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.

Social Rules to Live By

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This post is a bit outside my wheelhouse, so to speak. What follows is some good advice that I wish I had learned earlier (or maybe paid better attention to when someone else was trying to teach me). Some of these may be more applicable than others, but I hope they will all be useful at some point in your life:

  1. Don’t call someone more than twice continuously. If they don’t pick up your call, presume they have something important to attend to.
  2. Return money that you have borrowed even before the person who loaned it to you remembers or asks for it. It shows your integrity and character. The same goes for umbrellas, pens, and lunch boxes.
  3. Never order the expensive dish on the menu when someone is treating you to lunch or dinner.
  4. Don’t ask awkward questions like ‘Oh, so you aren’t married yet?’ Or ‘Don’t you have kids?’ Or ‘Why haven’t you bought a house?’ Or ‘Why haven’t you bought a car?’ For God’s sake, it isn’t your problem.
  5. Always open the door for the person coming behind you. It doesn’t matter if it is a guy or a girl, senior or junior. You don’t grow small by treating someone well in public.
  6. If you take a taxi with a friend and he/she pays now, try paying next time.
  7. Respect different shades of opinions. Remember, what may seem like 6 to you might appear as 9 to someone else. Besides, a second opinion is good for an alternative.
  8. Never interrupt people while they are talking. Allow them to pour it out. As they say, hear them all and filter them all.
  9. If you tease someone, and they don’t seem to enjoy it, stop it and never do it again. It encourages one to do more and shows how appreciative you are.
  10. Say “thank you” when someone is helping you.
  11. Praise publicly. Criticize privately.
  12. There’s almost never a reason to comment on someone’s weight. Just say, “You look fantastic.” If they want to talk about losing weight, they will.
  13. When someone shows you a photo on their phone, don’t swipe left or right. You never know what’s next.
  14. If a colleague tells you they have a doctor’s appointment, don’t ask what it’s for, just say “I hope you’re okay.” Don’t put them in the uncomfortable position of having to tell you their personal illness. If they want you to know, they’ll do so without your inquisitiveness.
  15. Treat the cleaner with the same respect as the CEO. Nobody is impressed by how rudely you treat someone below you, but people will notice if you treat them with respect.
  16. If a person is speaking directly to you, staring at your phone is rude.
  17. Never give advice until you’re asked.
  18. When meeting someone after a long time, unless they want to talk about it, don’t ask them their age or salary.
  19. Mind your business unless anything involves you directly – just stay out of it.
  20. Remove your sunglasses if you are talking to anyone in the street. It is a sign of respect. Moreover, eye contact is as important as your speech.
  21. Never talk about your riches in the midst of the poor. Similarly, don’t talk about your children in the midst of the barren.
  22. After reading a good message, consider saying “Thanks for the message.”

APPRECIATION remains the easiest way of getting what you don’t have.

I am including the original post to give credit where credit is due.

Practicing Gratitude

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I read earlier today about a man who lost his 10-year old son in a terrible accident a couple of weeks back. Suddenly, my problems don’t seem so big.

I’m not advocating comparing your problems with other people. For one, you never really see the whole picture with the other person. Also, it denies the reality of what you’re going through currently. It may not be a huge deal, but it’s real.

I remember a quote where it said that a lot of people would give anything for one of your bad days. They’d love to have your terrible job. They’d love to be in your shoes for one day.

It’s easy to make your problems seem bigger than they are when you become inward focused. When you look to others, you see that you’re not the only one struggling. When you look to God, you see that while your problem may seem big, God is bigger. Always.

I’m praying for the family of the 10-year old. I can’t begin to imagine the nightmare they’re living through. But I do know that even there, God can turn something tragic into good. The little boy’s organs will be donated and help save lives. Maybe people will hear about Jesus at the funeral and come to a saving faith in Him. God will be with that family. After all, He knows about losing a Son.

So before I go to bed tonight, I’m breathing out a prayer of gratitude for all my blessings.

Another Dad Joke

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When does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent.

When is a dad joke fully mature? When it’s full groan.

Seriously, dad jokes are the best. Amiright?

Every now and then, it’s good to take a break from all the weightiness of the world and laugh at a really dumb joke. Or groan inwardly and outwardly.

