Look Up and Live

Right after sunrise, coast of Maine.

"I see the world in light, I see the world in wonder

I see the world in life, bursting in living color

I see the world Your way, and I'm walking in the Light."

("Wonder," by Joel Houston, Matt Crocker, and Brooke Fraser)

What is it about standing at the ocean’s shore and never being bored by looking out onto the vast expanse and standing in refreshing awe? Is it the crash of the waves, the cleansing aroma?

What is it about looking up at the stars on a clear night and becoming frozen in your tracks with a stiff neck and dropped jaw? Is it the stars? The moon?

What is it about getting to the top of a favorite mountain peak and staring out onto the same view time after time after time and yet feeling your eyes lock in on the wonder? Is it the distant hills, the colorful nearby trees, or the masterpiece that they paint when they are together?

It might be all of that and more, but it might be one thing more that tops them all: The sky. When we look Up, we get the right perspective...

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

    The skies display his craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak;

    night after night they make him known.

They speak without a sound or word;

    their voice is never heard.

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,

    and their words to all the world.

—Psalm 19:1-4, NLT

The skies, the heavens, are forever speaking in expanse, in color, in wonder—all of it reflecting the glory of God on the familiar, on what we see every day or in our favorite places. The lighting, and the time of day of that lighting, the angle through clouds or mist, all send new, jaw-dropping messages that the Creator of the universe loves painting awesome pictures day and night, and no two ever, ever look the same!

And He does so especially to remind us how He lovingly and enthusiastically created each one of us, too, and that like the patterns in the heavens, all are unique and fearfully and wonderfully made: "...we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)

And He does so to capture our hearts and attention once again, to “take the world but give me Jesus,” to see all that is good and beautiful and amazing and nothing-is-impossible comes from His Word and hand.

And He does so (in the very same Psalm) to daily remind each of His children that we, too, are created to be reflectors and messengers with pictures of goodness to carry into the store, the backyard barbecue, even the potentially contentious meeting...

May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing to You,

O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

—Psalm 19:14

Maybe not all, but a lot of our life’s mission in this Great Adventure hinges on these prayer words of Psalm 19. Keep looking Up....Selah

[Originally published March 2018]

The Grand Whatever

 A message that helps me find my car in a crowded parking lot, and so much more...

One night last summer, I “heard” it while going through the usual routine of checking doors, shutting off lights and loading up the coffee maker for the next morning before heading to bed. I wasn’t feeling particularly “spiritual.” I heard it not as a voice but as a strong impression in my mind while on my way from one task to another, accompanied by the quiet music I often play to wind down the day.

“Psalm 27.”

Really? This psalm was very familiar to me, or so I thought. The strong impression would have been easy to ignore. As a worship leader, I had hung onto this psalm often. In times of stress when the world is pressing in with its demands, I had rested in its calming assurance. And once while on a weekend retreat, it surpassed all the planned programs that were to come when I stood in a breezy forest alone and read it aloud: “The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory. There I’ll be when troubles come. He will hide me. He will set me on a high rock …” (vs. 4-8, Living). 

And it even helps me find my car in a crowded parking lot.

This year was a time for a new license plate. I had pretty much memorized the old one and so a wave of panic rushed over me when driving into a crowded parking lot for the first time: “Wait. How am I going to find my car?” But then I noticed that my new plate carried a familiar theme: P2749…how could I not forget Psalm 27:4-9? Coincidence, or God’s sense of humor for daily living? You decide.

But back to that summer night impression. After all of Psalm 27’s familiarity, what possible new insight amidst the very familiar was there to see? …But when you pick up your Bible and it just happens to open exactly to Psalm 27, you get a bit of a chill and you pay attention. You stop saying, “I know this already, I’ve got this, I’ve heard it all before.” Instead, you find yourself humbly asking for eyes to see and ears to hear. PS2749, as it turns out, was more than a license plate, because I found myself pausing at verse 8: “My heart says of You, ‘seek His face.’ Your face, Lord, will seek.”

