Tongue-tied

But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” – Exodus 4:10-12

As the voice of Tigers baseball, Ernie was a fixture on the radio for decades. Ernie Harwell was a Hall of Fame broadcaster, a marvelous storyteller, and a humble man of faith. It once was said that you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can never please everybody all the time. While that sentiment may be true, it seems that some people become so beloved that they come close to achieving universal acceptance. Even now, more than a decade after his passing, Ernie is revered in the hearts of Tigers fans and most Michiganders.

https://www.cooperstownexpert.com/player/ernie-harwell/

However, beloved doesn’t equal perfect, and Ernie would have been the first to say he, like all of us, had flaws. In fact, there was one obstacle he faced that had it not been addressed, he likely would have never realized the successful career he had. Author Richard Bak wrote the following story about this challenge back in 2013 (Link below).

Like all play-by-play announcers, Ernie Harwell employed several pet phrases during his 55 years in the booth. Unlike many of the current crop of broadcasters, however, Ernie’s signature calls never seemed contrived. They evolved organically, none more so than his trademark call for a called strike: “He stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched that one go by.”

That particular phrase had extra meaning for Ernie. When he was a boy growing up in Georgia in the 1920s, he had a serious speech disorder. He stuttered and had a serious lisp that prevented him from pronouncing the letter S. Little Ernie was a lovable bundle of energy, and his impediment was the cause of some good-natured ribbing by family and friends. But his father was wise enough to realize that the world wouldn’t be nearly so forgiving when Ernie was an adult. “We need to get that boy some help,” he announced one night after hearing his five-year-old son stammer his way through a conversation at the dinner table.

“They didn’t have much money,” Ernie would say later of his parents, “but they spent what they had sending me to speech teachers to overcome that handicap.” One of Ernie’s phonetic exercises was to recite a poem written by Sam Walter Foss, a late 19th-century New Hampshire poet noted for his vigorous, common-man verse. The last lines of the poem are:

Let me live in a house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by –
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner’s seat,
Or hurl the cynic’s ban –
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

That final stanza speaks to one of Ernie’s distinguishing core virtues: a magnanimous spirit toward all people, no matter how flawed. “I know a lot of you people who’ve heard me on the radio still think I’m tongue-tied,” he joked during his Hall-of-Fame induction speech. “But, through the grace of God, officially I’m not tongue-tied anymore.”

As Christians, we often find ourselves put into situations where we struggle to find the right words to say. We freeze when the topic is too difficult, or we don’t know the answer to the question, so we have nothing to share. Sometimes, our emotions about the situation or the person asking the question leads us astray and we provide an answer that is wrong, inappropriate, or does more harm than good. Whatever the circumstance, the outcome leaves us feeling inadequate and unhelpful.

What a blessing it is to know that we, like Ernie, have a solution for our tied tongues. God’s conversation with Moses from Exodus 4 shows us that when we rely upon God, our words will be impactful. Isaiah 55:10-11 confirms the power of the word of God when it says, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” With this reassurance, we can speak with a confidence, knowing that God is speaking through us.

Just don’t stand there like the house by the side of the road, letting those kingdom moments go by.

Link to Richard Bak’s 2013 article: Harwell overcame speech impediment to become the voice of the Tigers – Vintage Detroit Collection

It’s About Ministry

For many people across our synod, and specifically in the Michigan District, the March 1, 2024, announcement by the leadership of Concordia Wisconsin brought a sense of relief. Concordia University Ann Arbor will remain open for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. There is still a long list of challenges that the university must face to ensure its long-term stability, but by the grace of God it has survived.

Over the past few weeks, God has moved many people who love and care for CUAA to stand, to speak, and to support a ministry that means a lot to them. It is an incredible turnaround over what had been shown prior to the initial announcement. Yes, there have always been people who demonstrated support for the university. But in retrospect, perhaps we were guilty of taking it for granted. Many viewed CUAA as an option in a list of institutions of higher education and nothing more. Over the past few weeks that changed, and once again CUAA became a valued ministry of our district, our synod, and our world.

How did this happen? The easy answer would be when we were faced with the possibility of losing it. But perhaps the most honest answer would be that we allowed ourselves to be lulled into a place where we felt it was fine and would just always be there because somebody was taking care of it. Somebody had everything in order. Somebody was doing the work. Somebody was supporting its needs.

