YOU and GOD

Most who read this will have been a member of what has been known as a “Nuclear Family,” consisting of a Mom and Dad and usually at least two children.  The family of four was a post-war phenomenon that flourished from 1950 to the mid 1960’s, a “golden era” of prosperity in the United States when two parents and “2.5” kids lived usually in a family dwelling in some quiet suburb.  One word that defined that neat little family was “togetherness.”  This cozy family arrangement, sociologists tell us and experience and observation has confirmed, was short-lived and replaced by fractured families that have majored more on self-fulfillment than holistic family well-being resulting in a major cultural shift that has had devastating effects upon our society in general and upon our societies’ most vulnerable, its children, in specific.  Adults in today’s world marry less, marry later and divorce more often.  In 2012 one author noted there were more households without any children than with; and not infrequently many homes have more pets than offspring. Affluence has afforded us larger homes, bigger yards and more space for isolation.  The big family clans that gathered on special days such as Thanksgiving and Christmas are pretty much history.  And, it is self-evident our nation is not the better off for it.  There are too many reasons to enumerate in this brief statement, and it is not the purpose of this preacher to analyze societal shifts, but it would do all of us well to contemplate the impact these changes upon the family fabric have meant to our lives, especially spiritually.

Children are reared to become independent adults as soon as possible.  Elderly parents can too often look forward spending their last years in an institution which is designed to make sure they have their medication and meals on time, with limited social interaction with either family or friends.  It is not a pretty picture.  Sometimes adult offspring, who are marrying much later if at all, of necessity move back home and live in the basement of their parent(s) but often as an appendage rather than a vital member now of the transformed family or household.

The churches we attend reflect all of the morphisms.  Churches have also changed.  Once “togetherness” was what we relished and our most cherished moments of any particular week were the hours spent with one another in worship with those of like precious faith.  The current Covid-19 crisis has made us aware that though we miss those family meetings with the folk of faith, we can go nine or ten weeks and survive without them.  The internet has provided us with a valuable tool and through this medium we have been fed and led by not only our pastor(s) but others whose messages we have tuned in to as we have enjoyed a smorgasbord of spiritual culinary.  We can attend our classes while the kids can plug into zoom youth meetings.  At first, we felt somewhat cheated because of the lack of “fellowship,” but after weeks and weeks of this unprecedented church life, we are now wondering if the spiritual thaw will ever come that brings us back to the warm oneness that characterized the household of faith of the past.

So, homes are in flux as well as churches.  No one can anticipate what the face of the future will look like.  The family will survive as will the church; but in what shape?  It is a sobering question and one that bears thoughtful consideration:

“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)

Some time ago in a college art class-room, the teacher, having prepared a ball of clay for each student, following roll-call, began to pitch one of those balls to each student present.  When every student had received their clay, the teacher announced: “Make something beautiful of this and I’ll give you a good grade.”  What a challenge.  Take a ball of dirty, red clay and turn it into something beautiful.  But, each of those red clay balls in a short while were shaped into all kinds of clay pottery and a week or so later, carved, glazed and fired, they were recognized as “beautiful.”

So, it is with every teacher, molders, shapers of tender, precious lives.  It is an awesome assignment.  More than sixty years ago I had teachers, many of them single women, whose lives were totally dedicated to skillfully shaping lives that would contribute in some way to their future family and community circles.  I am probably writing this today because of an eighth grade English teacher, Miss Flamme, who demanded correctness in both written and spoken English.  I will never forget her.  She said, “IF would be the longest word in the dictionary, IF it had enough letters.” But I remember her most for her quiet, patient work with and on each of her eighth-grade students.  She is only one of many.  My seventh grade geography teacher taught me a lesson that has stood me in good stead and I don’t think it had anything to do with geography; but she was insistent that I learn who was in charge of her seventh-grade geography class and, you guessed it, it wasn’t me!  Oh, how I am so thankful she was patient and persistent in her molding and mentoring.

