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It’s Outrageous!

This is taken from an article I wrote in 2019. Still relevant today.

And furthermore, O God, smash them in the mouth and break all of their teeth.  It’s outrageous! In Psalm 58 the psalmist is raging against the faithless rulers, the judges, and religious leaders who pervert justice and promote violence everywhere. I can identify with the psalmist here. How easy it is to rage against perceived injustice with a call for cruel revenge.

God asks Jeremiah, Have you seen what my faithless people have done? They defile the land with prostitution and wickedness. It’s outrageous! God is raging against His own people for breaking the first commandment repeatedly, never repenting of their love for other gods. How easy it is to presume upon God’s mercy and overlook our own idols. (read Jeremiah 3:1-15)

The reason I left you in Crete was for you to straighten out the unfinished work and appoint blameless leaders, Paul admonishes Titus. There are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers…they must be silenced because they are ruining whole households.  It’s outrageous! Paul is upset that the households of faith in Crete were not reflecting the qualities of exemplary believers. Believers must be virtuous, faithful, self-controlled and secure in God’s love and grace. How easy it is for the cultural climate of our times to blunt our witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (read Titus 1:1-16)

The Psalmist reminds us of the ways righteous indignation can quickly become bitter, violent and cruel.  Jeremiah’s word from the Lord reminds us that God expects our repentance for the deepest of sins. Paul’s word to Titus reminds us that faithfulness is a foundational Christian virtue. Cruelty is not a Christian virtue. Violence is not, injustice is not, hatred is not a Christian virtue. Political loyalty is not, name calling is not, revenge is not a Christian virtue. Neither are greed, bigotry, or corruption Christian virtues.  They’re outrageous, and faithless.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Honor Jesus today. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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Catfish in the Nursery

During a recent Wednesday evening Bible study I mentioned we used to have an aquarium with catfish in our church nursery. When our daughters were young, a new staff member arrived on the scene with a love for fish. Jeff set up an expensive saltwater aquarium in his office, filled with live coral and exotic ocean fish. Also, he set up a             40-gallon freshwater tank in the nursery area. He filled it with the typical beautiful little fish and underwater displays that fascinate children and adults alike.  One winter we had a harsh few days of snow and ice, making it impossible to get to church. When the weather cleared enough to travel, it was discovered that the power had gone out at church, disabling the aquarium pumps and causing all the fish to die. It was a sad time. Jeff removed his saltwater aquarium but reset up the freshwater one in the nursery. 

Months later an enterprising mother added three fish to the nursery tank. Her father had recently stocked his farm pond with catfish, so she captured three fingerling catfish and carefully transported them to the church. They were as cute as three-inch catfish could be. The fish were somewhat stunned by their whole ordeal, and just huddled together at the bottom, hiding in the plants. The next day when we looked in on them, all the other fish in the aquarium were missing. The catfish were feeling better. The keepers of the aquarium eventually figured out which other fish were safe from the three little catfish. The catfish proved to be a helpful distraction for first-time toddlers and others, welcoming them to our church family. Over the years the catfish grew fatter, but not much longer. They only grew to about 8 inches long. Their diet and the size of the fish tank stunted their growth. Despite their limited beauty and size, they became a unique symbol that everyone was welcome in this place. Do not forget to entertain (show hospitality to) strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Entertain angels. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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Acceptable Worship

I remember stepping out of a rural church on a cloudless moonless night and seeing the heavens stretched out before me. It took my breath away. Our mission team was in southeast India. I had brought the message in a rural concrete church building that had only recently been equipped with a power line. The service was slightly marred because I had forgotten to take off my shoes at first and no one had reminded me of my mistake. It went against their acceptable way to worship. Americans don’t think of their church floors as holy ground. The people were gracious and forgiving.

It was dark outside after the service except for the headlights of the cars as they were leaving the area. The vastness of the Milky Way is indescribable. Artificial lights have robbed us of our ability to truly see the heavens like our ancestors could see, even 50 years ago. City lights, floodlights, and security lights reveal what is close around us, but fade our views of the night sky. 