Of course, the problem is when everybody leaves it to somebody, it often gets done by nobody.

It has been wonderful to see so many people from every corner of our synod moved to act in support of CUAA’s ministry. Millions of dollars have been raised, but so have millions of prayers. People took to social media to share stories of how CUAA impacted their lives, but they also have shown how CUAA is impacting the lives of a new generation of Christ’s church around the world. This outpouring of love has positioned this ministry to continue its work. But if the goal is to provide a solid future for CUAA and the other CUS schools, for Lutheran K-12 schools and preschools, for the Recognized Service Organizations of our synod, for our congregations and for our entire LCMS, we must maintain this renewed energy and focus on all the ministries of our church. Offer them your time, your tithes, and your talents. Share their mission with others who could benefit from our ministries. Also, share with people the missions of our church’s ministries, providing opportunities for others to support God’s work being done by every part of our church body.

Our work is far from over. May we always seek God’s will as we actively do His work to the glory of His holy name.

Photo Credit: Randy Duncan

Asterisk

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him” – Colossians 1:22-23

On Monday, January 8, 2024, the Michigan Wolverines defeated the Washington Huskies 34-13 to claim the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship. As a lifelong Michigan fan, the decisive victory was a pleasure to watch. It was the culmination of a season filled with hope and promise as Michigan realized its potential and won their first national championship since 1998. It’s been a memorable year for many reasons, and some are even football related!

Michigan and its coach Jim Harbaugh have been engulfed in controversy throughout the season. The year started with the school self-imposing a three-game suspension for Harbaugh for recruiting violations during COVID. It later erupted with allegations that a Michigan staffer and some of his associates were filming the sidelines of future opponents in an attempt to decode and steal their signs. The staffer resigned, the NCAA is investigating, and the Big Ten issued another three-game suspension for the coach. The first suspension came against two of the three weakest opponents Michigan would face this year (sorry MSU fans, it’s true). The second, however, would be against two of the three best teams in the conference, including arch-rival, Ohio State. Michigan would go on to win all of those games, followed by the Conference Championship game, the Rose Bowl over Alabama, and finally Washington for the natty.

For a team to have accomplished so much is incredible. To have done so in the face of so much adversity makes it even more amazing. However, not everybody sees it that way.

For some, Michigan’s win will forever be tainted by the allegations of cheating. It’s common for rival fan bases to grouse and cry foul over impropriety, but this Michigan story became national news as the biggest sports related topic over most of the season. Now that the season is over and Michigan has been named the victors, those people who still object to the alleged cheating are claiming the win should come with an asterisk.

On the surface, that sounds weird. The claim is that by typing “Shift-8” on your keyboard after Michigan’s name we will totally resolve the issue; easing the pain of those fans who are suffering. That one keystroke will once and for all, show those cheaters in Ann Arbor that we mean business!

Again, as a Michigan fan, my initial response is, “Whatever.” Cleverly placed punctuation marks will not erase the memories, change the outcome of the game, or award anyone else a championship. But the asterisk isn’t designed to do any of that. Its goal is to diminish the accomplishment by questioning its legitimacy.

On the surface this may appear to be much ado about nothing, but there is a history to this practice. For many years, Major League Baseball listed Roger Maris’s single-season home run record in their official publications with an asterisk because he hit 61 homers playing in a 162-game schedule, while the previous record-holder Babe Ruth set his mark of 60 in a schedule with only 154 games. Why would they go to such lengths for this record? MLB didn’t quantify any other records in the same way, so why this one? Probably because commissioner Ford Frick couldn’t stomach the idea that Roger Maris, an above-average player would erase the great Babe Ruth from the record books. Getting back to the Michigan situation, the goal for those calling for the asterisk is to let history record that Michigan cheated and didn’t win their games with clean hands. The asterisk would forever blemish the title, the games, the players, coaches, and the season.

I don’t know what will eventually happen with all of this. The investigations will be conducted, and decisions will be made regarding any additional punishments that may be handed down. What I do see in all of this is a connection to our faith life.

There will never be a consensus on Michigan’s alleged guilt. Some will claim it to be overblown while others will contend that the vaunted integrity of sports was irreparably besmirched. Asterisk or not, the controversy will always be connected to a certain degree. The validity will likely fall along the lines of your fandom.