 

While I always loved the thought of it, this verse had given me pause many times before, because we are told that no one can actually see God’s holy face and live to tell about it. What’s with that? I figured that maybe now was the time for a little digging, and one study translation jumped off the page: 

“Seek My face—require My presence as Your greatest need.” 

It turns out that ancient Israel often equated God’s face not with His actual face-face but as a type-and-shadow of His awesome presence that brings unmatched light and hope to every day, every place we go, in every situation we face.

Translation: God is much bigger than just an hour and a half on Sunday morning.

It happened again last night while getting ready for bed—a different psalm this time, Psalm 86, but as I reflected back on that summer night, it carried the same reinforcing message: “Teach me Your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor You.” (Psalm 86:11-12, NLT). The Living Bible version added living-this-Walk exclamation mark: “Tell me where You want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to Your name.” 

Like that summer night in the midst of the seemingly familiar, here was God again dropping the same encouraging (and apparently very important) reminder that while He is always present, whenever I seek to be intentional in thinking about Him even when surrounded by distractions, I will see and hear Him through the noise and get His perspective for every situation, and in every conversation and in every opportunity to be salt and light to someone.

It was a reminder that my ideas of God and my faith and my worship are never to be confined to place or buildings or Sundays but to be grounded in this grand “whatever,” for whenever and wherever:

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things—center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart.” (Philippians 4:8, Amplified)

Every day, to be His face-seeker. Every day, to “require My presence as Your greatest need.”

“God does not want us to merely believe in Him, He does not intend that we simply use our wits to get by, to barely survive until we are finally ushered in to Heaven. God wants to be actively involved in our lives each day.”—Henry Blackaby

Hands of God

(Photo: Quino Al @unsplash.com)

“Praise the Lord who is my rock; He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in Him…O Lord, what are human beings that You should notice them; mere mortals You should think about them?”—Psalm 144:1-3, NLT

“These boots are made for walkin’,” as the old ‘60s song goes.

But these hands, though— they're something else.

Because hands are a really big deal to God.

After all, He’s got the whole world in His hands (amen to that!)…

“Powerful is Your arm! Strong is Your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.”

—Psalm 89:13

“It was My hand that laid the foundations of the earth; the palm of My right hand spread out the heavens above; I spoke and they came into being.”—Isaiah 48:13

And so…

“If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, Your strength will support me.”—Psalm 139: 9-10

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it.”—Psalm 139:13-14

And so…

By His hands, I was made to “lift up holy hands in prayer.”—1 Timothy 2:8

And I was made to live in such a way as this: "Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands…Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live…”—1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

So, remember this, O my soul:

Whenever you clasp your hands in prayer, whenever you lift your hands in worship, whenever you write, whenever you grip the hand of another in fellowship, whenever you create anything with your hands, whenever you play a song or paint a landscape, whenever you applaud in encouragement, whenever you dirty your hands to grow a garden, whenever you offer a hand to someone in need—your hands are a weapon of worship created to bring glory to God...

...And sometimes, when my hands work with the strength of His hands, they fight powers of darkness and declare mysterious things of goodness in the heavenly realm that I never see.

So never think for one second that the works of my hands in His hands—a prayer, a handshake, helping someone lift a heavy load, another day at the office—don’t matter.

Little is much when God is in it, every single routine day.

May my hands serve humbly because it is His strength at work.

But let my hands also serve confidently and joyfully— say it again— because it is His strength at work.

It is a supreme mystery why God uses flawed men and women to do the work of His hands with their imperfect hands and hearts…but He does! So...

"Take my life and let it be consecrated to Thee;

Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise;

Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love;

Take my feet [because, yes, these boots are made for walkin’] and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.”

