(and I see you North Bergen!)

The right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver.                                                    Proverbs 25:11 (Contemporary English Version)

Last Sunday at church, was an especially good day. Almost every time we attend church is a good day, but Sunday seemed to feel just a little better. Why? Well, it seemed that people were especially happy to be there since the week before, “in-person” church was cancelled due to the snow and cold.

We were greeted as usual by the greeters, great people who are warm and caring and truly glad to see people. That was normal, but much appreciated, as always. Then, as we were walking down the hall from getting coffee, we were greeted with a heartfelt hug by “Gary” followed by his very warm and caring words of thanks and friendship.

When we went into the main worship space, we were met by a young woman whose family we have known for years. She smiled broadly and beckoned us over for a hug. Just before that, my wife had gone up to one of the newer staff members and told him how much she appreciated his presence and his work for the church. I am guessing that it made his day. The opportunity to affirm others is a large part of being in a body of believers, and we can see this demonstrated every week.

Finally, speaking of affirmation, I need to recognize my followers in North Bergen, New Jersey. I probably have never met them, but they have been very affirming of me for several months as faithful followers of this blog. It is so affirming to me when I check the statistics of the blog’s reach, and I find consistent views from readers around the world. I especially at this time want to give a big shout out to – North Bergen, New Jersey- I love you all!

Prayer: Lord, we feel such refreshment in words of affirmation. Thank you for the plan of the body of believers to do just that, Amen

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.                        Proverbs 17:22

Today is February 2^nd, also known as Ground Hog Day in America. You know the drill- if the ground hog sees his shadow, it is six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, there are to be only four more weeks of winter.

The fact that we even have this tradition speaks to how much we want winter to be gone! Such little fun traditions are fine by me. They act as a bit of diversion from troubling current events, and they preserve some old traditions passed down by our Dutch and German ancestors.

Of course, there was also a very popular movie made about Ground Hog Day starring Bill Murray. The movie has become a bit of a cultural icon, and is now in common parlance representing seemingly endless events recurring without let up.

Finally, I recall a friend of mine years ago who invited people over to his house for a sausage and egg breakfast as a way of celebrating and getting friends together. Yes, you got it, sausage for breakfast on “ground hog” day.

A little levity and a nod to traditions is also fine with me. We can use it!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord for a chance at fun and levity! Amen

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.                        Proverbs 17:22

Today is February 2^nd, also known as Ground Hog Day in America. You know the drill- if the ground hog sees his shadow, it is six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, there are to be only four more weeks of winter.

The fact that we even have this tradition speaks to how much we want winter to be gone! Such little fun traditions are fine by me. They act as a bit of diversion from troubling current events, and they preserve some old traditions passed down by our Dutch and German ancestors.

Of course, there was also a very popular movie made about Ground Hog Day starring Bill Murray. The movie has become a bit of a cultural icon, and is now in common parlance representing seemingly endless events recurring without let up.

Finally, I recall a friend of mine years ago who invited people over to his house for a sausage and egg breakfast as a way of celebrating and getting friends together. Yes, you got it, sausage for breakfast on “ground hog” day.

A little levity and a nod to traditions is also fine with me. We can use it!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord for a chance at fun and levity! Amen

This is a reprint of a blog from the past, now a tribute to the heroism of fellow Christian and martyr Alexei Navalny. Please read with introspection of how truth prevails in the face of repression…

“But, nevertheless, closing remarks means you have to say your closing remarks. I don’t know what to talk about anymore, your honour. If you want, I’ll talk to you about God and salvation. I’ll turn up the volume of heartbreak to the maximum, so to speak. The fact is that I am a Christian, which usually rather sets me up as an example for constant ridicule in the Anti-Corruption Foundation, because mostly our people are atheists and I was once quite a militant atheist myself. But now I am a believer, and that helps me a lot in my activities, because everything becomes much, much easier. I think about things less.  There are fewer dilemmas in my life, because there is a book in which, in general, it is more or less clearly written what action to take in every situation. It’s not always easy to follow this book, of course, but I am actually trying. And so, as I said, it’s easier for me, probably, than for many others, to engage in politics.

