Zechariah 14:8-9

On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord —his name alone will be worshiped.
Zechariah 14:8-9

Dear God, I was having lunch with a friend today and Israel came up. He’s had some recent experience there and he mentioned that “most” Israelis are not devout and do not take their Jewish faith seriously. I don’t know how true that is, but I’d have to say it seems to be consistent with my perception. To be sure, I know some Jewish people who take their love for you and faith in you very seriously. But from a distance and what they portray publicly, I don’t see much mention of you from their society as a whole.

Which leads me to our country. It feels like we (and I mean the collective, broad-stroke stereotype of “we”) are becoming more and more believers that there is a God and not followers of you. This same friend mentioned his three adult children are very different in their faith. one is practically a monk (if not an actual monk—I’m not clear on his title, but he’s something in the Catholic Church). Another child is sounded to me like a believer in you and not a follower of you. The third is totally agnostic, if not atheist, pursuing morality as a principle by which to live his life. This isn’t dissimilar from my own children or many children of friends whom I know—or many people my age. We are drifting. We are the frog in the pot, cluelessly approaching the boiling point.

Father, Zechariah tells us in this prophecy that there will be a day when your name alone will be worshipped. I also heard an interview on a podcast yesterday where they talked about whether or not they should be worried about the future of the Christian church. Their ultimate answer was no, in the long run your church will be fine because you are in charge. But it might have to go through a refining process over a long period of time. It might get smaller, but ultimately more influential. One day the churches and the Christian faith we planted in the Southern Hemisphere might have to save faith in the northern hemisphere, but your church will be fine. Well, please, show me what you would have me do in the lives around me in your world so that I might be a small part of any ultimate plan you have.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Psalm 138:8

The Lord will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.
Psalm 138:8

Dear God, this is from a psalm David wrote. As I read psalms by David and others, and as I journal through hymns and songs that others wrote, I try to identify with their human experience as they relate to either you or their surroundings, trying to learn something about myself or being reminded to worship you. But if I were to write my own psalm, song, or poem, what would my heart be saying to you right now? If I look inside, is there anything I need to get down in writing?

I’m not much of a poet. About the only poetry I write is haiku because it’s intentionally short and you have to strategize each syllable. That’s more my style. So what would I say if I were to write a haiku to you from my heart?

I’ve been given much
I need help to steward it
Lead me down your path

Yeah, I think that’s it. Hmm. What an interesting exercise. That really touched something I didn’t expect or see coming. At work, you’ve given us a lot of resources, but I’m not sure how to use them the most wisely. In my personal life, you’ve given me resources beyond money (good wife/marriage, influence in our community, etc.). You’ve given me this special relationship with you and some unique insights into scripture. You’ve given me a gift for public speaking. Am o wasting all of it? Am I missing opportunities for the work you need my vapor of a life to do? I also have areas of my life that are problematic. Am I doing what you want me to do to resolve them?

Father, I will work on trying to assess some of this today. I will seek you, your will, and then try to be willing to sacrifice my own selfishness to answer your call. Please give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Give me a heart to follow, and a mind submitted to you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

2 Peter 3:3-10

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
2 Peter 3:3-10

Dear God, some Christians are uncomfortable with this passage because they don’t want to deal with the idea that Peter didn’t understand the second coming. If scripture is inerrant, then how do I deal with Peter’s errancy? But in this case, I don’t know that Peter was wrong as much as he was sharing his theory. Now, he would probably have been shocked to learn that I would still be sitting here 2,000 years later still waiting for your return. But there’s something comforting in Peter’s mistakes.

For me, Peter is the living embodiment of what you value. He allows his passion and love for you to both lurch the church forward into history and then to get him into trouble or the wrong situations. For example, just before Pentecost, he seemingly abruptly decides that it’s up to them to fulfill the prophecy and replace Judas, which they do by casting lots and picking Matthias. But history tells us it was likely actually Paul who fulfilled that prophecy. Then he went on to deliver an amazing prayer at Pentecost. I could go on and on with stories about him. My point is, he lived a little recklessly, but sometimes that’s what you need, even if it comes with some hubristic or foolish mistakes.

Father, I am not a reckless person. I am not a bold person. I don’t know if you necessarily want me to be given the role you have for me in your body. Whether I am or I’m not intended to be more like Peter, please help me to not judge the Peters in your body so harshly, but to do what I can to support them. And help me to live completely into the role you have for me to play.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Black Lives Matter & Critical Race Theory

Dear God, I was really surprised to learn in the last week that Critical Race Theory (CRT) has been around since the early 70s. What?!? But I’ve been hearing so much about it lately. How could this not be something new?

