As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.                                                                                                                           James 5:11

I recently spoke with a client who is suffering with the extended grief over losing both parents within a year. At times the client felt that she was showing signs of improvement, but periods of grief seem to color her actions, even several years later.

There is no timetable for grieving. Effects can and will pop up at unexpected times. Indeed, such feelings may affect the entire future outlook of a person. I spoke with my client about finding a way to redeem such grief into a positive.

Often, a death can cause us to have an existential crisis of a sort, in that we may look at our own life differently. We may feel that we have not met the goals we had set out before us. We may feel that we need a new mission to fulfill before our own death.

So, we can use the profound loss as a spur to look at our own life, what is left of it, and make a mark that we want to make before we die.

It is truly never too late.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see that your grace is available, even when we feel that time may have passed us, Amen

“What drains your spirit drains your body. What fuels your spirit fuels your body.”                           Caroline Myss

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.                                                                                                                                                                  Psalm 139:14

The mind-body connection is a fascinating thing. I mean, we really cannot sperate the two because they are part of the whole- the components- that, along with our soul makes us…us. Our physical health and our mental health are inextricably connected. In fact, both affect one another constantly and often in subtle ways.

People who are under chronic stress age more quickly than those under less stress. The presence of stress hormones coursing through our body, especially when they should not be present at high levels, causes us to die prematurely.

I was recently talking with a client who had been raised in a dysfunctional family, where neglect was a way of life. It is the only way she knew to perceive the world. We discussed the effects of this, and it can properly be called trauma, even though she was not physically or sexually abused. Her way of looking at the world, and relationships, was altered in a way that caused her chronic stress.

She was always vigilant of the world around her, a world which was not seen as particularly safe or supportive. She learned to “read people” and find ways to navigate situations to ensure that she was emotionally safe, perhaps even physically safe.

Eventually, her body began to tell her that this was not healthy. She got into counseling, found that vigorous exercise was a way that she could find control and safety, and she eventually came to have excellent insight into how to better navigate a world that was not perpetually threatening to her.    

Our health care system seems to do an excellent job at treating illnesses when they are discovered. But our system does not do very well at prevention of problematic lifestyle issues, and the chronic stresses that we face which can lead to physical health problems.

Our reminder- physical, spiritual and emotional health are inextricably tied together. Proper healthcare means that we pay attention to all aspects of our being.

Prayer: Lord, you have designed us to have true integration of mind, body and Spirit. Help us to care for all parts of us, Amen

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters                                                                                                                                                              Psalm 23:1-2 (KJV)

Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied…                                              Mark 6:39-42

I think we can all relate to eating. It is a basic need to stay alive, of course, but eating is something that we do with great relish (pardon the pun). Jesus recognized that we can readily relate to stories about food in order to get to know the nature and character of God.

In the 23^rd Psalm, we see that God makes provision for his people. When Jesus was walking the earth, he used that same analogy, but he brought it to life when he stopped to feed the 5000 who had followed him and were now hungry. Jesus directed the people to “sit down on the green grass” and prepare to be fed. He saved them from the “want” of hunger, and he “prepared a table for them” in the green grass.

I was struck by this beautiful analogy while listening to a sermon from pastor Adam Hamilton a few weeks ago. God gets our attention when he feeds us. Jesus made sure that those who followed him were well fed. What a wonderful metaphor of God’s provision for us.

Prayer: You feed us day-to-day with so many benefits. Thank you for that provision, Amen

an·o·mie {ˈanəmē}

a sense of alienation from society, characterized by feelings of hopelessness, loss of purpose, and isolation:

Oxford Languages Dictionary

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.                                                                                 Matthew 10:29-31

I walk- a lot. It is a daily routine for me and for my health, both physical and emotional, but that is a story for another day. As I walk around neighborhoods, I see litter- trash- in gulleys, near a drainage ditch, on the sidewalk, and even in driveways. I just don’t get it.

Yes, this is a bit of a rant of an older man who is decrying a lost value of simple respect for the environment, and a lost respect for social norms that should preclude such rude and thoughtless behavior.  

What is it that informs such behavior? Is it mere thoughtlessness? Selfishness? A sense of    entitlement? Or is it a loss of caring for our community? If it is a lessening of care, or even of hope, I become very discouraged.

Perhaps people feel that what they do makes no difference to anyone else.  In that case, it may point to a larger problem of people feeling that they have no impact on their environment. The great sociologist, Emile Durkheim coined a term for this. He called it anomie.

Indeed, perhaps a deeper dive may indicate that people do not value themselves enough, so of course they would not value their environment. We must remember that God has placed high value on His creation.

Honoring ourselves and our environment honors Him.

Prayer: Lord, help restore a sense of value for ourselves and our environment, Amen

Luke chapter 15

I do love the Book of Luke, possibly my favorite Bible book. Luke captures Jesus as a great storyteller. Those stories indicate the love that Jesus has for those that are lost. He talks about lost sheep, lost coins, and finally a lost son in Luke chapter 15.

These parables were related for a reason. Luke knew that Jesus would want no one to be lost and wandering alone, so he recounted those parables that Jesus told. We are familiar with these stories- they are redemption stories. That which has been lost is found and restored.

In some ways, we all get lost at times, and are wandering alone it may feel. Take heart in the stories that Jesus told. You are not alone. Jesus is always looking for you. Sometimes he does that through friends, relatives, even strangers. Always be open to being found when you are wandering alone.

Jesus would have it that way.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for pursuing us when we are lost, Amen

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.  If you worship me, it will all be yours.”Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”                                                                                                          Luke 4:5-8

 “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”

John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, 13th Marquess of Groppoli

I kind of tend to overlook this fascinating passage of scripture where Jesus is tempted, or tested, depending on your translation. Maybe it is because I believe that Jesus would never have succumbed to such a deal offered by Satan. Yet, I also need to realize that Jesus here was fully man and able to be tempted. He had set aside the divine nature that he possessed so that he could fully identify with us, his creation.

