This is actually not an evangelistic question, exactly…at least, not in the context that our pastor used it this past Sunday. Rather, it is a question he challenged us to ask in light of the knowledge that everything we do (or don’t do!) is seen – and will be judged – by God.

Since Easter, we have been looking at a series of tough(er) questions asked about our faith – things people don’t understand. This particular week, the question was: “What happens to those who have never heard (of Jesus)?” And while many times we may ask this to get ourselves off the hook, it is a legitimate question in our faith.

To quickly summarize what we learned:
     -     We know from scripture that everyone is guilty before God, but not equally guilty; that God’s judgment is right; and that Jesus is the only way to God.
     -     God is not hiding from us! Even if you have not heard about God, He can be seen in nature, our bodies, and our sense of right and wrong.
     -     We cannot hide from God! He will judge us by what we know and have done with that knowledge. He will not judge us by what we don’t know.

So, the question above becomes our take home. Salvation through Christ is an immense gift that we are not worthy to receive. And we read in scripture: “Everyone to whom much is given, of him much will be required.” (Luke 12: 48b) So it makes sense that those of us who know Christ will have more expected of us than those who do not.

And therein lays my struggle. I feel the weight of my desire to use what I have been given to serve God and share Him with (my portion of) the world. Yet, the gifts that bring me and others joy are not what I use daily in an accounting office…and the logic of that escapes me! It seems almost backwards: I have a gift to use, so I will do something else? Right.

Fortunately, God’s grace covers all that we do. And while we will be judged, that judgment will include what Christ has done with what He was given…which far outweighs anything I may or may not do in my life. But the question was still asked…and I still struggle…

 …I’ll be seeing you again on the road soon!

There…I said it. It is out in the open! Of course, that is not really much of an admission at this point. But everything needs a starting point.

So, what is this problem? Politics.

I know, I know. Almost everyone has a problem with politics. But my problem is that I pay too much attention to politics…or, more accurately, to political news. And by that I mean: I let it affect my focus…I let it distract me from what is really important.

You see, when I hear a news story related to politics – say, the issue of natural gas drilling in New York State (to pick something at random) – I begin to think through that issue to the deepest extent that I am able. And if the issue is something that I am passionate about, that can be pretty deep. I get this strong desire to write a blog post and be the ultimate voice of reason for that situation…the person that opens everyone’s eyes and causes them to say “Oh…yeah…it makes perfect sense now!”

Fortunately for all of us, I do not have time to do that!

The catalyst for this admission was a news story that most networks glossed over regarding the White House’s decision to use their foreign aid budget, in part, to push a human rights agenda for the global GLBT community. This is an issue I am passionate about…which makes it something to write about! But as I sat down to research the story further, I found that I was being distracted by things I can not change. And therein lays the heart of the issue.

I cannot change the White House – at least, not without the help of several billion voters! I am free to disagree with the White House, and many avenues exist to express that disagreement. But in the end, my job is not – at this point in my life – to single-handedly alter the direction of our federal government. And few people, including myself, would really want me to.

In reality, there is only one author of life and director of the direction it takes: the God of the Bible, creator of this earth and everything (including government!) that exists therein. And nothing that has happened in this world has happened apart from His knowledge or permission. What I am learning is that I need give up my own thoughts and passions and adopt God’s so that I can be ready for what He chooses to have me do…even if it does not involve the White House! Everything else is a distraction.

Yeah…I definitely have a problem!

I’ve recently discovered that life can have its own “hyperlinks.” No, we cannot be physically transported to another location, much to my dismay. But we can experience a merging of sorts in the timeline of our life and the lives of those we love. Places and events, when visited together, can connect our present life to the past and we find ourselves immersed anew in things that were previously academic.

But enough with the big words!

We discovered a year or two ago that Darcy’s step-father had served aboard the USS The Sullivans (DD537) – currently docked at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park in Buffalo, N.Y. – in 1962 during his four year enlistment in the U.S. Navy. A Chief Petty Officer (CPO) 2^nd Class, “Poppy” (as my boys call him) served in navigation with an office in the map room as the ship ran training exercises. It was decided then that we needed to take him to visit the ship when he was up next.

This past Thanksgiving gave us that opportunity! It is hard to fully describe the experience of having your own private tour guide with first-hand knowledge of the ship. We saw the map room he worked in, his bunk, the CPO mess where he ate, and got all sorts of inside information regarding life onboard ship – like how 150 or so men manage to share 4 shower stalls with limited freshwater. We were not just seeing an old Navy ship; we were transported inside a part of Poppy’s life 

It is hard to say if the kids fully grasped special-ness of the visit, but they were there. As for my wife and I, the trip was most memorable and we are grateful for the experience. By linking to a piece of the past, we have gained understanding that strengthens family bonds in the present and further brightens the road to the future.