As Christians, we all fight a common issue of sin. It doesn’t matter if you root for Blue, Green, Scarlet, Crimson, or Burnt Sienna. We have all sinned. Some of our sins are significant and carry serious consequences. Many are minor infractions that are by and large unknown to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the depth and gravity of the sin are not mitigating factors. Any sin equals impurity and ultimately death. This is a blemish that we all carry and are powerless to remove on our own.

By the grace of God shown through the loving sacrifice made by Jesus, we are given a restorative gift. Despite being without the blemish of sin, Jesus died on the cross to atone for the sins of all mankind. The Bible tells us that our sins are washed away in the blood of the Lamb. This saves us from an eternity of separation from God. Instead, our relationship with God is restored. This is made clear in Paul’s words to the Colossians. Jesus will present us to the Father “holy and blameless and above reproach.” We enter His heavenly presence without so much as an asterisk by our name. We could never do that. Thankfully, Jesus did.

May the love of God displayed throughout creation, and demonstrated by Jesus Christ in our salvation lead us to share the love that God has given us with everyone we encounter, especially our rivals. Let His love guide us in all things that we and others through us can come to that same saving grace.

And one last thought…. Go Blue!

Celebrating Our Failures

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:26

On April 23, 2022, Detroit Tigers Designated Hitter Miguel Cabrera drove a single into right field to collect the 3,000th hit of his illustrious career. Long considered a major achievement in the sport, Cabrera, has become the thirty-third player in major league history to reach this milestone. Thirty-three players having reached this plateau may not seem so exclusive. But when you consider that as of May 1, 2022, there have been 20,042 people to have played Major League Baseball since its beginning in 1876. This means that currently, only .001646 of players have accomplished this (roughly 1 out of every 607 players). This feat will also grow scarcer over the next several years as the next players with a reasonable shot of reaching 3,000 hits don’t yet have 2,000 hits.

Still not impressed? Consider these other feats.

Cabrera is…

…1 of only 7 people to have 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

…1 of only 3 people to have 3,000 hits, 500 HRs, and 600 doubles.

…1 of only 2 people to have 3,000 hits, 500 HRs, 600 doubles, and a lifetime batting average over .300

…The only player to have 3,000, 500, 600, .300 and to have won a batting triple crown (2012).

I know that I am biased, but I tend to think that’s pretty good.

Photo Credit: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/miguel-cabrera-hits-tracker-tigers-3000-hit-club/emufcftufy98edljnpn0e6il

As a lifelong Tiger fan, I have enjoyed watching this run toward the milestones. I was just a little too young to remember Al Kaline’s 3,000^th hit, so this has been pretty cool to watch. I enjoyed the video display the team shared in the half inning after the hit. It was short congratulatory remarks from several other players from the 3,000-hit club. The video I found to be most interesting was shared by George Brett, the great third baseman from the Kansas City Royals from the 70’s and 80’s, who recognized Miggy for two accomplishments. Here’s what Brett said:

“Congratulations on getting No. 3,000. It’s a great club, very happy you joined it. On top of that, though, it’s another great club to be able to say you made 7,000 outs. Congrats, I’ll see you in Cooperstown soon, pal.”

The 7,000-out club? Is that a thing? Why yes, it is! Fifty-five of baseball’s greatest are a part of this unique group, including twenty-six of the members of the 3,000-hit club. It’s crazy but it’s true; the hitters with the greatest levels of success are also those with the greatest levels of failure.

This idea, while strange, makes sense when you think about it. Those players were so good at hitting baseballs that they were given more opportunities to swing over longer careers. This concept holds true to other areas of our lives. High achievers are rewarded with more opportunities to achieve than those who struggle. But nobody is perfect. More often than not, things don’t go the way we hoped or planned and we find ourselves failing. Truly successful people have figured out ways to overcome their failures, to learn from them and to keep pushing toward their goals. Hitters in baseball forget the last pitch and focus solely on what they need to do as they face the next pitch. That ability to accept failure without letting it dominate them is what allows them to perform so well at a task where the very best will fail more than they succeed.

