mercy

God’s Family Tree

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Every family has at least one person who has a checkered past. Every family has that one person whose name, when brought up in coversation, immediately reduces everyone to whsipers and furtive looks. The one everyone talks about and shakes their head and says things like, “Bless their heart.”

I bet you never thought about the fact that God has a family tree, too. He does. And His family tree has a few names that would cause some people to blush. He has a liar, a cheat, a whore, and a despised foreigner among the list.

The liar is Abraham, who twice lied about Sarah being his sister rather than his wife to save his own skin.

The cheat is Jacob who tricked his brother Esau into selling his birthright for a cup of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup.

The whore is Rahab whose redeeming act was to hide the Israelite spies and cast her lot with God’s people over her own people.

The despised foreigner is Ruth, one of the Moabites that were on Israel’s bad side ever since they didn’t let God’s people pass through their land when Israel was in the wilderness.

All these people had a part in bringing about the arrival of the Messiah. What to the world were a bunch of rejects and outcasts became a part of God’s story.

We too get to be  a part of the story God is telling. We are invited to be His children. We are the living love letters that God writes to the world to show just how strong He is to rescue and save anyone. We are the ones whose transformed lives are the best advertisement for how God’s love conquers all.

Remember that the next time your own story doesn’t seem to be going well. Your story is about more than just you. You get to be a part of something so much bigger and better than you.

And besides, I happen to have read the last page on the story and [SPOILER ALERT] WE WIN!!!

 

Name

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The sermon today at Fellowship Bible Church made me think of an old Goo Goo Dolls song, Name. Normally, sermons and the Goo Goo Dolls don’t go together, but for me they did.

The verses from Luke 8:40-56 centered around a man named Jairus whose daughter was very sick and a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. The pastor pointed out that the woman didn’t have a name. She was simply known for her ailment.

She was ceremonially unclean. That meant she could never worship in the temple. That meant anyone she touched would also be unclean. She was alone, unwanted, and untouchable. She was an outcast.

But she was also desparate. She wouldn’t let anything stop her from getting to this Jesus that she had heard could make blind men see and lame men walk and dead men live. Nothing mattered more to her than getting to Jesus. That’s real faith.

As for the fact that she had no name, Scriptures tell us that she did after she met Jesus. We may not know the name she was given at birth, but we know the name Jesus gave her. “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”

Daughter. No longer outcast. No longer unwanted. No longer unclean.

Jesus purposely chose the outcasts and nobodies of the day to be His followers and ambassadors and He still does today. He chooses the ones with the sordid past. He picks the ones with a history. He woos the ones that no one else wants to touch. He chooses you and me.

Not only that, but He gives us a new name. No longer are you Screw-up or Failure or Trash or Hopeless. You are Son. You are Daughter. You are known now for Who you belong to and Who loves you more than anyone else could ever love you.

Maybe the next time you hear that Goo Goo Dolls song, you will hear it differently. The next time you hear the names people call you, you will remember the one and only name that matters. The one God calls you that trumps every other name.

BELOVED.

The Pretender (Not Just a Great Song by Jackson Browne Anymore)

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Ok, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to be as honest as possible. Here goes. Have you ever felt like you were pulling the wool over everybodys’ eyes, where they thought you had it all together and you really deep down inside felt like you had no control over anything and no clue whatsoever? Raise your hand if you have.

I know it feels dorky to be sitting alone in front of your computer monitor (or laptop) in the dark with your hand raised, but do it anyway. I just did. I felt really good (and a little bit awkward, too).

You are not alone if you feel like you are fooling everyone.

You are not alone if you feel like you’re pretending to be successful when you feel like you’re failing at every possible turn and messing up everything.

You’re not alone if you walk around with a grown-up exterior, but still feel like a scared little 1o-year old, still afraid of the same things and still believing the same lies you believed back then.

You are not alone if you have a fear deep down inside that someone will see though your saintly Christianity and expose all those sordid and angry thoughts you keep hidden inside.

You won’t be alone because I’ve been there, too. That makes two of us. And I would bet money that there’s more (but I’m Baptist, so I don’t believe in betting real money. Betting Monopoly money is OK in my translation of the Bible, though).

God knows. God sees all the fear and the anger. He sees what’s behind the curtain and what’s beneath the mask. He know your mess better than you do. And the real kicker? He loves you more than you could possibly imagine.

I heard someone say that Jesus didn’t come to accuse or condemn you, but to love you and transform you.

That’s good news. That’s worth being real and honest.

A Letter to Bono

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First of all, I am one of the legions of fans who discovered U2 when the Joshua Tree blew up and sold a gazillion copies in 1987. I should have found about you guys earlier, but I wasn’t nearly as musically savvy as I am now.

I remember listening to that album and having my musical horizons not just broadened, but exploded. This was music that was ahead of its time with songs of politics and faith and love all meshed together in one glorious package. This was my soundtrack for the summer of 1987 and for many years after. In some ways, it still is.