Enjoying the Not Yet

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There’s a quote about how we spend our days wishing it were night and our nights wishing it were the next day. We let present anxiety rob us of future joy and we miss the present. We’re so focused on what might go wrong that we can’t see everything that is right right in front of us.

The secret to joy is learning how to experience it not in some theoretical future when your conditions have been met, but right here and now. It’s not “when I get out of school” or “when I get married” or “when I have children” or “when I get that job.”

When you’re in an in-between place, that’s where you learn to trust God. When you’re in the hallway waiting for the next door to open, that’s when you truly learn to worship in spirit and truth. When you declare God’s goodness before you see the good hand of God, you practice genuine and unshakeable faith.

Maybe what you need right now is a good belly laugh. Or maybe what would do you the most good is a nap. Or maybe you need to sit in the moment and count your blessings, naming them each one by one. That’s when you learn that true riches aren’t possessions or even people, but living out of the overflow and abundance of the presence of God, not for what He can give you but for who He is alone.

Daily Bread Vs. a Lifetime Supply

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Recently, a friend sent me an article about trusting God for daily bread versus really wanting God to dump a year’s worth of supply in one drop so I don’t have to worry. In my flesh, I’d rather be set for life than have to be like the Israelites of old and trust God for daily provision.

Speaking of those ol’ people of God, they didn’t always listen. When God said to gather only as much as manna as you need for that day, they thought they’d be oh so smart and oh so clever and gather two or three days’ worth. What happened? The excess manna rotted and smelled to high heaven, as did the people’s attitude.

God supplies our needs daily because He knows our ultimate need isn’t bread. What we need most isn’t physical. We need God, and when we learn to trust God for each day, our dependence deepens and grows as we see each day’s needs met.

I confess I’m not very good at that. I tend to be forgetful. Thankfully, God has a gentle way of reminding me of the last 10,000 times He’s provided for me (sometimes without me even knowing or asking). He’s faithful even when I’m faithless and forgetful.

Anyway, I included the original article if you want to be blessed as much as I was:

Why Daily Bread Is Better

God at Work

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A friend posted this. I stole it because it’s too good not to share. Plus, I’ve made it my own prayer going forward.

I saw Unsung Hero tonight, a movie about the Smallbone family who moved from Australia back in the early 90s. Basically, their original plans fell through and they had to learn to depend on God’s provision and timing.

Maybe it was God’s timing for me to see this movie at this particular point in my career transition. As any of you who have been in that place know, it can be stressful at times and discouraging at other times. It can be so easy to base your self worth on what you do for a living or how much you make a year or anything like that.

But God is teaching those of us in that process that who God says we are matters more than any job title or salary or car we drive or house we live in. In fact, what God says about us trumps it all. Only what God says matters.

God’s character and God’s promises are inextricably linked. What God does can’t be separated from who God is, and if it is God’s nature to love us sacrificially, then He will keep every promise that He has ever made to us. As a good father provides for his children, so God provides for His own.

I’m still trusting in the heart of God when I can’t see His face or feel His hand. I know He’s there because He’s said He won’t leave. Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening.

The Difference Between Legalism and Holiness

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The Difference Between Legalism & Holiness

A lot of people chant, ‘I’m just not into legalism. We have freedom in Christ!’ But what they mean is they want to sin without guilt. That’s not freedom in Christ. That’s sin. That’s slavery. That’s not freedom. Read the New Testament!

(Jokingly) But I love legalistic Christians. I always want more of them as a pastor because they run churches: they give, they tithe, they show up, they feel guilty if they don’t show up. Some pastors preach against Pharisees – but give me 20 Pharisees – I can create a church movement out of that!

Seriously though – the call to holiness has been lost by our generation. We need to recapture the beauty of a holy life. Calling people to obedience to Jesus and calling sin ‘sin’ can be done graciously, thoughtfully, in a nuanced manner, but it is not something to be ashamed of. You’ll get accused of being a legalist but remember – you’re going to stand before God one day” (John Mark Comer).

My own take is that legalism operates out of a “have-to” mentality. I have to tithe. I have to read my Bible. I have to pray. I have to evangelize. All these things make me a better Christian. All these things will cause God to love me more.

