And don’t get to feeling superior to those pruned branches down on the ground. If they don’t persist in remaining deadwood, they could very well get grafted back in. God can do that. He can perform miracle grafts. Why, if he could graft you—branches cut from a tree out in the wild—into an orchard tree, he certainly isn’t going to have any trouble grafting branches back into the tree they grew from in the first place. Just be glad you’re in the tree, and hope for the best for the others                                        Romans 11:23-24

I had breakfast with my good friend Reed yesterday, and we were discussing several issues about the Church in America. In our discussion we talked about some issues which divide the Church. Tension arises in those discussions often, not between Reed and I, but within the denominations. While Reed and I do not completely agree on some issues, we are freely able to discuss our differences, respect one another’s views, and love each other as we have for many years.

In discussing an upcoming split on the Methodist denomination- and I will not go into detail on that in this limited space- we agreed that a split done properly, respectfully, lovingly, could actually create new growth. Reed suggested an analogy. Consider cutting off the limb of a tree with a jagged axe cut. The severed part can only die, and the tree itself could be injured, and become susceptible to disease and possible death.

Consider, then, a careful cut, and possible splicing of that cut into a new growing medium. Now that type of cut can properly be called propagation, not detachment. Both the new shoot and the old tree can still both prosper.

The point is, division does not necessarily mean death, unless the division is done with malice and harsh criticism. Good people can, and do, disagree on how the Gospel is to be spread through the world.

One person’s division can be another’s propagation. It is all in how we go about the solution.

Prayer: Lord, you have entrusted your Church into the hands of fallible people. Help us to be the message you intend, Amen

So, in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.                       Galatians 3:26-29

This statement from the book of Galatians was made by Paul. Not very long earlier, being known as Saul of Tarsus, this same man had been seeking out and imprisoning or killing Christians. What a change of heart!

This same change of heart, which is the hallmark of the Christian faith, should be in full bloom in all of us. Think how the world might look at Christians today if we took the position that, despite our political and cultural differences, we are one in Christ and we honor one another, even if we have different backgrounds and experiences.

The political tribalism that seems to rule our landscape is divisive and corrosive. Our first allegiance is not to politics or cultural or racial background. Our first allegiance is to the Kingdom work that Jesus gave to us – to love one another, serve the least and the lost in the world, and usher, as much as we can, the Kingdom of God to earth, “as it is in heaven”.

Prayer: Lord, give us the fruits of the Holy Spirit to love one another despite our differences, Amen

“The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together.”                                                        Robert C. Dodds

I spoke with a couple the other day who presented with marriage problems. There were some typical problems that they identified, including blended family, finances, and difficulty with emotional communication. They were a very open couple and they were able to hear some of the hard things I might need to say to them.

I noted that they were both very successful, driven individuals, and both quite strong-willed. I suggested to them that they could certainly have an improved marriage if they were willing to work. I also pointed out to them that they should not expect a smooth road in their marriage. They were going to have some rocky times due to their strong wills and difficulty compromising or sacrificing. The couple acknowledged this, and even seemed to welcome that clear honesty. They both smiled and essentially said, “yes, that is true of us!”

Some couples have smoother roads on their journey together than others. This couple was going to have a marriage that would be intense and conflictual at times, but that would give the energy to the relationship that both seemed to seek. The very things that drew them together were going to be the potential points of conflict in their marriage. Their candor, and willingness to acknowledge their temperaments will bode well in helping this relationship to survive and even thrive.

The point here is that the road in marriage does not need to be, and will not be, always smooth.  We need to acknowledge the rocks in the road and deal with them. The commitment to look for those rocks together and to face them together is the answer to making the relationship great.

Prayer: Lord, give us the wisdom to be able to identify the rocks in the road of relationship, Amen.

…Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father                                                            Galatians 1:4

As I sit on my deck on a beautiful, if very warm, summer day, I recognize how blessed I am. I am writing from a place of comfort and security. Some of my readers cannot take such pleasure. They may be in a war-torn place like Ukraine where the evil designs of Vladimir Putin’s war threaten people daily. The ruthlessness, narcissism, and callousness of evil

Perhaps some readers live in a country where freedom of religion is unknown, and they suffer for the faith that they hold dear. While I have no readers, to my knowledge, in North Korea, those people suffer at the hands of a leader who values military might and saber rattling higher than the goal of feeding his people. The grandiosity, self-destructiveness, and paranoia of evil.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban oppresses women in horrible ways. Those same leaders, who disdain and mistreat women, often suspend their rigid misogynist rules to give some women rights when they need female surgeons to perform life-saving operations. The irony and foolishness of evil.

