I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now                                                     Philippians 1:3-5

Today is April 1^st and that means it is April Fool’s Day, but more importantly for me, it also marks an anniversary- the 6^th anniversary of this blog, reflectionsofacounselor.com. I had posted the blog for a few years before that, but April 1, 2020 was the day I decided to post it every day. The blog has been posted every day since then.

As you recall, that was in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I felt that I needed to post in order to have a sense of having a voice, and some level of control during a very troubling and chaotic time. I hope it benefits my readers, but you see, it is also good for me.

Therefore, I want to sincerely thank my readers who read regularly, and many who read it every day. It gives me joy to see regular readers from the United States, led by people in North Bergen, New Jersey; Cincinnati, Ohio; Kentucky, Texas, Iowa, California, North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia, Illinois, Oregon, South Carolina, and Kansas. Actually, over the years, I have had readers from every state in the union.

I also have faithful readers in Ireland, China, Singapore, Norway, England, Canada, Australia, and at least a dozen other countries at various times over the years.  I name these places because I want my readers in those places to know that I see you, and I value your following!    

As Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…

Prayer: Lord, you have given us a long distance relationship with people whom we will never meet this side of heaven. What a blessing that has been, Amen  

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

In past blogs I have written about the concept of paradox, that is, a truth that appears contrary to common sense. I have also written about my little backyard pond, and the very hardy fish that occupies that pond. He/she is, (I will call her a female for sake of pronoun redundancy), by my reckoning, at least eight years old. This little mutt (by the way at least 5 times larger than when she was set into her current home) has thrived through every season, every frigid winter, and every blazing summer. I have named her “Hardy”. I thought about adding another fish named Laurel, but Hardy would probably not like sharing her space after all these years. Several years ago, I added a few little fish and they succumbed to – well something got them.  Hardy however, has survived splendidly on her own.

Yes, I place a de-icer in the pond when sub-zero temperatures would freeze it solid. I tend to the pond health by thinning overgrown aerating plants, skim out leaves as best I can to avoid too much decaying organic matter, and rarely, I add a little water in the summer when evaporation makes the water level a bit low.

The fish however has never been fed by me. She must fend for herself, eating the algae, any insects she can find, and whatever else she may decide is nourishing. She must avoid predators such as snakes, an occasional blue heron, one of the feral cats in the neighborhood, maybe even the raccoons that prowl in the evenings. The point is, a very rigorous life, one of striving for survival and hard work finding food, has made her extremely fit for her environment.

That got me thinking about the idea of a life of striving. People who must work hard to survive and thrive are usually stronger for the effort. A life of relative ease does not cause one to live longer. Indeed, it tends to shorten life. The “greatest generation” of the depression and World War II, were called that for a reason. They had to overcome much suffering and deprivation, yet they helped build a strong nation.   

The gospel is replete with paradox. Statements like the weak are strong, the last shall be first, one must lose their life to find it, etc. are just a few examples.

When we strive, we survive. What a beautiful paradox.

Prayer: Lord, your ways are higher than our ways, and they are so amazing, Amen

As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
 for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.                                                                                                              Psalm 103:13-14

Mount Rushmore is the spectacular monument crafted by Gutzon Borglum in South Dakota. Carved into the rocks there are the images of four acclaimed American Presidents- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Often, in sports, talk show hosts will throw out a question to fans, like- “who is on your Mt. Rushmore of football running backs”? Or “who is on your Mt. Rushmore of starting pitchers in major league      baseball “? The question, of course asks, what are your top four sports heroes at a particular position or sport?

So, if there were a Mount Rushmore of Bible passages, Psalm 103 is right up there for me. I often assign this as a little homework for some clients to read throughout the week to remind them of God’s love and provision for them. The entire Psalm is uplifting and encouraging, especially when we are feeling downtrodden, or even forgotten by God.  

So, of you need a lift this week as we head into Easter, consider Psalm 103. It is on my Mt. Rushmore!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the encouragement we can find in this beautiful Psalm, Amen

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”                                          Matthew 21:1-3

Today is Palm Sunday, the traditional start of Holy Week. It marks one week before the highest holy day, Easter. On this day that we call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode triumphantly down the streets of Jerusalem to the adulation of a crowd who knew of his marvelous teachings and the miracles he had performed. They, of course welcomed him with great joy that day. By Friday, they would be demanding his death.

