Caroling, Caroling

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I did something I haven’t done in a long, long time. Not since college. Maybe even high school. I went caroling, complete with printed sheets of lyrics and everything. Just like it was back in the late 1900s.

It’s been that long.

Back in the day, we’d all gather together and carpool from place to place with our arsenal of festive seasonal classics. I’m sure we were joyful and triumphant in our attempts to pull off the carols and jingles. We probably came closer to making a joyful noise than anything else. I couldn’t tell if the guy next to me was trying to harmonize or was just really off-key, but it didn’t really matter in the end. A good time was had by all.

Tonight, we started off visiting the house of a deacon who very recently had been fighting for his life. It was heartwarming to see him standing in the doorway, a sort of miracle in itself, with his wife wiping away tears of gratitude as we sang loudly and zestily (if not always in tune or in the same key).

Then we headed over to my pastor’s parent’s to do more yuletide crooning. They’ve both had health issues and have had a rough 2022, but they were both pleased and grateful to see us gathered in their front yard, singing about those herald angels.

The last stop was the next-door neighbor who was a founding member of Brentwood Baptist Church along with her late husband. She lost him around this time last year, and I’m sure she was thankful for the company. Christmas is a beautiful time, but sometimes I forget that it’s not the easiest season if you’re missing a loved one.

I snapped a picture of this forlorn little reindeer in one of the yards. Hopefully, someone got a good snapshot of all of us singing in different keys and sometimes different verses at the same time. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir we were not.

But I’d do it all again tomorrow night if I could. In fact, I hope this caroling thing becomes another tradition that I can look forward to through the spring, summer and fall.

The Most Reluctant Convert

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I did something that I rarely do these days — I went to an actual movie in an actual movie theater. It’s been a while.

Normally, I like to wait for it to hit streaming services because few films are worth paying the current price of movie tickets. But in this case, I made an exception. I wanted to support a faith-based film from a group that I’ve grown to respect as I’ve gotten to know about them, the Fellowship for Performing Arts, led by one Max McLean.

The film is centered around the story of C. S. Lewis’ 10-year journey from atheism to Christianity. Without giving away too much, the narrative device they use to tell the story is unique and compelling. I feel like Mr. McLean masterfully portrayed the title character and the filming locations gave the production a note of authenticity.

But what captivated me most was the way the movie used Lewis’ own words. I believe a lot of the narrative came directly from his autobiography Surprised by Joy. For once, it’s a faith-based film that actually succeeds at being a good film first, and without being preachy or didactic.

It will make you want to dive deep into the writings of C. S. Lewis, both apologetic and fiction, as well as possibly leading you to check out some of writers who inspired him such as George MacDonald and G. K. Chesterton. I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone who wants a quality movie about the nuances of faith and intellect.

Do Thou for Me

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“Do Thou for me, O God the Lord,
Do Thou for me.
I need not toil to find the word
That carefully
Unfolds my prayer and offers it,
My God, to Thee.

It is enough that Thou wilt do,
And wilt not tire,
Wilt lead by cloud, all the night through
By light of fire,
Till Thou has perfected in me
Thy heart’s desire.

For my beloved I will not fear,
Love knows to do
For him, for her, from year to year,
As hitherto.
Whom my heart cherishes are dear
To Thy heart too.

O blessèd be the love that bears
The burden now,
The love that frames our very prayers,
Well knowing how
To coin our gold.  O God the Lord,
Do Thou, Do Thou” (Amy Carmichael).

There are times when we simply don’t know how to pray for a circumstance or a loved one. Try as we may, the words will not come.

I think even then God hears the groans and sighs of our petitions and knows what they mean. He hears the deepest desires of our hearts and knows best how to grant them.

Even when we have words, they aren’t always the best ones. Sometimes, we ask without such a limited point of view. Sometimes we ask selfishly. Sometimes we have too small a view of God and ask too little.

In Jan Karon’s Mitford series, Father Tim Kavanaugh always has his go-to prayer, or “the prayer that never fails,” as he calls it. The prayer goes “Thy will be done.”

You can never go wrong with leaving the matter in God’s hands.

Sneaking Up

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As usual, Labor Day weekend snuck up on me. I never remember that it’s an actual holiday until the Friday before. The same goes for Memorial Day. Not in anyway to diminish either of these holidays, but I can be a little thick sometimes.

I am thankful for Labor Day (or should it really be called Labor-Free Day?) and for the extra day off. Even if it’s 145 degrees outside in the shade. And no, I’m not counting down the days until fall starts (15).

Today, the sermon at church was on Luke 10:1-2 where Jesus says that the fields are ready for harvest but the laborers are few. According to multiple studies, 20% of church people do 80% of the work. Most people are content to occupy a space on the pew or the chair and spectate rather than participate.

But God created all of us with unique gifts and passions that bless those within and without the walls of a church gathering. Plus, there’s joy in finding your place of serving and ministry in God’s kingdom. Not all of us are called to preach from a pulpit or lead worship, but we can all worship in our own way, no matter how small it seems to us or to others.

