Why Did the Possum Cross the Road?

Today I saw a possum, presumably crossing... to get to the other side. Not that a possum is a strange sight to me. I grew up in a rural neighborhood where wildlife was prevalent, so possums and possums-on-the-half-shell (armadillos) made their homes near my house. But today’s sighting was different. I’m now in an urban setting, not far from a freeway and there’s no big wooded area nearby. There are some small sections of trees and bushes and the occasional empty lot, but that’s it. I was just surprised to see the possum walk away from one house, cross the street and into the next yard. I imagined that it was a mother possum walking home to her children to feed and protect them. I stopped to watch her eventually disappear into the bushes and wondered “How does she eat? Is she sharing the neighbor’s cat food?” I then thought about the scripture from Luke 12:22-31 where Jesus talks about the how God takes care of the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. I had to smile and think that Mrs. Possum and her family would be just fine. I didn’t need to jump in and try to control the situation or whatever problem I could dream up.

Life happens. Mankind is not capable of controlling time or every single event that happens, no matter how much we try. God is in control, and when we lose sight of that fact we begin to worry and fret over how everything will play out. The little possum I saw didn’t sit in the middle of the road, biting her nails and crying “Woe is me.” She was simply headed back into the little bit of “woods” that was available for her and her family. God provided the shelter and the food for them. Jesus reminds us, with his words about the lilies and the birds, that God is our provider in all things. Yes, we have jobs and work hard to give ourselves homes, cars, clothes and food, but when we fool ourselves into thinking that we did that on our own, we miss out on the comfort of knowing that God is constantly watching over us and caring for us.

When I was a child, my family would take long trips across the country by car. As we would drive into the evening I would get sleepy. It was easy for me to sleep because I knew dad or mom was driving and in charge. I was safe no matter whether I was asleep or awake. Knowing that God is driving and in charge gives me an even higher level of comfort. If He can take care of the lilies and the birds, and the possum family, then He can certainly take care of me. Because God created all things and loves me enough to provide and care for me, I want to be faithful in responding to Him by keeping Him first in my life.

Look around your home and your neighborhood. How can you see God’s providence there? How many times have you thanked Him for helping you out of a sticky situation? Have you noticed that when there seems to be no answer to a problem and you cry out for His help and guidance, that He is faithful to answer you, even if His answer is no? He is the all-wise one, so will you let Him shelter you, feed you, guide you and protect you?

Jesus in a Cheeto

Can you see Jesus in that Cheeto? (Read the story.) I came across this story on a local news station’s website and found that one of our own Methodists had noticed that his Cheeto looked like Jesus. That’s not an unknown kind of story. Who hasn’t read stories about a person who saw the face of Christ in a window smear, a peanut butter sandwich, a potato chip, or other odd places. So many of us think “kook!” and move on. Some of these “Jesus finders” are looked upon as kooky because the perception is that the window smear or food item is being revered, instead of Christ. Others of these “kooks” are snickered at for simply seeing something holy in a common object.

That is pretty kooky, to think you see God in things or situations that don’t have a lot of awe themselves. These “kooks” are not new on the planet. They’ve been here throughout the ages:

Moses thought he saw God in a pillar of fire and a pillar of clouds (Ex 13:21).
Elijah thought he heard God in a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-13).
Paul thought he saw and heard Christ in a blinding light (Acts 9:3-6).
Simeon thought he saw God in a baby (Luke 2:25-32).

Fire, clouds, voices, light, babies- all things that we see everyday. They can be created by mankind. They can be great and important or small and fragile. They can be treated with care or given little notice. As inspiring as these things can ever possibly be, they are not God and not to be worshipped. However, God can reveal Himself in them, and give us one more point of contact with Him. God can invite us into relationship with Him in anyway He so chooses, even using a Cheeto.

I love being at the beach. I enjoy walking along the sand taking in God’s presence. I see the ocean heave and roll into the shore, becoming low and bowing before the One who separated the waters from the land. I hear the waves make thunderous applause, congratulating the Creator for his mighty works. I hear the laughter of the seagulls, rejoicing at their privilege of flight. I feel the warmth of the sun and the cool brisk breeze mingling together, reminding me of the fire of the Holy Spirit and the breath of God that gives me daily guidance. Call me a kook, but I see God in all of that- in the sand, the seashells, the water, and the sky. I soak up His presence as I walk, silently singing His praise and listening for His voice. And in all of that… I know He sees me.

I pray that during this Easter season, you will have your eyes opened to seeing God. I hope you see Him in the creation around you. I hope you will see Him in the people around you and that you will love your neighbor as God has loved you.

Easter Traditions

History of the Holidays: Easter

While browsing through some videos I came across this video (click on above link) from the History channel that gives a short overview of the meaning of the traditions of Easter. It begins with Christianity and moves into modern day traditions. It states that our traditions range from “spiritual” to “fun” (Does that promote the idea that “spiritual” is “boring”?). In any case, it is clear that the purpose of our Christian Easter traditions is to remember Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, and to renew our relationship with the living Christ.