We as Christians face a similar set of circumstances. Imagine if they kept stats on our thoughts, words and deeds in the same way they track baseball statistics. We’d all like to think that we could rank high on the good deeds list. Maybe we are an all-time great at volunteering, donations, or praying for others. These would be wonderful things to which we should aspire, but they only tell a part of the story. Because like a baseball player comparing hits to outs, Christians can compare the moments we follow God’s will to the sins that dominate our lives. I don’t mean to brag, but I think I am on course for a Hall-of-Shame career based on my “Sin Percentage.” Here’s our reality: despite our best efforts, we are sinful. For every accomplishment, we have a multitude of failures. Like baseball players, we can overcome these struggles. Unlike baseball players, we do so without the need for batting practice and spring training.

As a unique creation made in the very image of God, we hold a special place in the heart of our Lord. When sin tainted our hearts, it did nothing to diminish the love that God has for us. He immediately set into place the plan designed to give us forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Jesus lived among us as true man. His death and resurrection defeated sin, death, and any power that Satan might try to wield over us. Will we still fail when it comes to sin? Absolutely. Thousands and thousands of times in fact. But for every sin there is forgiveness, and this without ceasing. Consider the words of Psalm 76, where we are reminded that, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” This doesn’t mean that we can live in any way we choose. We still must strive to do God’s will as best we can. However, it does assure us that His love, His mercy, His grace is sufficient to overcome the times when we fail. Our sin no longer defines us. Our record is cleared and our relationship to the Father is restored, and there is no cooler club to join than to be one of God’s redeemed children. May God bless you to live your life in a way that brings glory and honor to His holy name. Live without fear of your failures, knowing that He will sustain you in every circumstance.

Statistics used collected from baseball-reference.com, baseball-almanac.com, and @jaysonst

Peace on Earth

Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:32-33 (ESV)

On that glorious night in the fields outside of Bethlehem, God chose a most improbable group of people to hear a most important proclamation.

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Having made it through the past 21 months, the mere thought of God declaring a message of good news that will bring joy to us all is very appealing. After all, it is easier to deal with times of struggle when you’re able to look forward and know that there is a promise of better days ahead. I think that’s a big part of what has made dealing with the pandemic and the crises it has created so difficult. It just feels as if there is no end in sight.

So, this year, more than ever, we need that good news.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

It is truly amazing to think that God’s love for us runs so deeply that He would send His Son into our world to save each one of us from sin. We deserve the death that comes as the consequence of our sinfulness. Thankfully, God has a different plan. Through Jesus’s life, death & resurrection, we have been gifted something we could never accomplish, forgiveness of our sins and a restored relationship with the Father.

“And this will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Say what? We’ll find Him where? He’ll be wearing what? You did say this was the Son of God, right? For us here on earth who understand the lifestyles of kings, this is not how royals are to be born. Where’s the pomp? Where’s the excess, the exquisite accommodations that are afforded to royalty? Leaders like to demonstrate their humility by claiming to be “one of the people.” These sentiments tend to be a lot of bluster without much substance. However, in this case, the only blustery thing about Christ’s birth was the wind passing through the stable where He was born. Jesus our Messiah, true God and true man, here to dwell among us so that He could ultimately save us.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!’”

There it is. The second most important gift we receive from this message. Nothing compares to forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. But for now, in this moment, we will take some peace on earth. Life in modern society has left us all tired and frustrated. Every day brings a new slate of challenges, struggles, arguments, and attacks. It’s exhausting. It’s discouraging. It leads many of us to experience physical and emotional depths that can distract us from our work, bring stress into our relationships, as well as take a toll on our health. We all experience these feelings from time to time and to varying degrees, especially around the holidays when so much more is expected of us.

In these moments, it is crucial to remember the words of Christ from John 16. Jesus is speaking to his disciples (and to us) in preparation for his death. In verse 32, He describes what will happen to him after his arrest. The disciples will grow fearful and will hide, choosing to save their own skin over standing with Jesus against His persecutors. As He faces abandonment from His followers, Jesus will know that He is not alone. God the Father will be with Him through it all. Perhaps He said this to reassure Himself, knowing what He was about to face. There is no doubt in my mind that He is speaking to us, equipping us with the certainty that God will never leave us. In fact, Jesus affirms this in the words of verse 33.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Could there be a better reminder than this? Satan and our sinful world are going to do everything they can to distract us from these words. But distract is all they can do. They have already been defeated. Christ’s bold proclamation is our truth. Through it, we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we will never be lost, never destroyed. In Christ we find true peace.

It is my solemn prayer that you will feel this peace throughout your celebration of the Savior’s birth. May He strengthen you to face the challenges in your life. May He surround you with believers to support you, angels to protect you, and the Holy Spirit to empower you that you may share this message to others in word and deed this Christmas and throughout the year to come.

