Tragedy - Only Love!!

Luke 10:25-37 – You may have read or heard the story of the Good Samaritan over and over before but in reading this after a stream of tragedies – what struck me is that Jesus never focused on the actions of the robber. I want us to think for a moment on Only Love!

In the aftermath of tragedies many of us ask the question, “where is God?” Especially, in the midst of the deaths of innocent children, we ask, why do bad things happen? Death baffles us and senseless deaths such as the murder of these children enrages us; empties us; leaving us void, numb, and in need of any sensible conclusions. But amid our pain nothing comforts us nor does logic or rationale, offer any soothing reasons for barbaric actions.

In truth, we all are struggling to find God in the midst of the bloodshed, the tears, the bewilderment, and the funeral processions of the victims in Newtown, CT and the millions of nameless victims of acts of violence.  I do not have a complete answer because we will never completely know until that time when we stand face to face before God.  On that day will come the fulfillment of the psalmist refrain “We’ll understand it better, by and by”. Only when standing before our mighty and holy God will we know completely. 

In the meantime, we must proclaim and believe that in the mystery of death, there is the towering, intimate, compassionate presence of God.  God must not be deemed as a tyrant and orchestrator of such calamities, but God is to be known as our only source of hope, our only means through and out of these times of peril.

The Holy Scriptures remind us that we all live in a very broken world.  In Romans chapter 8, the Apostle Paul affirms this saying: “all of creation is waiting with eager longing…for the creation was subjected to futility; but one day the creation will be set free from its bondage to decay…but for now the whole creation is groaning in labor pains, groaning inwardly while it awaits for adoption the redemption of our bodies.” Thus we must wait in hope of reconciliation. 

There is nowhere in the world where the brokenness of creation is not witnessed; and pointing out the brokenness of the world around us may not help to ease the pain which surrounds these tragedies. But naming these acts of violence in Newtown, CT, the Birmingham courtroom, Homewood, AL, or those of professional football players and the innumerable other homicides and suicides happening everyday may help to remind us that we are not alone.  We can bear witness that illnesses, accidents, vicious events, hunger and poverty wreak havoc on humanity; claiming human lives prematurely, unjustly and senselessly aren't arbitrary but are affecting our neighbors.

Yet, merely knowing that such tragedy abounds does not lessen our own pain and grief, what is important for us to understand in the midst of this broken world, while each of us groans in pain and despair, God is with us.  God’s work of redemption is not yet complete.  

The hope that you and I are to believe in and embrace is that 

one day God will overcome all of the world’s brokenness. 

As the writer of Revelation proclaims to us in Revelation 21: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…and in that time there will be no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain...God will wipe away every tear….and death will be no more”. 

You and I are called to try to live into that hope…even in the midst of the death of those 20 children under the age of 8.

We’re not alone. The families that lost these precious children, those courageous adults, even those left to mourn the loss of the shooter, none of them – none of us are alone. God promises never to leave us. The reality is that God too is devastated. God’s hope for creation was that we would love God with all heart, mind, soul and strength, and that we would love one another. We must believe that our pain is shared by God.  God knows what it is like to lose someone to a tragic death.  In our own tears, may we remember and know that Jesus also weeps. So, we don’t cry alone, the great God of the universe weeps with us.

The mystery of and goal of faith is to redeem our brokenness and encourage us to pursue authentic love. We will continue to encounter our own Jericho Road experiences and know of many more senseless tragedies.  But we must find comfort that God, the Ultimate Good Samaritan, comes alongside us whether we are in places filled with danger or places of comfort deemed safe, God arrives in our midst to both suffer with us and to facilitate our recovery. It is true God shares our pain and sorrow because God is love. 

God is with us and remains with us sharing our sorrow 

and offering us comfort and hope for a new day.

Such tragedies remind us of the uncertainty of life, we know not the time of our final breath; thus, we must learn that we can’t take life for granted.  No one knows how long she or he will live, whether our lot is 7 years or 70 years. Today, if we purpose to grow in loving God and our neighbor as God commanded; perhaps, we will experience some solace from the deaths of these innocent children and the heroic and courageous adults. Furthermore, as we like the Good Samaritan lend ourselves to relieve the suffering of our neighbors we are alerted to remember that all life is precious and that family, friends and even strangers are irreplaceable.      

