My youngest tells me that Christmas is over now. Tomorrow will be a "normal" day rather than a holiday. Who knows what this means to him but he is right. Another season of hustle and bustle comes to a close with that sense of normalcy around the corner. I am going to miss Christmas. Let me even admit to a touch of grief over its passing. There will be no more music of the season on the radio. Count me as one of the odd ones that rather enjoys the songs. People may return to being not quite as nice as they were the last few weeks. Courtesy will go out the window along with our discarded trees. The truth is all of the hectic pace of this last month pointed toward something grand. There was a reason for our madness. Now we simply resume the rat race with no purpose to it all. Yeah, it all sounds depressing but reality often is just that.
People really are at least a bit kinder during Christmas than any other time of the year. To grin and bear it seems easier when you are into the celebration. We speak of hope, joy, peace and love during Advent. If only those qualities lasted us through the entire year. I went to get some newspapers today. One needs to be prepared and informed for the sales beginning tomorrow. A single mother preceded me in line. She told the cashier she awoke to find that a secret Santa left a ton of presents for her children. Her eyes filled with tears while trying to express her emotion. We usually don't do that nearly as much for the other eleven months of the year. She was overcome with the reality that another person cared for her and her family. That is the kind of difference Christmas makes. That is one of the things I miss when we move past the big day.
We don't do too well at carrying over the spirit of the season. Jobs, family, worry and the like once again dominate our world after the presents are opened. This child named Jesus who is a focus of our celebration tends to be put away like our other decorations. Those eternal truths such as hope and joy become as foreign to us as a language we cannot comprehend. Yet if we could really grasp what these days are about then we would remember that He is always "God with us." Our Savior becomes the Lord revealing His authority over the stresses of the other eleven months. Jesus exists not just for the special but also for the normal.
People will probably ask you if you had a good Christmas. That usually means did you get what you wanted as a gift. Did you? Or do you measure your holiday by what stuff was under the tree for you? What we need is often what we fail to realize we want. We need a little Christmas to get us through any day much less for a year. Jesus provides the hope, joy, peace and love for normal days. To have Him is to have all that He offers. That is His incredible gift available to us as this year fades into the background. It's ok to grieve the end of the season as long as we realize all of His presence through the year. May we all learn to do just that.
Bro. Trey
My apologies for not writing more last week. Life doesn't always go as planned. Fast and furious would be a good way to describe the last few days. Now this does not mean this time was bad but it is hectic. Then there was the whole Duck Dynasty fiasco. I can confess to having my share of anger and frustration over this topic. If and when the irritation eases then there may be a post on that. Getting that worked up over something usually takes a lot for me but that punched my buttons. So let's say a few words about Christmas again.
This year turned out to be fun for me on so many levels. I do not know exactly what it means to get the Christmas spirit but maybe I came close. One of the things I did was wander around our local mall seeing who was there. I got to see more than a few people I know from the present and the past. Being able to connect with others makes this time of the year worthwhile. It also helps when most of your shopping is over so you can take your time when walking around. You can relax instead of stressing out over finding a perfect gift. Seeing other people looking stressed is a perverse way of enjoying your time out.
My hope is this was also a good year around the church. Celebration was not in short supply from all of our gatherings. Our advent preparations with the music and all the trimmings worked out great. Hearing our kids sing their musical was a treat to put it mildly. Our annual candlelight service was unusually meaningful this time around. We had a fairly full house this evening for that time. Just being together as a church family should have real meaning but it did feel like even more tonight.
Many thanks to all who did the heavy lifting this year. So many people add to the occasion than we could ever take time to mention by name. You cannot do church in a solitary fashion. Someday we will appreciate all who help us along. I think we had a terrific few weeks of Advent here. My hope is all of this will help you truly enjoy the holiday. May whoever comes across this blog have a very Merry Christmas.
Bro. Trey
This upcoming weekend is a huge one in the state of Texas. Many a town or community will have an extra Merry Christmas when it is over. It is the weekend of high school football state title games. Every class of school from the smallest to the largest will crown their champion for 2013. Each game will be played in Arlington at the stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play. Odds are good it will be the best football played there this year so far. No way can anyone outside our state can totally comprehend the sheer magnitude of what is about to happen. Football is our second largest religion here besides being a Baptist.
My small town would shut down when we played away from home way back when. And if we played a longer way out of town then it shut down early so everyone went to the game. Just to make the playoffs back then was quite a feat. Even with more teams getting into the tournament does not take away from what it means. Larger schools obviously come from areas of more population. Our smaller schools still receive quite the turnout each week. Pride often arises from the success of a small school for years should they win a title. You pass through many towns with billboards of various sizes welcoming you to the town of a state champion. You may miss the city limit sign but you cannot miss the billboards.
