Our Family Enters A New Year With Thanksgiving

Last evening Cassie, my granddaughter, and I looked at the Christmas pictures stored on my computer. The photos took us back over the years, back to the times when we first began to gather here in Pagosa Springs. We remembered sharing Christmas gifts, worshipping at Our Savior Lutheran Church, skiing and hiking in the mountains, fishing in the streams and lakes, singing camp songs and roasting marsh-mellows around camp fires and hiking to water falls and overlooks. We've been coming here for more than a dozen years. When we finally built our vacation house here Cassie was a little girl. She's now a grown up young woman about to enter college.

When we built this house, Sylvia and I decided it was to serve as a place for the family to gather for fun and fellowship. Over these years it has been that, not only for our family, but also for many other families and friends. We consider this house and these times together as precious gifts of our Lord. In so many ways, we have seen His hand not only leading us here, but also blessing our times together.

It is good to remember that as another year comes to an end. It's also good to remember the importance of caring for our families. Here's how the Bible puts it:

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8).

The Apostle Paul first spoke these words to young Pastor Timothy as part of an admonition to him to see that the widows of his congregation were properly cared for. That is the first application, but there are others. We all have an obligation to care for those who are of our own house.

We have a beautiful wooden plaque hanging over the door of our Pagosa house. It quotes the words of Joshua, the great leader of Israel following Moses. After admonishing his people to turn from the false gods of the people who occupied the Promised Land, he said, "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).

That's the first thing Sylvia and I wanted to do as we set out to care for those of our house. We wanted them to know that we serve the Lord Jesus. By the word house (oikeios in Greek) the Apostle refers both to one's blood relatives and to those who are related because of being born anew into the spiritual family of God, the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). We wanted to establish a pattern, set an example, and build memories of how parents and families pray, worship and live together in Christ.

We haven't done that perfectly. We've made mistakes, sometimes spoken harshly to one another, been very critical of one another and forgotten the importance of providing encouragement and comfort. But we have loved one another and forgiven one another in spite of it all as we shared God's love and forgiveness in Christ. And that is what the Apostle is talking about in his admonition to Pastor Timothy.

Tonight we enter another year, the year of our Lord 2008. We enter it with thanksgiving and praise. We enter it anticipating that in this year Cassie will graduate from high school with honors, Patrick will graduate from university and go on to become an engineer and Shawn and Marian will become man and wife. What else the year holds we do not know. It may be the year Jesus calls another member of our family to be with Him in heaven. It may even be the final Year of this age when our Lord Jesus returns. What a wonderful thing that would be.

Whatever the year holds, we will remember that we are members of our family and members of the great, universal family of God. As we enter this year we give thanks to Jesus for coming to be born of Mary to be our Savior. In this year we will serve Him. And in this year we will provide especially for the members of our house.

What More Could I Have Done?

I feel compelled on this Christmas Eve day to reply to what you, my anonymous friend wrote as you reflected upon my December 19 Blog: Questions On The Journey. You wrote,

"As I am just beginning my seventh decade of life, I find I am wrestling with some of the same questions. I must confess that I have spent maybe too much time wondering "How many of them will continue the endless journey with me in that country called Heaven?" In this regard I probably also feel a little sad when I reflect on what more I could have done--particularly as relates to my children and still I cling to the promise, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved--you and your household. I know that faith is God's doing; but surely He needs my help-- doesn't He?"

What believing parent doesn't struggle with such questions: What more could I have done? Doesn't the Lord Jesus need my help?

I often encountered similar questions in the days of my public ministry as I heard parents blaming themselves for the sins, shortcomings, failures and even unbelief of their children. "What more could I have done?" they asked. "What did I not do to keep my son from getting into drugs? How did I fail my daughter that she became pregnant out of wedlock--and secretly had an abortion? Where did I go wrong that I have a son who is now in jail for stealing and writing bad checks?"

The list went on and on.

As I hear you asking the same questions, the most important thing I can do is point you to a promise given by our God through the Apostle John. Read about it in 1 John 1:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

What does the Apostle say? He says that you must listen to your conscience. If you try to deceive yourself you avoid the truth. The truth is hard to look at. You may have contributed to the direction your son or daughter took with his or her life. Do not attempt to hide from it. What you want, above all, is for the truth to be in you.

But do not stop there. Do not allow your guilt to drag you down into the pit of despair and hopelessness. That is precisely what happens to many parents. And when it does the devil leaps with joy. Instead, the counsel of the Holy Spirit is to confess your sin.

But what does that mean? What does it mean to confess your sin?

It may be necessary to be specific about the guilt you carry. Such confessing can best be done in private, before a trusted believer. But even better, confess before a pastor called to speak on Christ's behalf. Look at your sin and own it before him.

Here the Bible gives us the example of King David to follow (see 2 Samuel 11-12 and Psalm 51). David failed himself, his marriage, his children, his nation and his God by his affair with Bathsheba. Ultimately he was confronted by the prophet Nathan who served as his personal spiritual advisor and pastor. David confessed his sin and Nathan announced the LORD's forgiveness. It was absolutely necessary that David own up to his failings and then hear God speak to him through his pastor. Nathan said, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die." That Word of forgiveness empowered David and renewed him, even though he had to suffer through the short term and long term consequences of his sinning.