I think I first heard it referenced on a podcast a few months ago. What I remember wasn’t an endorsement, but it wasn’t a condemnation either. It reminded me of a column I found about a year ago by Randy Alcorn titled “Black Lived Do Matter, But the BLM Organization Opposes Christian Values: So What Should We Do?” That particular editorial was about how it’s important to not throw out an important concept of realizing there is a racism problem in our society while rejecting the politics of an organization that has co-opted the the words “black lives matter.”

Anyway, to go back two days, I came across this YouTube video showing an exchange between the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a member of Congress, during which CRT was discussed. I’ve recently heard so many scary, alarmist things about CRT, but everyone sounding the alarm about it was very vague. I decided I needed to do my due diligence and learn more about it so that I could develop an informed opinion rather than just decide what I thought about it by whether the person talking up its virtues or its dangers had a (D) or an (R) by their name, or was on CNN or Fox News.

Of course, I started with Wikipedia, the great authority for all knowledge (sarcasm intended). That’s when I confirmed what the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs alluded to: this is not a new concept. I’ll get back to that later. After I read the explanation of it, I read some commentaries by people who are critical (“The Lies that Serve Us” and “What is Critical Race Theory?”). After reading them, my assessment was that there are probably some basic truths.

• Jim Crow laws are an undeniable way in which state and local governments enacted laws to suppress the advancement of black people.
• Redlining was a huge factor in suppressing the ability of people of color to build wealth through property ownership.

In fact, I’m going to stop this list. There are too many examples of systemic racism for them to be denied. Quite simply, I am a privileged white man. I get the benefit of the doubt because of how I look. When my wife and I are driving back from South Padre Island and go through the inland border checkpoint, they wave us through without checking our ID, while my Hispanic coworkers have to produce identification. My minority coworkers experience racism at local stores just in how they are treated when I do not. Again, there are too many examples to even list. They are just too numerous. But in short, there are certainly aspects of CRT that are undeniably true.

What’s concerning me is that we’ve become such a binary society. We have to accept all or nothing. If I support Trump or Biden for president, that means I have to either support or attack everything they say, believe, or put into place as policy. Our society no longer values critical thinking and nuance. We can’t see how someone might have a great theory with weak elements or a terrible theory with solid elements. It’s all or nothing.

Finally, I read this piece by Robert Vischer, dean of the law school at St. Thomas University. It’s called “Staying Calm About Critical Race Theory.” Basically, Vischer pulls out the value we can learn from CRT without having to embrace the whole thing. Just like black lives do, indeed, matter, that doesn’t mean we have to embrace everything the organization believes.

So regarding CRT, it feels like people who don’t want to exam how racism is still active in our society and even laws have attached it to an extreme theory so they can avoid dealing with it. It’s ridiculous.

Father, at the end of all of this, I simply ask that you open my eyes so that I can see. Part of that process is to develop more friendships with people with difference color skin than I have. In fact, that’s going to start tonight with church. My wife and I have decided to try to attend the Spanish mass at our Catholic Church as much as possible so that we can at least start the process of getting to know our neighbors. In fact, I’ve already noticed one thing that cannot help but impact the ability for Spanish-speaking Catholics in our town and their relationship with you. Their mass is at 7:00pm on a Saturday night. The Saturday English mass is at 5:00pm. So if I am English-speaking, I can choose mass at 5:00pm on a Saturday and still have my evening ahead of me, or go at 7:30am, 9:00am, or 11:15am on Sunday. But if I am Spanish-speaking, my only choice is to give up the heart of my Friday evening. How much does that impact the ability of the Spanish speaking Catholics to be exposed to mass and to you? So teach me. Open my eyes so I can see. And please direct me so that I might help our society to make a difference when I see injustice at any level.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

2 Thessalonians 3:2-3

Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:2-3

Dear God, I feel like this could really be misinterpreted by someone who would use a passage like this as a way to be confrontational with others who disagree with them. In our country, we have taken disagreement and turned it into attacks. We disagree with someone so we perceive their disagreement as an attack, and then we assume our job is to attack back. But that is not what Paul is talking about here. First, he’s talking about legitimate rescue from legitimate evil. He’s talking about being stoned, imprisoned, crucified, losing your possessions, etc. He’s talking about actual persecution, not the persecution as defined by 21st century Americans. What we as Christians have with our society is disagreements. As long as we keep attacking others with our opinions instead of loving them through them, we will not do one thing to change their mind.

One thing I need to study up on is “Critical Race Theory.” I need to understand what it is because it seems to have become a political flashpoint. People are for it or against it based on whether they have a “D” or “R” next to their political identity, but most do not know what it really contains. It’s like the person I was talking with a few days ago who was boycotting Coca-Cola. When I asked why they didn’t have their facts correct. In essence, they didn’t know why. They just knew someone they trusted had told them Coca-Cola was bad and they accepted it. Frankly, they were denying themselves a Coke product they enjoy for something that, if they really looked into it, might not be as big of a deal as they thought it was.