We know this story. I have always been fascinated by the possible back story of how Jesus had arranged for the donkey and the colt. Evidently, the owner of these animals was known to Jesus, and Jesus had known just when the time was to dispatch his disciples for the entry to Jerusalem.

Jesus had known all along how this story would end, and he had planned the smallest details of it. Love entails anticipating what others need and providing things for them that they cannot provide for themselves.

What an example Jesus gave, upon his anticipated death just days later, to plan the details of how he would redeem the people he loved.

Prayer: Lord, what an example of love you have given to us! Amen

To thine own self be true… Act I scene 3, Hamlet William Shakespeare

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

An issue that can capture us without us even being aware of it, is worry about things over which we have no control. We all fall into this trap at times, and it takes some “thought capturing” to address it.

I have clients who talk about how other people may judge them for presentations they have given, or statements they have made. They wonder if they “came across as genuine” or were they being seen as “trying to curry the favor of the boss”.

Now, I think it is natural to wonder about how other people see us. We are, after all, social beings, and we want to be thought of as good, or competent, or caring people- whatever traits in human beings that we ourselves value.  

When we think about this though, what is the only thing we can control? We can only control our own actions and behaviors. We cannot control how others perceive us, no matter how hard we try. Yes, people often spend a great deal of time and energy into self “marketing”. Image control is a huge industry. Companies and celebrities spend a lot of money trying to establish a “brand” and an image that is favorable to the public. In the end however, we can only be free by recognizing that we have been honest to ourselves, and we have been honest with others.

If people misinterpret, deliberately or otherwise about who we are, we cannot change that. It may indeed be hurtful when we are judged, but when we realize that we have been true to ourselves, and spoken the truth as best we can, we can be free of doing the impossible- believing that we are responsible for the outcome of other people’s perceptions of us.

Prayer: Lord, test my heart, and make me what you would have me to be, Amen

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.                                                                                                        Isaiah 55:8-9

I am not a Bible scholar, nor am I a theologian. I am an observer of people and an admirer of grace. I recognize that there is much that I do not know about theology, but I do have a belief about the nature and character of God. He loves people. He loves his creation. He is not bound by our definitions, nor our understanding. He is sovereign, and he can do as he pleases, and I often do not understand his ways. But I trust them.

I feel comfortable with the answer “I don’t know”. I am OK with that position. In fact, in some cases, I don’t even know what I don’t know. The good news is that I do not need to have an answer for everything. I think too often we believe that there must be an explanation of why things happen, or “why does God do what he does?”

That is where this idea of prevenient grace comes in. My understanding of prevenient grace is that even before I have an inkling of who God is, or his power to redeem his creation, God provides grace for us to even begin the quest of understanding.  His grace is sufficient for my lack of understanding.

 I’m good with that.

Prayer: Thank you for the grace that you give, even before we know what grace really is, Amen

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,  and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?  How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.  But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus               Matthew 12:9-14

I wrote the other day about the courage Jesus showed when he invited the hated Zacchaeus to his house for dinner. There were however numerous situations where Jesus stood up to scorn and even persecution for his earthly mission to make clear God’s purpose for living. In the passage above, Jesus had challenged the rigidity of the Law when he chose to heal rather than allow suffering just for the sake of the satisfaction of the letter of the Law.

Jesus subjected himself to scorn and even eventual death in order to fulfill the higher spirit of the Law- to save and to heal. We must interpret scripture in light of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the Law. Jesus had said that he came to fulfill the law, not to destroy it. This is a great example of the highest application of the ancient Law that God intends- the safety and healing of people.

Prayer: Lord, help us to follow the Spirit in understanding your Word, Amen

A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.  Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.  But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves

Luke 22:24-26

Disclaimer: The material in this blog is of a sensitive nature, and caution should be exercised in determining who reads this material.

The uproar over the Epstein files is still going strong- and it should. The perpetrators named in those files were in some way involved in a horrific violation of young girls. Decency demands that we pursue such abusers no matter where it may lead. If we are a nation of laws and morality, then justice must be pursued in the satisfaction of maintaining a functioning society.