Thank you for not just being another rock star. Thank you for using the platform of fame to fight for the causes that are dear to your heart. Thank you for not being ashamed to be both a man of faith and a man of activism (true faith should automatically lead to activism and good works, but that’s not always the case in this day and age).

I look forward to your albums they way I used to look forward to Christmas. Even the re-released remastered deluxe editions of your old stuff. Even the old songs sound new. Hardly anything sounds dated or like a time capsule to a bygone era. It all sounds fresh and relevant.

I hope you will stand strong in your convictions. I pray you will keep being a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves and a champion for the outcast who cannot defend themselves. I as a believer in Jesus know that one day He will come back and set all things right and bring justice and healing to the nations, but He has called us to be His hands and feet to the hungry and hurting and lonely right here and now.

PS I hope you will come back to Nashville one day in the near future. This time I won’t be a total doofus and I will get my tickets on the day they go on sale.

Thanks, Uncle Mikey (A Tribute of Sorts to Dr. Glenn)

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Thank you, Uncle Mikey, for 20 wonderful years as pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church. Thanks for being a faithful steward of God’s Word who loved Jesus and kept it real (to use your own words).

You told me that Kairos was a safe place where I could be myself, whether that meant raising my hands high in worship or sitting silently with arms folded. You told me that confession was a time not to beat myself up, but to be honest with myself to God and to tell Him what He already knew so that I would come to see myself as He does.

You reminded me that God doesn’t just love me, but He likes me, too. You reminded me that God is crazy about me and that nothing could stop Him from winning my heart and redeeming me out of my own mess into someone who is a child of the King.

You made me love God’s Word again. Your love for Scripture made me want to dig in deeper for myself. You always said, “If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.” That challenged me more than once to take stock in what I really and truly believed as opposed to what I paid lip service to.

You always spoke honestly about your own faults and shortcomings and fears and made it okay for me to be as open and honest about mine. You told me more than once that all God needs is for a small place to start in my life and He can change me. That it’s never ever too late to start over and let God’s love transform me into something beautiful.

I never spoke to you personally much, but you were always kind to me and listened to me. You always made time to invest in the lives of so many others. There are so many whose lives are better because of your faithfulness to Jesus. I am one of them. Thanks for getting me hooked on Henri Nouwen’s books. I will always think of you whenever I read one of his books.

I hope and pray God gives you another 20 years as pastor of Brentwood Baptist. I pray God’s anointing rests on you and that you never stop being amazed at what God is doing inside you and around you.

God’s not done with either you or me and I can’t wait to see what the final result will be. Thanks to someone I feel like I can call my friend and my brother in Christ. Shalom to you.

From one of your many spiritual children,

Greg.

Hillsong and the Night Ride Home

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I went to a Hillsong United concert at Allen Arena at Lipcomb University today, which I highly recommend you go see them if they are playing anywhere near you. As in 500 miles or less. They are that good.

Honestly, it was one of the most worshipful nights that I can remember. A top 5 night for sure. There was so much freedom and joy in the worship that made 2 1/2 hours seem like no time at all. The twenty minutes I spent looking for where I parked seemed a lot longer.

The song they closed with was Take Heart, a reminder that whatever you’re going though, God is able to get you through. In fact, He has already overcome whatever you’re facing. These are the lyrics for those who are living in the midst of those troubles Jesus promised we would go through:

“All our failure And all our fear
God our love He has overcome
All our heartache And all our pain
God our healer He has overcome

All our burdens And all our shame
God our freedom He has overcome
All our troubles And all our tears
God our hope He has overcome

All our failures And all our fear
God our love He has overcome
God our justice God our grace
God our freedom He has overcome

God our refuge God our strength
God is with us He has overcome”

Ok, so I normally don’t quote nearly an entire song, but I think this one merits it. Anything you can possibly imagine facing, anything remotely out there that is set against you, God has already taken care of.

As for the night ride home, I made it home with no GPS or maps and the window rolled down. It took less time to get home than it took to find my car. And now I go to bed or else tomorrow I’ll be one of the living dead zombies.

Thanks for allowing me to share my heart and my thoughts, even when they come from a sleepy brain. It’s been fun posting these and I hope to continue it for a while. God bless all of you.

One Day I’ll Learn . . .

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I used to think I was a fairly teachable guy, willing to learn and be corrected and be done with whatever I was dealing with. Boy, was I wrong. I have compiled a list that I hope one day I will get down pat one day so I won’t have to keep relearning.

One day I’ll learn that what I’m afraid of is usually nothing close to reality. That impending doom is highly exaggerated.

One day I’ll learn that a few good deep breaths and a silent prayer will cure most forms of anxiety. Not all, but most.