Uncommon Sense

“Common sense is not always common practice.”—Stephen Covey

Mary looked at her humble teenage self and wondered how in Heaven and on earth what the angel of the Lord said to her about being the mom of the Messiah was going to come to pass. But against all common sense, she trusted and obeyed. (Luke 1:38)

Joseph looked at his awkward, potentially scandalous situation as an unwed father-to-be and figured he had to do the right thing and break it off with Mary quietly. But against all common sense, when an angel of the Lord in a dream told him to do otherwise, he trusted and obeyed. (Matthew 1:24)

The shepherds looked at their low standing in society and wondered how and why an angel of the Lord and a bunch of His holy companions would bother speaking to them in the first place, and especially about the birth of the Savior of the world in a town nearby. But against all common sense, they trusted and obeyed—they went, they investigated, and they testified while praising God for it all. (Luke 2:15)

This is why I love the Christmas story. It’s not quaint and cute. It’s regular people facing incredibly stressful or unbelievable situations that pit their common sense against the unshakable Word of God. It screams, “Are you kidding me?!” There is a familiar Christian slogan that says “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” It sounds like the right thing to say, but it’s not honest. Truth be told, we can relate more to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, who might say it should read: “God said it, I’m not sure if I get it, but I’m swallowing hard and going for it because God said it is so.”

Sometimes, we want God’s Word to say something that it is not saying or meaning. The trigger is often when there is mystery in God’s Word, or when God is or seems silent on a specific matter or situation in our lives. We want answers and an explanation for everything. The paradox of this Walk is that it is not to be done foolishly or blindly and that God wants us to search the scriptures to see for ourselves what He is saying, to seek Him beyond the words in print. But at the same time, even if and when we still can’t see clearly, He calls us to do so with this in mind:

“And God said…and it was so.” 

It’s no coincidence that, depending on what version of the Bible you read, those words are mentioned seven times in Genesis 1—almost as if God put them there for us as a One-a-Day vitamin reminder. The response by Mary, Joseph and the shepherds to what the Lord said versus what they could see in front of their eyes, is great encouragement to keep trusting and obeying with all wisdom in a world that is screaming at great volume to do otherwise.

And when in the presence of the Promise—the Messiah, the Child in the manger on a cold winter’s night that was so deep—Mary, Joseph and the shepherds did one more thing of great encouragement: even though they did not have all the answers to their questions, they worshiped. “And God said…and it was so.” Sometimes, worship is giving praise and all our heart while being moved to respond in a church service. But sometimes in the day-to-day grind of life, real and deeper worship is simply walking and trusting and resting in the acknowledgement that “God is God and I am not,” and that is all I need to know. It’s…

“…the attitude of being content not to pry into what God has chosen to keep secret but to live by what one has heard Him say. Reverence includes unwillingness to go a single step beyond what scripture says. When we reach the outer limits of what scripture tells us, it is time to stop arguing and start worshiping.”—J.I. Packer

Golden

(Photo: Mount Monadnock at sunset)

"The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting His way with us."— Oswald Chambers

Have you ever noticed how the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) seems a bit disjointed and random in places and revisits in various ways several different but crucial themes? Hardly three points and a poem and we're outta here. Instead, a whole lot, and over over, about being careful about doing things and living life for selfish motives. 

The Bible writers tell us there were tons of people there to hear Jesus’ rambling, sometimes mysterious sermon. And yet apparently, no one was reported to be scrolling their Facebook feed or thinking about what they were going to do for lunch later as Jesus went on and on. In fact, Matthew writes, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” Because while the teachers of the law taught the scriptures, too, they were too often seen as being more into themselves and impressing others with outward appearances, and into being seen to be seen and approved. And so, their teaching rang hollow and it made following God feel all legalistic and joyless.

But this was different. And yet, Jesus makes it clear in His captivating message that it's not just “those guys” who are the problem — that in a way, we are all like the teachers of the law in that the person we think about most and want to be happiest most and are driven to please most is: me, myself and I.

It’s hard. We’re all born this way, ever since the curse of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and of wanting to do things their way. Rebellion is an ugly but real inheritance. "It's all about me" is everywhere we look. Advertising and marketing say that's what life's all about. And yet in the sermon on the mount, Jesus seems to say something radical, in so many words,

“If you follow Me, God will empower you to live a better way, the right and holy way, one that’s a cure for the curse: Others.”