Father, guide me through your Holy Spirit. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see. Help me to look beyond the preconceptions and misconceptions that blind me to your truth, and see the world as you see it. Help me to be thoughtful. Help me to be diligent. Help me to be loving as I do my best to be the man you need me to be. Please forgive me for when I fail, because you know how much I do, indeed, fail.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Psalm 121

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem

I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.
Psalm 121

Dear God, see, this is one of those psalms that’s a nice sentiment, but I don’t think it’s theologically solid. At least not in the way we like to think of you keeping us from harm, for example. The last two verses were the verses of the day for Bible Gateway. My problem is, if I were to read them and just take them literally them I would have a distorted vision of what you owe me in our relationship.

And I’ve been there before. I’ve been disappointed in you when I’ve come across times of struggle from which I thought you should have better protected me. But I was wrong. You might be working it all out for my good, but I might never see what that means on this side of life.

Father, I appreciate the sentiment of giving these pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem a song to sing together. I appreciate that they were worshipping you. And I appreciate them singing of your love for us and how much you care about us. I would just add that sometimes suffering or even harm are going to happen, and you won’t keep it from us. That’s okay. It’s just part of your world and plan I do not understand. But I trust you. I love you. I worship you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Matthew 7:1-5

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”
Matthew 7:1-5

Dear God, my wife were talking yesterday and one of our topics was wondering how we had changed and developed as people and your children over the last 25 years. What have you taught us and how have we grown?

First, we pretty much figured out that we couldn’t answer it effectively for each other. I could ask her pointed questions and she could ask me questions, but it was up to us to ultimately come up with our own answers for ourselves.

Second, for me, I think the last 25 years have brought a lot of humility and less judging. Between my experiences in parenting and the work I’ve done in the nonprofit sector, I’ve learned the limitations of my own abilities and the abilities of others; I’ve learned life, in all its phases, is harder than it looks; and I’ve learned people bring their own experience, scars, and even trauma into situations and make their decisions accordingly. They might do the wrong thing. They might make me very angry, but that doesn’t mean the are being malicious. Almost always, they are making the best decision they know how to make in the moment.

Father, thank you for what you’ve taught me so far. I’m not saying I don’t atoll judge people. You know I do. But there is at least room now for me to hear the Holy Spirit’s conviction as I try to parse through situations. Guide me through this day as I interact with others.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“Remember When” by Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson – Remember When (Official Music Video) – YouTube

“Remember When” by Alan Jackson

Remember when I was young and so were you
And time stood still and love was all we knew
You were the first, so was I
We made love and then you cried
Remember when

Remember when we vowed the vows and walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
Remember when

Remember when old ones died and new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
And broke each other’s hearts
Remember when

Remember when the sound of little feet
Was the music we danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we’d never give it up
Remember when

Remember when thirty seemed so old
Now lookin’ back, it’s just a steppin’ stone
To where we are, where we’ve been
Said we’d do it all again
Remember when

Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won’t be sad, we’ll be glad
For all the life we’ve had
And we’ll remember when

Remember when
Remember when

Dear God, this is a great song on its own, but the video really adds some depth to it. I looked it up, and Alan Jackson wrote the song himself. It’s all quite beautiful. In fact, I used it in the 50th wedding anniversary video I made for my parents.

So it’s Saturday afternoon, I I felt like spending some more time with you, but I needed a prompt. What to talk about? Well, I think one of the more interesting things about life at any age is its unpredictability. We simply have no idea what will happen from one moment to the next in a world that tracks in linear time. I have a neighbor down the street who is in his mid-80s and struggling with health issues. He was getting weaker and weaker. His wife was probably about 10 years younger than him and was very vibrant. She was able to care for him. It was a late-in-life marriage for both of them, so there are step children on both sides. I think his children were grateful she could be there to care for their dad since none of them live in our small town. Then something surprising happened. She had a series of falls, with the last one resulting in her hitting her head and dying. From the first fall until her death, it was about a month. None of us would have guessed she would go first. But now he’s alone and he and his children are trying to figure out his path forward without her as his caregiver. Interestingly, he seems to be rising to the occasion and getting a little stronger. He’s a very responsible man who had ceded some of the work of living to her. Now he has to step up and he is.

I look back on who my wife and I were when we met at 18/19 respectively. We didn’t know much. To our credit, I think we knew there was a lot we didn’t know, but we had no idea how much we didn’t know. 32 years later, there’s still so much we don’t know. But the other thing I’ve learned over the years is that you often keep me on a need-to-know basis, and I very rarely need to know.