The trafficking of young girls for sexual exploitation has been in the world perhaps since the beginning of time. The underlying motives- sexual gratification, dominance, power, extortion, amassing great sums of money etc. all fall somewhere into the famous “seven deadly sins” category.  

As we look at the rape of these young girls and young women, we know that rape is not just a sexual sin, but it is an exercise and a perversion of power. Men involved in this Epstein mess not only could gratify their sexual lust, but they exerted a sense of power and dominance over their victims. As I have said in past blogs, pride is the source of all sin. Every one of the so-called seven deadly sins are descendants of the root cause- pride. Pride says, in effect, “I am entitled to do what I want whenever I want to. I can have my way if I dominate you, so, I will do just that. The rules that apply to other people do not apply to me”.

Pride involves more than that little statement above, but it serves as a quick capsule of the sins that we see being exposed in the Epstein files. Indeed, the need to dominate another person, to force them to submit to my will for my gratification, is a grievous sin. History is replete with examples of this- slavery, colonization, exploitation of other people groups, etc.

Why does God hate sin? It hurts people. Whenever we deliberately exploit or hurt others, it is sin. Indeed, none of us is exempt from sinful behavior, and we all must be held accountable for things that we have done to hurt others. On a societal scale, these searches for justice for the victims of Jeffery Epstein must be pursued to ensure that we still want to strive for a society that can function remotely close to what God has intended for us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for having fallen so short of your plans for this world, Amen

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”  So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.                                                                      Luke 19:1-10

Today I want to look at an encounter with Jesus. The story of Zacchaeus is well known. There is even a children’s song or two about this charming story.

My first look at this story zooms in on the intent of Zacchaeus. He wanted to see Jesus. Because he was short, Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a better view. Because he was up high, Jesus spotted him, knew his intent, and invited Zacchaeus to dine with him. This was a courageous and loving move on the part of Jesus, because we see that Jesus was immediately judged by others for this bold action.

When Zacchaeus encountered Jesus and his invitation, he was moved- by the love and courage of Jesus I’m sure, and also the fact that Jesus cared about an outcast like Zacchaeus. The response of Zacchaeus was the spontaneous reaction of a person who encounters the love and courage of Jesus- he offers to immediately make restitution to the people he has stolen from.

The response of Zacchaeus to an encounter with Jesus was an action of repentance. When one encounters Jesus, there must be a response. The decision to follow Jesus is a verb- it involves a change in how we treat others. As I have written before, belief is a verb. Believing involves action. Zacchaeus gave us a good example.

Prayer: Lord, help us to respond rightly to our encounters with Jesus, Amen

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy                                          I Peter 2:9-10

I spoke to the Care Ministry Team at my church yesterday about the history of that ministry at the church. I was responsible for developing and training that aspect of ministry for 20 years. I spoke with them about our former pastor, Mike Slaughter, who had emphasized that the ministry of caring for one another was not the job of the senior pastor, or really any of the paid staff at the church. He emphasized the priesthood of every believer.

Yes, nearly all churches of any size have a staff member to coordinate the ministry of calling on those who are sick, leading prayer groups, hospital and nursing home visits etc. But in truth, the responsibility of caring for one another in the church body is- everyone’s responsibility.

This means that people need to be connected enough with one another to know when and who needs extra help. It is interesting to me how the concept of church in Western culture somehow evolved into the structure that we now accept as “how church is done”.

Don’t get me wrong, churches make honest and heartfelt efforts to care for their people and to live out the commands of Jesus to love one another. However, we also have come to see the local church through the lens of our culture. What did the early church look like? It was set up in homes where small groups gathered to pray, learn, worship, and encourage one another. Gatherings were small and intimate. The church grew because people told the stories of the transformation of how Jesus had changed their life.  People outside of those gatherings saw the dramatic examples of love shown toward both fellow believers and those outside of the faith.

We have become acculturated to understand “church” through a particular Western lens. Sometimes it is good to reflect that we are creatures of our culture, and that there have been models of church that exist throughout the world that may look very different than our churches in the United States.

Not a criticism by any means, just some food for thought.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us a diversity of how to worship and organize our faith and we are thankful for that, Amen