It was my privilege to see three state championship games in a row with my school here. I also shot the film for each contest. I now wear one of my two state title rings often very proudly. No one has to tell me that this accomplishment is not easy to achieve. You have to have talent, coaching, and a little luck to reach that level. Who knew that receiving a ring while in my mid 40s would happen? My plan is to wear it as long as I have fingers. Whoever wins out this weekend can say they earned their championship. Parents and kids will share the stories for the rest of their life. Some of the athletes will go on to play in college and perhaps professional. Many will end up with this victory as their sole reminder of playing the game. No one can take that away from them.
Football is a brutal game. We read the reports almost daily of significant brain injuries much less other ailments. But it still educates our young men in Texas in ways the classroom cannot. These guys learn about discipline, endurance, friendship and learning to live with the highs and lows of life. People can take it way too seriously. Some coaches are less about teaching life than using talent for personal gain. Communities can become a battlefield for conflict over a program. None of this is ever pretty. But let us celebrate this weekend the positive aspects of the game. One team will win while the other loses. But trust me on this one thing. You cannot truly lose unless you allow yourself to be swept up in the idea of it. Just playing for a title is a victory unto itself. I can only hope these young men can realize how lucky they are after a long year. May all of their travels be safe and may this not be the highlight of their life win or lose.
Bro. Trey
Beginning to write tonight seems a struggle. There is no single concept running through this old mind to even consider. My guess is this says more about me and my mind than anything else. It also bugs me that there are more than a few blog posts complaining about this very same thing. You would imagine that if one writes as an outlet there would be a little more creativity involved. No one will ever mistake me for one of those gifted artists in word or thought. Let me restate the obvious. This is just a plain old simple blog written by someone who hopes to get it right on occasion. At this rate I would settle for once per year?
Christmas is the obvious place to turn during these days. But that single word seems to take in more than we really embrace. What we do leading up to the big day will determine so much of how we celebrate it. This holiday is a recognition of what God does by coming to our world through Jesus. I type that last sentence somewhat easily but there is no way to capture all it means. God who created all is the person who comes to earth in Jesus. Everything changes because of that one fact. All of the Old Testament prepares us for that occasion. All of the New Testament describes how life changed because of that one evening in Bethlehem. We live our life in a far different fashion because God didn't settle for being a casual observer. He is committed to His creation.
Mainline congregations use the Advent season to prepare the heart for Christmas. We do some of that here also. Making this observance part of our days is one way to let our heart be ready for Christmas. But this isn't about being prepared for a day but being ready to do business with God. So much of what we go through leading up to the holiday runs against the grain of who Jesus is and was. We worry about finances when He preached to the poor. We allow our hurts to have the last word instead of receiving His joy. We get cross with others when the message is one of peace and goodwill to men. Just buying presents or planning a menu is not nearly enough to be ready for the celebration.
Reading scripture related to the Christmas story is one way to prepare. Praying for an open or joyful heart would go far to settle our moods. Forgiving even those who do the most damage to our emotions would be tremendous for being ready. Giving as much as spending would free you from the cold grasp of money issues. Listening to others or being sensitive to needs would make for a greater blessing than any present. You may not get all you want for Christmas but you can play a role in others getting what they need. That might be enough to make your Christmas merry and bright.
Bro. Trey
Advent is the time of the year for believers to get their hearts ready for Christmas. It is similar to the time of Lent that leads up to Easter. You only find these terms used in the Christian calendar that many mainline denominations use to guide worship. Baptists usually do not officially commemorate this time of the year but more congregations are talking about it. We do not use many of the tools of Advent here. I do try to use suggested texts for preaching even though they repeat ever three years. Most of my usage is personal to be totally honest. Christmas is a serious though joyful time that deserves our full attention. Taking advantage of all the planning tools available is a good way to do just that. Being able to think about the themes of Advent is an enormous help to my spiritual life.
Another thing we do is with our young members. They come to lead us in an Advent reflection each week. Scripture is read along with a devotion dealing with the topic of the week. This week will be completely different. My youngest and I are reading the reflection together on Sunday. Part of my day today was used to type it up for us to practice. I do not know how much he will understand. Autism is a mystery as to what he will comprehend as we read. He does know the concept of joy which is our subject. Joy will be the emotion that overtakes me as we do this together.