Specifically, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). As it turns out, the do-unto-others “golden rule” is also “the greatest commandment”— to seek every day to love God with all we’ve got and all we are, and then love others like God has loved us.

We will always be preoccupied with ourselves, but Jesus' amazingly wonderful, rambling sermon on the mount is a reminder that every day is a good day to ask God to “give me Your eyes for just one second” and to give some of that self-love away in word, deed, attitude, humility or simple grace to someone we meet along our path.

One small thing like that every day by a lot of Believers can add up in a huge way. In fact…

“The golden rule is easy to say but takes a lifetime of putting into practice. But what a different place the world would be if we kept this rule!”—J.I. Packer

As You Go...

“Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here.”—Matthew 10:7

There’s an interesting phrase in some translations of this commissioning by Jesus to His non-seminary, just-regular-folks-like-us disciples: Not just “go” but “As you go…” It implies looking for opportunity to share the Hope that is within us while we’re going about our day.

To ditch the “church talk” that only insiders understand.

To listen. To listen a lot and be slow to speak.

To think “others” before “self” (which always sounds so noble but is incredibly difficult to pull off).

To show the Way, the Truth and the Life in a relatable way through the way that God made each of us think, talk and move, and not try to copy someone else, or feel constrained by a “how to do it” manual, or worrying about all the ways Christ’s name and mission are being hijacked lately by people who have no clue and who are living just the opposite of that Name and mission.

“As you go” means you be you, with Him working through you. Practicing eyes wide open, and praying to see beyond what is Captain Obvious.

Because when you do, some of those opportunities will take you by surprise...

Like when you were on your way to doing something else “important” and just so happened to stop to say hi to your neighbor across the street who was out picking up sticks and other winter debris. And when that neighbor across the street starts a friendly chat and then suddenly shifts gears and announces a series of health issues for him and his wife, you realize that this is a Divine “as you go” moment.

And you could say, “gosh, I’m sorry to hear that,” and leave it there, and keep going on to your “important” task. Or, you could continue with: “I will be lifting you and your wife up in prayer,” or better still, “Can I pray with you?” Very few, no matter what their religious views, will say no to that, especially in a year-plus where just about everyone is starving for any kind of hope. And remembering that we carry the Real Thing.

Some “as you go” missions work better with a phone call, or a note or a text, or doing a favor without being asked. All we need is open eyes to see them—to see Jesus in them, and not to just be nice but to bring Hope with us “as we go.” To follow the words of the song…

“Give me Your eyes for just one second

Give me Your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give Your love for humanity

Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me Your eyes so I can see…”—Brandon Heath

“A disciple is a person who has decided that the most important thing in their life is to learn how to do what Jesus said to do.”

—Dallas Willard

Loving Life

(photo:stocksy.com)

“…let us not love merely in theory with word or with tongue, giving lip service to compassion, but in action and in truth—in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words.”—1 John 3:18, Amplified

Timely words from the journal…

The other day, I ran into an old friend who owns a restaurant. He said it was time for us to get together and catch up because he thought we might have more in common that we realized. I suggested meeting at his restaurant but then quickly cut off the idea, “Oh right, you’ll be too busy.” But my friend’s response was as from Heaven itself. “I only want to serve. And I’m not talking about waiting on tables.”

When reading through the gospels, if you had to give a description of how Jesus walked in love, then humility, honor and servanthood would surely be near the top of the list. And He would say, right on: “the Son of Man came not to be waited on but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many—the price paid to set them free.” (Matthew 20:28) Paul in his letter to the church at Philippi puts an exclamation point on it: “Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God. He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone.” (Philippians 2:6-7)

Foot washing, for example. In Jesus’ day, washing someone’s feet was such a low, dirty task, it was left to a servant or a slave to do it—a respectable person would never stoop so low. But on the night of the Last Supper, out came the basin, water and towels as Jesus flipped the tables on His disciples (then and now) once more:

“I am your example; keep doing what I do...

...I tell you the truth: a servant is not greater than the master.