And that…is a hyperlink.

No, I’m not planning to get all philosophical…at least not any more than usual! But I did find myself getting a bit sentimental as the latest – and probably the longest – chapter of my life (adult life, anyway) came to a close this past week. On Friday I left Northtown Automotive after 8 years of service to take on Accounts Payable at Meritain Health.

This particular chapter began back in September of 2001 – September 11, 2001 to be exact. On the day that the World Trade Center was destroyed, I was unofficially beginning my tenure as Contemporary Worship Coordinator at First Trinity Lutheran Church (my “official” start date was September 16.) Eighteen months later, a change in my day job would take me to Northtown and set up what could be called the busiest six or so years of my life.

For the most part, they were good years seeing my two youngest children born and experiencing the joy of serving in ministry, among other things. But at the same time, I was working two jobs – both ½ an hour from home – while trying to be part of my family and the increasingly numerous activities our boys were involved in. By December of 2009, I had burned out and left First Trinity as the chapter began to close. Now, a little less than eighteen months later, the closure is complete with this transition to the new job.

So, why sentimental? I’m not really sure, actually. I did not enjoy the past year or so at Northtown for various reasons and was pretty happy to be leaving. But it is a change - a chapter of my life has passed into history, never to be repeated. Good or bad, it was significant in so many ways and that brings about a “mourning” of sorts. The past is familiar…the future is not. How can I not reflect?

In the end, it has revealed just a little of the way God crafts our lives. I could never have seen it at the time, but it took a year and a half to get that chapter running at full steam. It makes sense that it took almost that long to wind down when the steam died. And it’s not coincidence. God in His infinite wisdom had the whole thing planned…and it naturally turned out for the best.

Life is so much better when we let God turn the page!

Towards the end of last year I began to help out River Rock Church in Buffalo – a multi-cultural congregation that had lost their worship team in the fall. There is actually one member left who is coordinating things, but I’ve had the opportunity to both lead and play on several occasions. It’s been a bit of a challenge, to say the least, but they are a congregation that likes to worship and things have been pretty lively!

What’s been interesting for me – fun even – is working in the multi-cultural setting. About ½ of the congregation speaks little or no English, many of those people being 1^st generation immigrants from African nations. While this brings obvious roadblocks to worship, I’ve seen God speak through the cultural differences present on Sunday mornings to connect with those who need to know His touch. He’s also used the experience to stretch me in some rather fun ways.

I like to connect with as many in the congregation as possible when I lead worship. So, having been invited to lead this past Sunday, I opted to include a song that was partly in Swahili – “O’ Sifuni Mungu” (for those who remember Christian music from 20 years ago, it was made popular by the group First Call.) Some of the lyrics are as follows:

Viumbe vyote vya mungu wetu na mfalme wetu
(All creatures of our God and (our) King.)
Paseni sauti ili nasi mwimbe
([Raise a] voice to sing with us)
Watu wote, viumbe vyote, awaye yote, sifu mungu
(All people, all creatures, everyone, praise God)

Yes, I sang in Swahili (and made sure I knew what I was singing!) It was fun. It was a new experience in worship. And it was an opportunity to be part of worship that goes beyond what we typically know here in the west. Paul writes this to the Corinthians: “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Cor.9:22b) Or, in Swahili: “Nimekuwa mtu wa hali zote kwa watu wote ili kwa njia zote nipate kuwaokoa baadhi yao.” (1 Wakorintho 9:22b) That was the sense that I had as I saw God work to break down the language barrier so that we could worship together.

Mungu ni mwema – God is good!

(Thanks to Google Translate, africanlanguages.com, and Biblegateway.com for additional help with the translations!!!)

• On our recent vacation, we found our baby monitor had stopped working. Upon our return I took it apart and found some broken parts causing a short…thanks to Joel (age 3) refusing to leave it alone! Some electrical tape to hold things in place and…it still doesn’t work.
• Middle of this past week, I somehow managed to leave our toaster oven on when I left for work, cremating a couple of Eggo waffles in the process! Saturday, I tried to toast more waffles and couldn’t get the thing to heat up. (Note: Samuel used it that day with no problem!)
• Plugged in my laptop on the train from Montreal to Toronto and used it a good bit of the way home last weekend. Got it out here on Tuesday, and found the transformer on the power cord shorted out. Unplugged and with a drained battery, the laptop is currently useless (grrr!!!).

The issue in all of these cases is power…or, more accurately, a lack of power. And I have realized that we can have the same problem: We don’t work because we lack power. As Christians, we need to stay “tapped in” to the power of the Holy Spirit in order to do just about anything in life that God has called us to do. Our problem is that things – like losing battles with electronics – can cause a short in our power connection.