He is not the only person who struggles to grasp the real nature of joy. You only begin to get it by knowing who Jesus is. That doesn't mean we get distracted by all of the imagery of the season. Being sure of who Jesus is means letting Him be who He is in scripture. We tend to bring our personal expectations to His story. We make Him almost a different person than is portrayed in the gospels. What happens is we miss out on the simple yet glorious reality of Christ. Our lives remain mired in the status quo. Prayer is just another ritual we can skip should it not fit our schedule. God becomes someone who just blesses our best rather than being our best. Jesus is going to be who He is. We are the ones who miss out by not learning that. We become the ones who exist without joy.
Bro. Trey
And now for something completely different. File this one under things most ministers will not tell you about their work. Just being honest about ministry matters is far easier as I age. Maybe my experiences are not the norm but you should hear some of this from someone. So hang in there even if what follows is not terribly exciting.
For some unknown reason there are now three weddings on my calendar for next summer. I never can explain the rhyme or reason as to how these things occur. Two of these will be in Texas while one takes me back to my original home. I will travel to New Orleans to officiate for a young couple. Weddings can be difficult. Every couple has their unique spin on how they want this great day to unfold. No two weddings are alike. My very first wedding outline along with the Bible I normally used was lost several years ago. So now I just put my ideas together from a basic approach to what is said. This is very similar to how my preparation takes place for a funeral. Names may change but the core of my words and thoughts seldom varies. There really is only so much one can say during either a wedding or a funeral. There are obviously special occasions for each setting. Some services of either setting do call for more preparation or thought than others. But let me be honest to say my purpose for both does not change a great deal.
Here are a few things that I often wish people took into consideration when either of these services are required.
- Family relations will go a long way in determining the success of either a wedding or a funeral. Discord, bitterness or plain ole fighting can derail the best of intentions. You might be surprised at how often I hold my breath just hoping to survive a service. There is something about a crisis that brings out the worst in people. Just being a "holy moment" does not guarantee such behavior will not happen.
- Planning is the key to either occasion. Now most of us really do not want to plan a funeral for our own life but it does help a minister know what direction to go. There are far too many times when a distant relative about four times removed just feels the need to say something at a funeral. I more often than not try to keep such a thing from happening. It may happen also at a wedding when that same type person thinks they should sing or suggest changes to the ceremony. A funeral is for the most next of kin whoever that is. The wedding is for the couple beginning with the bride. I work for those people primarily.
- You are going to find it difficult to go from a non Christian outlook to all of a sudden acting as if you are a deacon or other devout believer on either service. You again might be surprised to learn how some offer terrible advice to one who grieves or one who is starting a new life. We throw out platitudes that we read on a Hallmark card then expect that to be somehow inspiring. Meaning well does not eliminate the shallow if not stupid things people can say.
These are only a few observations from one who witnessed more than a few horrifying moments in a time of loss or love. I find myself wanting to scream that this is what my job is so let me do it. Patience is critical to getting through the drama. Putting my foot down on behalf of those who matter most is seldom appreciated. But my role is not to accommodate every one with a suggestion or intention to get involved. My task is still to honor God in either occasion with the least amount of that drama. One can only hope that is enough.
Bro. Trey
Tonight will be more of a rant than a blog post. A soapbox is not one of those things that I get on very often but an exception is made this evening. Nor is there any expectation that my frustration will lead to any real progress. Mine is simply another voice crying in the wilderness that goes unnoticed. This is also going to be a topic of frequent notice here. So let me just lay all of that out at the beginning.
Blogs come in all shapes and sizes. Some writers become well known as they show creative and intriguing talent at writing. Other places tend to be more critical than others. Maybe a better way to say it is some blogs point out the real shortcomings of whatever field they write about. It is when reading the reports of Christian leaders that I wonder what on earth is wrong with us. We are doing a fine job of really making a mess of a simple faith. It seems that some churches or movements are becoming all about the leader rather than the Savior. Other writers borrow from works without giving credit where credit is due. Then people take to the blogosphere to blast anyone who dares to question their behavior. Churches become a secret society rather than an open book. We are doing a fine job hiding the truth rather than spreading it.
It is in the movie, The Devil's Advocate, that Satan comes in human form to tempt a lawyer with all manner of vice. He reminds the viewer at the end of the film that pride is still his greatest tool. A person need not be famous to wrestle with pride. Even the average churchgoer can be caught in its grip. But even one who seems more mature in faith of leadership gets trapped by it as well. Ministers may write books, appear on television or other media or build large congregations but still be in peril from pride. It is now common place for such a person to hide the salary, gather people who only say yes, or lash out an any person who dares to bring a question. All of this just saddens and then angers me. I often wonder what our future will be at this rate.
