Month: September 2024

A New Beginning

A Theme for life can be “A New Beginning.” New beginning is not only related to the beginning of a new year because every day is a new beginning.

A story that helps us to better understand new beginnings is told by John Powell, S.J. in his book, The Christian Vision, A Nearsighted Young Man. (Powell, S.J., John, The Christian Vision: the Truth That Sets Us Free (Allen, Texas: Argus Communications, 1984) pp. 36-37

Dr. Powell writes, “I once knew a young man who was born seriously myopic. He could see clearly only those objects within a few feet of himself. when the schools he attended sent this word home, his parents reasoned, ‘When we were his age, we did not need glasses. Why should he?’ And so the boy grew up in the only world that was available to him through his nearsighted vision. He actually worked out an explanation for this world in terms of his nearsightedness. For example, do you know why the teachers at school write on the chalkboards? They are not writing for the pupils who cannot possibly read what they are writing. They are rather writing those notes on the board for themselves, so that they can remember what to teach. And do you know why cities put street signs so high up on telephone poles where no one can read them? Well, this is done for the bus drivers. They sit high up in the front of the buses and can read those signs. Then they can call out the names of the streets for their passengers. And so on.

“One day the young man, in his eighteenth year, consulted an eye doctor. The doctor sat him down and kept experimenting with corrective lenses until he had the proper prescription. The doctor then told the boy to look out the window. ‘Wow!’ the young man gasped. It was so beautiful. He could for the first time see the blue skies with white puffs of clouds. He could see the smiling faces of people, the billboards, and the street signs. Later he told me, “It was the second most beautiful experience of my whole life.’ So naturally I had to ask him about ‘the most beautiful.’ What was it?

“‘The day,’ he replied, ‘I came to believe in Jesus. When I at last took him seriously and saw that God is truly my Father, when I saw that this really is God’s beautiful world, when I saw myself as a child of the heart of God, and felt the warmth of his love, when I saw others as my brothers and sisters in the human family of our Father-this was the great turning point, the most transforming and beautiful experience of my whole life. It was like the beginning of a new life. I know what Saint Paul means when he says that faith makes us a brand-new creation.’”

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5.17, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” Jesus offers the option of newness. We are not instantaneously changed. We know that everything has not become new. We struggle with the same old attitudes. We commit the same old sins.

We also know that everything can become new. It is like Jeremiah writes in Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” God mercies are new every morning. We are reminded that every day is a new beginning. We have the option of newness, what we do with the new day is up to us. God can help us to use the time to maintain the process of becoming new.

Thoughts from here and there…What’s for Dinner

I don’t know why they did it. Maybe they didn’t want to bother. Perhaps it was too much work. Possibly they were only exercising their independence, after all, who wants to be told what to eat. Its worth thinking about.

“The dinner I’m going to starts at 6, John so I’ve prepared everything for you here. There’s a nice casserole in the fridge just put it in the microwave and then into the oven at 350º ‘till it bubbles…Put frozen peas into a covered Pyrex dish and microwave on high for three minutes, stir and heat again. I bought buns, there’s a fresh garden salad , for dessert there is…”

Elizabeth interrupts, “We’ll be fine, mom—honest.”

Mom waves goodbye. John, Elizabeth and April are seen leaving through the front door. They go to a local burger restaurant where they are eating burgers, fries, and a soft drink. Behind them on the wall is a menu board with headings which read: “Burgorama,” “Dogorama,” and “Spudorama.”

This is an episode of “For Better or Worse,” featuring the Patterson’s as drawn and written by Lynn Johnston.

As I read the pictures and the dialogue, I wondered why? In this age of health-consciousness, why? Why the fat and sodium? Why the calories? Why not stay at home and eat the delicious and nutritious meal that Elly had prepared? It is typical, is it not? It gives us something to think about. Just think of the table that God has spread.

In Matthew 22:1-10, it is written that: “Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.'”

I know this is a future banquet, but the invitation and it’s acceptance take place in the present. If Jesus has prepared a great banquet, why should we go to McDonald’s? It doesn’t make sense to do this, unless we are more like the first invited guests to Jesus’ banquet than we might realize.

We have here in stark contrast the bread of heaven. In contrast the food of this world may be characterized as, “Deceitful,” (Proverbs 23:2-3); “Ashes,” (Isaiah 44:20); “Unsatisfying,” (Isaiah 55:2); “Like corn husks,” (Luke 15:16); and “Perishable,” (John 6:27).

People consciousness of their nutrition needs would certainly seek that which satisfies and nurtures; they would wouldn’t they? What Lynn Johnston reveals is that is not always the case.

Worship is a banquet spread with the encouragement of the word which feeds the hungry soul with good things. September 20 is RALLY DAY! Come and enjoy the feast. Psalms 23:5, says “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” You cannot get this kind of food at Burger King.

Thoughts from here and there…Helping

On June 20, 1996 I officiated at a non-member wedding in the sanctuary of Caldwell United Methodist Church. After the wedding the gentleman who is a member of the church, and who opened and closed the building, approached me with a question and an inquiry. A church member complained about non-member families use of the church facilities. The comment was, “They neither will join the church nor attend services. Under these conditions, why should we provide people the services of the church? Why indeed? But then, stop and ponder what the church is for.

My answer to the custodian of the day was, “The church is here to be taken advantage of.” We are to demonstrate love and do good works whether they are appreciated or not, even whether there is not a positive response or not. We are here to provide loving service to those in need within the hope that what is done might strike a responsive cord in their lives and turn them towards God in ways that we may not anticipate.

It is and has always been that way, even from the beginning when Jesus taught and performed the miracles of healing for mind and body. Jesus went about the countryside of Galilee and Decapolis, and other places healing people and teaching them the basics of the kingdom of God. Did Jesus ever say that these good people had to become church members? No! Of course, there was not yet a church, but Jesus did have a group of followers. He did not even tell people to become part of the group.

Jesus did not tell people that in order to be blessed by his power and wisdom that they had to change their lives and live according to his plan for them. All that he asked is that they considered what it meant to be a loving human being under the tutelage of a gracious God who loved them and wanted to save them.

Obviously Jesus also pointed out what might happen if individuals were unrelated to the kingdom of God. The results could be pretty severe. This might act as an incentive for life changes, but often it did not.

Jesus met and helped people where they were and so ought we do the same today. When you do the rewards may not be apparent, and yet they may be.

“It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen used this thought to close his television program.

What we have discovered is that it is very easy to “curse the darkness.” Cursing is not swearing. Cursing is a form of criticism. It is a means of expressing a deep dissatisfaction with the way “it” is. “It” being anything that we want it to mean.

Each of us have a candle to light. That is, each Christian has a candle to light. Jesus speaks of the Christian and light:

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven, (Matthew 5:14-16 NRSV)

To light a lamp or a candle is to become involved, in a positive way, in seeking to address perceived wrongs, and to use one’s influence to bring about constructive change. Lighting a candle means to use one’s talents, abilities, and skills to create what needs to be achieved, rather than waiting for someone else to do it for you. It means remaining where you are, rather than seeking what it is that you feel you need in other directions where needs may not be ultimately met.

By getting involved in creating what is needed we do good deeds. As Portia in Shakespear’s play, The Merchant of Venice, says: “That little light we see burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world”

Adlai Stevenson said of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, “She would rather light candles than curse the darkness and her glow has warmed the world.”

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt wrote, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’…You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

Enough said. This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, and shine everywhere.