People around the world suffer because of the evil in the world. Sometimes it does us well to recognize that fact, and to remind ourselves that evil is alive, and it has a face. Unfortunately, it has many faces.

Remember to pray for deliverance from evil for brothers and sisters who do not enjoy the freedoms we may take for granted.

Prayer: Lord, deliver us from the evil that surrounds us, Amen

Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better                                       Ephesians 4:23 (Living Bible)

I like to use analogies when pointing out principles to clients. One I use is likening our innate talents to a powerful racing engine. It hums along, almost without effort for some very gifted individuals. They have been blessed with a “great motor”- their intellect and natural gifts.

I liken the transmission to our attitude and willingness to work. Not everyone has the same level of “great motor” given at birth, but the hustle, attitude and work ethic- that is the “transmission” that makes everything work.

Without “the good transmission”, the best, strongest engine in the world is reduced to being just a noisy hunk of potential energy. If you can harness the power of that great engine with a good transmission which can focus and direct that power, well then you really have something!

So, we have been given certain gifts and abilities at birth- we all have. But the gift that we give back is the development of those gifts through the transmission of good attitude, discipline, and the ethic of hard work.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us gifts to use for your service. Help us to return those gifts with the development of our attitude and disciplines, Amen

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So, they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”                       Luke 5:4-8

I listened to a sermon the other day from a pastor I really like. In fact, he is the pastor of my daughter’s church, and we have come to see him and that ministry as our adopted church. He spoke about this passage from Luke 5 and his message was great, but I have always had a different takeaway from it than many people.

This passage involves our friend Peter. Peter was a business man, a fisherman. He depended on fishing for his livelihood. It was not sport or recreation, it was catch fish and eat, or fail and not eat.

What I find so interesting in this passage is that it took this particular event to convince Peter about the majesty and authority of Jesus. It was not too long before this that Jesus had healed Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever. Jesus had done a flat-out healing of someone close to Peter- a healing he clearly was aware of. But it took Jesus to get Peter a great business success before he reacted in the profound way that he did to Jesus.

Peter was clearly awed by the power and authority of Jesus after the great haul of fish that day. So, that makes me think, Peter is just like me. Maybe all of us. We are of the “what have you done for me lately?” persuasion.

Yeah, I’m not really proud of that, but I also recognize the humanness of that. We all forget so easily what great things have happened in the past. Great answers to prayer, recovering from illness- whatever it may have been. We remember those things that hit close to home better than some other things. For Peter, that great catch of fish may have rescued him from financial disaster- who knows? It surely got his attention.

What I do know, is that Peter and I are probably pretty alike. Even after a long history of grace and answered prayers, I tend to say, “yes, but what about now? I need you now more than ever!”

I know that God recognizes this in his creation. I note that Jesus did not get upset with Peter in the least. In fact, Jesus told Peter that he would be, from that moment on, a powerful member of his team.

What a great fish story!

Prayer: Father, thank you for the great things you constantly do for us. Help us to remember them even in the lean times, Amen.

The road to life is a disciplined life;
    ignore correction and you’re lost for good.                                                                                                          Proverbs 10:17 (The Message)

I remember reading the book years ago written by Florence Littauer titled, It Takes So Little to be Above Average. The concept is so simple, so basic, yet the results can be profound. I had the privilege of having dinner with Florence Littauer, along with my wife and a mutual friend, shortly after she had written that book. She was very encouraging to me in my early attempts at writing. She also seemed to live the title of the book she had written. She really believed that we could, with very marginal extra effort, live a more compelling and impacting life. I think she was right.

It takes just a little effort to make our lives, and the lives around us, just a little bit better. I thought about this again recently while walking. I saw discarded paper masks, pop bottles and other assorted trash outside of the store I was about to enter. “Litter”, I told my wife, “is a measure of how people value their community. The more litter, the less community cohesion and collective discipline”.

Now, litter has been a problem for many years. Further, my hypothesis about the amount of litter and the inference about the collective care for the community has not been measured- at least to my knowledge. Nonetheless, I am disturbed by the presence of litter because it reflects poorly on my community. More importantly, it makes me believe that the general level of discipline has slipped.

It really, truly, is not hard to find a receptacle for trash. The laziness of those who litter gives me concern for the deeper, more negative implications that it holds. That is, people do not care enough about others to take a minute to do the right thing. They are thinking, at that moment, only of themselves. I think, as a society, we are becoming less disciplined, less caring, and less community focused.

As Florence Littauer wrote, it really takes very little to rise above mediocrity. I think that is true. I wonder how many people really want to do that?

