Category Archives: God’s character

Surprise Surprise

Posted on by

Last Sunday, the first of 2014, our pastor established a new tradition. For many years the kids in our congregation have been treated to their own child-appropriate sermon as part of the morning service. Afterwards they’ve headed for their Sunday school program while the rest of us have listened to the adult sermon.

The children’s sermons have been delivered by a variety of volunteers in past years, but our new pastor has decided to take them on himself. So last Sunday he launched a creative new way to deliver each sermon to our small fry. He’s calling it, “Pastor on the Hot Seat.”

Bag of surprisesPastor Jay introduced a canvas bag into which a mystery item had been placed (the first week, by his own daughters). He explained that each Sunday he’ll pull out the item inside and structure a children’s sermon around it on the spot, connecting it to the adult sermon if possible. Afterwards, he’ll hand the bag to one of the other children and ask them to bring it back the following Sunday with another surprise item inside for the next sermon.

I love his idea and the bravery behind it, even though he might occasionally pull something from the bag and go blank. But of course that, too, could develop into an effective sermon:

  • Blank sin-slate after forgiveness?
  • Blanking out on problem-solving and needing God’s advice?
  • Giving God a blank check to tell us how much to donate?

What to say...Regardless of what’s in the bag each week, Pastor Jay will probably come up with something to say, and I’m sure in his early morning Sunday preparations, he’ll ask the Lord to supply it. God will know what’s in the bag ahead of time and will have the children’s sermon all prepared for the pastor by the time he sits on the hot seat (the platform floor) in front of our youngsters.

Amazingly, the rest of us can take advantage of that same remarkable characteristic of God, since we sometimes find ourselves on hot seats of our own. Every day is like a bag with surprises in it. Maybe a dozen of them. And God sees them long before we do. He knows the best way to respond to each one and will order our thoughts to “create the proper storyline” around them. He’ll also supply whatever resources we need. All we have to do is ask him.

I have a hunch our whole congregation will be eager for the children’s sermon each Sunday, not necessarily to watch our “Pastor on the Hot Seat” but to see: (1) what a child has put in the bag, and (2) what God has put in our pastor’s head.

And if Sunday’s first “surprise sermon” was any indication, this new tradition will be satisfying for all ages alike.

“Wisdom shouts…. come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.” (Proverbs 1:23)

Glory Be!

Posted on by

Jesus is, of course, THE reason for the season of Christmas. He’s front and center, the main event, and we ought never to lose sight of that. But it’s also meaningful to examine what was happening around him as he arrived into our world.

ShepherdsHis birth announcement, for example, was created by those living in his heavenly neighborhood and was a unique and powerful proclamation. God chose to publicize his Son’s arrival by dispatching a special angel to a few unsuspecting shepherds outside the little town of Bethlehem.

I can’t wait to ask God why those particular men were his first choice to learn of the birth. And though an angelic encounter would have been spectacular by itself, Scripture tells us God also enveloped these men in his own glory on that ordinary hill. Along with the angel, they stood inside that glowing circle of God’s presence, probably doing their best just to stay conscious. Imagine! The glory God! What must that have been like?

It reminds me of another glory-episode, the one on Mt. Sinai where Moses begged God to show him that same glory. The reason God said yes was because Moses had found favor with him (Exodus 33). The experience was so unusual, it caused his skin to glow supernaturally for weeks afterward.

Birth announcementBut the angelic announcement and the glory event weren’t the only Christmas gifts those shepherds received. Suddenly the night skies grew bright with “a vast host of heaven’s armies,” angels as far as the eye could see. And they all had the same message: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)

The men were told that the glory surrounding them belonged to God himself, with the hint that they were experiencing it/him because they’d found favor with God (echoing the Moses incident).

As a child I was taught the heavenly hosts were singing their message, but Scripture says they were actually saying it, most likely shouting it. Maybe they spoke in unison or maybe it was a chorus-like speech the likes of which we’ve never heard, but surely it was ear-pleasing and beautiful. As the angels finished, I’ll bet those shepherds glowed.

In a mangerIt didn’t take but a few seconds to mobilize a run into town, doing manger checks till they found one with a baby in it. Mary and Joseph must have said, “How did you know?” and oh the story they had to tell!  If these new parents had harbored any doubts about who that baby was, the shepherds’ report surely quelled them.

Today we again celebrate Jesus’ astonishing arrival. And though we’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, through Jesus we can find favor with him. That’s why I believe we, too, will one day get to see the glory of God!

“The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

Part One & Part Two

Posted on by

At workLast night I received Part One of a two part gift: a dream about Nate. In the dream he was wearing a white shirt and tie, and was working on legal papers. I found it interesting that he was wearing one of those half-sleeves men used to wear in print shops (wrist to elbow) to spare their dress-shirts from ink. In the dream Nate was using a leaky fountain pen, so I was pleased he’d covered his sleeve.

Strangely, the two of us weren’t indoors but were sitting on chairs outside, perched on the sidewalk along the main street in our little town. I was enjoying the sunshine while he worked.

“It’s almost time,” I said. “Will we be leaving soon?”

“Yes,” he said, “but not till I get this work done.”

And that was it, a mini-conversation and a quick glimpse of my husband’s face. But I loved it.

Old fashioned mailPart Two of my gift came today from the back of a drawer. It was an envelope with Nate’s writing on it. His script was horrendous, and I frequently complained about its illegibility, but this card was printed. I interpreted his doing that as a desire to make it legible for me. I probably didn’t appreciate it at the time, but today I did.

The note was written on a retreat weekend by himself at our summer cottage in Michigan (now my permanent home) in 2006. Since he’d been under incredible work stress then, I’d encouraged him to take some time away, and it didn’t take much persuasion.

Nate's cardOver that weekend, he bought and mailed a card to me: “To my one and only…” it said. He knew I wouldn’t receive it until two days after he’d arrived home, but he wanted to put his thoughts down while they were fresh, and he sent it regular mail. Inside it said:

 

LegibleMeg, thanks for the idyll in Shorewood, extremely generous (as always) to me. Great as it is, “it ain’t the same without you.” Dinners alone are empty.

Time on lesson #8 [a Bible study we were doing together] – work notes and investing are beneficial – Psalm 75:6-7 really hits me – “Only from God” – not degrees, work, shrewdness – lessons learned and to be learned.     Love, Nate

(Note the asterisk after the paws, referring to a note at the bottom: * Not only paws but millions of doggy kisses!  — private joke)

The longer Nate is gone (4 years now) the more precious my dreams of him and these “finds” become. I see them as God’s custom-designed gifts of tender care, and he does this kind of thing for all his children. Although he doesn’t send dreams or letters every time I miss Nate or every time someone is sad, when he gauges the time is right, he sends something special.

And today I’m smiling over his two-part gift.

“If you then…. quite naturally give good things to your children, how much more likely is it that your Heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him?” (Matthew 7:11)