Do not imagine that pride isn't an issue for me. Being in a small town rather than being famous does not protect me from the subtle sin. I have no books. There is no television ministry. Speaking engagements in other well known congregations just doesn't happen here. But pride will always be a struggle for any of us who fully engage in ministry. My priority peeve is that Jesus left us with a message of grace and openness. Nothing in His words even remotely suggest an agenda of self. Even the poorest in spirit are promised the greatness of the Kingdom. May we be more desperate for Him than we are wrapped up in the recognition of others.
Bro. Trey
Nelson Mandela died today. His passing is mourned by millions all over the globe. I am not Mandela expert nor do I believe we understand the totality of his life. He is a human being like the rest of us. Not all of his biography is nearly as noble as the years following his release from prison. Some refer to him as a communist if not far worse. What becomes clear is these last twenty years or so of his life are some of the most remarkable of recent history. Now this is not going to be some generic eulogy written light years from the heart of his journey. There seems to be several layers to this news. Just glancing over various reports and websites will give you a clearer view of his meaning both past and present. One of the layers of his story troubles me greatly. The other seems far more uplifting.
It is true that Mandela embraced Marxist type philosophy for much of his life. Yet his record as President of his country falls more in line with free market economics. No one can doubt his influence on issues such as basic human rights and dignity. I was glancing through a highly conservative website in terms of political orientation. One editor relayed various tweets and other comments from like minded leaders in our country. What absolutely angered me was the poisonous hatred from commenters about this death. The comments ranged from the sublime, to the ridiculous to the ugly side of life. I could not suggest any thinking person read those responses due to just how flat out ugly they became. We like to imagine we are an enlightened society with our technology and education. But our hearts remain bitter and small. If another person disagrees with us then our reaction is to blast them with horrible words. Racism, bigotry and the like are still the bane of our existence. We do tend to be ugly people regardless of how much we achieve.
Another idea is that some measure of transformation took place in Mandela's prison cell over his time there. Did you know that he invited the warden and other staff from that place of confinement to his inauguration as President? He advocated plus displayed a life of forgiveness in the face of racial injustice. He was asked about any bitterness toward those who jailed him. His answer was that if he didn't forgive then he would still be in a prison no matter where he lived. Mandela got it right. No person is truly free as long as their heart is frozen in the past of unforgiveness. Perhaps he would not be as bothered by the comments from those who are still saying horrible things about him. Jesus told us more about forgiveness than most any other topic. One can only hope we take His words as serious as He meant them.
Bro. Trey
Let's pick up some with where last night concluded. I realize it sounds as if there was an abrupt ending. That is exactly what it is. Time ran out on me. It also is a factor that such a post could go on forever. Here is what made me think of the idea over the last few days. Perhaps you read of a young actor who died recently in a fiery car accident. What you maybe did not notice was the public memorial at the site of the crash. One of the signs lamented the common refrain of why do only the good die young. However honest such a question can be it also betrays a shallow view of this life. I would like to think my basic character is good yet I am still here. Old age is not a promised reward for living on the level of good. Life and death is our constant reality where neither comes with an expiration date.
Obviously, much of my job takes me to cemeteries on a regular basis. Now it is true that many of those occasions revolve around those who did live a long life. But that is not always the case. Some die far too tragically at much too young of an age. We tend to wander around in this world with the concept that we are invincible. We shouldn't obsess over death but neither is it a topic to avoid. Perhaps only those who come to grip with the fragility of living understand how to make it count. Maybe those who approach life with an eternal perspective can make their earthly journey one to remember.
This can be especially true during the holidays. There is nothing like this time of the year to send us into a tailspin of depression. Our minds drift to those we are now without. I tell my congregation every year to remember those who may be facing grief due to their losses. It may start to sound trite but it matters. Simply asking the question of why things happen will not guarantee a healthy outlook. I do wish there was a simple answer in each case. My world would be far easier if that were so. God just refuses to operate this way. To live by faith means being awfully real with Him in the most trying times we have. Settling for superficial answers just will not cut it during such times. We tend to forget that answers will not fill the void left by a loss.
God offers comfort, guidance, and enduring grace above and beyond any answer. His tendency is to move us to fresh maturity while we struggle along. Scripture becomes a source of truth to remind us we are still alive. One bad habit we have is when we try to find some message that insures our safety. Brokenness tends to strip away our illusions so we are capable of knowing Him. We are able to move from just trying to feel better to seriously wanting to find God. Pain is a given in our world while suffering may be optional. We are not required to play the victim to our conditions. God would want us to get how big He really is compared to our situations. He would want to bless us in incredible fashion when our world wants to break us. Selfish desire to just ease the pain leads us away from His truest purposes.
My guess is we should spend at least one more blog post on all of this. I also need to stop and reflect on what is being said. Just be sure there is far more to your present destination than what you may see around you. To know that is to begin to find real hope.
