. Sometimes the needs are simply someone to mow the lawn, clean the bathroom or pay the bills.

The Long Haul. Catastrophes do not leave overnight. Be prepared to assist over a long period of time. Love the person for longer than an overnight.

I ask again, How do you support a friend during a catastrophe?

Bricks and People

Before I went into full time ministry, I was employed in the banking industry. I worked in the Federal Reserve System. Iwas in the Charlotte, North Carolina branch. I began in the basement . . . literally! My first tasks were in what was called the “money department.” I started in the coin division located in the basement. Later I was moved to currency. I would receive money from the government or member banks. This money had to be verified and counted by folks trained to perform this task. Today, it is all automated. Some currency was returned into circulation; some was incinerated. This particular operation often resembled a factory more than a bank.

By the very nature of my job in those early days, I had to physically handle a lot of money in a day’s time. The responsibility obviously was very high. Many nights I would close up the safe with control of fifty to sixty million dollars. Remember now this was in 1974, one million sounded like so much more back then. Did you know that you can hold twenty thousand dollars in twenties in the palm of your hand?

You should not be too impressed with those numbers. When you work with that much money, and it is not yours, the rules are different. My friends would often joke with me concerning my control of that much cash. They would ask questions like: “How does it feel to hold that much money?” I would respond with statements like: “I don't know, I don't think of it as money. When it is not yours it might as well be bricks.”

Ministry can lead to a similar danger. In the course of any week I am prone to hear someone’s deepest pain. It may involve a broken marriage, the desire for a relationship, a serious illness or the loss of a job. I could also hear about their greatest joy with the healing of a loved one or the birth of a child. I must continually be on guard that I don't view this as “bricks.” These are individual people, each with their own joy or trial. I cannot allow myself to drift into the “I've heard this before,” syndrome. Neither can you.

Unless I miss my guess, at some time, someone has come to you for advice or possibly an opinion? (Now be careful, they may not want your opinion they may just want to talk, but that is the topic for another blog.) Has someone shared a personal struggle or private joy with you? That is a valued treasure! It is not a “brick” for you to discard. Take great care with their feelings. They have paid you a tremendous compliment by sharing that with you. It is a privilege to have someone share his or her pain because you have earned that trust. Likewise, take care with their joy. Don't become bitter that you don't have what they have. Share in it. Rejoice with them.

People are individuals. Each one loved enough by our Savior that He died for them. We should treat them no less than Christ would. Avoid the brick syndrome. We should respond in such manner as to let them know that we appreciate and respect them. They deserve that, and we are the winners in the long run.

Rain

This morning I had my February meltdown. It happens every year about this time.

You see, my home has a long driveway, a Pittsburgh driveway. That means it is on a grade. If we get even 1/4 inch of snow, I have to shovel. This morning, at 6:00 a.m. I shoveled. As I neared the finish, I realized that it looked like I had done nothing. I had to do the entire thing over. Then the shovel broke, the lock on the building froze, and I ran out of calcium chloride. I was going to be late for a 7:30 breakfast appointment. I was miffed beyond compare. I was talking to myself, and anyone else that would listen. I was royally pi**ed!! I wanted to know why God had not let me move to a sunny location instead of the “God forsaken ice hole.”

Needless to say, it was not one of my better moments. I was beyond immature!

It is nearing spring. That is good. Shoveling will be over. Unfortunately, that will mean a lot of rain. For me that can be equally bad. My basement needs some rain proofing, which I will be doing in the spring. In the meantime, every heavy rain gives me the heebie jeebies.

Now I understand; rain is very needed in our lives. We don't want too much of it all at once however, or you get floods and jokes about Noah. Nor do we desire too little rain; because then you have droughts and jokes about Elijah.

Rain. Farmers need it. Lawns need it. Flowers need it. The water table that governs our overall water supply needs it. But in excess it causes as many problems as it does when it is in short supply.

You know what that is like with too much don't you? You run to the car trying to keep your hair dry. The inside of the car is getting filthy and muddy; and you cannot clean it, because it is still raining! Ball games are postponed. People get crabby when they are cooped up inside for a long time. There is this overall muggy feeling that permeates the inside of your house. It is simply unpleasant.