Crying Out Across the Centuries

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. – Romans 12:14-21

Montgomery, Alabama. January 30, 1956.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was attending a mass meeting to maintain support of a bus boycott that had begun nearly two months earlier. On December 5, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested and charged with violating Montgomery’s city code requiring segregation on buses. In response, the African-American community, led by Dr. King, refused to ride city buses until the law was changed. Weeks of tension between the city leaders and the protestors were about to lead the city to the brink of disaster.

The following excerpt comes from a 1972 essay by Jane Stevenson entitled, “Rosa Parks Wouldn’t Budge.”

“On that night while Dr. King was attending one of the regular mass meetings, a bomb tossed onto the porch of his house exploded seconds later with a shattering roar. Having heard the thud as the missile landed, Mrs. King and a visiting friend had moved quickly toward the rear of the house. They and the Kings’ infant daughter escaped injury. But it looked for a time as if the chief casualty of the night would be the concept of nonviolence…

Rushing home, King found an angry crowd milling on his lawn. As he stepped from his car, he heard one black man offer to shoot it out with a white policeman who was trying to push him back… The mood of the crowd was so hostile that all of them later reported having felt that a race riot was a distinct and immediate possibility.

Dr. King went into his house, assured himself that his family was all right, and then came back to speak to the crowd. His voice was unusually quiet, and everyone else stopped speaking or moving, to listen.

‘My wife and baby are all right,’ he told them. ‘I want you to go home an put down your weapons. We cannot solve this problem through retaliatory violence… We must love our white brothers no matter what they do to us. We must make them know that we love them. Jesus still cries out across the centuries, Love your enemies. This is what we must live by…’

It was another miracle of oratory… simply, at his request, the crowd began to melt away, and with it, the tension.”

Photo credit: https://pressfrom.info/us/news/us/-639436-after-mlk-s-home-was-bombed-he-refused-to-back-down-this-movement-will-not-stop.html

When I reflect on Dr. King and his many contributions to society, this story always comes to mind. Amid a personal attack designed to do great harm to him and his family, he had the strength to seek out God’s will in the situation. Dr. King set aside the fear and anger he must have been feeling to share a message of peace derived from Jesus’ command for us to love our enemies. It was a remarkable response that kept his nonviolent movement focused on the bigger picture, one which would ultimately have its day. On November 13, after nearly a year of ride shares and walking, the United States Supreme Court declared Alabama’s bus segregation laws unconstitutional.

It is easy to see the comparisons between the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the events that have impacted life in America over the past several months. Racial and political tensions have created a dangerously deep divide in our country. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a solution in sight; no oratory masterpiece to calm us, no group to unite us, no court ruling to settle things for us. In fact, you could claim that we have all but abandoned the ideal that we are, “one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

How do we restore a sense of peace and order to our society? It is only my opinion, but I think that we too must heed the words of Dr. King from that January night so many years ago. “Jesus still cries out across the centuries, ‘Love your enemies.’”

Why is this so important? We are sinful. Our actions are spiteful, based on arrogance, intolerance, and a hatred of others and their ideas. We consider our own thoughts to be exclusively correct and we are willing to say and do incredibly hurtful things to oppress those with whom we disagree. Our minds are fixed. Our ears are closed. Our hearts are hardened. Faced with this sobering truth, we can only turn to the outstretched arms of Christ to save us from the evil world we have helped create through our sin.

Thankfully, Jesus knows our sinful condition. As true man, He experienced hatred and violence firsthand. As true God, He provided us a model of how we must look directly into the face of hate with love by forgiving those who harm us – even if they do not want it or deserve it. Remember, it was Jesus, who while being crucified, asked God to forgive those people who were responsible for whipping, beating, mocking, and executing Him. If the Son of God can speak peaceful words of forgiveness from the cross, we too must be able to find words of peace that we can share with our brothers and sisters in Christ on earth.

Jesus has given us this great, undeserved gift of forgiveness. By His redeeming death and resurrection, we have had our relationship with the Father restored and by the work of the Holy Spirit, we will be with God for eternity in heaven. Until the day that Jesus leads us home, may we let Him lead us to share the gift of love with others who desperately need to feel it. Pray that our lives can reflect His love, and when our sinfulness overtakes us, allow us to seek forgiveness and make amends so that others would see Christ’s love at work in us.