It’s another reminder that we need to stay in constant contact with God through worship, prayer, and Bible reading. His power, through the Holy Spirit, can bring us through all kinds of difficulties, from life changing situations all the way down to…sharing the desktop computer with the rest of the family.

Transport to the present (hey, I’m a Sci-Fi geek!) – I’ve been preparing this past week to lead worship at my parent’s church and have been reflecting on Psalm 77. The psalmist has had sleepless nights wondering if God had forgotten His people and makes the following choice:

“Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal; the years of the right hand of the Most High.’ I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all Your works and consider all Your mighty deeds.” (77: 10-12)

Remember.

One of the best ways to keep in mind what God is capable of is to look back and see what He has done. Often, in the valleys of life, looking backwards is the only way to see anything clearly. Psalm 77 hits upon a vastly overlooked truth (at least, it was in my life!): What God has done in the past gives us hope for what God will do in the future. When it seems like God has forgotten you; when you are ready to give up; when God has ceased to become awe-inspiring and life has become a dull, repetitive routine without much…um…life, it’s time to recount the things God has done in your life and seek a resurrection of sorts.

Remember.

So, I started a list. What follows are some of those things I remember God doing in my life:

• At 17, God revealed my need for Him through “time off” from church.
• God lead me to Grove City College, where a solid group of Christians strengthened my faith and my calling was revealed.
• God revealed in three separate…um…“prophecies” (and I grew up Presbyterian – we didn’t do that!) his confirmation of my ministry.
• On a mission trip to England in 2000, God dried my allergy-ridden, watery eyes so I could serve as the group’s driver.

What has God done in your life, big or small, that you can remember? However long that list is or isn’t, let it be a catalyst for hope in your life. And together with the psalmist we can praise God:

“Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; You display Your power among the peoples.” (77: 13-14)

Remember!

So, I did what any reasonable person would do. I went to the beginning; to the Genesis account of God’s creation of…well…everything! It really doesn’t get much more basic than that.

What I found fascinating, however, are the things that you can pick out when you dive into these passages. No matter how often we read them or how long we have known the story, when you stop to actually think/feel/ponder through scripture, it seems to come more alive. At least, it does for me. Consider:

• Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” We often hear of God speaking everything into existence. But in the scriptural account, God doesn’t speak until he brings light into the universe. The heavens, earth, and “waters,” each in their formless state, came into existence before then and, so far as we are told, without words. I find that fascinating!
• In Genesis 1:6, we are told that God separates the waters with “an expanse” that He called “sky.” That expanse was later filled with the sun, moon, and the stars…so the “sky” is all that we can see out in space. But what are the “waters” above the sky? Could this be a reference to a physical heaven (and maybe hell) that exist beyond the edge of creation?
• We often think of Heaven as God’s house – His dwelling – and assume that Heaven has always been there. But the thinking from the two previous points leads me to think of Heaven itself as a created place. God not only made a place for us to live here, but also a place for Himself to live and, eventually, us to live with Him. Maybe it’s not news to you, but I had not seen it that way before.

I know…my ponderings can get rather deep at times. But if I’m going to re-kindle that awe, then I need to go deep and let myself be amazed by things I’ve read, but not seen previously.

One of the tools I use for that is visualization – a great use for my over-active imagination! And as I read the creation account again, I let my mind roam free and conjure a mental motion picture of the events. If you want to get a sense of what that looked like, check out the new tab above labeled “Creation.” It’s not much longer than one of my regular posts and gives you some insight into how my brain sometimes works.

In the meantime, I’m going to continue to scour the scriptures and let myself be awed by who God is. If you have musings of your own that may help, please feel free to share!

I was directed to the last chapters of Job – Job 38-41, specifically – during our trip and the possibility that God takes things away from us so that we will be able to see Him better. Having mourned in silence for seven days after unimaginable tragedy, Job asks the big “why” question, which seems perfectly normal to us. However, God doesn’t answer Job and instead asks several (mostly unanswerable) questions of His own. My friend in Cape Vincent suggested that God had taken Job through this valley so that Job would learn more about who God really is.

As I look at my prayer life, I’ve found my prayers to be rather informal lately…like I was talking to a friend. There’s nothing wrong with that. But this passage shows us a God who is much, much more! This is the God who created everything – literally!!! And that commands a great deal more respect than I think I give.

I want to be in awe of God…to stand in wonder at the being that created the X-Structure pictured in the banner above. I want to be blown away by the thought that God was planning me when he made Adam. And when I go to prayer, I want to tremble at the thought of being allowed to kneel before a supreme being I have no business coming before. Imagine what that will do to my worship, let alone my life.

I’m going to be seeking that awe in the coming months. Want to take the journey with me?