So, my friend, heed the counsel of the Spirit. Meditate upon 1 John 1. Turn over in your heart and mind what the LORD is saying to you. Listen to your conscience. Confess your sin, if necessary before your pastor. And then joyfully receive the forgiveness of God.

And go in peace. All is in the hands of your loving God, including the children for whom you daily pray. Today we celebrate Christmas. We remember again why Jesus was born of Mary. As the angel said to the shepherds, "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2).

Questions On The Journey

We arrived at our beautiful vacation home in Pagosa Springs, Colorado yesterday. A second grandson arrived during the night. Two grandsons have already hit the slopes. Wolf Creek has a ten foot packed powder base. Other members of our family will soon begin their journeys to arrive here for the Christmas holidays. This is the tenth year we've been celebrating these family times in this house.

During the drive up I had a conversation with grandson Patrick who was along for the ride. Among other things, we talked about education, goals and making money. He has a year to go in college and is naturally concerned about such things. For that matter, aren't we all?

While I was pondering what sage advice this grandfather might give to his maturing grandson, I recalled something about life being a journey, not a destination.



Who first said that? I had no idea so I checked out Think/Exist and found some interesting quotes.

18th century Irish essayist, poet and dramatist Oliver Goldsmith wrote, “Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.”

20th century novelist Don Williams Jr. writes, “The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.”

Greg Anderson (American best-selling Author and founder of the American Wellness Project., b.1964), writes, “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

German born American social Philosopher and Psychoanalyst, 1900-1980, Eric Fromm wrote, “Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before.”

One of my favorite authors, Ursula K LeGuin wrote, “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."

I liked the Japanese proverb: "When you have completed 95 percent of your journey, you are only halfway there.”

Matsuo Bashō (1644 – 1694) the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan, said, “Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.”

I also discovered a study Bible titled "The Journey: The Study Bible for Spiritual Seekers." I haven't read it, so I cannot vouch for it, but the concept is interesting, because the Bible does have the answer to the most significant questions about life. And we don't know how to ask many of them until we get some distance down that journey.

Here's some questions that I'm dealing with in this my 70th decade of my journey:

+ How long will I continue on this journey?

+ Does it matter to anyone but me?

+ How will my journey end?

+ What's happening to all the people I've met and served on my journey?

+ How many of them will continue the endless journey with me in that country called Heaven?

+ What contributions may I yet make before this part of my journey ends?

Oh yes, I'm certain of arriving one day in Heaven. My Lord has guaranteed that. That's one of the great reasons why I delight to celebrate Christmas.

What about you? What questions are you dealing with as you continue on your journey?

My Search For Wisdom

It took a while to work out the kinks this morning. Somehow the usual stretching exercises didn't quite take the pains out of my lower back. People my age understand that. The rest of you don't. Besides, I talked with my grandson last night. He's all excited about the amount of snow on the mountains outside our Colorado retreat home and looking forward to the annual Christmas ski vacation with the family. The way my back feels this morning, I'm thinking my downhill skiing days may be over.

And so . . . inevitably I get to thinking about old age. What a topic. I try to avoid it at every turn, but it keeps coming back in the most unexpected ways. Some thoughts about old age floating about:

* Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.

*Why you age is up to nature. How you age is up to you.

*Optimists age like wine. Pessimists age like milk.

*When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth.... Remember about Algebra.

*Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.

These days commercials bombard us for products and procedures in response to the physical ravages of old age: denture and face creams, adult diapers and hair coloring, tummy tucks and exercise programs. They're all intended to make us seniors “look and feel younger.” According to these ads looking “old” is unacceptable.

Looking young is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Ageism is not only directed at today’s old, but also at the old of tomorrow. Growing old is stereotyped as the enemy we have to head off at the pass. On top of that we hear a constant drum beat that the “baby boomers” — the next generation of old persons — are about to overwhelm society’s health care and retirement systems and break the federal budget, causing massive reductions in spending for other legitimate needs.

Does all this mean that anyone who belongs to AARP and gets senior privileges at the movies is actually of less value to society, their families and to themselves? I certainly hope not, even if that is the underlying message.

I prefer to believe that with old age comes many positives, especially the lived experiences and perspectives that are referred to as wisdom. Wisdom is in short shrift, even as it has always been.

The search for wisdom got all messed up right at the beginning when our first parents tried to be like God:

"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it," Genesis 3:5,6.

Moses had it right when he taught us to pray: "Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom," Psalm 90:12.

Whence such wisdom? The ancient, oft-heard answer: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise," Psalm 111:10.

In this case 'fear' refers to reverence, respect and awe, as well as dread. The real joy is to know that this LORD who teaches us wisdom is the One who became a Child, dwelling among us in order to assume our guilt, foolishness and suffering. The Apostle put it like this:

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.'" (1 Corinthians 1:17-19)

Someone once asked, What do you get when you cross a Lutheran and a Buddhist?
      Someone who sits up all night worrying about nothing.