Psalm 19 points us to the universe as we stand in awe of the silent heavenly praise that can be witnessed from any and every place on our planet. Look for tonight’s glorious display of six planets dancing in a chorus line across our crisp skies, to be joined by a seventh planet next month. Behold the sun running its victory laps around us declaring the majesty of our Creator.  Soon the magnetic poles of the sun will switch, creating a beauty best seen through the latest satellite images from NASA. How many ways can we declare the qualities of the Word of God? It is sweet, good and beautiful news shining with clarity in the ruggedness of a world of constant breaking bad news. And what about our own words.  How fitting are the everyday words we speak or think. My definition of worry is deep meditation on one’s fears.  

The psalmist concludes with three humble prayers. It is that last verse, that concluding prayer, which convinced me to develop the habit of praying Psalm 19:14, basically each day, but especially when facing high pressure situations and conversations. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

(Adapted from Bro. Darryl’s Reflections for the Center for Congregational Ethics, for January 24, 2025)

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Compassionate Conversations

​As believers we can find ourselves involved in situations or conversations that may be delicate or difficult. We may want to help but are hesitant because we do not want to make matters worse. These may be divine appointments, where you are the right person to bear witness to a receptive person at just the right moment.Many of these conversations center on medical issues or personal relationships. In a message about mental illness and mental health issues, I once outlined these six guides for holding compassionate conversations that I always seek to practice.

Meet people where they are, not where you think they should beCompassion starts with respect and dignity.

Listen to their story. Be slow to talk or give advice. Let them unburden in the moment. Listening is the time to keep quiet and understand what they may be communicating. 

Remember, you are not their doctor. Even though medical, psychological or other symptoms may be expressed, or your opinion sought, you are not their doctor.

Set reasonable time and place limits. With deep issues, some people can be overwhelming in their need for conversation. Compassionate conversations are best when held in appropriate places, for agreed upon lengths of time. For example, if you have only 15 minutes for a conversation, agree upon that time frame at the start, or set a better length of time for later. 

Offer an in-the-moment prayer. Ask them how best to pray. Do not always assume that you know what prayer you should offer on their behalf. Ask them, and then pray for that request right then.

Leave them with a word of hope and grace. Conclude your conversation with encouraging words of hope and grace.Point them to Jesus.

Galatians 6:2 reminds us to Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.Compassionate conversations are not always easy, but they can ease the load, shine a light in the darkness and provide a friend for the journey.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Prepare for your divine appointments. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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Choose Joy

My New Year’s tradition has become finding a word of the year that expresses my hope and shapes my thinking for the months ahead. This year I have settled on the phrase, Choose Joy. I believe that I may be running a low-grade depression, like most everyone I encounter these days, because of the dreariness of a constant stream of bad news everywhere. I need a refocus for 2025. It is always appropriate to grieve, cry, and face sadness, just like any of the other emotions we experience every day. I just want to remind myself to choose joy as often as possible.

Joy is a choice of rebellion against the doom-scrollers. Joy is radical when the crowds around you wallow in the muck of tedious complaints. Joy is not necessarily optimism, but optimists look for the joy. Winston Churchill is often quoted as saying, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”  I clipped an article once on The Seven Qualities of an Optimist:  1) They express gratitude. 2) They donate their time and energy. 3) They are interested in others. 4) They surround themselves with up-beat people. 5) They do not listen to naysayers. 6) They forgive others. 7) They smile. 

Optimist is not a Biblical word, but joy is. To me the seven qualities listed here reflect a Biblical lifestyle of  joy and faith. Those who live by faith, joy, and hope express gratitude to God and others every single day. They donate their time, energy and money in service and ministry. They are genuinely interested in their neighbors. They surround themselves with likeminded believers and mentors. They pray about the critics and the discouragers. They forgive and forgive. And they take joy in walking everyday with their Lord. This is more than positive thinking; it is confident living. It is more than seeing the opportunity; it is embracing the very call of God. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Choose joy. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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