Background Check

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:18-19

To say that the corona virus pandemic of 2020 has changed the world would be an understatement. The weeks and months ahead will continue to see us dealing with the impacts of social distancing, “stay at home” orders, closed businesses and schools, limited travel, and most importantly recovery. As this plays out, I am personally curious to see what things will continue to happen now that we have discovered by necessity that they are possible. Many people have grown to use and appreciate grocery delivery and curbside service at take-out restaurants. Teachers and parents have learned a great many new technologies that will help them educate children. We may even see a glorious return of the long hair of the 1970’s and big hair of the 80’s now that salons and barbershops remain closed.

From my perspective, the new thing that is most likely to stick around is the surge in using video conferencing technology. Most businesses and schools flocked to these programs to keep themselves communicating internally and with clients or students. How many of you celebrated a family event or a holiday on a computer screen? Television networks began utilizing it for interviews or even entire shows. The production quality is lacking, and it seems a bit impersonal, but today there are millions of people around the world who had never tried video conferencing using this technology daily.

Of course, with familiarity comes the need to add to the mix. When a new user first started out, they were most worried about the functionality of the program and making sure they could see and hear and be seen and heard. Once that was mastered, they faced the single most important factor of any online video chat: the background. You might recognize this streak of vanity within you. Taking time to consider your surroundings so that when people see you on screen, they see something cool behind you. In fact, I’m pretty sure that some people care more about how the background looks than they do about their own physical appearance. At first you probably just wanted a space free of clutter. That’s like earning your bachelor’s degree. That quickly escalated to the master’s where you spent time finding a background that had something visually interesting that also shared something about your unique personality: bookcases filled with interesting books and figurines, pictures or artwork that showed off our interests or sense of style, perhaps a window overlooking a nice part of the yard. Just not an air vent or a light switch, or a boring wall. Finally, you earned your Ph. D. by actively looking at and critiquing the backgrounds of other people with whom you conference to see what behind them. You’ve graduated when you start reminding yourself that you need to stop looking at what is in the background of the people on your chat and begin paying attention to what is being said. Sound familiar? You do not have to answer that!

Truth be told, we are all probably guilty of spending too much time focused on the backgrounds on our video calls. That said, it is interesting how this mirrors real life for so many of us. We are very often finding ourselves trying to insert ourselves into the business of others, while at the same time trying to present the best possible image of ourselves for the world to see. It’s probably just human nature, but seeing that we are sinful by nature, this just becomes another way for us to self-promote all the while hiding the reality of our messy lives (and homes 😊).

All of us are sinful. All of us fall short of the expectations God has given us to worship Him, to do right by others and take care of ourselves. If our video backgrounds truly reflected our lives, we wouldn’t see books, sports memorabilia, and artwork. It would be filled with broken promises, failures, and missed opportunities. The stain of sin permeates everything about us, leaving us hurt and damaged. Our brokenness leaves us with no opportunity to change and therefore, without hope. Thankfully, our God is a God of love and restoration. Through His son, Jesus Christ, that brokenness that we feel is repaired, the shame that sin hangs over us is cleared away. Our sins have been paid for by the blood of the Lamb, separating us from our sinfulness and bringing us to a place where we can present ourselves to the Father without blemish. We can move forward into a new and right relationship with God.

The words of Isaiah 43:18-19 proclaim this new relationship by reminding us to keep our past where it belongs: in the past. The sins of yesterday are gone; forgiven and forgotten. The accomplishments of yesterday are also behind us, allowing us to focus on a new day and a new opportunity to let the Holy Spirit use us to further the work of the kingdom. It doesn’t matter what we are facing. God has provided the way, the means, the resources, and assures us of His continual presence to see us through. May we cling to this promise He made to us so that we can keep moving forward until we are given the eternal gift won for us by our loving Savior.

Photo Credit: https://www.videomaker.com/article/f04/17142-create-a-youtube-studio-in-your-room

Dusted

On April 15, 2019, the world stood alongside the people of Paris, France, in shock and disbelief. Notre Dame, the medieval Catholic cathedral which for centuries stood as a landmark in the city had caught fire and was engulfed in flames. Many feared that the structure would be a total loss. Fortunately, thanks to the work of Paris’s fire department and the grace of God, much of the building was able to survive the flames. In fact, for the past year, Notre Dame has been undergoing a massive restoration project designed to return the masterpiece of French Gothic architecture to as close to its original condition as possible.