Bro. Trey
There is one question that people never seem to get answered enough in their journey. You may think it relates to a topic like the second coming but that's not it. You may even imagine that some other doctrine might be always on the minds of people but that's not it either. I saw a little boy asking his father this question after his Alabama football team lost their game on Saturday. He was sobbing over the shocking defeat of his beloved Crimson Tide. Reading his lips was fairly easy as he asked his dad why. Why or how could his team get beat in such an amazing ending? That is the question I get most times and usually not about a football game. It comes mostly in a time of crisis to be sure but seldom related to sports.
People really struggle with this issue of why bad things happen in their life. Our tendency is to start with a false idea of what this adventure is all about. For one thing, nowhere does it say that bad things should not be a part of this thing we called life. We are often the ones who make the determination on the value of an event. Our problem is the emotions so cloud our judgment at such an occasion that we cannot see clearly. Now this is perfectly natural or even human. But we also usually forget that truth in the crisis. We also seem to have the idea that being "good" is enough to keep the bad stuff away. It sounds as if God owes us good days simply because we believe we are trying to be good. Now those two statements sound a bit harsh but they are worth our consideration. We will let the bumps in the road become more than we are able to overcome if we do not start with the right perspective. We will make our days more about us than God when we do that.
Another error of ours is we believe God cannot tolerate us asking Him why such awful times occur. My reading of scripture says more than a few of the biblical characters brought their complaints to God. We read of Job who carries on several dialogues with friends, family and with God during his breakdown. He becomes a deeper man of faith because of his honesty but also his humility. Others do not fare so well when it comes to asking God this cosmic question. Many of the Psalms carry an element of searching for divine reasons for human calamity. The anguish of David along with other writers becomes clear when you bring an open heart to reading those Psalms. These people know our pain even though many years removed from their writing.
I encourage people to ask God the why question. Part of my reason is He is our focus for wisdom and courage as we muddle through. I also mention that answers may take time to discover if we ever get them all to our satisfaction. But we absolutely must keep seeking God to find His truth. We cannot and will not ever find them in our own counsel. God can handle our questions, our pain, and our frustration. He is that big.
What is clear to me is God always has a reason for us in those times. We may not be ready to know that reason yet but it is there. It is as surely there as the sun still shines behind any level of clouds. This doesn't mean I always like what happens in the life of others. But when you opt for the answer that this is beyond God then you will miss what His better purpose is in life. Nobody ever said life is fair. We really would not like God to always be fair since we are sinners. What we need is grace. We need a God who is powerful enough to handle our crisis yet caring enough to comfort our brokenness. That is why we have the cross to answer not just any sense of life being unfair but also our broken hearts. We can always look to God who gets how painful this world really is. He also says this world is not all there is.
That's enough for one night. We will come back to this as soon as we can.
Bro. Trey
Who knew that giving thanks could be so hard on the body? Getting a good night's sleep sounds awfully good about now. You do all you can to get through this day of thanksgiving only to find another holiday bearing down on you fast. At least it seems as though a few people took they day of turkey and family as a day unto itself. All turned out well in my humble abode. We enjoyed a great meal. A nap worked itself into the day. Family came and went. Leftovers were saved for the following days. Life was pretty good.
Then you wake up and it is time to grab the Christmas decorations. I don't know how this year will turn out for that. We have a shorter than usual time between these holidays. It will seem as if we just got boxes of various décor put away when it will be time to change for yet another season. Two days of locating, hanging, and decorating still isn't enough to have all of ours done. Perhaps you should understand we basically have our very own Christmas store to get out. My youngest enjoys all of it once the house is ready. Now if he only did more to help in the process!
We do have four weeks to get ready for Christmas day. That is no interim time but all of it ties together to make it a holiday. Every year I talk about not getting swept away in the season. Every year our society makes it harder for us to avoid doing that. We just went through the annual rite of Black Friday. There were actual fist fights in various retail outlets around the country. I also read gunshots were fired at another store. Have we just lost our mind? I'm sure all of that is what the angels meant by "peace on earth and goodwill toward men."
We really need to use these days to prepare our hearts as well as our plans for the arrival of Jesus. Somehow we should make time to spend with God amid all of the upheaval of this month. He may have great advice on how to handle all of the stress. We also might as well get ready for those people who make us more like the Grinch than a disciple. All of us have people like that somewhere. Some are friends, others are family but they just get on wrong side of us and lodge there. We can also give real gifts to others. Connect your faith to a conscious need in the life of another. That is a sure way to get into the season. You may even make this time of the year far more terrific than tiring.
Bro. Trey
