Overcome Evil with Good OR How to make it through a School Vacation Day!

Our lounge has become a tent making industry...and not the type that helps with income.

Rather my children have turned blankets, chairs, clothes pegs and pillows into a sprawling complex that would make any architect jealous. Their building is empowered by Pandora (Katy Perry station which plays more Rihanna than Katy Perry - go figure).

Then...a cat jumps on the tent and it falls like the old Vegas Casino implosions.

And so, on this snowy and cold school vacation day, the goodness of tent making is hampered by the evil of a black cat called Luke. The solutions of the moment: an array of bags that will trap the cat by its own curiosity for anything boxy, much yelling followed by cries of despair. The tent has been built at least 3 times and the boys have yet to discover the truth of Paul's words to "overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).

As the battle between Cat and Boys continues, I am reminded by how hard it is to live by that verse in our current society - how's that for a segue and burying the lead!

How can we not be overcome by the evil of our day but overcome that evil with good? What does it mean to be good to ISIS, to be good to political corruption, to be good to systemic and transitory evil? This is not a rhetorical question...I would love your thoughts. Feel free to leave them in the comments section...they might even help with a certain black cat!

And Jayme, you thought I could not write today!

Ash Wednesday

You probably have seen them all over your social media...what people are giving up for Lent. Sacrifice is a quintessential Christian act.  Living on less or giving up something for a period of time to allow you to better focus on God is a good practice to have. And it works.

This Lent there are many things I would like to give up on...

...all this snow for one!
...bad news reporting would be another!
...an end to violence!
...demands on my time from all areas!

But let's be more realistic...none of those is going to happen. The snow will be here till the Ice Age ends, bad news reporting is an epidemic, violence (well say no more) and demands on my time...I might as well step off the planet (and who made me the center of attention - as though my time is worth more than anyone else's!) Jesus faced nearly all of those challenges - bad news reporting about him, violence surrounding him, and constant demands (in fact many of his miracles were due to interruptions). I'm not convinced Jesus faced our snow...so I have that one...maybe.

So here's my Lent sacrifice, small as it is.

I want to take each day of this Lent and pray the Jesus Prayer as often as I can.

The Jesus Prayer:

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

I'll post thoughts on this as they come to me.

Here we go again and the week of hell

It has been some time since I last blogged.  A comment sometimes repeated to me in hurried conversation with SOME people who like to harass me (not think of anyone in particular...no really, not ONE).

It's about time I took this back up again. I find myself filled with thoughts about what is currently going in and wish I had a way to express myself...and then I remember...I do...that funny blog with the weird pizza on it.

Of course, getting back into an account that is years old takes some doing. But here we are...

CNN called this past week: Religion's Week from Hell. I am dumbfounded by the seeming growth of religious hate and violence - and it is not all muslim. There has been religiously instigated violence from Atheism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. As a pastor and as a person I can't stand violence. Please, I get squeamish at the thought of killing a mouse (spiders, on the other hand, are dealt with in Armageddon-like finality)! However, the need to kill someone whose views are different from your own leave me bereft of reason and thought. I can understand the hatred, but I cannot understand the action. Forget the moral, theological, political or social arguments, historically, this line of action is a monumental failure.

Killing someone for religious reasons in order to advance your own religion and eradicate another religion has never worked. At least, to the best of my knowledge. Martyrs become heroes and the cause gets stronger as a result. ISIS is doomed to fail with its current tactic.  They now have Egypt, Lebanon, USA and Israel amongst others standing against them. It would seem more will follow.

I, also, cannot stand with those that would call for the eradication of all religious extremists. I find the call for violence against violent acts a tough pill to swallow. I am fully aware that this is a necessary step when no other course of action is left open, but it is not a good choice. In the end...we all lose! Perhaps this is what saddens me most of all - the current state of affairs from this hellish week shows only losers, no winners.

I cannot offer solutions, but I do think we have an action. God calls us to pray - pray for our enemies, pray for His intervention, pray for our own repentance and witness. I know it seems insipid and weak to talk about prayer in the midst of beheadings, shootings and slaughters, but prayer is where it begins.

Join me in prayer1

In response to Sandy Hook

I have spent the afternoon processing today's events, praying, loving on my children. I still do not have words to comprehend the depths of the tragedy in CT. My prayers and heart are with those who have lost loved ones. I find comfort in the reality that God the Father knows exactly what it feels like to lose a child, not just because of the death of Jesus, but because all those children killed

are His too. I am reminded of the words in 1 Corinthians 1:3-5:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ."

Heavenly Father, as we seek to understand the reasons behind this tragedy, please comfort those who are experiencing unimaginable pain, sorrow and loss this evening. Surround them with love, your love, spoken in the hugs, tears, touches and support of friends and family. Comfort them in the days, weeks and months to come with Your abiding presence, Your restoring word and Your eternal hope, a hope that reminds us that death is not the final word and evil is not the victor. Lord, while we struggle to understand how this could happen we take courage from Your comfort that we are not alone and they are not alone. In the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Amen

Speaking Dragon

Currently learning Dragon Naturally Speaking...thoroughly enjoying it and its useful and easy training methods.  Writing with it is a snap!

Changes in Fall

Starting this fall my role at Faith Community Church will be changing from Pastor of Care Ministry to Pastor of Spiritual Growth.  I am very excited about this change and look forward to how God might use me and others as we seek to encourage people to grow towards a Christ centered faith.

At the same time I am sad to leave the Care Ministry.  I am touched by the depth and love the ministry partners in Care show for those they care.  They are passionate, loving and joyful people who work with those in crisis and need.  they do it at personal expense and with little recognition.  I will miss working with them.

So, November 19th is a big day.  I covet your prayers as I will be taking that first week to pray and study God's Word for direction, inspiration and clarity about how I might lead this ministry.

Looking forward to the summer, especially with the boys as they grow older.  This year we are hanging in MA with camping, swimming, church and hanging out with friends as our planned activities.  It is going to be a good summer.