We must learn to love, respect and appreciate one another while we are living.  In these moments, we are recipients of the cruel reminder that life can be short but we must seize today by embracing the fullness of the possibilities which God continues to place before us.

Our entry point to recovery from the devastation of senseless tragedies is through God’s gracious love consuming us, empowering us, directing us and leading us to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and loving our neighbor.

My Friends, we must come together. Let us not allow death-tragedy to win, but let us allow something good to come forth from the despair we feel. In short let us let us live each day guided by love, because only love can guide us through the valley of the shadow of death, only love will comfort us, only love will empower us, only love will restore our hope,                                                                                                                                                                                            only love. . .

Advent Thought: On the love of kings, football, culture and the sacred.

Are the lines between living in our culture and living for Jesus Christ blurred? This is not a new inquiry, clearly throughout the Bible a struggle persists between faithfulness to God (Jesus) and the degree to which one indulges the culture. For instance, Israel after experiencing other cultures (nations) governed by a king demands that they too be led by a king:

“Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” Jesus replied, “Do everything they say to you, for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer”.” (I Samuel 8:5, 7)

Luke 19:45 – 46 describes another instance:  ^“Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices.  He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

Lastly another example, Paul challenges us:  “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

However, Christians and not yet Christians continue to ask for a king; desecrate the sacred; and acquiesce to the customs of this world.  Exemplified through how we have made sports and celebrities King of our lives; the manner in which we give priority to the secular and subdue the sacred; and how we strive toward pursuits commended by the standards of this world. We are relentless in our desire to have the accoutrements of this world, we deify our athletes and worship the teams for which they play.

One morning while my youngest son and I were leaving Starbucks, we began a brief conversation with a few gentlemen as we walked out the door. One of the men asked me, who is your team (as if I had to have one and that I knew the choices to which he referred)?  Living in the belly of the SEC, this is not a surprising question but when I replied, I don’t have a particular team – he looked at me with such disdain: you would have thought I confessed to being a murderer or an adulterer.

His reaction troubled me! I began thinking, how often do I experience a Christian with such devotion and duty approaching me with a similar question, wondering if I had a relationship with Jesus Christ or was I entrusting my life to the devil? I concluded the answer was rare if at all.

Unfortunately, we (Christians) are more apt to privatize our faith

and publicize our idolatry.

What if we displayed such a zest and passionate love for Jesus as we do for football (and other priorities of our culture)? We might discover the following:

1.  More people would have the opportunity to enter into relationship with Jesus (because we would readily share we are on Team Jesus).

2.   There would be an increase in worship attendance and servant ministry (because we would readily give of our time and treasure).

3.   Worship at our churches would be Spirit-filled and vibrant (because Jesus would be the focal point and object of worship).

4.   No one would have to guess if we were Christians (because we would unashamedly demonstrate our allegiance to Jesus and the Gospel). 

5.  We would strive toward faithfulness in all aspects of our lives (because we would believe that Jesus can't be defeated).

As we continue through the season of advent, maybe our preparation is to evaluate:

(1) who do I uphold as the King of my life, (2) what/who do I recognize and value as sacred and (3) is my life conformed to the customs of this culture 

or to that which Jesus asks of me?

Much Love,

Pastor Singleton

"Fair-weather Fan"

Sports fans all around the world relish the time of the year when their favorite sport is played. Whether it’s professional, collegiate, high school or even the highly competitive toddler tee ball, fans can’t wait to cheer for their favorite team. Yet fans vary ranging from: face painted warriors; casual supporter; avid statistician (able to name every player and stats); old faithful (committed to their team win/lose); to what is commonly referred to as the fair-weather fan. Each of these fans shares a depth of appreciation for the game and has an allegiance to a particular team in the given sport. In fact, fan by definition is “an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, or celebrity”.

However, sports just like our lives has ebbs and flows, winning seasons, losing seasons and it’s in the midst of losing seasons where the what type of fan is discovered. We all are rah-rah cheerleaders when games are won but what happens during the three game losing streaks or after consecutive losing seasons. Typically these moments reveal the fair-weather fan, this fan is characterized by lack of loyalty, only supportive when the team is doing well, but mysteriously disappears when trouble or losing arises.