Satan comes to Jesus when Jesus is fasting in the desert. Perhaps Satan thought that Jesus would be weak and vulnerable in this situation. We do see that Satan does claim authority over the kingdoms of the world. He said that they were his, and that he had authority to give it away to others- for a price. The price, of course, is to honor and worship Satan as lord.

Satan is not a threatening presence here. He comes across as reasonable and transactional, but also devious and dangerous. Jesus had the opportunity to seize the power of kingdom offered by Satan. Earlier, Satan had offered Jesus unlimited bread to ease his own hunger, and perhaps that of others.  

Jesus saw the dangers of worldly power. Seizing power always ends up as a trap. The very power one seizes ultimately traps the owner of it. We overcome evil with love, not earthly power. The power of kingdom and authority is indeed enticing, and I fear that many Christians have fallen in love with political power. However, we will never be saved by political power.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the danger of earthly power and authority, Amen

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.                                                                   Proverbs 18:24

I write this blog having just come home from a celebration. It was a 50^th wedding anniversary for one of the couples in our group. “Group”- that’s what we call it- just “Group”. We have four couples in this group and we meet about once a month for prayer, food, laughter and support.

We have done that for the past 40+ years.

We have helped raise each others’ kids through that prayer and support. We have visited the hospital when a member is down. We have been at the funerals for parents who have passed. We have been to graduations, weddings…, well you get it. All the signal events of life.

The children and grandchildren of the celebrating couple put this luncheon together, and they acknowledged that the presence of their parents’ group was so special for them. It gave them a model of friendship and Christian fellowship. They took heart that all four couples have been married over 50 years.

We have been so blessed to have a group such as this. We all know that this is rare. People move away, drift apart- whatever life changes may disrupt such relationships. But our group has stayed together, and we are all better off for it.

My hope is that you can, or already have identified, the tribe that you go through life with. It is an immeasurable blessing.

Prayer” Lord, we are so grateful for the people you have put into our life, Amen

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth   

 Psalm 121:1-2

Remember way back to 2020? You know, that virus and all? Isn’t it amazing how quickly we can put things in the rear-view mirror? I was recently reading about the 1918 “Spanish Flu” that ravaged the world. There are various estimates of the death toll of that pandemic, but those estimates range from 25-50 million deaths worldwide, and as many as 500 million estimated cases.

I don’t know the real numbers, and we will never really know the full extent of the devastation caused by that influenza strain. Actually, COVID-19 is still with us, and it is working its way through the population, with periodic spikes in cases, but with a generally lower death rate.

The “Spanish Flu”, (inaptly named, but that is a story for another day), is also still with us. Because both of these influenza strains have mutated, they are still prevalent, but much less deadly. Thankfully, there was a vaccine developed to deal with COVID-19, which lowered that death toll to a fraction of that of the “Spanish Flu”.  

We are vulnerable people, and we don’t like to think about that. Rightly so. But there are periodic reminders of that vulnerability that can (hopefully) keep us humble. Remembering where our true hope comes from is the best way to allay anxieties about the next pandemic coming down the line.

Yes, God has given us the ingenuity and brilliance of scientific minds to curb the worst effects of such terrible illnesses, but our real hope is in the Creator of those brilliant minds.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us the gift of life, and ways to preserve it, Amen

 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him Matthew 7:9-11

Can you imagine what it must have been like for a pious Jew when they saw Jesus preaching to others in the street or in the Temple? I am guessing, (and I am far from an expert in this area for many reasons), that they were appalled and angry. Here was a “Rabbi” (teacher) who was confounding the very basis of some of their core beliefs. He was telling people that keeping the Shabbat (Sabbath) was less important than meeting the needs of their fellow man.

In other words, if they saw a person in need, it was better to actually do work (which was prohibited on Shabbat) in order to alleviate the pain of others, than to rest and honor God’s commandment on rest and worship.

This was consistent with his larger message that we can best honor God by attending to His creation, especially His people. For as a loving Father, God is most pleased when his children are OK. In fact, we as parents are OK if our kids are OK. To a large degree, if they are happy, we are happy. That’s how we feel as loving parents. God as the Creator and Father of us all, wants that too.

So, I’m sure that those pious people, and I trust that they were indeed pious, were shocked and angered about a Rabbi who was going against what they had held dear for centuries. It was like an attack on the culture and creed that had kept them together as a people.

Indeed, Jesus eventually was put to death for his “heretical” teachings. A death that came because he was sent by a loving Father to do just that.

Prayer: Lord, we are grateful for the life and teachings of Jesus, Amen

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.                                                                                                    James 2:14-17

Words matter, but actions matter more. What do I mean by that. Leading by example is one instance of this saying. “Do what I say, not what I do” is sort of the opposite example that makes the point. Words and actions must match in order to have real power and meaning.

There are studies which show that people pay more attention to eye contact and body language than to the words spoken. We somehow intrinsically trust the actions that are congruent with the words spoken.

If those do not match, we are suspicious, or downright skeptical about the truth of the speaker. Often, we somehow unconsciously look for “tells’ in people to see if they are bluffing or telling the truth. Ask a poker player about that one.

The point I am making is that Christians must have an “orthopraxy” (right practices) that matches their “orthodoxy” (right belief). That is, good belief is not good enough without practices that confirm the truths espoused.  

So, if we see people talking a good game, but not performing loving practices, we should be on guard, waiting for the fruit of the Spirit to show up.

Prayer: Lord, make us people of action to show your love, Amen