Prayer: You have created us to care for one another, and our shared environment. Forgive us for our careless behaviors which dishonor you and our fellow travelers, Amen.

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.                                                                                                                         Luke 5:12-13

I am always struck by how Jesus dealt with this leper who asked for healing. Jesus touched him. If there was ever a forbidden act in those times, it was to touch a leper. I think in that very act, Jesus not only healed the man of leprosy, he healed the man’s shame and isolation.                              

Human touch can be healing.

I was speaking with a client the other day about the long-term effects of maternal bonding and affection. Rather, I was pointing out that the lack of such primary nurture and cuddling can lead to failure to bond, and long-term effects such as feelings rejection and abandonment.

The classic study done in this area was that of Harry Harlow, who used macaques for some of his studies. The baby macaques were separated from their mother, and the mother was replaced by either a wire framework that resembled an adult macaque mother, or one with cloth that gave warmth and comfort to the touch. The babies gravitated to the “cloth mothers”, searching for reassurance and affection. The babies deprived of the “cloth mothers” grew up isolated socially, and unsure of their place in the framework of the macaque community.

The studies were controversial due to later questions of ethics, in that the treatment of the animals could be considered cruel and inhumane. Some other studies of Harlow were also somewhat dubious in their approaches, but some valuable information was gleaned from the studies.

The need for touch and warmth at the earliest possible time in life is essential for attachment and proper development of affection.  We learn very quickly that we need loving touch to survive in this world. We learn, even before we have language, or brain capacities that are cognitively aware of our surroundings, that human touch is essential. It gives security in a world that is completely unknown. The earliest sensations of warmth and cuddling are critical in our development.

Let’s not diminish the need for physical touch and affirmation as we grow. While some people need such affirmation more than others, all of us need the grounding and anchoring, and indeed the validation that we physically need one another’s touch.

So, if you are a “hugger”, get your daily hug from your loved ones. It is good for you and them!

Prayer: Lord, you have given us the gift of healing, even in a loving touch, Amen

 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens; don’t turn away from me or I shall die.  Let me see your kindness to me in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for my prayer is sincere.               Psalm 143: 7-8

I just read an interesting article from my friend and colleague Joe Wegmann, the Pharmatherapist. Joe wrote about the theory of chemical imbalance in depression, specifically the concept of Serotonin depletion as a cause of depression.

Joe indicates that it is too simplistic, and very inaccurate to blame Serotonin depletion alone for depression. Depression is a multi-factor illness, with roots in the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual parts of our being. Serotonin depletion can be found in depressed individuals, but is it a cause or effect, or even a by-product of depression? Yes, it is real, but to blame depression on merely low Serotonin levels is not doing a justice to the complexity of the illness.

That being said, anti-depressants which help to raise or maintain Serotonin levels are still beneficial for many patients. If you are taking an SSRI, don’t stop without serious conversations with your therapist and your physician. Yet, realize that depression is multi-faceted, and that the remedy too must include all parts on one’s life. Strong social and familial connections are still the best tools one has in dealing with depression.

If you are a reader of this blog for any length of time, you will also note that I strongly suggest regular and even vigorous exercise, and close attention to one’s spiritual life as tools to effectively combat depression.

So, recognize that you do have tools to deal with depression, and that others around you want to help.

Please reach out to them.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us many people around us to lean on in hard times. When we are depressed, remind us again, Amen.

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. Colossians 1:15-17 (The Message)

 I was speaking recently to a client about energy. He is depressed and grieving, and he is having trouble coming up with the energy to do what will be most helpful for him. We need to supply energy into a behavior, like exercise, in order to accomplish the goals we want. When we are depressed, there seems to be very little energy available. There are, I think both physical and emotional reasons for this. However, somehow, we need to find a way to manufacture energy to do things, especially when we lack motivation to do them. At that point, it is sheer discipline to do the things that are good for us, regardless of whether we are motivated to do it or not.

In thinking a little further, I see that all energy in the universe comes from the hand of God. He is the creator and sustainer of life- even those wild sub-atomic particles which make up matter- those things that I do not really understand.

So much of life is in the invisible realm. Coming up with the energy to do anything comes from a place of the invisible. We cannot see God, but we see his creation. We cannot see the cellular interactions in our body that give energy, but we rely on them for every movement we make.

So, it takes faith to move ahead, even when we do not want to. Faith that as we move, we will actually gain some momentum to move a little farther.

Prayer: Lord, your creation is marvelous, and your best work is invisible. Help us to make your presence more visible to others, Amen