Easter came and went today.  Let me say publicly a very big thank you to all who participated of helped the day go well.  Our morning service really seemed to have a real energy to it.  Some of this could very well be due to families returning home for the day.  Babies were everywhere today.  Excited people tend to contribute to exciting services even if that comes from having grandchildren here.  Our singing seemed quite good both in our hymns and our special music.  People were still talking about the quality of our morning service when they returned this evening.  I am very grateful for this.

We even had special effects in the morning time together.  A squall line came through just prior to our worship.  Thunder, lightening, wind and rain were still a factor when we got underway.  Perhaps there was more than just myself asking if this was similar to the weather on the original Good Friday.  Dark skies with other noisy elements can help you pay attention to the setting.  Sunnier weather might lead to a better attendance but the forces of nature sure were felt around here. 

I tried to keep the sermon simple since my voice is still gone.  Knowing your time is limited due to an ailment does nudge you to focus on the major ideas.  My hope is that someone made sense of what God maybe said to them along the way.  Even a message as direct as Easter can still get lost in the shuffle.  Those who gathered around the empty tomb that first Easter still had trouble processing what they heard.  Scripture says it sounded like nonsense to the first recipients of the story.  Three years of investing time with Jesus still didn't make listening any easier.  The typical reaction seems to be that wondering what was going on at the moment.  Things don't always change much do they?

Tomorrow starts a new journey since Easter day is gone.  God will still be speaking.  Will we listen carefully or just pick up nonsense or static?  I know which of those I want to choose.

Bro. Trey

My life lately is much like most people.  It is hectic and a bit off.  The only reason for saying that is to let it be known even the life of a minister can run off the tracks.  My favorite daughter is still in Europe for college.  She returns home in about a month.  I got to talk to her tonight on the phone.  She was packing for the weekend in Paris.  Don't most people just go to France for the weekend?  Words will never capture just how proud I am of her.  Going to Europe is on my bucket list but it may never get any further than that.  There is no way her life can be the same after this adventure.

My favorite son turns 17 on Friday.  We started the countdown a few months ago.  Every day includes about 100 or more comments from him on the big day.  He already has plans for the day including where to eat and what to buy.  Our whole week is one huge celebration for him.  Here is where most of my time and attention are going this week.  He will have a party at school tomorrow followed by the big day outing.  Part of my mind is on his sister overseas.  Another part of my mind is being taken over by a birthday.  I lost the rest of it.

Kids are great.  One of the few highlights of my career is in spending time with children on various levels.  There are even times when some child stopped by to see if I could come out and play!  My birthday may say my youth is a distant memory but the kids keep coming.  One of my duties seems to be having several at one time rummaging around the office after Wednesday night stuff.  Tonight had four young girls hanging out while waiting for their rides.  One of the girls is four years old so her curiosity is endless.  She asked about a wood drawing I have of Jesus laughing.  It is a favorite of mine.  My response was that it is Jesus from the bible.  She gave it some thought then told me that He looks weird!  It goes without saying that the preacher in me saw a perfect occasion to reflect on that comment to make a point.  You cannot afford to miss out on a priceless exchange with a child. 

Does Jesus look weird?  I am sure that He did to those who expected a radical, political savior and got a sacrifice for sin.  He probably looks weird to those who do not take the time to read or consider His story.  Jesus seems to look weird to the elitists who want everyone to tone down their faith in the misguided notion of freedom.  They want some strange understanding of freedom while putting down the very faith that leads to it.  Maybe Jesus looks weird to those who anticipate seeing Him in the lives of His followers.  They look for the grace He displays in the gospels only to see those who claim Him living an ugly life.  We fail to laugh with joy.  We miss out on being merciful to those who need it.  We become the worst examples for what should be the best experience of life.  How weird is it that we who sing and talk about the greatness of Jesus should live small lives?   It seems very weird to me.

Bro. Trey

Here are a few random thoughts running through my mind on this chilly Sunday evening.