Those who are sent are not greater than the one who sends them.”—John 13:15-16

Opportunities to love and serve—big ones, but especially the small ones no one really wants to do or notices—await us every day. And each time, it will be easy to say to ourselves, “too busy” or “don’t have the time” or “let someone else do it who seems better qualified.”

It is better to be like my friend. It is even better to remember that I am not my own but I am “owned by Someone,” to  step into every day thinking not “What’s in it for me?” but “What’s in it for Thee?”

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”—John Bunyan

What Really Matters

Timely words from more than half-century ago that I’ll stand on as I head to the polls on Tuesday…

“One thing must be kept in mind: We Christians are Christians first and everything else after that. Our first allegiance is to the kingdom of God. Our citizenship is in heaven. We are grateful for political freedom. We thank God for democracy as a way of life. But we never forget that we are sons of God and citizens of another city whose builder and maker is God. For this reason, we must not identify the gospel with any political system or make Christianity to be synonymous with any form of government, however noble. Christ stands alone, above and outside of every ideology devised by man. He does not join any of our parties or take sides with any of our great men except as they may come over on His side and try to follow Him in righteousness and true holiness. Then He is for them but only as individuals, never as leaders of some political faction. The true Christian will be loyal to his country and obedient to those in authority, but he will never fall into the error of confusing his own national culture with Christianity. Christianity is bigger than any country, loftier than any civilization, broader than any human ideology.”—AW Tozer

Yes, but wait. This year is different. “What would Jesus do in such a time as this?”

To which, He might reply, as He has always done down through the ages:

“The real question is, what will you do?”

The answer, of course, is right in front of me. Not easy, but absolutely perfect and right.

It looks a lot like humility and selflessness and seeking first the Kingdom of God.

It looks a lot like that narrow road He talked about.

It brings to life what He meant when He said “take up your cross daily.”

It looks a lot like…Jesus.

The answer is couched in ancient and timeless Words that will be much more important to my Walk and how I live with my neighbors—red, blue or in between—after election day than on it, no matter who wins:

“Pray much for others; plead for God’s mercy upon them; give thanks for all He is going to do for them. Pray in this way for kings and all others who are in authority over us, or are in places of high responsibility, so that we can live in peace and quietness, spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the Lord. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for He longs for all to be saved and to understand this truth:

That God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, Himself man, is between them to bring them together, by giving His life for all mankind.”

—1 Timothy 2:1-6, Living Bible

This, too, is worship.

Adventures in Attitude

Photo by Victor Freitas from Pexels

“After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!”—2 Corinthians 2:11, Message

One day this week, I stopped walking past the mess that kept saying “it can wait until another day when I have more time and nothing better to do.” With a bucket of cleaner, a long-handled brush, a ladder and a hose, the years of buildup of mildew on the north side of the house and garage disappeared faster and easier than my mind kept telling me it would.

On another day, I stopped digging in my heels in irritation over someone else’s last minute plans that were tossed in my lap that kept singing, “It’s all about you, and this is a total inconvenience and I hate it and so I’m going to grumble on the inside about it until I feel better.” Which, of course, you never do. And so taking the opposite approach of honoring and serving, something strange happened—there was no inconvenience, the day zoomed by fruitfully, and I felt better than my mind could have imagined.

And then yesterday, determined to keep my running schedule on track in spite of pouring rain, I stopped the urge to turn back after the first quarter-mile, already soaked to the bone and miserable and hearing an increasingly louder voice, “Just give up already!” One step in front of the other. And then again, and again, and again until I no longer felt the carwash-like downpour and completed a 5K in a mind-blowing fastest time in weeks.

It seemed like a bunch of nice little personal achievements. Which they were. Until you also realized that all those voices of negativity—“it can wait,” “it’s all about you,” “give up”—were simply typical “sly ways” of the adversary to render your life and witness ineffective, and at the same time, the Holy Spirit may have been working in ways you couldn’t have imagined at the time….