In the office where I worked previously, our radio was tuned to an easy listening station which played a wide range of music throughout the day. There is one song in particular that was played quite frequently that always caught my attention. It was sung by Barry Manilow. The chorus goes like this:

I made it through the rain,
and kept myself protected.
I made it through the rain,
and kept my point of view.
I made it through the rain,
and got myself respected,
By the others who, got rained on too,
and made it through.

Rain is an interesting analogy in that song. It draws a very clear picture in our mind. Poets and lyricist frequently use rain as a symbol of trouble and distress in our lives. People everywhere search for word pictures to describe the seasons of their lives --- especially troubled times. And troubled times seem to come all too often, don't they?

Go back and read the lyrics of the song again. That same picture came to mind didn't it? That most unpleasant time in your life when the pain was indescribable. The hours, days, weeks, and months of pain stretched before you. Would “unbearable” be too strong of a word? For some reading this, it probably would not be.

We all have a time when we knew nothing but pain. The only thing we remember doing is hurting. We often call those times in our lives “storms.”

Mark 6:45-53 tells of one such storm in the lives of twelve men. Stop for a moment and slowly read those verses.

45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.

This was a storm of a very different nature than most of ours. This was a storm of a violent physical nature. Now don't get super spiritual on me and start making theological implications about this passage. True, some are there, but these men were real men with real fears. Some of their fears are the same as ours. Consequently some very real comparisons ring true. Some very practical lessons about storms in our lives.

These men were in this storm obeying the instructions of their Lord. He made them to get in the boat and cast off. After a time of prayer, verse 48 tell us that “He saw the disciples straining at the oars.” As you read the verse further it gives the impression that some more time passed until three AM when He finally walks to them. This means that He watched for a period of time while they struggled.

Another interesting point to ponder: this was not the first time for these men to be in this lake caught up in a storm. At least four of them were fishermen. They had seen many storms of the Sea of Galilee, but not this type. Once before this had happened to these same men with Jesus asleep in the boat, (Mark 4) the difference this time was that Jesus was not in the boat.

Their response reveals they had missed at least two lessons. One was from the boat trip previously mentioned. The second came from the miracle immediately preceding this experience. Jesus had just multiplied the loaves and fish (verse 52). They missed it. They missed it so badly, that when Jesus did come to them, they didn't recognize Him! I am not quick with words to criticize these men. I see myself all too clearly in their failures, so do many of you.

Are you struggling? He is watching. Are you straining at the oars? Keep it up until He arrives. Are you doubting your ability to trust when it is difficult? He understands. It has happened to others before you. He doesn't condemn you for it. He encourages you onward. Are you fearful of things that walk toward you in the night? It may be the One that calms storms.

Everyone of us knows someone who DID NOT “make it through the rain.” We so feel for them. Our heart goes out to them, but no matter how much we care for them, they still fell. They still were hurt. We know others who DID make it through. We are challenged and encouraged. If they can make it, so can I.

It is raining now in some of your lives. Jesus wants you to make it through. I want you to make it through. You are trying to make it through. Keep plodding. There is “the other side of the lake.” There is a Christ that can still the storm and stop the rain. There is One watching you “strain at the oars.” Where is He you may ask? Maybe it isn't three AM yet. He will come to your rescue, in His time and in His fashion. Keep rowing. You will gain the highest respect from the “others who, got rained on too, and made it through.”

Fairness

We all have some things that we enjoy. I am no different. Two of the things that I enjoy are writing and attending a good movie. Because of that combination, there are usually one or two lines in any movie that stand out to me.

Some time back I saw one of my favorite types of movies, a GOOD western. (Note the emphasis on the word good.) I saw the Clint Eastwood western "Unforgiven." Ignoring the fact that Eastwood is one of my favorite actors, I enjoyed the movie. As far as plots go, the movie was unusual, but as is usually the case it had one line that really hit me.

As the town sheriff, portrayed by Gene Hackman, was about to be shot, he said "This isn't fair. I've got a house. This isn't fair." At that moment Eastwood responded: "Fair, ain't got nothin' to do with it."

For some time I thought about that line. How many times in our life do we feel like: "It ain't fair?"

All around you there are people who are prosperous, and you can barely pay the bills. It ain't fair.

Your car breaks down so often that commuters think it is part of the freeway decor. As you sit and fume, you speak: "It ain't fair."

You sit and watch as someone you dearly love suffers physical pain. It ain't fair.