Alexei Navalny

(Source- Moscow Helsinki Group, from Navalny’s defense statement in a Moscow court February 20, 2021)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.                         Matthew 5:6

This is an excerpt from Alexei Navalny’s defense in front of a sham Moscow court. In that speech, he also referenced the Sermon on the Mount when he quoted the passage, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  

The death of Navalny at the hands of a ruthless tyrant like Vladimir Putin must not be forgotten or minimized. He took his Christian faith and boldly spoke truth to power. Folks, I am not seeing  very much of that these days. Navalny paid the ultimate price for his beliefs and his relentless challenges of tyranny and corruption in Russia.   

It costs something to be a Christian. It means sacrificing our power and position for the benefit of those who do not have such privilege. I suppose each of us must decide the proper personal response to that challenge. For me, it is contacting my elected legislators to urge them to support the Ukraine in their fight against the Russian invasion.

Perhaps you do not have the same response, and that is, of course, your prerogative. I see it as a way to speak truth to power in my own little way.

Prayer: Lord, give us the strength to speak truth to power, just like Jesus did. Amen

Anxiety weighs down the heart,
    but a kind word cheers it up.                                                                                                                                               Proverbs12:25 (NIV)

The other day, I spoke with a client who has anxiety. He has chronic anxiety, and I explained to him that anxiety, over a period of time, becomes depression. The Proverb cited above seems to back that up. Anxiety will “weigh down the heart”. Typically, Bible language for the heart calls it the seat of emotion. A “heavy heart” is another way to say “depressed”.

My client with chronic anxiety has become depressed. As we spoke, I saw the classic effects of depression- too much introspection, lack of energy and motivation, a sense of powerlessness, etc. I suggested to this client that he pick out a few of his friends or relatives, and simply call them, and tell them that he was thinking about them. Better yet, just tell them that he loves them.

This remedy works both to help those called as well as the caller. The Proverb indicates that a remedy for a heavy heart is a kind word.

It works.

Prayer: Lord, lift those with heavy hearts today, Amen

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”       Mark 10:45

One of the marks of character, in my opinion, is what one does with power. As a leader, one must exercise power for the benefit of the group being led. If a leader is interested only in maintaining his/her own sense of power and leadership, then that is a weak and short-sighted view of power. The leader who strives to appropriately give away and/or share power is showing foresight and wisdom.

Empowering others by mentoring and teaching, as well as allowing others to practice leadership skills is a sign of wisdom. Leaders do not live forever, and they must prepare those coming after them to take on a leadership mantle.

So, a true test of character often boils down to this question- “what do I do with the power that I have?” Do I use it for the benefit of others, empowering them to become leaders themselves? Or do I hold on to it tightly, fearing that by sharing power I might lose it?

None of us are perfect in answering those questions. Yet, the very act of asking those questions of ourselves is a good test of our leadership ability.

Prayer: Lord, you gave us Jesus as the perfect example of servant leadership and empowering others, Amen 

…then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So, these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”                                                     Joshua 4:7

I recently spoke to a couple who, over the years, have become somewhat emotionally and physically distant. They care for one another, they are cordial and friendly, they interact with friends and family- but they have some distance between themselves.

As we talked more, I asked them about the biggest crises they have encountered in their marriage. They named several issues, and we agreed that they have weathered those storms together, and they have remained committed to one another.

I affirmed the fact that they have done this together, and that they may need to spend more time celebrating the achievements of their marriage rather than looking at the failures. Too often in counseling, we can get bogged down looking at problems and perceived failures and, in so doing, we can overlook or actually minimize the successes. The homework for this couple was to recount the times that they have overcome adversities, and to identify and recognize the strengths that they have together.