“…be transformed and progressively changed as you mature spiritually by the renewing of your mind—focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes—so that you may prove for yourselves what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect in His plan and purpose for you.”—Romans 12:2, Amplified

...We can get locked into the idea that renewing our mind is all about fighting to absorb scripture and Truth into your skin day by day. That’s definitely a big part of it. But just as important in the battle against giving the adversary an opening to cause mischief in our lives is to fight for the right attitude, to “take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.” (Ephesians 4:23, Message)

Even and especially in the seemingly routine things of life.

“We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. Our attitude is everything.”—Chuck Swindoll

Beyond the Mask

Image by Antonio Cansino from Pixabay 

“Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.”—Proverbs 4:23, The Voice

A few days ago, the governor of California caused a stir when he issued an order to shut down all indoor church meetings in many counties hardest hit by COVID-19. The virus' surge in California has been so significant that the governor, as with most every other governor in the country regardless of political party, acted on the advice of state health officials to once again try to flatten the curve. So, the state re-issued strict health guidelines for all indoor gatherings, not just churches. The guidelines also impacted the closure of things like indoor dining, movie theaters, bars and museums. (People have argued about the hypocrisy of not stopping protesters and looters who don’t wear masks, which may be true, but this is about what happens indoors.)

The order also did not say churches (of all faiths) could not gather. Just not indoors, and just temporarily. It came on the heels of another controversial ruling a couple of weeks ago that attempted to stem the tide without closing churches: all must wear a face mask/covering at all times, and refrain from singing. "What?! Not being able to sing while in church? That’s just crazy, and it’s just wrong. How on earth can anyone possibly worship like that?" And so, the state's most recent ruling seemed to some like piling on.

Not surprisingly, the response on social media included everything from the virus scare being politically driven, to they’re unfairly singling out churches, to this thing is all being manipulated by the media (some truth there, actually), to “I see no need to wear a mask anyway and no one is going to tell me if I have to wear one, and besides, God will protect me.”

A good friend of mine, who is a Christian medical professional on the frontlines in California, tried to calmly inject first-hand experience into one conversation, but she was mostly ignored or talked over. I get it. There is so much conflicting information out there, you don’t know what or who to believe anymore. Except I know and respect this friend on the frontlines, and I know and very much love and very much respect my daughter who is also on the frontlines and whose messaging has been the same: The virus may not be as bad where you and I are at the moment, but it is not going away soon and it is not a conspiracy. It is, however, definitely evil and random and unpredictable, it doesn’t care whether you are Republican or Democrat, and it doesn’t care if you think you are invincible, even while in church. 

People in the medical field have said that learning new things every day about COVID is so crazy, it’s like flying a plane while building it. So, I’m learning to try to tune out all other opinion and listen only to those I know and trust who are seeing the virus up close and personal, and then take it to the Lord and put it in His hands, even if I don’t get it or like what they’re saying—like, as is the case in my state, wearing face coverings while in church. It has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with trying to be a good neighbor, because those whom I trust and have “been there” say wearing face coverings is what seems to be the most successful interpersonal deterrent at the moment.

But there’s more to it than that. In the process, I’m finding that this is all touching a deeper nerve beyond indoor worship gatherings and wearing a face mask. This virus mystery and the headlines from California are also messing up my ideas about worship. In a good way...

...I’m learning that maybe there are some things God may want to uproot when it comes to preconceived ideas of what worship should look like. Like this virus, it can be easy to think you have worship all figured out, until you realize you don't...

...And though the virus is most definitely a thing of evil, I am beginning to wonder if that while God is at work in perhaps ways we cannot see, that He is also allowing this time to be one that can strengthen His Church as never before by getting it to think outside the box. Things like:

• Don’t get hung up on the song. Singing is definitely a vital part of our worship life and should never cease (and if it does, look out for those boulders crying out!). But how many times have we been told that the worship doesn’t stop when the music stops? Always sounds good in theory but what if my governor one day ruled. "you guys can still gather to worship, but keep your mask on and please no singing for awhile to help stop the spread of this thing." (Honest knee-jerk reaction? "No way!") After taking a deep breath, I hope my reaction would be more constructive: what if we used that normal singing time to pray earnestly instead as part of our heart of worship?  What if we took Jesus at His word when He cleansed the temple of moneychangers and said “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations”? And what if that time of focused prayer in churches across the country became more than a temporary trend, even when the singing came back, and triggered the revival we are all longing for?