You stand and look into the coffin at the body of someone you loved dearly, and realize that in this life, you will never see them again. It ain't fair.

You contemplate another evening at home alone. It ain't fair.

You heat up your hot dog for a holiday meal, and think of families enjoying time together. "Why do I not have someone special to share time with?" you ask. It ain't fair.

You try to have a clear conscience in your business dealings; you treat people honestly and fairly, only to see those who are unscrupulous prosper far beyond you. It ain't fair.

A tragedy in your life has left you with a pain that is so severe that you can scarcely stand it. The pain is so real that your chest literally aches. It ain't fair.

Fair, ain't got nothin' to do with it.

God's sovereignty and righteousness have everything to do with it. Would you like a layman's description of those terms? It basically means this: God will do whatever he wants to do, however He wants to do it, whenever He wants to do it and it will be right.

Abraham put it this way: "Will not the judge of all the earth, do right." Genesis 18:25

We have two choices here. Either He is sovereign or He is not. There is no middle ground. You don't need any, He IS in control. He does love you and has your best interest in mind. Everything that is in your life and mine has been cleared by God, and it is right.

You see, it is not a matter of whether or not it is fair. It is not even matter of whether or not I understand, because as I said in "There is no spoon," I, and you, do not and cannot. It is a matter of whether or not we choose to place our faith in God's righteousness and sovereignty. It is a matter of whether or not we trust His judgment.

Fair ain't got nothin' to do with it. Faith, when it quite simply does not make sense, has everything to do with it.

The 500

If you have known me for any time at all, you are aware that I am a fan of NASCAR. Now, this was true of me long before it was fashionable to be a NASCAR fan. Sort of like the Barbara Mandrell song, "I was country, when country wasn't cool."

Now, it is important to know that where I grew up, being a NASCAR fan was not optional. I grew up 15 minutes from the Charlotte Motor Speedway, now called Lowe's. I saw racing on Saturday night, I listened to races on the radio, I knew the lingo and the schedule, I kept up with the drivers when it was still considered a redneck sport. (For those who have been taking a cultural nap, NASCAR is the #3 most popular sport in the nation. Some sources put it at #2 behind only the NFL. It has left the redneck part long behind.)

This weekend is the Daytona 500. It is THE race that everyone wants to win. I vividly recall Earnhardt winning it for the first time in his storied career in 1998. I likewise remember all to vividly when he died at the race in 2001. I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. I thought about not watching racing any more. I just did not really care. It is hard to explain how a man who is your contemporary, whom you may not have too much in common with in reality, can affect you as an adult. But he did.

With that in mind, what follows below is the article that I posted on the web of my former church following that time. Read to the end. It probably will challenge you as it does me still.

The Death of an Icon

I walked in the house from dinner, and noticed there was a message on the answering machine. She pressed the “Play” button. I heard my youngest daughter’s voice. “Dad, I just heard when I got to Youth Group, that Dale Earnhardt was killed in a car crash at Daytona today. I did not know if you knew or not, but I knew you would want to know.”

I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. I had watched the entire race including his accident before I had left. I felt it was serious, but I was not prepared to hear those words. We never are.

“I feel like I have lost a family member,” I would later say.

I have been a huge fan of NASCAR for my entire life. When you grow up in the heart of the NASCAR country, only ten miles from its second most famous track, it is like a disease that you cannot escape. I have followed the sport very intently my entire life. Dale Earnhardt was the primary reason.

I grew up in Kannapolis, N.C., the home of Dale Earnhardt. I still recall sitting in my junior high science class and seeing him. Dale was just like any other student, except that he wanted out. He wanted to race. He was two years ahead of me, but was in this class for a reason that I can only speculate. I recall hearing him tell one of his friends that he was going to quit school because he was turning 16. To be honest, at the time, I really did not know who he was. I had been to the Concord Speedway to watch his father, the late Ralph Earnhardt race, but did not fully make the connection when we would talk in class.

It would be very unfair to say we were friends. I am sure there are thousands making that claim that cannot justify it. We chatted in class three or four times before he did quit school, just as he had said that he would. And just as he predicted, his father was not pleased in the least. (He actually used language a bit stronger to express his father’s feelings.)