One day I’ll learn to be completely in the moment and not in the past obsessing over something I could have done better or in the future anticipating what may or may not come my way. That perfect peace God promised me is meant for the present, not a yesterday that’s gone  or tomorrow that’s not here yet.

One day I’ll learn to be content with where God has me and not worry that I’m not where I’m supposed to be, according to some arbitrary cultural standard.

To be honest, I could list 20 more things on my list that I have yet to master. This blog could turn into a “beat Greg up” session. The reality is that I am far less driven by fear than I used to be. I am living more in the moment than ever.  I am more content with each day that passes.

I think the big lesson will be when I learn that while it would be nice to have arrived, a step in the right direction is a good thing. Each baby step toward maturity is a victory. And even if I totally blew it that day, the next one starts with a clean slate.

I’m learning.

Those Terrible, No-Good, Very Bad Days

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Alexander had his terrible, no good, very bad day. So I read as a kid. I can relate. I’ve had my share of terrible, no good, very bad, sucky, wishing it would end days. For a little while, today was one of those days.

Then I remembered something. Faith doesn’t grow in my wonderful awesomely good nothing bad days. Faith matures and gets stronger on those terrible no good very bad days. You find your faith when everything else seems to be going wrong and your day has disaster written all over it.

When the job starts feeling too much like work and not enough like a calling, faith grows. When you struggle with what normally would come easy to you, faith matures. When it seems like one bad thing happens right after another, like tidal wave after tidal wave, your faith is made real.

The faith that says that if you believe, you won’t ever struggle or have problems or suffer isn’t real. Just like a butterfly only gets strong by fighting its way out of a cocoon, so your faith only grows muscles when you’re in the midst of dark, stormy days with the wind blowing and waves crashing and you getting pounded.

I always heard that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that matters. I think it’s not about great big faith in God that counts, but faith in a great big God. It’s not how strong your faith is all the time, but how your faith is in the God Whose strength is unwearying and unending.

The best part about some days is that they end. For me, the best part about my work day is that it’s now past tense. It’s over. I never have to go back that Monday ever again. I don’t know if tomorrow will be better, but I know the same God that got me through today will be there tomorrow.

That calls for a celebration, I think!

Faith in the Dark

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Today’s sermon was about Jesus calming the storm in Luke 8. The main question that Jesus asked them (and I think He asks us) is “Where is your faith?” Is your faith in yourself, a kind of “I think I can” mentality?Is it a conditional faith in God that says, “I’ll do X if You do Y back? The question the pastor asked was, “When all your props are taken away, who or what do you trust?”

When skies are sunny and the bank account is full and you’re in a season of plenty and blessing, it doesn’t take much faith. You don’t need faith as much for calm seas and cloudless skies. Only when the storm is coming do you see the need for faith. Only in the dark does faith grow.

Faith grows in the middle of bad news from the doctor, hurt and pain from your own family, marriages that end, pink slips from employers, and things like that. When all you have to hold on to is God, you really find out how big and strong He is to save.

The part about that story that I never thought about is that Jesus was with the disciples the whole time. From the first raindrop and gust of wind through the maelstrom to the end, Jesus was there. He was even sleeping though the worst of it.

That tells me that when I am in my stormy seasons of life, I am not alone. It may seem like God is asleep or AWOL, but I know from everything the Bible tells me and everything I’ve seen over the span of my life that God is near. God is with me. He has not left nor will He ever.

The kind of faith you need is not the “I think I can” variety, but the “I know God can” type. The “He is more than able” kind.

Just for the record, I have to give credit to Michael Easley for the inspiration for this blog. Pretty much this is his sermon put in my own words. I guess it’s a good thing this is not a school paper, or I’d have to do a whole mess of footnotes. And double spacing and margins.

I’m so glad I’m not in school anymore.

More Randomness And Late Night Weirdness

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Sometimes, I think my cat looks at me when I’m leaving for work and thinks, “In order for you to miss me, you have to go. I really like you and all that, but the sooner you head out the door, the sooner my nap gets started. So bye!”

I had a couple ideas for really good blogs, but I forgot to write them down. I always have these genius ideas when I am no where near a pen or paper, or in my car, or otherwise not in a position to capture these ideas for posterity.

Somedays, the best thing you can say about your day is that you avoided personal injury and homicide. Kinda like that old saying, “Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of all those I had to kill because they really peeved me off.” Not that I would ever kill anyone or condone killing anyone. I might just wish them a really bad case of  hemmorhoids if they annoyed me enough.

Somedays, it’s good to not go anywhere or do anything special. Somedays, the agenda might involved some old movies and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Rest is a good thing. Especially if you’ve had one of those long weeks that never seemed to end.

God reminded me again that my life is a good life. He showed me again that what I thought were crises were just bumps in the road. He never gets tired of telling me that no matter what the middle chapters of the book might look like, the ending is already written and it’s a happily ever after. And He should know. It’s His book.

And FYI, the Ben and Jerry’s flavor was cheesecake brownie.