• Don’t get hung up on place. Jesus told the woman at the well that real worship is not confined to buildings or methods like order of service and songlists but is of the heart. So, if and when the music stops for awhile inside the building, why not take it outside (California health officials actually alluded to that possibility) where it is safer…and not only that, where the people are who would never darken a church door? Where social-distanced prayer and ministry could take place?  I'm not sure how that would work in winter, but let's not mention the W word yet. But not only that, no one can stop you from singing at the top of your lungs at home (by yourself or with a few friends and family) or in your car, either. It’s all sent Heaven-ward. Imagine what God might do if we started thinking wonderful things like that outside the box of our worship paradigm instead of insisting that things be like what we’re used to?

• Don’t get hung up. Some are saying, “I bet Jesus wouldn’t wear a mask!” Yes, but only because He is God and unlike us, He knows exactly what is going on. Nevertheless, Jesus always, always had compassion for the everyday people He encountered, who He once said looked like sheep without a shepherd. And He had no problem weeping with those who wept, as in the death of His friend Lazarus. It’s all part of living the greatest commandment: to love God with all you’ve got, and then go love your neighbor. Selflessly. This too, is worship turned right-side up. What if we all did likewise? Imagine what our witness could look like?

I'm trying to picture the Church in upside-down worship like that. It would be different and maybe a bit uncomfortable. But as baseball ramps up again this week, I would hope that my response would be the words of former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling during the “Reverse the Curse” season of 2004:

“Why not us?”

"I'll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself is not what You have required. You search much deeper within through the way things appear, You're looking into my heart. I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about You..."

— Matt Redman

A Snapshot Worth Remembering (Revisited)

"So seize any opportunity the Lord gives you to do good things and be a blessing to everyone..." — Galatians 6:10, The Voice

Reflections on serving the community with a meal, and observing with the camera lens that some of the most important ministries that any of us can do take place before anyone walks through the door (or walks into our day)…

Lord, help us to never underestimate the renewing, refreshing, re-energizing, hope-filled, comforting power of a simple spoken word of encouragement.

There is no one who is exempt from needing one.

Even the strongest, boldest, most determined, seemingly most together person gets completely worn out.

This is no small matter.

This is huge.

Because You have urged, commanded, exhorted, reminded, and poked us — fathers, mothers, friends, co-workers, spiritual parents and mentors — from just about every angle, and more than 70 times in Your Word, to encourage one another.

In the household of faith, yes.

But even to those who may not know You (yet).

"To proclaim good news to the poor...

To bind up the brokenhearted."

To make war against the darkness of negativity, hateful words and deeds, and the fear-induced spirit of the 24/7 news cycle,

By speaking wonderful words of life into someone's atmosphere of weariness.

Because You have always been the One who comforts the downcast not just in theory but in person, as prophesied and then modeled in Your lived-out life:

The Lord God has given Me, His Servant, the tongue of disciples, as One who is taught,

That I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.

He awakens Me morning by morning,

He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple, as One who is taught. (Isaiah 50:4)  

It's the worship song that never ends:

"As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you."

"The beautiful thing about encouragement is that anyone can do it."— Chuck Swindoll

Republished from last fall in honor of Leo McQuillan (shown in the middle of the photo at the top, greeting people at one of my church's community dinners), who graduated to Heaven yesterday afternoon. Leo lived this Vitamin. The definition of "faithful servant," Leo truly made everyone feel welcome with a genuine, enthusiastic and often humorous greeting, and never hesitated to proclaim the Good News "even to those who may not know You (yet)." The joy of the Lord was Leo's strength, and he is now experiencing it in all of its fullness. The torch has been passed...