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.

Only in America

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I thought this was clever:

“The World Cup and the 250th anniversary of America’s birthday has reminded us of how unique our country is. For example…

  1. Only in America can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.
  2. Only in America are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.
  3. Only in America do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
  4. Only in America do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.
  5. Only in America do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put junk in the garage . . . Hello!
  6. Only in America do we have answering machines to screen calls and have call waiting so we won’t miss a call from someone we didn’t want to talk to in the first place.
  7. Only in America do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.”

Leaving the Answers

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“Lord, all that I long for is known to you,
my sighing is no secret from you…
I put my trust in you, and leave you to answer for me’ (Elizabeth Elliott).

Betty Elliott was a wise woman, not because of any inherent intelligence or moral superiority but because she knew where to go to find wisdom.

Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10, LSB).

Wisdom starts not from a phobia about God and who He is but a reverent awe of Him and a right understanding of ourselves. We don’t cringe in fear but bow in adoration.

James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [a]without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5, LSB).

It seems easy but often the last place we look for wisdom is the first place we’re commanded to seek it. We should never be afraid to ask God for what we need because He’s never stingy or miserly but always gives generously what we need exactly when we need it.

Ultimately, Elizabeth Elliott found that all her longing found its ultimate fulfillment in God alone. She knew that no desire for marriage or family or purpose superseded her great need for God to guide and direct her path.

Her life wasn’t easy or simple, but her God was (and is) faithful to His children who are so often prone to wander. May we never fail to come boldly before the throne of grace in our time of need — which if we’re honest, is all the time.

Trusting in the Dark

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“What is darkness? Darkness is merely the absence of light. The only way there can be darkness is for the light to be withdrawn. Who is the light? God is the light. But sometimes God may just back off and leave His servant in darkness. If you read biographies of great Christians, almost all of them will talk about something they call the dark night of the soul. They’re serving God, they’re loving God, and then things come, perplexities they can’t understand.

There’s going to come a time when all your theology will go upside down. There will be a time when you won’t understand where God is and you’re going to be in such darkness you won’t see your hand in front of your face. What do you do then? Isaiah says stay upon your God; trust Him” (Dr. Adrian Rogers).

As Corrie ten Boom once said. If you’re on a train and it goes through a dark tunnel, you don’t jump off but stay on and trust the conductor. You hold on to hope for a light at the end of that tunnel because the conductor has been there before.

In Psalm 23, I’m still amazed that the valley of the shadow of death is where King David shifts from referring to the Lord as He and changes to using the pronoun You. That’s where faith becomes real and personal.

The dark is where the precious secrets are like diamonds or gold down in a deep mine. That’s where God speaks a word to you for you to share with others once you find daylight again. That’s where God THE Shepherd becomes God YOUR Shepherd.

Keep stayed on the Lord. Trust Him in the dark and he won’t fail. He will keep you in His care. You will be safe. Amen.

A Beautiful Prayer

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This one is from Henri Nouwen:

“Dear Lord, you have sent me into this world to preach your word. So often the problems of the world seem so complex and intricate that your word strikes me as embarrassingly simple. Many times I feel tongue-tied in the company of people who are dealing with the world’s social and economic problems.

But you, O Lord, said, ‘Be clever as serpents and innocent as doves.’ Let me retain innocence and simplicity in the midst of this complex world. I realize that I have to be informed, that I have to study the many aspects of the problems facing the world, and that I have to try to understand as well as possible the dynamics of our contemporary society. But what really counts is that all this information, knowledge, and insight allows me to speak more clearly and unambiguously your truthful word. Do not allow evil powers to seduce me with the complexities of the world’s problems, but give me strength to think clearly, speak freely, and act boldly in your service. Give me the courage to show the dove in a world so full of serpents” (Henri Nouwen).

Above all, help us never to be ashamed to speak Your name, Jesus. It is still the only name with the power to save from the only One who is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life. Amen.

The Soil of Sacrifice

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“You see, true love germinates in the soil of sacrifice, sprouts in the garden of surrender and matures in a matrimony of servanthood.  Love isn’t love until it has cost you something to give it away” Josh Hopwood).

I see a lot of so-called love paraded around on social media, but in reality it’s just lust masquerading as love. Lust only wants to take and consume, while love longs to give and bless.

If you want the ultimate definition of love, look at Jesus. Specifically look at Philippians 2:5-11. That is sacrificial love at its absolute best. In fact, we only love at all because He first loved us and completely gave of Himself for us.

The best way to show love is not in gratifying your own desires. Love shows up best in serving others, especially those who have no way of repaying and might not even be able to show appreciation for your efforts. But love gives anyway.

The Bible says that God causes it to rain on the just and the unjust. He provides for those who will turn around and slander His name and even go so far as to deny His reality. That’s what love looks like.

Lord, help us to love others as You have loved us. Help us to love ourselves the way You love us. Most of all, help us to remember that the only things we can take with us when we die are what we’ve given away. Amen.

I Will Give You Rest

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I used to think that this verse meant that Jesus was going to give me the best nap ever. Back in the day, rest for me was synonymous with sleep, so it made sense that to rest meant not to do anything kind of work or activity.

Now, I think I see that rest is to cease striving. It means that my identity is no longer in what I do but in who God says I am. It means that I work not for worth and validation but from a place of worth and validation that’s already mine. It means that the old saying is true — we fight not for victory but from victory.

Whether I’m Sabbath resting or going about my day from a place of peace rather than stress or striving, I know Jesus’ words are true. I can rest no matter where I am or what I’m doing because I belong to the Prince of Peace.