On the first anniversary of the blaze, I had the chance to read an article talking about the work being done to save Notre Dame. The article shared several interesting pieces information about the restoration and what the team had discovered as they began their work. One story was that of Claudine Loisel, a woman whose specialty was glass restoration. Her job was to test the lead levels of the stained-glass windows in the cathedral. What Loisel found was a most pleasant surprise: no lead contamination. The windows had been protected from the fire.

How did this happen? The following excerpt from the article explains that, “[Loisel] told a BBC4 TV documentary…that some of the windows there had not been cleaned for a century, and that dirt may have helped save them from lead contamination in the fire. ‘The first thick layer [of dust] acted as a small layer of protection,’ she explained. ‘So, we just have to remove all these deposits to clean these windows.’”

I must admit that the first thought I had upon reading this was that I had found the best excuse for not washing windows ever. Maybe we underestimated the protective nature of dust. Perhaps my wife’s requests for a total house cleaning are really putting us at risk, while my procrastination and general disdain for wasting a day on cleaning has kept my family safe. Confident in the knowledge that I had discovered something incredibly important, I shared my findings and hypothesis with my wife. She never actually said that she agreed with me, but she did walk away rolling her eyes (undoubtedly because she too realized how much time we have wasted on house cleaning over the years).

All kidding aside, it is amazing how something as insignificant as dust could have protected these irreplaceable pieces of art. As amazing that that is, it is equally ironic that had the cathedral and its staff made any attempt to clean the glass at any time over the past 100+ years, it is very likely that windows would have been lost.

Amidst the beauty of the cathedral, it is easy to forget that this architectural wonder is first and foremost, the house of God. Ministry takes place here and by the power of the Holy Spirit, faith is fostered, and lives are changed. This is a very good thing. Imagine if the work of developing and strengthening faith was completely up to us? Would we be able to do what was necessary to overcome our sinfulness so that we could save ourselves or others? I can only speak for myself, but allow me to put it this way:

I am much better at house cleaning.

As believers, we give thanks to God for the great love He has for us. This is what led Him to send Jesus into our sinful world. He took the heat for our sins, suffering the consequences of our filthy lives on Golgotha’s cross. But just as the beauty of Notre Dame will one day be preserved, we too have had our relationship with God restored because of Christ’s resurrection. The only differences between the two are that Jesus accomplished his restoration work in three days, not the roughly six years that officials are estimating for Notre Dame. Secondly, our restoration in Christ is eternal; a claim no architect or builder could possibly make. Paul reminds us of this promise in the words of 2 Timothy 4:18 where he writes:

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

May we always remember this promise as we live our lives to the glory of our God. May we never choose to let the dust of sin cover the beauty that God created within us to be shared with others seeking His love.

That said, please excuse me. My wife just brought me a mop so I can prove my theory on the kitchen floor.

 

News Article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52280511

Image Credit: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201904/19/WS5cb932cea3104842260b71ec.html

Cancellation Policy

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV)

I travel a fair amount for work. Typically, I enjoy the trips I take. My travels allow me to see wonderful people and go to interesting places. Plus, by using a little common sense, I plan my trips so that I visit my programs in the southern states during the winter and my northern states in the spring or fall.

Lately, due to the closure of schools caused by the coronavirus, I have had the opportunity to learn about a less exciting part of travel: cancellation policies. Flights, hotel stays, rental cars; all needing to be cancelled. I’ve logged a few hours learning the ins and outs of how to cancel my travel plans. If there is a silver lining in all of this, it would be that the companies I deal with are being very willing to work with me to cancel without penalty.

Except one.

Before I continue, allow me to state for the record that this is not me bashing this company. Their policies are very clear and upfront. I use them because they offer a great level of value, but the downside is they will not work with you to alter your arrangements unless you pay an additional fee for “travel insurance,” which I never do because it usually takes a pandemic to stop me from taking a trip.

Perhaps you have also experienced some cancellations in your life due to the coronavirus. Travel plans gone awry. Birthday or anniversary celebrations put on hold or held via Zoom. Maybe you had plans to have some work done at your house but the company you hired can’t do the work. Add to this the loss of sports, restaurants, bars, theaters, golf courses, shopping malls and church gatherings and suddenly you see that everyone is dealing with some form of a cancellation. In fact, as the church has entered Holy Week, there are some who are bemoaning the cancellation of Easter for the first time in our lifetime. To those people, I have a simple, one-word response:

REALLY?????