During Lent, we have the opportunity to spend time reflecting on our need for God in our lives. Many Christians use Lenten devotional books to make a daily pilgrimage to a space set aside for communing with God and seeking a deeper understanding of His will. Palm Sunday is a Sunday when Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and then prepare for Holy Week, a time of remembering Christ’s betrayal and sacrifice. The reason for these Holy week church services is not to create yet one more time to “come to church”, but to allow the church to connect to a corporate remembrance of everything that leads up to Easter:

Our sin. Our need for redemption. The fulfilled promise of a Messiah. The Perfect Rabbi who taught by word and deed. The Humble Servant who led by example. The Healer who made others whole in body and spirit. The Bread of Life who offered us a new covenant and an invitation to remember Him by sharing His body and blood. The One who was denied and betrayed by friends and who asked His Father to forgive us because we didn’t realize what we were doing. The sinless Lamb of God who took our took our sin upon Himself to atone for our sin. The end of sin and death, won by the Son of God hanging upon a bloody cross.

The joy of Christmas moves into the meditative reflection of Lent. The serious heartbreak of Holy week moves into the unbounded joy of Easter. As those who are in the world, but not of it, we look for ways to celebrate coming out of darkness into light. We shop in stores filled with Easter bunnies, Peeps and chocolate candy. We have Easter egg hunts and share in Easter lunches with friends and family. I’m not advocating an abolishment of these traditions, but I encourage you to keep Christ first, especially at Easter. Teach your children the true meaning of Easter and then allow the Easter eggs to teach them about new life. Share with others the sweetness of Christ as you offer someone a chocolate rabbit. I pray that you will allow the Holy Spirit to work within you as you anticipate Easter Sunday. I pray that you will let Christ renew you and recreate you into a hurt-forgiving, faith-sharing, joy-filled and loving disciple of Christ.

Giving Your Best in Worship, Part II

Recently, I left the question open as to who is responsible for preparing and participating in worship. The leader, right? Let’s look at King David, a king who took leadership seriously.

When you read chapter 6 of 2nd Samuel, you read how David, being mindful of earlier irreverent acts, wanted to give God his very best in bringing the ark to Jerusalem. David gave great sacrifices and abandoned his own thoughts about being dignified in the eyes of people. David was focused on giving the best of his energy, thoughts, and possessions to God in a display that said God was the priority. David was the leader, but he was not alone in this time of praising God. Verse 15 says that, David “and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.” They were in it together. They were prepared and participating in praising God- together.

Who prepares our weekly worship? Clergy? Staff? Members of the church? While it is true that the church staff (clergy and lay people) “put together” worship, they are not alone in their responsibility. Every worshipper is responsible for preparing for worship. The average person may never be a part of selecting scriptures or hymns, but there is more to it than that. Everyone should prepare for worship by reading the scripture ahead of time. Pray about it. Meditate on it. What is God saying to you about worship and the life of the church in that scripture?

As far as participation, there are more than the clergy, the choir and the ushers who participate in the worship service. Every worshipper should come prepared and ready to participate in worship by entering the worship space with awe at God’s presence and joy for the opportunity to praise Him along with all the other voices. Every worshipper should participate by being focused in on what the readings, prayers and songs have to do with honoring and revering God, and then be ready to hear and receive what God has to say to us as individuals and as a community of faith.

Yes, those who facilitate and plan the worship service readings, sermon, and music have a large responsibility as to the flow and logistics of worship. But they can not be alone in their activity. Worship is sometimes said to be “good” when the music or the preaching went well, or when something hit an emotional high during that hour. When it goes “bad”, it is the staff who have surely missed something and not created an atmosphere where the congregation is fed and filled.

The church, meaning the clergy and the laity, the staff and the membership are responsible together for giving our best in worship. We are all responsible together for preparing an atmosphere where God is the priority and where the people come together, seeking to give their best worship, their best prayers, their best quiet time of listening, their best tithes and offerings, and their best praises to the one who gave His best, His only Son for us. What are you willing to give?

Giving Your Best In Worship- Part I

(Watch for Part II on Friday)

Ask any Christian about what one should give to God and they would agree that certainly one should give their very best to God. We believe that in theory, but do we practice that belief? If we truly believe that our best is due God, then we would naturally offer our best to him in worship. Stop and ponder a moment and think about your weekly worship service and your participation in that service. How do you view that hour during the week? Is it a time for you to go and be filled? Is it a time for you to be obedient to honoring the Sabbath? Is it a time for you to sing God’s praises and teach your children?

Those are fine things to do, but when we look deeper at what worship is, we must be mindful that worship is to be God-centered, not me-centered. If the only time during the week that you are being filled with God’s presence is Sunday, there’s a problem. If you only go to worship because of duty, worship becomes a chore. If Sunday is the only time you sing God’s praise and teach your children about His love, then you are missing out. Jesus said, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24 NIV). We need to pray, sing and teach all during the week and be aware of God’s omnipresence in our lives, and then, being filled, faithful and eager to join our voice to others, gather for spirit-filled worship.

But how often do we drag into the church at the last minute, scurry into a seat while something “minor” is going on, and sit there with our mind on what we just left and where we need to go next? Does that show “awe” at God’s presence? Donald English, author and New Testament scholar, reminds the church that when you lose an awareness of God’s presence, worship can lose its “life and meaning.” He says:

“Hymns become merely artistic activity; prayers are moments of human reflection; the readings an intellectual engagement; and the offering is a way of sustaining the economy of the church as a human institution.”

The next question is, “whose responsibility is it to prepare and participate in worship?”