Showing Up

Playing college football sounds glamorous to many.  However, playing Division III athletics has no resemblance to what we know of Division I athletics.  There are no plane flights to play away games.  There are no giant stadiums full of adoring fans.  There is no special treatment or special favors done for athletes.

My college football career included trips to Upland, Indiana, Olivet, Michigan, Greencastle, Indiana and Defiance, Ohio.  Not exactly tourist destinations.

One memorable game was played against Georgetown University.  Not the one located in Washington D.C.  The one located in Georgetown, Kentucky.  We traveled by bus on a Friday night, stayed in a motel, played the game and returned home following the game, which made for a very long day.  Back in the day there were no beautiful football fields with artificial turf.  Everything was natural.  This particular field was horribly uneven.  When our receivers ran pass patterns into the end zone they disappeared over a hill. 

My father attended as many of my games as possible, but he traveled a lot for his work and didn’t always want to make a long road trip on Saturday for football.  He had looked at the schedule and had let me know that the Georgetown, Kentucky game was not a possibility for him. 

The pre-game ceremonies were over and the game was about to begin when I heard a familiar voice yell, “Let’s go Hope!”  I turned, and much to my surprise, there was my dad.  He had gone out of his way to show up in Georgetown, Kentucky to support my teammates and me.  His presence spoke volumes to me about sacrifice; encouragement, supporting others, and going out of your way for people you care about. 

Showing up is important.  You don’t always have to have something to say, or something to give, or something to offer.  Showing up, being present, can make all the difference in the world. 

The incarnation, God becoming a human being, is about God showing up for us.  When we feel all alone.  When we think no one really cares.  When we are ready to give up on others.  God always shows up!

Even in Georgetown, Kentucky.

RAISE YOUR EBENEZER

               It’s the “kickoff” of the summer season!

               It’s time to open the cottage!

               It’s a three day weekend!

Such is our perspective on Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day weekend often marks an opportunity for families to gather, to enjoy the first taste of what summer will bring, to get away from home and visit others, or if you are lucky enough, to open the cottage.  When we lived in Traverse City Memorial Day weekend was important for economic reasons.  When you live in a tourist town every long summer weekend is important for financial survival.

              

Lost in all of this is the origin of Memorial Day.  It is a government holiday set aside to remember those from our Armed Services who have given their lives in defense of our nation.  In many communities there will be parades, services and acknowledgements of this origin.  However, those celebrations are overshadowed by other cultural priorities.

Remembrance is important.  Pausing to give thanks is central to the lives of those of us who follow Jesus. Jesus taught:  “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  Laying down your life for someone is an act of love.  Remembering those who have done that is important. 

The hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”, written in 1758, contains this line:

               “Here I raise my Ebenezer”. 

It is a phrase that is taken directly from a story in I Samuel 7:12.  The people of Israel have been engaged in a long series of battles with the Philistines.  The Philistines captured the ark of the covenant, a symbol of God’s presence for the Israelites.  God sent plagues on the Philistines and they returned the ark, but more battles ensued.  Samuel offered sacrifices to God and prayed fervently for deliverance and when the Philistines approached God thundered with a great thunder and in the confusion that followed the Israelites defeated the Philistines.

As a reminder of the great victory God gave to Israel, Samuel took a stone and raised it as a memorial.  He called the stone Ebenezer, or “stone of help” saying, “Thus far, has the Lord helped us.”  (I Samuel 7:12)  Whenever the Israelites looked at the stone, they would remember how God had helped them.  When we sing those lyrics, we are remembering that we only are who we are, have what we have, and have accomplished, what we have accomplished by God’s providence, love and strength. 

              

So, while we are relaxing this weekend, or enjoying the weather, or family, or food, or second homes, let’s pause and remember, that we are who we are, have what we have and have accomplished what we have accomplished, because of the sacrifice of others and God’s blessing.

~Rev

PRISONERS

No doubt you have shaken your head a few times, wondered how it was possible, and found some of the information stomach turning.  I am assuming that because I am not sure how any human being could respond to the information that continues to be made available concerning the three young women who were held captive for 10 years in a home in Cleveland differently. 

              

There are many questions that I have and you probably as well.

Regardless of our questions, the reality is that these women were held prisoner and subjected to horrific treatment for ten years, and then were set free.

Not to belittle their torture, or the horrific treatment to which they were subjected, this story is a metaphor for our lives.

We are all held prisoner.  We are imprisoned by our fears, our success, and our failures.  We are imprisoned by an image we are trying to maintain and emotional events of the past, by people’s expectations, by our status, and by our needs.  We are imprisoned by addictions, by materialism, and by our perceptions. 