The ancient Israelites built memorials for the times that God brought them through difficult, even tragic times. In times of feeling hopeless or abandoned, they were to look at the monuments and recall how they were rescued.

We can take a page out of that strategy today and spend more time looking back on the “wins” of the past, rather than the failures.

Prayer: Lord, help us to keep an eye on the positives, Amen

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”                                                                                Luke 4:18-19

I was thinking today of the need for bold truth, and I was led to this passage from Luke. The scene is set in the synagogue of Nazareth- the hometown of Jesus. It is here that Jesus proclaimed his mission and calling. No, it apparently was not a popular stance since Jesus was speaking to his hometown family and friends, and he was claiming the authority of the promised Messiah.

Everyone there was aware of the passage from Isaiah 61:1-2 where the promised Messiah was being described. Jesus was not only claiming to be that Messiah, he was reiterating what the Messiah came to earth to do- to proclaim God’s good news to those who needed it most. He was boldly stating that the Spirit of God is about healing, justice, and freedom.

In these days, we still need bold witness in the light of injustice and oppression. As I look out my window into the covering of snow, and temperatures around zero, I think about people in Ukraine who have had their electrical grid attacked in the dead of winter by Vladimir Putin’s ugly aggression.

We need to be reminded that the evils which Jesus came to reckon with must now be confronted by those who have the boldness to speak against it. Christians have that same calling from the Holy Spirit- to call out evil, and to offer healing and justice to a broken world.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be bold in calling out evil and advocating for justice, Amen

And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice                                                             Psalm 50:6

But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.                                   Amos 5:4

The United States these days is in a state of turmoil. People are angry, on both sides of the political spectrum, about the issues currently happening in the country. Both sides have a certain perspective on the situation, and both are completely convinced of the “rightness” of their position. Indeed, in the polarized climate we live in, such views are magnified and accentuated by whatever lens through which news is viewed.

It has been my experience that people get the most angry when their sense of justice has been violated. Such is human nature. We are rational beings, but we are also fueled by an emotional response to what we perceive as wrong behavior. That is why we get such a sense of vindication when the “bad guys” in the movies end up being punished, and the righteous are vindicated. That is our wiring.

So, I am trying to take solace in the justice of God. He is the perfect judge, and his ways are the paths of right and justice. I am choosing (imperfectly to be sure) the path of humility that says, God’s justice is the one that must prevail, since my perspective of justice is always colored by my worldview.  

So, my prayer is this:

Lord, let your justice rain down on earth in your time and in your way, Amen

The second law (of thermodynamics) states that physical systems tend to slide spontaneously and irreversibly toward a state of disorder (a process driven by an increase in entropy)…

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.                                                                                                                                                         I Peter 4:10

It is interesting to me that the laws of physics govern not only the state of matter, but our human condition. Essentially, the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that all things in the universe tend to go to a higher state of entropy (disorder) if left to themselves. If you ever owned a car, or a refrigerator, or a washer- or anything- you know that it will eventually wear out or breakdown. It is a law of the universe. Stuff, like people, eventually wears out and breaks down.

Some people like to quote Murphy’s Law also, which states that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong”. While Murphy’s Law is not a real thing (yes, some would argue that it IS a thing), the Second Law of Thermodynamics is real, and we are governed by it.

I was thinking about this the other day in talking to some clients about their marriage relationship. Unless you do regular maintenance on the relationship, it will start to break down. Relationships are like anything else. One needs to pay attention to them, work on them, nurture them, repair them when they start to fray. If we don’t, they can wear down and eventually fall apart.

Our job is to maintain what we have been given to the best of our ability. Our bodies, our relationships, our possessions- we need to pay attention to them and maintain them as best we can. That is our job as stewards, not owners of all those things.

So, when thinking of important relationships in your life, what kind of maintenance are you needing to do?

Prayer: Lord, you have made us stewards of your creation, help us to maintain those gifts well, Amen.