I've decided not to mix my Lutheranism with any other faith or with the wisdom of this world. This day I will return to the ageless and eternal LORD in whose hands I reside, young or old. That's at least the beginning of wisdom, even if I still don't have much of it.

Stupid But Still Loved

"Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed." - From The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

One of the newsletters to which I subscribe recently listed some of the stupid things public figures have been caught saying. Curious, I thought there must be a website listing that kind of stuff. There is, no there are thousands. Samples:

"The people in the Navy look on motherhood as being compatible with being a woman."
-Rear Admiral James R. Hogg

"Those who survived the San Francisco earthquake said, 'Thank God, I'm still alive.' But, of course, those who died, their lives will never be the same again."
-- Sen. Barbara Boxer, (D, Calif.)

"You can't just let nature run wild."
-- Wally Hickel, former governor of Alaska

And of course there are whole sites with President Bushisms, like:

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

The same for former VP Al Gore: "When my sister and I were growing up," Mr. Gore told a small audience made up mostly of women, "there was never any doubt in our minds that men and women were equal, if not more so." (Source: NY Times, 08/12/00)

And so it goes.

Then I listened to a Lutheran Hour sermon podcast about this misquote from the Bible: "The love of money is the root of all evil." That got me thinking about how many sayings supposedly in the Bible there are. Here's a short list:

*Pride goes before a fall.
*Cleanliness is next to godliness.
*Adam and Eve ate from an apple.
*All things work out for the best
*God helps them who help themselves.
*Do unto others before they do it unto you.
*Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

It gets worse when people start using the Bible to try be funny. Samples:

Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he got married?
A. Ruth-less.

Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.

Q. Where is the first baseball game in the Bible?
A. In the big inning, Eve stole first, Adam stole second. Cain struck out Abel, and the Prodigal Son came home. The Giants and the Angels were rained out.

Q. What is one of the first things that Adam and Eve did after they were kicked out?
A. They really raised Cain.

Q. The ark was built in 3 stories, and the top story had a window to let light in, but how did they get light to the bottom 2 stories?
A. They used floodlights.

If you're still reading, please forgive me. I'm only trying to make a point. We all do stupid things, say stupid things, sometimes misquote the Bible and talk out of turn. What does that make us? Human.

Here's what the Bible says about stupid humans:

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1

"So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly." Ecclesiastes 7:25

"Even as he walks along the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is." Ecclesiastes 10:3

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." 2 Timothy 2:23

The wonder of Christmas is that our eternal, all-knowing, perfect God chose to become human with us. We join shepherds to worship the Child, Jesus, the God-Man. Here's another real quote from the Bible:

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth," John 1:14.

The Christmas Mood I'm Not In

Last evening we went to yet another Christmas party. I say 'another', because the annual string of parties and gatherings has begun in this the busiest month of the year. Yet somehow I was not in the Christmas mood. I didn't pull out my brightest red and green shirt, my Santa Claus suspenders and my black socks with 'Oh Ho Ho' written all over them. Instead I put on a dull brown checked shirt with dark brown pants and went off to the party wondering what the Christmas mood is and why I'm not really in it.

I suppose I should be dreaming of a white Christmas with every Christmas card I write and hope that soon I will be walking in a winter wonderland with sleigh bells ringing. Why, in the neighbor's yard are images of a jolly fat man in red with a fur-lined collar landing on the roof with a bunch of reindeer, led by one named Ruldolph who is apparently suffering from a severe cold and has a shining sore red nose. And their children are apparently falling asleep with various kinds of candy dancing in their heads. Moreover, in this place where it hardly ever snows we are humming, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." But why?



The Christmas mood started earlier this year than ever before as the retailers hoped we would start parting with our hard-earned money well before Thanksgiving. They're worried, I hear, because of the stress on the housing market and talk of a recession. So they want us to rush on into the Christmas mood and buy hundreds of useless items for our families and friends. After all, this is THE time of the year when they make most of their money.

And yet I just couldn't put on those Santa Claus suspenders and get into the Christmas mood. I wonder why.

Maybe it's because I haven't programmed my mobile phone with cute, waving snowmen, festive music and Santa clauses crossing my way, heavily loaded with gifts while I play Sudoku. I can't even spell that word properly and I'm not even remotely attracted to the idea of challenging my limited intelligence by it. Maybe that's the reason.

Or maybe it's because I haven't gotten high on the latest drug of choice. That'll do it every time, I'm told. Then I could start singing "Here comes Santa, here comes Santa, right down Santa Claus lane." Oh, by the way, are you acquainted with Santa's brother Fred? Their father, the original SANTA, used to reside in Northern Europe, where he met his wife, SUSIE SANTA. Together, they produced nine sons over a period of 15 years, who all went into their father’s line of work!

I don't know. Maybe I'll have to give up on getting into the Christmas mood this year. Maybe I'll simply have to do my best to wait patiently for the CHRIST of Christmas to come soon and get us all out of the crazy nonsense that Christmas has become.