The Apostle Paul talks about our prison:

“For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”  (Romans 7:22-23)

We are prisoners of things we don’t even realize imprison us.  We are held in our own house of horrors. 

Paul draws this conclusion:

“What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this death?  Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  (Romans 7:24-25)

Jesus rescued us from our eternal imprisonment; from living in our own eternal “house of horrors”.  We are delivered from whatever imprisons us currently and from our eternal prison. 

The women who had been held prisoners and their families celebrate their release with unbridled joy. 

Our lives should be lives lived with unbridled joy!

~Rev

               

Mother's Day

I am violating one of my “rules”:  Men shouldn’t write about Mother’s Day. 

It is fraught with danger.  Inevitably you will write something that will come across as sexist, insensitive, and wrong.  I long ago gave up on Mother’s Day sermons.  They either produce guilt or they make mother’s feel like failures because you lay out unrealistic expectations that come across as authoritative.  Or you are insensitive to the women in the congregation who have not been able to become mothers for a variety of reasons. 

When my kids were younger I would work with them on gifts for their mom that they either created themselves, or shopped for with me.  Now they are all grown and launched and are on their own when it comes to honoring their mom.  I think Becky has been, and continues to be a wonderful mom, to our children.  She makes up for all of my shortcomings.  But she is not my mom, she is my kid’s mom.  They should honor her. 

I will honor my mom.  The older I get, the more I stand in awe of her.  She is 87 and recently wrote in an email that she had gone golfing last week.  She has cut her golf down to two days a week in the summer and apologizes for taking a cart! 

My mom lost her first husband in WWII, leaving her a widow with an infant daughter (my sister).  She later married my dad and my brother and I were born. 

My parents divorced when I was 14 and my brother was 11.  My mom was a single parent long before it became “normal” and acceptable.  She was working full-time and raising two teenage boys on her own.  My brother and I were active in every sport imaginable and other school activities as well.  Our mom was dedicated to keeping our lives as “normal” as possible and not to have us miss out on anything due to our family situation. 

Like most teenagers, I didn’t appreciate my mom’s situation and the time, effort and spiritual and emotional energy she invested in our lives.  However, as I have raised my own family, I can appreciate all she did more fully.

At times I would wonder, “How did she do it?”  Then an image would come to my mind.   As a teenager, I would get up and sleepily stumble into the kitchen for breakfast.  My mom would already be up, sitting at the table with her cup of coffee and her Bible.  She did it every day, without fail. 

How do you find the strength, wisdom, perseverance and courage to raise two teenage boys on your own?  You begin the day seeking God’s perspective, insight and wisdom.  “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5,6)

My mom was a great role model for me, and for all parents. 

Happy Mother’s Day!

Remember When?

“Remember when….?” 

              

That was the phrase that dominated conversations I was engaged in last weekend. Becky and I attended my 40^th Class Reunion at Hope College. 40 years!  I can’t believe how old some of my classmates looked!  Of course many of us lied to one another saying, “You haven’t changed a bit.”  Not only was it not true, but I was glad it wasn’t true.

              

Many of the “Remember when…?”, stories among my friends were embarrassing today. We were young, immature, and taking advantage of being away from home, out of our parents reach, for the first time.  Some of us handled it well.  Many of us didn’t. 

              

There was a slide show of scenes from our college years.  Campus events, worship services, choir performances, sports, and social gatherings. We laughed at the length of our hair and the shortness of skirts.  We really thought we looked good at the time. Now, they cause you to shake your head in bewilderment. 

              

We gravitated toward the same people we had “hung with” in college, each of us in our social groups.  Even that seemed odd now. The barriers that existed between us in the early 70’s that seemed so important at the time were wiped out over the years. What we had in common now is life experience. Rather than viewing life in college through the windshield, we were looking in the rearview mirror. It changes things.

              

Some of the conversation turned to theology. “We’re only still here by God’s grace.”  (We had done some things that could have been life threatening.)  “Good thing God is merciful and will forgive us.” (Some of our exploits didn’t honor God at all.) “God loves us in spite of our selves.  (Phew!)

              

I loved college! We still stay in touch with many of our college friends and get together with them whenever we are able.  My college years were the most formative years of my life.  I had a chance to mature in an environment that gave me freedom with limits.  I had people in my life that loved me enough to hold me accountable for my emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth.  I was challenged to take my faith in Christ more seriously and truly commit to Jesus.  I met the love of my life!

              

Not everyone is a reunion person.  Even if you don’t attend your high school or college reunions, it is good to periodically reflect on our lives.  We can “remember when…?” taking note of the journey that God has had us on and acknowledge with thanksgiving His mercy, grace and love.  We are reminded that what we are engaged in now will matter in the future. 

God is never done with us! 

That is something to celebrate.

~Rev