• I am sure glad none of my time last week was spent filling out a NCAA tournament bracket.  My guess was there would be far too many upsets to really do much good.  Looks like my limited predictive skills were right on target.  One can only wonder on how much money this year was bet then already lost after the first weekend.
• Lots of hand wringing is already going on about the Supreme Court hearing a case on marriage as it affects gay people.  Those on the left are breathless about stating their case.  Many on the right are all afraid the court may rule against their desires.  Odds are good no one will be happy with their ultimate decision.  No doubt we can and should pray for God's best but remember that His will cannot be legislated away or ruled out of order. 
• We do get comfortable with spring before winter releases us from its grip.  Thank goodness for the rain yesterday to wash away some pollen.  Now we deal with the reminder how what wind can do to cold air.  People who live north of us have one more snow to endure.  Just be sure we will complain about the heat before long.
• Palm Sunday went better than expected here.  Let me be the first to credit God for that fact.  That doesn't mean lots of good people didn't also help make it a reality.  We will someday figure out that God enjoys working through people just like us.  All of our flawed features does not eliminate us from being useful.  What it does do is render some as interested listeners not faithful disciples. 
• Parenting a special needs child can still have unique stress as a part of living.  You can never imagine it is all figured out as the questions can change without warning. 
• The week prior to Easter is a perfect time for extra reading or reflection.  Some will miss that by simply being distracted by the preparations.  Some may forfeit the opportunity by a denial of needing God's grace.  One can only hope we do better this year than any other time.  The message of Easter never goes out of style.  It is simple yet complex at the same time.  Let's find both sides of that equation this year.

Bro. Trey

College basketball is now into high gear.  The tournament to determine the national champion begins this week for men and women.  I would like to see some numbers on how much money will be wagered over the next three weeks.  None of that will be from my financial resources so it is only a curious question.  This week is the time when companies count a large increase in workers calling in sick to the office.  More than a few employees will be taking time off from work to watch all of the games coming up.  It is true that the Super Bowl is the largest one time sporting event of the year.  But this tournament will involve three weeks of activity even if away from the office.

I can remember watching the games during those growing up years.  How it all happened was beyond me but I did watch.  I still remember the years when UCLA just dominated college basketball.  Those teams won seven championships in a row.  No one will ever come close to duplicating that feat.  But my favorite team will always be the 1983 champions from North Carolina State.  Jim Valvano was the coach of that team that overcame every obstacle to winning it all.  It was heart breaking a few years later to learn he would suffer from cancer.  Maybe suffer is the wrong word choice.  He fought this horrific disease for all it was worth.  His appearances while ill would help start a foundation to donate money to research.  Over $100 million is now in use in various cancer research outlets just because of one man's courage.  Perhaps people that you and I know received benefits from his effort.

His story as well as the accounts of his championship team still resonate with me even thirty years after they won.  Being a cancer survivor does that to me.  We are a fraternity of people from all ages and gender.  Some do not win their fight.  Some of us got to see the other side of this disease with a good prognosis.  No one escapes without scars from being engaged in this conflict.  It will soon be three years for me since my initial diagnosis.  We are a little over two years since getting a good report.  Every so often I remember that my label is one of a cancer survivor.  There are lessons gained from that journey that will stay with me until the end.  Some of them came from Jim Valvano even before my experience.  Others would become my own as we all take our unique journey.

There is so much of this world that simply does not matter to me as perhaps it once did.  Time has a way of putting it all in perspective.  You discover just how much every single day counts.  We do not get an interim life while putting real life on hold.  This also reminds you that few things are really small once you uncover purpose or mission.  You may also learn not everyone enjoys your new found vision for living.  Some who are driven by desires, pain or even a calendar resist your freedom.  They just cannot understand why we do not share their urgency over the trivial.  When you walk with God through a searing fire you also find a new reason for faith.  God becomes someone who does more than keep bad things from happening.  He becomes very real in your longing for more.  Eternity is more than a word you read about.  You realize just how amazing this life can be as God's promise to take you home becomes concrete.  You appreciate not just life now but life for all of space and time.