Holiness is more of a “get-to” mindset. Because God has blessed me, I get to tithe. Because God has given me a revelation of Himself, I get to read my Bible. Because God has made a way for sinners like me to go from death to life, bondage to freedom, sorrow to joy, I get to evangelize.

Nothing I do can make God love me more. Nothing I do will make God love me less. Because God loves me, I live not out of a license to do whatever I want, but I live to please the One who was pleased to lay down His life for me. That’s the difference.

Like a Dream

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“Remember when the Eternal brought back the exiles to Zion?
    It was as if we were dreaming—
Our mouths were filled with laughter;
    our tongues were spilling over into song.
The word went out across the prairies and deserts,
    across the hills, over the oceans wide, from nation to nation:
“The Eternal has done remarkable things for them.”
We shook our heads. All of us were stunned—the Eternal has done remarkable things for us.
    We were beyond happy, beyond joyful” (Psalm 126:1-3, The Voice).

We had our very first worship service today in our newly renovated, fully paid for building. It really was like a dream. I kept expecting to wake up and find myself going to the old campus.

But God knew. Even before The Church at Avenue South was a dream in the minds of those who had a goal of reaching the city of Nashville for Jesus, God saw this day. God planned this day.

Long before creation, God orchestrated that one day there would be a church that met on the hill overlooking the intersection of Elliott and Acklen, a virtual city on a hill.

For a while, it didn’t seem possible. We were told that there was nothing available and even if there was, we couldn’t afford it. Some developers would swoop in and pay in cash way more than we could hope to match.

Then we found the property and ran into red tape. For a while, it seemed improbable. I was beginning to think we’d never get the necessary paperwork to even get started on the renovations and additions.

But God showed up. Any time you see a passage in the Bible that starts with “but God,” then you know something good is about to go down. Something amazing. Something miraculous.

Every time we meet, we are standing in the faithfulness of God. We are standing on the promises of God — literally as many of us wrote Scripture on the floors and walls before the carpet and pain went in.

Hudson Taylor said it best: “There are three stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.”

I’m reminded of something I heard at another church: what seems impossible to us isn’t even remotely difficult for God.

I can look back and see the hand of God all over this new property, starting on day one. I can’t wait to see what God will do in the weeks and months and years to come at 901 Acklen Ave.

Insomnia

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There’s a joke that goes something like this: what do you call it when you can’t sleep, so you get up at midnight and make yourself a snack? Insom-nom-nom-ia.

Get it? Cue the rim shot.

But I can speak from experience about insomnia. I have those nights from time to time. It seems like the more I want to sleep, the more I try to sleep, the more awake I become. Sometimes, those thoughts in your head just won’t lie down, kinda like me when I was little and told I needed to take a nap.

But imagine if those nights are God trying to get your attention. Instead of becoming increasingly annoyed and agitated, try using it as a time for hearing from God at a time when you’re least distracted and have the least amount of stuff going on.

I think about little Samuel in the middle of the night when God kept calling his name. He kept thinking it was Eli, but finally realized it was God. Eli instructed him for when the next time God called to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Maybe that’s a good prayer for the middle of the night when sleep won’t come. Not that I’m an expert at that. I’m more the agitated forgetting to pray type.

But hopefully the next time, I will remember that prayer that consists of seven words: Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.

Turntable Magic

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Tonight after I got home from my Franklin shenanigans, I decided to spin some vinyl on the ol’ turntable. It’s still a good way to wind down at the end of the day.

For my listening selection, I had Minute by Minute by the Doobie Brothers, the Traveling Wilburys, and Soldiers Under Command by Stryper. I think that officially qualifies as eclectic. And they were all old school, which to me is the best.

What is it about dropping the needle on the record that sends a surge of dopamine to my brain? I have no idea. I just know that I go to my happy place whenever a record is playing. Or when a vinyl is spinning, to put it more coolly.

Half the fun is the hunt when you don’t know what you will find (or if you will find anything). The other half is playing what you find and hearing memories come to life. You can debate all day long whether CDs or records sound better, but in my mind nothing sounds better than the music I grew up on coming back to life through my speakers. That’s magic.