If we are honest, many of us who say “I am a Christian” are fair-weather fans. We claim full commitment to Jesus but: when life happens, when our security is threatened, when we are challenged to live our lives like Jesus, when we face illness, loss, disappointment, suffering, or pain, when we are faced with the choice of ease or difficulty, etc. we too discover what type of follower we really are, fair-weather.  

Perhaps, we are unable to bear witness to our own fair-weather proclivities, let’s look at Peter who like many of us (do) professes to Jesus his full commitment:

“Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even die with you”.”     (Luke 22:33)

Peter adamantly rejected Jesus’ assertion: “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning; you will deny three times that you even know me” (Luke 22:34). But then life happened, threats came, death was imminent for Jesus and Peter realized that to truly follow Jesus could (and would) mean suffering, pain, even death and by cultural definitions, losing. So, when questioned about his commitment and faithfulness to Jesus – Peter wavered, Peter’s devotion mysteriously disappears exposing his and our fair-weathered nature saying: “Woman I don’t even know him!” (Luke 23:57), “No man, I’m not!” (Luke 23:58), “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about” (Luke 23:60).  

Discovering that indeed he was fair-weather: “Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly” (Luke 23:62), in need of greater commitment, deeper faith, and courage to remain devout as he encountered life and all the threats that come with being a follower of Jesus.

What can we learn from Peter and our own exposure as fair-weather followers?

1. Professing to follow Jesus is consent to and acceptance of danger even death
2. In the midst of our adversities lie our greatest opportunities
3. Faithfulness is evidenced by actions not words
4. Commitment to Jesus requires willingness to grow and sacrifice

The good news for us is unlike the seasonal-nature of sports, everyday (today) is our opportunity to spurn our fair-weather tendencies in pursuit of becoming spirit-driven faithful followers. The type of fan we become will not find measure in wins or losses; rather by our response to them. Will you choose to become a faithful follower or remain a fair-weather follower?

We can move from I don’t know Him to dying for Him–Peter did!

Much Love,

Pastor Singleton 

What Happens When Thanks is Giving?

“Somehow in thanksgiving I see clearly, if but for a fleeting moment, that much, much has come my way as a normal part of my dependency, without my being aware of it. It is in such moments that I may become literally overwhelmed by a profound sense of the love and the grace of God. The very roots of my own pride lie exposed to the scrutiny of God, and if I can bear it over and over again, the very will to pride of that kind may be destroyed in me; yes, destroyed by the sheer love of God. Perhaps, it is always true that the test of my thanksgiving is the humility which it inspires. Self-examination – thanksgiving – humility – let us experience them in our quiet time in the presence of God.”

Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart, pg.19.

In the above and below thoughts of Theologian Howard Thurman, we are encouraged to make Thanksgiving a daily practice and in doing so we can experience God at work in us. What a timely reminder as we consider this past year even over our lifetime – all for which we have to be thankful.  As you read the below, take note Thurman never mentions material or worldly things. When we are truly reflective, I imagine that we too will realize all that  consumes us throughout the course of a day, a week, a month, a year at times are trivial at best. Upon heartfelt and honest reflection we can conclude, taking time to practice thanksgiving everyday can be life-giving and more importantly continually molds us into the likeness of God. This day forward let’s make everyday a day of thanksgiving.

  

Litany of Thanksgiving

Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart, pgs. 147-149.

“Today, I make my Sacrament of Thanksgiving.

I begin with the simple things of my days:
Fresh air to breathe,
Cool water to drink,
The taste of food,
The protection of houses and clothes,
The comforts of home.
For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day!

I bring to mind all the warmth of humankind that I have known:
My mother’s arms,
The strength of my father
The playmates of my childhood,
The wonderful stories brought to me from the lives
Of many who talked of days gone by when fairies
And giants and all kinds of magic held sway;
The tears I have shed, the tears I have seen;
The excitement of laughter and the twinkle in the
Eye with its reminder that life is good.
For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day

I finger one by one the messages of hope that awaited me at the crossroads:
The smile of approval from those who held in their hands the reins of my security;
The tightening of the grip in a simple handshake when I
Feared the step before me in darkness;
The whisper in my heart when the temptation was fiercest
And the claims of appetite were not to be denied;
The crucial word said, the simple sentence from an open
Page when my decision hung in the balance.
For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day.