I love my church. I love that I get to sleep in tomorrow, even though it’s a Monday. I love that every day God wakes me up is a gift and I find that I take it for granted less and less as I get older. Too many people I know who are my age or younger have passed away for me ever to think that I’m guaranteed 80 years in this world.

So happy Labor Day! May you enjoy a restful day — and if you’re one of those who don’t get a day off, may you find joy in your labors, knowing that you’re not really working for a human boss or a human organization ultimately, but for God and God alone.

An Excerpt from The Magician’s Nephew

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If you want a good read (and you’re okay with reading children’s books), then I suggest The Chronicles of Narnia. It’s best to start with The Magician’s Nephew, a story which tells of the origins of Narnia. I’ve included an excerpt to give you an idea. Also, good books are good books, no matter who the intended target audience is. I’ve learned that much in my life so far:

“Well,” said Aslan, “can you use a spade and a plough and raise food out of the earth?”

“Yes, sir, I could do a bit of that sort of work: being brought up to it, like.”

“Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly, remembering that they are not slaves like the dumb beasts of the world you were born in, but Talking Beasts and free subjects?”

“I see that, sir,” replied the Cabby. “I’d try to do the square thing by them all.”

“And would you bring up your children and grandchildren to do the same?”

“It’d be up to me to try, sir. I’d do my best: wouldn’t we, Nellie?”

“And you wouldn’t have favorites either among your own children or among the other creatures, or let any hold another under or use it hardly?”

“I never could abide such goings on, sir, and that’s the truth. I’d give ’em what for if I caught ’em at it,” said the Cabby. (All through this conversation his voice was growing slower and richer. More like the country voice he must have had as a boy and less like the sharp, quick voice of a cockney.)

“And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will arise) and there was war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat?”

“Well, sir,” said the Cabby very slowly, “a chap don’t exactly know till he’s been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft ’un. Never did no fighting except with my fists. I’d try—that is, I ’ope I’d try—to do my bit.”

“Then,” said Aslan, “you will have done all that a King should do.”

C. S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew

Entirely Yours

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“To say, ‘I am not my own,’ is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The desire that comes into a disciple is not one of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The secret is truly being able to say, ‘I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.’ Be entirely His!” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest)

Lord, I am not my own. I have been bought with a price. I belong to You. Help me not so much to seek to do things for You but to be available for You at any moment to use as You see fit. Make me a vessel through which to pour Your love. Work Your purposes in me and work through me so that I might be a channel of blessing from You to others. Make me more like You every day. Amen.

Water from the Well

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“‘So the three mighty men . . . drew water from the well of Bethlehem . . . and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.’ (2 Samuel 23:16).

What has been like ‘water from the well of Bethlehem’ to you recently–love, friendship, or maybe some spiritual blessing? Have you taken whatever it may be simply to satisfy yourself? If you are always keeping blessings to yourself and never learning to pour out anything ‘to the Lord,’ other people will never have their vision of God expanded through you” (Oswald Chambers, from My Utmost for His Highest).

How has God blessed you lately? The tendency is to hoard blessings in case there aren’t any more in the future, but that is a miserly way to be. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others.

I think there’s a Scripture about sharing all good things with your teacher. If you gain wisdom, it’s good to let your pastor or teacher know. You can take what you learn and pass it on to others. I’ve learned that when you learn something in order to teach it to someone else, what you learn stays with you more than if you just learned it for yourself.

May we be a blessing conduit instead of a blessing reservoir, so that God’s goodness won’t just stop with us but keep flowing through us to those who need it. May we be channels of blessing every day that God gives us breath.

Taking it Back to 1850

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I ran across another hymn that I wish we could bring back. I’m a fan of modern worship, but sometimes I think we miss out by eliminating the old hymns completely. This is one that could possibly use a newer arrangement but the words are still powerful:

“Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see.
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like thyself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.

I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless,
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes.
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me” 1 Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

2 Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see.
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

3 I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like thyself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.

4 I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless,
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

5 Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes.
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me” (Henry Francis Lyte).

Sing with Your Conduct

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“Don’t let your life give evidence against your tongue. Sing with your voices… sing also with your conduct” (St. Augustine).

I think it was Brennan Manning who once said that the greatest single cause for atheism in the world are Christians who profess Jesus with their lips, and then walk out the door of worship and deny Him with their lifestyle.

That’s the classic definition of a hypocrite — pretending to be something that you’re not. And the best way to determine a phony is not what comes out of their mouth but how they act, especially when they think no one’s watching.

That’s the reasoning behind Romans 12:1-2. Worship isn’t just singing. Worship is sacrifice.

Anyone can sing songs about God. Anyone can get caught up in the moment and say it’s worship. But then again, you can do the same thing at a secular concert or at a football game.