President Ronald Reagan, in awarding a 1986 teacher of the year award to Guy Doud, quoted from the lines of Pulitzer Prize winning author , Clark Mollenhoff, the words of his poem Molders of Dreams:  “Teachers, you are the molders of their dreams, the gods who build or crush their young beliefs of right or wrong; You are the spark that sets aflame the poet’s hand or lights the flame of some great singer’s song; You are the god of the young, the very young; you are the guardian of a million dreams.  Your every smile or frown can heal or pierce the heart.  You are a hundred lives, a thousand lives.  Yours the pride of loving them, and the sorrow too.  Your patient work, your touch makes you the goals of hope who fill their souls with dreams to make those dreams come true.”

So, thanks be to God for wonderful, dedicated teachers.  It may have been a kind touch, a word fitly spoken, a glance of approval or disapproval or just a faithful, dutiful exercise of responsibility day after day in the classrooms of life that a teacher or many teachers directed our way that impacted our lives unalterably for good.  May God bless them and may new generations of talented, trusty tribes of teachers rise up for our children and grandchildren so that they will benefit as did we!

”Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Eph. 5:19)

Being filled with the Spirit immediately preceded this verse admonishing Christ-Ones to have a song-filled heart.  The two go together, i.e. being filled with the Spirit and singing and making melody unto the Lord.  In the shower is a good place to start but don’t leave your song there, take it in your heart with you through the day. 

 All kinds of songs:  psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  The Psalmist added an interesting component when in Psalm 92:3 he said our music at times should have a “solemn sound.”  And, all with ten strings. I take that to mean at times with a full orchestra.  A majestic, soul-stirring sound that lifts you out of your seat emotionally and spiritually.  Like the Hallelujah Chorus that just about put its composer, Handel, into orbit the first time he heard it performed.  Some sounds are ordinary, ever day choruses that we joyfully rehearse such as “Heavenly Sunshine, heavenly sunshine, filling my soul with glory divine.”  Some may be actually words of the Psalms put to music, as many have done with Psalm 19:7ff. when singing about the Law of the Lord which is perfect, converting the soul.  Some are greater hymns that might be sung with a congregation of like-minded folk who are worshipping the Lord by united voices lifted in praise to extol His virtues as in “How Great Thou Art.”  So, there are a variety of ways to sing, and the goal of all spiritual singing is “in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” (Col. 3:17).  

Paul qualifies all of our singing in I Cor. 14:15 when he says that our singing, like our praying, should be done with the spirit and with the understanding.”  Recognizing there may be differing styles and preferences of styles of music, whoever sings in worship and whatever is sung in worship, the singing should be “with understanding,” and with “the spirit.”  The word spirit in I Cor. 14:15 is not capitalized, but it might well refer to the Holy Spirit who, indwelling believers, would produce music that is conducive to understanding so that if in our meetings an unbeliever or new believer (unlearned) visits our assemblies they could and would understand what we were singing about and why (I Cor. 14:23-25).

Some years ago, I visited an old man and his wife who were then members of our church (both have since been graduated to glory).  He was from the hills of Kentucky which must be a wonderful place to be from for I have known many folks from there who, when getting an opportunity are always quick to return, if only for a visit.  Sparky was his name, and having invited me to sit down I noticed there was a well-used hymnal near where I was seated which I commented on.  Sparky sang solos occasionally at our church, and always without accompaniment.  He would bellow out his song, from his heart, often a song none present had ever heard, but he knew it and he knew it well.  It was always an appropriate song telling us what Jesus meant to him and we could understand every word of it.  His music was truly inimitable.  You could picture him working in a field or garden somewhere in a Kentucky valley or on its hillside, singing and making melody in his heart unto the Lord.   When I mentioned that his hymnal looked well-worn, a broad grin lit up Sparky’s face and he said with his southern drawl, “Oh, there has to be a song!”  And let us not forget it, brothers and sisters, there has to be a song!