I pass before me the main springs of my heritage:
The fruits of labors of countless generations who lived before me,
Without whom my own life would have no meaning;
The seers who saw visions and dreamed dreams;
The prophets who sensed a truth greater than the mind could grasp
And whose words would only find fulfillment
In the years which they would never see;
The workers whose sweat has watered the trees,
The leaves of which are for the healing of the nations;
The pilgrims who set their sails for lands beyond all horizons,
Whose courage made paths into new worlds and far off places;
The saviors whose blood was shed with a recklessness that only a dream
Could inspire and God could command.
For all this I make an act of Thanksgiving this day.

I linger over the meaning of my own life and the commitment
To which I give the loyalty of my heart and mind:
The little purposes in which I have shared my loves,
My desires, my gifts;
The restlessness which bottoms all I do with its stark insistence
That I have never done my best, I have never dared
To reach for the highest;

The big hope that never quite deserts me, that I and my kind
Will study war no more, that love and tenderness and all the
inner graces of Almighty affection will cover the life of the
children of God as the waters cover the sea.

All these and more than mind can think and heart can feel,
I make as my sacrament of Thanksgiving to Thee,
Our Father, in humbleness of mind and simplicity of heart.”

From Howard Thurman

Jesus, Love, and Politics: “What Was I Thinkin’?”

Country singer Dierks Bentley has a song titled "What Was I Thinkin'?" referring to ill-advised choices that put him in harm's way. After each thoughtless action, he raises the question, "What Was I Thinkin'? On the surface, Bentley is just poking fun at some of his follies but his question invites further evaluation of our own actions. In fact, this inquiry is instructive for all of us, opening the possibility of repentance, especially in the wake of this election season.

As I have listened to and observed Christians on all sides of the political spectrum use language and taking actions laced with divisiveness, hatred, prejudice, misogyny, nationalism, and other dismissive measures all in the name of Jesus, their political affinity and/or candidate, I wonder “What Are We Thinkin’?”

When did Jesus call His disciples to embrace the folly that coincides with the political processes of local and national government?  When did Jesus encourage His disciples to engage in acts of hatred toward His adversaries? When did Jesus instruct His disciples to conform to the political practices of one’s chosen party? When did Jesus demonstrate placing political allegiance and agendas above the Great Commandment – “You must love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. . .You must love your neighbor as yourself”?

“What Are We Thinkin’?”

While politics has its place and it is important that we invest in the political process, we would do well to remember that our first responsibility, as believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, is to Love. Think about some of the derogatory comments you have heard, you have thought, perhaps even those you may have said during this political season and ask were they grounded in love of God and neighbor?

Consider this, Jesus in the aftermath of the most vicious politically charged election (Matthew 27:17, “Pilate said to them, which one do you want me to release to you – Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”) - filled with Love says from the Cross, (the result of the election), “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). In spite of a pernicious electorate and political process, Jesus continues to respond with Love.    

As we reflect on our participation in the political process, we should remember that Love created the necessity for the Cross but political strife established the environment for Jesus’ crucifixion. I imagine today those sisters and brothers from the first century that responded “Crucify him!” to Pilate’s question, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” (Matthew 27:22) would wonder to themselves:

“What Was I Thinkin’?”

If we are to remain faithful to Jesus, in season and out of season, Love must be the foundation and basis of our every response.  Jesus says to his disciples: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).  Christians regardless of political party are to have Love as our compass in matters temporal and eternal. If we use the tools of our enemy (the devil) such as hatred and division, we too must ask:

“What Was I Thinkin’?”

In light of these follies, repentance can be our only response. . .to which we will experience the Love of Jesus saying: Father, forgive them!

Much Love,

Pastor Singleton

Be Still and Know I am God!

In the present age, information travels in nanoseconds, our inboxes are flooded and with smart phones we literally have the world in our hands. We are overwhelmed and are drowning from information overload. Whether its news of tragedies, acts of nature, political fundraising, chain letters, work documents, a note from a loved one, or the all important Face book post – all at once we have become: preoccupied with; desensitized to; and addicted to information.

Yet, like everything else more of (information) has not equaled more knowledge, more compassion, more hope, more power or more faith.  Our culture continues wallowing in hatred, indifference, ignorance, powerlessness and suffering.  Information and technology, for all their benefits are often more distractive, deleterious and dissenting.   So what are we to do? 

The Psalmist (Psalm 46) using imagery of an influx of troubles and challenges ranging from natural disasters, political unrest and wars invites us to consider our only assurance: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble". But, we've become so dependent on technology and so reactive to the troubles of life that we've drifted from our only assurance in life.

One might question, how can I experience God’s assurance: (1) when I'm unable to decipher the deluge of information received; and (2) when it seems trouble consumes every aspect of life? It seems in our complicated, fast paced technology-driven culture, we have overlooked the wisdom of Psalm 46:10 exhorting us:

"Be still and know I am God".

Although, stillness, withdrawal from distractions, and quietness are all antithetical to our present age these actions provide us a path to the only assurance in this life and the life to come. Through stillness, we open the door to knowing God! Being still affords us the opportunity to hear the persistent knocks of God which; henceforth, have been underwhelming, suffocated by our addiction to technology and disillusionment from the troubles of life. 

Why “Be Still”?

When one is still, attentiveness, awareness and acceptance are attributes describing their posture.  Attentiveness enables us to discern and hear God’s voice and directions.  Awareness provides us clarity of thought as we put in perspective our troubles and use of technology. Acceptance allows to embrace the reality of the presence of God; moreover, now knowing God we cling to the power of God. In stillness, we prepare ourselves for attentiveness, awareness and acceptance which guide us to our only assurance:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”.  

Can you remember a time(s) disconnecting from all technology – radio, t.v., cell phones, internet and any iGadgets?  As you practice stillness and experience attentiveness, awareness and acceptance, these words will bring you peace, comfort and hope:

“Be still, and know that I am God!

I am exalted among the nations,

I am exalted in the earth.”

Much Love,

Pastor Singleton 

Prayer for the Leading of the Holy Spirit

Jesus our God, our guide, our leader, we surrender ourselves to you; asking that you release us from any fears; any selfish ambitions; and any sins that hinder us from seeking and serving you. We cry out to you saying: "Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Melt us, mold us, fill us, use us, Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us."

Living God we confess our need for you, we confess our need for your Spirit to dwell in us. Jesus, we remember the promise of your Word, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth”. Because of your promise we believe we can lead, love and serve in this world with confidence through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as we pursue your truth and guide all with ears to hear to your truth. We your children live with assurance that because of you we have power to overcome the devil who walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. Therefore, we can live victoriously through the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus reminds: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”.    

Spirit of the Living God, Fall Afresh on Us. We give you thanks dear God, through the Holy Spirit, we are without limitations. Again we remember the words of Jesus, “humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Hence, we give glory to God as we strive to live faithfully and as we humble ourselves, we ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and eyes to the sins we have committed against our God and our neighbor. We invite the Holy Spirit to fill us with compassion so that we might: “bring good news to the poor; proclaim that the captives will be released; that the blind will see; that the oppressed will be set free; and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come”.

Spirit of the Living God, Fall Afresh on Us. In submission to your will, we strive to forsake the ways of the world, which is why we invite the Holy Spirit to continually fall afresh on us. As we prepare to face this day and the next, our prayer is that we discover and rediscover the gift and power of the Holy Spirit that melts us, molds us and fills us with love and determination to follow, lead, learn, love and serve effectively for God’s Glory.

May the words of Paul constantly remind us of our need for the Holy Spirit - “But it was to us that God revealed these things by His spirit. For His spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets”.  With each rising sun, may we avail and submit ourselves to the leading of the Spirit that we know how to love, how to pray and how to serve. O Lord hear our prayer, it is in Jesus’ name we pray. Spirit of the Living God Fall a fresh on us, Amen!