But we would never have guessed where we would end up professionally, as parents, as members in our community, as a couple, or even as Christians. We had no idea where life would lead.

So some highlights from the song:

We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt

I’m surprised how many times I’ve hurt my wife and others through the years. And I’m surprised how many times I’ve been hurt by her and others. There was a lot of joy too, but the hurt somehow is what lingers longer. Why is that?

Remember when old ones died and new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
And broke each other’s hearts

You don’t get married thinking about relatives dying and what that will look like–especially when you get married young. The first death we experienced was the miscarriage of our little girl. I still look forward to meeting Sandra someday. I wonder what she’s thought as she’s watched us go through life. Has she been cheering us on? Has she been praying for us as we experienced other losses and trials? Yes, my wife and I have broken each other’s hearts at times. And we’ve had our hearts broken by others. I am incredibly grateful to still have her as my wife. Thank you for her.

Remember when thirty seemed so old
Now lookin’ back, it’s just a steppin’ stone
To where we are, where we’ve been
Said we’d do it all again

A couple of things here. First, I was 35 when I got the job I have now. That was over 15 years ago. I felt older than I now know I was. Even now, I am sure I feel older than I am, but the nice thing about pursuing you in discipleship is that I feel like I am constantly reminded how small I am in the grand scheme of things. And you aren’t calling me to figure everything out. You are just asking me to follow you moment to moment, listening for your leading and being willing to obey your voice regardless of what it will cost me in my selfishness or insecurity.

Second, I’m not saying I’d want to do it all again, but there are very few things I regret. It’s been hard (not that I’m complaining because plenty of people have had harder lives than I’ve had–in fact, I’m probably a 1-percenter when it comes to how easy my life has been compared to the other 6 billion people on this planet. I’m just saying that it’s kind of like high school. I enjoyed high school, but I wouldn’t want to do it again. But there are certainly some moments I wouldn’t mind reliving–especially now. I have some sweet, sweet memories of times that I do, indeed, miss.

Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won’t be sad, we’ll be glad
For all the life we’ve had
And we’ll remember when

Here’s where I’m a 1-percenter: I am incredibly fortunate to be married to a woman whom I enjoy after over 30 years of knowing her. I’m fortunate that letting the children move away didn’t leave my life empty and void of meaning. I’m very fortunate to be able to sit here, even just being middle-aged, and be grateful for the life I’ve had.

Father, thank you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

12 This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I^[a] was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. ³ Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know ⁴ that I was caught up^[b] to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.

⁵ That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. ⁶ If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, ⁷ even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Dear God, humility is an important thing. And I’ll confess that I struggle with it. In my small town, I’m in a position where a lot of people look up to me. I get too much credit for being nice, and sometimes I start to buy into my own reputation. But there are certainly things you have put into my life to humble me. My wife humbles me. My children humble me. My sin humbles me. The trick is to remember these things, shun the glory that falsely comes my way because anything good in my life is from you. You are the reason anything good comes out of me.

Father, I worship you for what you do and for what you forgive in me. I worship you for giving me so much, and I worship you for giving me struggles. I worship you because you are a great God, and I am but a vapor. I worship you because I owe you everything and you owe me nothing–yet you love me anyway.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Ephesians 6:1-4

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—this is the first commandment with a promise: “so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-4

Dear God, I just had a thought I probably shouldn’t have had: “Sorry, Paul, but I don’t take parenting advice from people with no children.” I mean, what he’s saying is correct and important, but the people who seem to think parenting is easy are the ones with no children. I certainly thought it was easier before I had children. And I thought I would be better at it.

What’s interesting for me now is that parenting has humbled me in ways that probably nothing else could. Now, I’m the last person to give parenting advice to someone, and I’m the first one to be an understanding ear when a parent needs to talk about their frustrations. And I was telling a friend just yesterday about the period of time when I was really disappointed in you and what I perceived was a lack of support on your part. I did all of the things I knew to do, including following Paul’s counsel in this passage, but things did not turn out like I hoped. I knew I wouldn’t be the perfect parent, and I knew my children wouldn’t be perfect people, but I thought there would be a baseline of protection that my prayers, pursuit of you, and deep involvement in loving them would provide. But that’s not the way it worked out.

Father, the last 25 years of parenting have taught me more about faith and believing in things I cannot see than anything else could have. And I’ve started to see some movement. I’ve started to see some signs that this is the road that leads to your kingdom coming and your will being done in my life, my children’s lives, my wife’s life, and the world as it is in heaven. Thank you for breaking me down and building me back up in this way. Thank you for what you are doing that I can see and that I cannot see. Please help me to do exactly what you need me to do as a parent of two young adults so that I won’t get in the way of what you are trying to teach them. I’m willing to sacrifice anything fir their good, no matter what it might cost me personally.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen