Category: Pastor’s Blog

So here’s a challenging verse: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.” (Philippians 2:14) My first reaction is to qualify Paul’s words “do everything” so that I can have some wiggle room here to grumble and complain about the things I don’t like. Paul doesn’t really mean ‘do everything’ without grumbling does he? Unfortunately he does. Paul goes on to explain why we need to practice this behavior, “so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” (2:15) The default mode of the world around us is to grumble and argue about everything. Reality television wouldn’t exist if the producers couldn’t find a steady stream of people willing to complain and fight with each other. I’m sure that at your place of work you can quickly identify the individuals who are known for their constant complaining.  There is probably no shortage of folks who just seem happy to argue about any trivial matter. If we are going to live out our Christian faith in a way that makes a difference then we’ll need to be noticed. When we refuse to enter into the contest of grumbling and arguing it sets us apart from some pretty typical behavior. We can use our words to bless and build up rather than tear down and bring strife. The world has enough people who see the negative in everything out there. There is a great need for people who bring life giving words and offer reconciliation rather than snappy comebacks. As followers of Christ we need to stand out in a crooked generation. It’s not easy, but we could start with praying, like the Psalmist, that God would put a guard over our mouths. 

Last week my brother-in-law tweeted a quote from Mark Batterson’s book called Soul Print.  Batterson writes, “Time may be measured in minutes, but life is measured in moments.” That got my attention and got me thinking about the moments in life that I experience. Here are some things that came to mind:  The ‘teachable moment’ is when I have an opportunity to share with one of my children about an important virtue or character issue in life. We talk about our values and beliefs so that I have the chance to pass onto them what is important to me.  The ‘learnable moment’ is that occasion when I have just learned a tough life lesson that is likely to stick with me for a long while. This is unusually accompanied with some amount of pain. (Not sure if ‘learnable’ is a word or not but you know what I mean.)  The ‘God moment’. I love it when I have a sudden and unexpected sense of God’s presence and reality in my life. Often this happens in a worship service but can be experienced anywhere when I am sensitive to him.  The ‘peaceful moment’ is necessary for mental health. Sometimes, after a hectic day, when I sit back with a cup of tea and the house is quiet, I have a special moment of calm and peace that transcends all the chaos that I just came through.  The ‘romantic moment’. Sometimes I’ll plan a special date with my wife and really look forward to our time together. And we have a great time. But there are those other times when I just look at her and I’m overwhelmed with love for her and wonder how I got so lucky.  The ‘aha’ moment usually happens when I stop thinking about the problem I am trying to solve and focus on something else. Suddenly the solution to my problem pops into my mind and I go “‘aha’ now I know what to do”.  The ‘majestic moment’. Living in Switzerland provides regular opportunity for this moment. During a hike in the hills or a drive through some mountain pass there are times when I see God’s creation and just have to pause to worship his majesty. What a beautiful world we live in.  The ‘comfort moment’. All of us carry concerns and burdens that most other people know nothing about. So it’s always wonderful when someone comes into my life, and unknowingly ministers to me with a word of encouragement or comfort and I can keep going. Here’s the thing about these ‘moments’ that make up life – they can’t be planned in advance. They are a gift that comes to you in the middle of your daily existence. We have to have the wisdom to acknowledge and receive them in the moment or it quickly passes.  These fleeting moments will enrich life and bring nourishment to our spirit. It’s a tragic thing to miss these opportunities because we are focused on the minutes of the day rather than spotting the moments of life. “We should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now.” Ecclesiastes 5:20 (The Message)

Last Friday, a man was arrested at the Frankfurt airport for attempting to smuggle tropical animals. While on his way to Barcelona his suitcase was X-rayed and they found 55 tortoises, 30 arboreal alligator lizards, 4 horned vipers and 1 spiny-tailed iguana. Apparently these were all in the same suitcase. I have many questions about this story but the first one has to be, “What was this guy thinking?”   Our world is filled with examples of people who don’t exercise much wisdom. Sometimes it’s obvious with people committing foolish acts of violence or vandalism. Other times we see it in the way people treat their friends and family, neglecting and mistreating the very people who are there to support them. When we look at the political and economic situation in the world today we often have to wonder what leaders are thinking when they take action or fail to take action. Making wise decisions has nothing to do with intelligence. Over the years I have pastored lots of smart and well educated people but it didn’t stop many of them from making poor decisions. They were not lacking in access to information or ability to critically think about their situation. However, they did lack wisdom. Simply put, wisdom is about the application of knowledge, how we use the information we have. Never before in history has our accumulated knowledge been greater. Sitting at our computer, tablet or even with our smart phone we have almost unlimited access to any sort of information we want. But this abundance of information and knowledge has not necessarily led to wisdom, that’s a different skill. There is a whole section of the Bible known as wisdom literature – Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. That should tell us something about its importance. Proverbs is most direct in telling us of our need for wisdom as opposed to just having knowledge. Over and over the writer encourages us to ‘get wisdom.’ And where do we get wisdom? “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright.” (Proverbs 2:6-7) I have to admit that I’m someone who doesn’t always know what to do with the information I have. When I face a troubling or complex problem  I am often overwhelmed with data and at a loss as to how to solve the issue. James tells us that, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5) I like that verse because I need to be reminded of it on an almost daily basis. I am not smart enough to figure things out on my own. I need God’s insight and the wisdom that he freely offers. What about you, are you taking advantage of his generous offer?

The other day I needed to leave the office and run a quick errand. The weather has been unpredictable but when I looked outside the sun was shining. Shortly after I started my walk black clouds rolled in and it started to rain. A couple minutes later the sun was out and it was shining again. Then for a brief moment I saw a rainbow. In Canada I hardly even used an umbrella but my lifestyle here in Basel is such that I walk or take the tram and I really must remember to carry an umbrella more often. Most of us are familiar with the story of the rainbow in Genesis 9 that appeared after the flood. It was a sign to Noah and the rest of us that God would never again flood the earth. He made a promise, a covenant that still stands. But there are two other Bible passages that mention rainbows. One is found in Ezekiel chapter one. In his vision and encounter with God Ezekiel tries to describe what he was seeing, something “like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.” It’s a description of the presence of God. Ezekiel was writing during the time of the exile. A time of hopelessness and despair and yet he has a vision of God and his presence with his people in the midst of difficultly. While the book of Ezekiel is hard to understand it starts with a clear message that God has not forgotten his people. The last mention of a rainbow in found in John’s vision in the book of Revelation, he sees Jesus seated on a throne in heaven and writes, “He who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” Around the throne were the four living creatures saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.” John’s vision was about things that were yet to come, the persecution of the church and the end of this world. All that was about to, and will yet, take place is under the control of Jesus. Problems, difficulties and the storms of life are going to come to all of us. Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we will have everything easy. But God has promised to be with us in the midst of whatever we face. Sometimes we see the rainbow after the storm has passed, as Noah did. Other times we are reminded that God is with us in the midst of the battle that is raging, as Ezekiel did. And John’s vision lets us know that Christ is with us even before things start getting rough; it’s all in his hands. Past, present and future – Jesus is with us whatever we face. So the next time a rainbow comes out don’t just think about Noah and the Ark. Remember that it’s God’s promise to be present in our everyday situation, even in the storms of life.

Don’t you hate it when someone borrows something from you and then loses it? What’s worse than that? How about when you borrow something from a friend and lose it? Don’t you feel embarrassed going back to your friend? In 2 Kings 6 we read about a building project that the school of prophets had undertaken. The school was too small for all the students and so under Elisha’s direction they decided to put up a new building. Off they went to chop down some trees. During the work the axe head flew off and landed in the Jordan River. The man cried out: “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.”  And so the borrowed axe head sank to the bottom. “Elisha then asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.” (2 Kings 6:5-7) Did you catch that? The iron axe head floated. Many people have dismissed this story as impossible since iron doesn’t float. But of course, if you believe in miracles and a God who created everything out of nothing, then the story is very possible and easy for God to do. It tells us that God cares about our everyday circumstances. It teaches us about him and his providential purpose to work all things for our growth if we will only trust him. God cares for us in our everyday circumstances.   Jesus reminded us that the flowers of the field and the birds of the air are taken care of by our heavenly Father. He tells us not to be overly concerned about tomorrow, what we will wear or what we will eat. Rather he encourages us to seek God and his Kingdom first. Then we can simply rest in his care. 

My son is a big basketball fan and first thing every morning checks the results from the NBA play-offs. In his report to me this morning I was informed that the Chicago Bulls are now out. But during this exciting play-off season another story has been getting lots of coverage. The owner of one of the teams, Donald Sterling of the LA Clippers, has been caught on tape making racist remarks. If you don’t know what he said you don’t need to know. It was pretty ugly. The outrage over his remarks has been loud and vigorous. People have made it clear that racial remarks are unacceptable in today’s society. The commissioner of the NBA has now banned Sterling from anything associated with the NBA and will force him to sell his team. What is it that causes people to be racist, or make racist remarks? Why do some people see others as having less value or worth? There is certainly nothing new about racism. In Numbers 12 we read that Moses’ brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, spoke out against him because he had married a Cushite woman. She was a black African and the family didn’t approve. But God was not upset with the marriage, rather he was angry with Aaron and Miriam for showing disrespect. At the heart of a racist perspective is an attitude that says some of God’s people are worth more than others. It’s disrespect towards people who are made in the image of God. We judge others on the basis of their looks, education, social status, productivity and a host of other things. But when we assign value or worth based on those judgments we are on dangerous ground. Every person bears the ‘imago Dei’, the image of God. Even in our fallen world we have value and worth because we have been created by God. (Genesis 1:27) One of the things I love about my church is the wide diversity I see every Sunday morning when I look out over the congregation. I can’t help but think that in heaven every tribe and nation, every color of skin, every linguist group, and people of all different walks of life will be gathered around the throne of Jesus. Why? Because he loves people, all people, and he came to redeem us to himself. He sees each individual as being full of worth and value. There is no hierarchy. At the foot of the cross, we are all equal.   So racist remarks aren’t just culturally unacceptable or politically incorrect, they reveal a sinful heart. We must be diligent to root out such attitudes and actions that would harm others. Regular examination and confession is required. 

He got up and went to work one morning last week but he never came home. While working on the job, as an electrician, he was severely injured and died as a result of the accident. The company he worked for has offered their condolences to his family and launched an inquiry into workplace safety. His name was not released. Each morning when we wake up we have no idea of what lies ahead. We have no idea how the day will unfold. Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” How true. And James says, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” (James 4:13-14) Some people interpret those verses to mean that we should take a very casual approach to life. Since anything could happen why plan too much? We should live each day as if it’s our last. But we also find verses that encourage us to think ahead and plan for the future. We aren’t to live recklessly but rather with wisdom and sober thought.  That leads some people to the other extreme – everything is over planned and life becomes narrow and rigid. So how then do we spend our days? I am not sure that I have it all figured out. It seems to me that we need to hope, dream and plan for the future. Then we need to live that out one day at a time. We must hold those plans loosely, knowing that God is sovereign over all and he alone knows how the day will turn out.  James says we should plan but also ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (4:15) It’s humbling at times to admit we don’t control it all but there’s a freedom that comes from committing our days to God. When we do that we are confessing that we are not the masters of our own fate but rather we serve the creator of the universe. We acknowledge that we are his creatures in need of his provision. And because God alone knows all that will happen to us, we can trust him with whatever comes to pass today.