Lord, give Your people rest. Help them to find Your joy in everything they do and to know that because they are in Christ, they already have victory and acceptance in You. Amen.

Another Day, Another Psalm

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“You’re all I want in heaven!
    You’re all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
    God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
    Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.
But I’m in the very presence of God—
    oh, how refreshing it is!
I’ve made Lord God my home.
    God, I’m telling the world what you do!” (Psalm 73:25-28, The Message).

It struck me that one thing David did very well was to express gratitude for the goodness of God. Sure, he was vocal about some of the hardships he went through. He was very honest about his own struggles. But never forget that a large part of the Psalms is David singing God’s praises.

I think if believers were as loud about God’s goodness as we are about what’s wrong with everything, people might be more inclined to listen to what we have to say. As my old pastor used to say all the time, Christians are more known for what we’re against than what we’re for.

Worship is a way of expressing gratitude. It’s giving God His breath back, as I heard it put recently. That means we acknowledge that everything we are and everything we own, including the very breath in our lungs, comes from God. When we give thanks, we’re saying that God is God, and we’re not. We’re declaring our dependence on God that He will continue to be good to us.

I think expressing praise builds our faith muscles. When we verbalize our gratitude, we are testifying to God’s faithfulness and giving the most effective sermon anyone could ever hear. People can argue our politics, our theology, and our doctrines all day long, but they can never refute the genuine testimony of someone who has seen and experienced the goodness of God.

Lord, open our mouths to declare Your praises all day long as Your servant David did so long ago. Help us to be as faithful to share You with others as You were faithful to share with us by revealing Yourself to us and give us all things pertaining to life and godliness, Amen.

Gut-Level Honest Prayers

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“God, listen to me shout, bend an ear to my prayer.
When I’m far from anywhere,
down to my last gasp,
I call out, “Guide me
up High Rock Mountain!”

“You’ve always given me breathing room,
a place to get away from it all,
A lifetime pass to your safe-house,
an open invitation as your guest.
You’ve always taken me seriously, God,
made me welcome among those who know and love you.

“Let the days of the king add up
to years and years of good rule.
Set his throne in the full light of God;
post Steady Love and Good Faith as lookouts,
And I’ll be the poet who sings your glory—
and live what I sing every day” (Psalm 61, The Message).

I’m up to the Psalms in my yearly Bible reading. They were originally the equivalent of a hymnal for God’s people back in the days before Jesus. You could also call the Psalms the prayer book of the Bible. Many of them were penned by King David, who never was one to mince words with God. They’re honest. They’re raw. They’re confessional. They’re sometimes not very pretty.

I think we lose something when we try to “pretty up” our prayers to make them more presentable before God. After all, He already knows what you’re thinking when you’re heart is breaking and you’re still trying to use flowery language because you somehow think those kinds of prayers are more acceptable to God. I confess I’m guilty of that one.

Prayer is the one place you can be honest. You can be real. I do think that you should still be reverent and not make Jesus your homeboy, but I also think God can handle your emotions and your frustrations.

Prayer doesn’t have to be pretty. Prayer doesn’t have to be proper. What prayer does need to be is authentic. Don’t tell God what you think He wants to hear. Tell Him where you are and how you feel and where you want to be. The key in every prayer is to say, “Not my will but Thine.”

That’s the prayer that never fails. You’re saying to God, “I know that You know better than I do what’s good for me and what will make me more like Jesus. You still work all things together for good, so I can trust You with my life.”

The best way to get good at praying isn’t to read more books about praying (although that can be super helpful). The best way isn’t to attend all sorts of seminars and listen to all kinds of sermons about prayer (which again can be useful). The best way to get good at praying is to pray.

I mean pray all the time. Pray whenever it comes to mind. Pray when you feel like it. Pray when you don’t. Pray when the words flow. Pray when there are no words. To borrow the old Nike slogan, just pray.

Missing the Awe of God

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“I came to see that I was wired for awe, that awe of something sits at the bottom of everything I say and do. But I wasn’t just wired for awe. I was wired for awe of God. No other awe satisfies the soul. No other awe can give my heart the peace, rest, and security that it seeks. I came to see that I needed to trace awe of God down to the most mundane of human decisions and activities” (Paul David Tripp, Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do).

I was inspired by today’s sermon on this one. Basically, my pastor said that many of us are missing the awe of God in our daily lives. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

The way I understand it, fear isn’t me quaking in my boots, afraid to go near God. It’s a reverential awe where I recognize that God isn’t a bigger, faster, stronger version of me, but something other and something completely unknowable to me apart from divine revelation.

I know that reverential awe is missing if all my prayers start out with a wishlist to God of all the things I need and want. If God is my Cosmic Santa, then I don’t fear God or give Him the respect that’s due Him. I need to remember that God owes me nothing, but I owe Him everything.

According to Solomon, that kind of fear is the beginning of wisdom, which is knowing who I am and who God is. As I get older, I realize that wisdom isn’t always a reward for growing older. Some younger people have way more wisdom than those who have been around way longer.

True wisdom comes from a complete surrender and submission to God’s will out of a holy and reverent awe of who He is and what He’s done for us. I still love the analogy of the fear of God being like watching a storm from a safe place. You can witness the might and majesty of it while being safe from the dangers of it.

Lord, help me to love You well by learning to develop a healthy and reverent awe of You, remembering that You owe me nothing and I owe You absolutely everything. Thank You for loving me and saving me. Amen.