True worship isn’t an event but a lifestyle. It doesn’t start at 9:30 on Sunday morning but from the moment you wake up until you lay your head on the pillow at night.

Yes, sing to the Lord. Sing loudly — even if you sound like a dying moose. But also sing with your actions as well as your words. Sing with your work ethic. Sing with your compassion to those in need around you. Sing with how well you love your spouse and your family. Sing with your life.

The Joy of Jesus

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“The joy of Jesus was His absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice to His Father–the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do. Jesus prayed that our joy might continue fulfilling itself until it becomes the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest).

Lord, I pray that that same joy of Jesus will be our joy. I pray that we will live every moment in self-surrender and self-sacrifice, longing only to do Your will. Lord, slay in us any desires that aren’t of You and help us to love what You love so that we might pray in Your name and in accord with Your will.

Jesus, You didn’t see Your lofty position as something to be held onto tightly, but You emptied Yourself and took the form of a slave. You were obedient in every waking moment all the way up to Golgatha and laid down Your life for us so that we might be set free and live. May Your example be ours as well. Amen.

Barrenness and Desolation

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“What is my barrenness? It is the platform for His fruit-creating power. What is my desolation? It is the black setting for the sapphire of His everlasting love.

“I will go in poverty, I will go in helplessness, I will go in all my shame and backsliding, I will tell Him that I am still His child, and in confidence in His faithful heart, even I, the barren one, will sing and cry aloud” (Charles Spurgeon).

This goes out to anyone who has ever felt like a screen door on a submarine (with much thanks to Rich Mullins for that rich metaphor). You know . . . useless. Pointless. As in why do I even exist?

The moment of your confession of barrenness and desolation is the very moment where God shows up. The moment you confess your inadequacy is when you find that God is more than able. The moment you cry aloud and boast in your very weakness is when God shows that His strength is perfect.

The bad news is that we’re all profoundly messed up because of our sin condition. The good news is that God in Christ has already done something about that. The good news is that for those who have trusted Jesus for salvation, God in Christ has made you new and doesn’t see failure but sees the perfection of Christ’s righteousness in you.

In that great mercy, go to God with all your shame and backsliding. Sing and cry aloud. Tell God and remind yourself that you are still His child. Remember that you are never alone, never forsaken, never hopeless. God is with you.

A Different Mindset

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“The prayer of a Christian brother who was in prison for years in Romania during the difficult years of the cold war. He prayed:

‘Lord, I look forward to the great day I see you and your family in heaven. I look forward to seeing the great evangelists standing before you. I look forward to the day I see all the missionaries coming home rejoicing with their sheaves. I look forward to hearing all the great singers of the world praising you. I look forward to seeing the great preachers of the ages standing before you.

“But Lord, I have one special request. When that day comes, allow me to be there in the clothing of a prisoner. I want to praise you throughout eternity in my prisoner’s clothes to always remind me that I was a prisoner for you.'”

Sometimes, it feels like the faith of persecuted people is different than our comfortable brand of Christianity. We tend to deconstruct or quit when our lives get difficult, but these people endured prison and sometimes even death and would not waver. They were committed to the cause, no matter what.

I don’t want to paint with too broad a brush, but I think our comfort may be our biggest culprit. We’ve associated our faith too long with material prosperity and favor. We’ve forgotten what Jesus meant when He said that following Him meant taking up your cross daily.

The people in Jesus’ day knew exactly what that meant. Taking up your cross meant that you were heading toward your death. Crosses weren’t gold-plated symbols of fashion. They were instruments of torture. Jesus was essentially saying what Dietrich Bonhoeffer would later say, “When Christ calls a man [or woman], He bids him [or her] come and die.”

I don’t want to be morbid. I don’t want to come across as looking forward to pain and suffering. I know Jesus said that in this life, we all will have tribulation and trials and trouble. But the good news is that He has overcome, and to the ones who endure, He will grant a crown of victory.

Lord, help us to be followers who will seek obedience over convenience and faithfulness over comfort. Help us to live out your words and be ready to take up our own crosses and follow You, no matter what the cost. Because You died for us, we will live for You. Amen.

The Race That Knows Joseph

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Lately, I’ve been listening to Anne’s House of Dreams, the fourth book in the Avonlea series by L. M. Montgomery. Those of you who grew up reading and watching Anne of Green Gables are probably very familiar with these books.

In this book, the author uses a phrase repeatedly — someone is of the race that knows Joseph. That basically means that person is a kindred spirit or a lifelong friend as opposed to a seasonal acquaintance.

It comes from the passage in Exodus where it states that a new pharaoh arose who didn’t know Joseph and subsequently had the Israelite people made into slaves.

I’ve learned that real and true friends are rare. People who are willing to invest in you and make time for you are precious in the sense of something that is expensive because it is rare and hard to find.

If you are of the race that knows Joseph, it means you are dependable and can be trusted. If you have those kind of people in your life, you are blessed indeed.