Cancer tried to rob me of this body as it took the physical health of Jim Valvano.  But it can never touch who we are at the core.  That alone belongs to God.

Bro. Trey

I went for my walk/jog on Monday since rain stopped earlier.  Almost getting back to some level of fitness which is fine by me.  My measure of success now is whether or not my heart keeps beating.  A family came out together as my process drew close to an end.  One of their kids is about eleven named Caleb.  I remember him from last spring being out there with them.  We visited last year while circling the track.  This time we went around a few times before my task was complete.  A conversation followed about my exercise and other stuff.  Caleb then looked up at me and said, "Who knew an old guy could have such great advice?"  My day just went from bad to worse.  Caleb is a great kid.  My hope is he always can keep that sense of innocence and honesty.

But it made me think about advice.  So here are a few pieces from an old guy.

• Never pet a burning dog.  Simple but very eloquent words on how we should care for animals!
• Staying in shape is far easier than getting in shape.  Keep moving forward as someone may be gaining on you.
• Laugh a little each day.  Think a little each day.  Cry a little each day.  These are good signs that you are alive.  Jim Valvano said this just prior to his death.  They were good words then and great ones now.
• Try something new on a regular basis.  Life really should not be about recycling old times but making new memories. 
• Spend time with children a lot.  I did that again tonight and life sure seems better when you do.  When you stop being able to laugh with kids then it's a sure sign something is very wrong.
• Figure out what religion is all about.  It's not about us!  Faith really is not that complicated when you focus on the words of Jesus.  Loving others and God are at the core of all He says.  The rest is extra as we go along.

There could be more but we will save it for another day.  These are just a few ideas that came to mind first.  Maybe my young friend Caleb will help me realize some more.

Bro. Trey

Education may be about unlearning as much as it is learning.  We need to let go of bad ideas in order to make room for the good ones.  People tend to have difficulty doing that.  We cherish our beliefs or ideas to the point of protecting them from a greater truth.  Being comfortable with what we think we know outweighs the discomfort of being open to new truth.  Biblical truth is the hardest one when it comes to this.  Letting go of old ideas seems foreign to us.  Fear starts creeping in our mind when we are challenged.  Faith becomes more about keeping our thinking simple and neat.  We do miss real chances to mature when we let this happen.

Luke 15 is one of those chapters we tend to miss just from being familiar with it.  The story of the Prodigal Son is one that we hear from our earliest years in church.  Now one reason is because the story is so central to our understanding of Jesus.  We do need to hear the story taught on a regular basis.  But always be careful we don't get so comfortable we miss what God wants to say.  Knowing what you once learned may interfere with the fresh encounter with God.  My mind and heart picked up new insights last week while again studying the story.  Let me confess to personally coming to this chapter often for myself.  God just seems to connect to me in this tale of two wayward sons and a loving father.  This makes me no better than anyone else but it is true.

You have to find your place in the story.  All of us lived the life of the first son who wasted wealth given to him by his father.  Those of us saved by grace went through that same experience in one way or the other.  Maybe we didn't live a wild life or go through the mud but we did need forgiveness.  Far too many of us know what it is like to be the older brother.  He is a picture of those who stop learning to the point of being angry.  He resents both his father and his brother.  He views life as unfair and unjust.  Sounds like far too many people that I know.  Religion is only about performance and achievement.  Grace is a familiar word and a foreign concept.  It's a word in our hymns but not very present in our hearts. 

Maybe we miss how God is portrayed in lavishing His grace into our world.  He intends for joy to be the key note of our faith.  Relationships matter greatly to God.  He is seen not counting up tasks completed before offering mercy.  Religious people in Jesus day could not wrap their mind around such a God.  Now you know why they will reject that notion completely not matter what Jesus says or does.  They cannot unlearn their wrong ideas to get a handle on the gospel.  It costs them everything.  It still does the same today.

Bro. Trey