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was born of a virgin. He was true God and true man. He lived a life totally free of sin only to be betrayed, mocked, beaten, and finally executed by crucifixion. Three days later, He proclaimed victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil by rising from the dead. Yet despite having knowledge of this and faith in the salvation He won for us through this sacrifice, some dare to think that Easter is cancelled.

I knew we should have paid extra for the Holiday Insurance!

If I might offer a bit of clarification, it seems to me that for the first time in our lives, we’re dealing with the commercialization of Easter instead of Christmas. Every December we spend time reminding people that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” It’s designed to get us to think less about the presents, trees, lights, ornaments, cookies, pageants, and Santa and more about the birth of our Savior. Well, for many of us this year, we will get to experience a similar phenomenon where Easter will be devoid of egg hunts, bunnies, jellybeans, fancy hats and dresses, big breakfasts and bigger ham dinners. But despite the loss of these things, the tomb will be empty. The debt of our sinfulness will be paid in full by blood of the lamb. Satan’s defeat will be proclaimed in the heavens and the earth, and our coming resurrection remains assured.

Isaiah 55 provides a clear picture of the futility of trying to limit or eliminate the word of God. As our Creator, God’s will can not be denied. Give thanks to Him that because of His great love, we have the assurance that nothing our sinful world throws at us can prevent us from receiving the grace and mercy He bestows upon us.

May God bless you and your Easter celebration. Though it may be simpler than any you’ve ever experienced before, allow yourself the opportunity to focus more clearly than ever on the love that Christ shared WITH YOU on Good Friday and the prize He claimed FOR YOU this Easter morning.

Routine Maintenance

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:38-42

Most of us have a structured routine when it comes to work. We have an established wardrobe, a usual breakfast and lunch, a regular time to get up, leave the house, and to return home. We take the same route to work, so we learn the traffic patterns. We stop at the same stores for a coffee or soda, so we see familiar people in those places. On the surface, this routine might appear boring and mundane. In truth, our routines provide us a level of comfort that we grow to rely upon. That is why we work hard to maintain our routines every day. Disrupt the routine of our mornings, and it often creates frustration and stress that can carry on throughout the day.

Having established that as a reality, I can imagine that for the people impacted by the shelter in place orders and the closure of school campuses, life has become a new adventure with our routines tossed out the window. The first few days might have been novel, but by now you’ve probably started to grow frustrated by the change to working at home. At work, you have the tools you need and the people in place to get things done. Now, you’re piecemealing it together with your spouse, children, pets, laundry, dirty dishes and that bathroom floor that needs to get mopped all vying for your attention.

At least you’re saving money on gasoline!

Working from home can be frustrating because there’s just so many things to get done. On one hand, you’re at home, so you should have time to get some of those things accomplished. But on the other hand, you’re at work, so you have many other things to do. But you’re not at work, so things that might have gone smoothly in your office or school take longer because you don’t have everything you need within arm’s length.

If I have just described your current situation, I would invite you to take a breath, pause for a moment and remember the story of Martha & Mary from Luke 10. You remember how Martha shared her frustrations with Jesus over her sister’s unwillingness to help her with the many chores that needed to be done. You also remember Jesus’s response to Martha, calmly reminding her of what was more important. “’Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”

Martha’s work ethic isn’t a bad thing. Neither is yours. We take pride in the things we accomplish, and for those of us who are serving our children in Lutheran schools, we feel a greater level of importance because we share not only math and reading, but the love of Jesus. This adds pressure to make us feel as though we need to do more to accomplish our goals. Now, when we struggle with changing plans or failing technology or one of the dozens of other things that can go wrong we have all the more reason to throw our hands up in the air and cry out to Jesus for His help.

Of course, you do realize that His message to us will be the same thing He told Martha.

Fact of the matter is that while we do important work, God’s love will be shared with us our without us. His power, His glory, supersedes anything we could dream of doing. It’s important that we remember our role in this grand plan is not only to teach and serve, but to also learn and receive God’s grace and forgiveness.

May the Lord continue to give you peace as you accomplish great things in the lives of those people God has entrusted to your care.