In spite of (or because of) that connection I followed Dale’s career intently throughout my adult life. I recall the sadness when I heard that his father had died in 1973. I saw Dale Earnhardt race at numerous NASCAR tracks and several smaller ones before that. I watched him clinch his first championship on television at a track in Ontario, California when NASCAR was still considered a redneck sport. I watched as this man led the sport almost single handedly into national prominence. I read and watched him build a business empire in the racing community that is unparalleled.

My wife has never known a time when I was not a Dale Earnhardt fan. So when he died in turn four of the Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 18, 2001, I was sick to my stomach.

As I sat late into the night searching the Internet for information, I began to receive calls and e-mails from people who knew how I felt. All three of my children called, emailed, or came into the room to see me. I sat down and wrote something like the following message to each of my children and to my son-in-law.

“I am feeling a great deal of sadness right how. I feel like I have lost a family member. It reminds me how short and fragile life is. It reminds me to let the folks I love, like you, know that I love them.”

Let me ask you the obvious questions:

• Whom do you love?
• Do they know it?

Do not assume they do. Tell them. Tell them in person. Tell them by writing. Tell them by e-mail, but tell them. Tell them today. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.

There is no spoon

As you can guess, I am a huge fan of the movie The Matrix. I first saw it in Phoenix, a week or so after its release. I was totally captivated by the spiritual imagery in the movie. I could not even guess how many times I have seen it since.

There are so many lines in the movie that I think are incredible. I am sure that at some point on this site I will refer to many of them. For this post however, I thought I would talk about one that impacts the reality I find myself in now. The above line "There is no spoon," occurs when a child is trying to expand Neo's (the lead character) view of his reality. "There is no spoon." That is where I find myself in many respects.

It all began during my doctoral work in ministry at my former church as I was attempting to initiate a ministry to under 35 adults. (In reality, I guess I started along this vein in the late 80's and early 90's at a ministry location in another state; but I was not aware of the reality of the issues I was seeing.) It was during the research for that doctoral dissertation where I first became fully, consciously aware of the term "postmodernism," without having a negative light shown upon it.

You see, my theological education, up to that point, was almost 100% from a modernist perspective. It was based totally upon enlightenment reasoning. It was all about proof and study and analysis to support the faith. Now, that is not all bad, there is a time for that, and I am not the only one who had that training. In fact, everyone did in the 70's and 80's.

My early ministry, therefore, was based upon that reasoning. It was all about proof and reason. I lived that. Shoot, in my first church once a quarter I would answer Bible and related questions instead of a message. I was sort of a Bible Answer Man, or so I thought. I am stronger and more solid in my faith now than I could even dream of then, but I have fewer answers, and lots more questions!

There is no spoon.

Here is what I think I am learning. In the words of another pastor, most of us want a god that is about 6'8" or so. He is bigger than we are, but we can still get our mind around him. Now I am learning something. God is no 6'8" god that I can comprehend. Neither is He 7'9" or 9'7" or 25'6". He is so much larger than us that we cannot even dream of getting our minds fully around Him. He is so big, that I am not really sure why we use the pronoun "Him" to talk about this Spirit Being who is our God. (Actually, as strange as it sounds, I do have a little understanding about that, and I do not think I am a chauvinist - - - my female friends tell me I truly am not - - - I hope they are not kidding me!)

There is no spoon. Your reality, my reality was all wrong!! Just like the spoon was not real, the god we often create in our mind is not real. That god is created in our image, not vice versa! We create that god from what we have been taught, what we have experienced, etc. It is often mixed with truth, but it is not fully the truth.

The real God is so large (metaphorically) that no one, not me nor you, can get our minds around Him. There are things that I simply do not understand. There are things in my life that in all honesty, I do not think or feel are fair. I do not like them and really want to change it. There are people I care about in my life and in my ministry that have hurts and cares I cannot explain. There are things that happen on the planet (read tsunami, aids, child neglect, abuse, rape, genocide, etc.) that I do not understand.

The old god required me to explain them. Where was God when it hurt? How does God meet me in my pain?

The "no spoon" God does not demand that at all. He says, "I care for you in your suffering. It may be a result of sin over the centuries building up (See, I do understand the theological moorings of the explainable god.) but what really matters is not "why." What matters is "Who." And that "who" is the "no spoon God" who says, "I love you. I care for you. I am with you in your suffering. Allow me to be with you. I loved you and cared so much for you that I died for you, when you could not even die for yourself!"

There is no spoon. How incredibly freeing it is!!