“O come, let us sing unto the Lord:  let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” (Ps. 95:1)

“And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42)

Well, after two months without assembling ourselves together for worship with those of like faith, we are beginning to “Open Up” our church houses once again for corporate worship.  It is refreshing and revitalizing to sing together, offer praises and prayers with the body of believers and then to bow before His Word as it is held forth as the Word of Life by teachers and under shepherds.  We will never again, I hope, take for granted this special privilege.  Meeting together in freedom, without fear and for worship is something we should never again need to be admonished to do!

A couple of weeks ago, a pastor friend of mine, anticipating that the flock he now serves as interim pastor would be meeting after weeks of “online” services, asked me to pen a poem celebrating this momentous milestone in the life of 21^st century churches.  He was hoping to put whatever I came up with to music, so I did write the following (I am not sure if he was able to find a tune that would fit it musically) and wanted to share it with any today who might be interested in reading it.  The title is “Together Again.”

Together again, in the House of the Lord,
Together again, around His dear Word;
Together again, we’ve so long been apart,
Together again, with a song in our heart.
 
Together again, just to sit at His feet,
Together again, with sweet joy do we meet.
Together again, we are tuned to His voice,
Together again, Oh, how much we rejoice!
 
Together again, by the touch of His love,
Together again, a foretaste of above;
Together again, we’ve been led by His hand,
Together again, by His grace here we stand.
 
Together again, we’ve a story to share,
Together again, to tell of His care.
Together again, Oh, blest be His name,
Together again, through the “Shut Down” we came!
 
Together again, ‘til one day by His grace,
Together again, where we’ll shelter in place;
Together again, in our home there above,
Together again, in the fold of His love!

It was surely encouraging to hear our President last week proclaim that worshipping together in a local church setting is “essential.”  We knew it and it was good that the leader of the free world was not embarrassed to say that church gatherings are vital to the individual and national well-being of our republic.  Thank you, Mr. President!  Now, let us not “forsake” these assemblies but treasure them and participate gladly in the same as long as we are able-bodied and sound-minded enough to do so.

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

“I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

Sadly, there are those who shamelessly, under the guise of Christian brotherhood, take advantage of believers who endeavor to heed the apostle John’s admonition to treat both strangers and brethren charitably and “bring them forward on their journey after a godly sort.” (2 John 6).   

Because we are a lot that from the inception of the Church has been known for our love, unscrupulous men have become cunning in taking advantage of those who remember the words of the Lord Jesus who said ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35).

For the 49 years that it was my privilege to labor in the gospel ministry as senior pastor, it was almost a weekly occurrence that someone would petition either the church or myself for financial, material assistance.  To balance Christ’s warning that we ought be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves with the Biblical injunction to “do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith,” (Gal.6:10) was a delicate act that called for wisdom as well as on occasion the intuition of a godly wife!

We, my wife and I, have given to individuals over the years; in good faith, not a few of them professing believers who, with the advantage of hindsight, we sadly discovered, were deliberating scamming us in order to get money, all the while spinning a compelling story, couched in spiritual verbiage, that was a fabrication.  They were really good and could have made an honest living in theatre!

On one occasion I received a call from a man who was in the library of the University of Indianapolis (a couple of miles from our church) saying he had been reading the gospel of John and had serious questions.  He had a heavy British brogue.  I arranged to pick him up and bring him to my office which I did and after an hour or so on his knees with tears he “prayed” asking Christ to save him.  He was well dressed and as he got up and regained composure, he told me his rent was due that day and he was finishing a job on a grandfather clock repair but it had taken him longer than expected.  He needed $125 before day’s end.  After hearing more, I went to the bank and withdrew the said amount, then proceeded to drive him downtown to the office building he said his landlord worked in.  I went upstairs with him and when we got on the supposed right floor, he asked me to let him go alone to give the money to his landlord.  I complied, took him back to the library and made plans to pick him up for a Bible study that evening at the address he gave me at his home, near the university.  It was not until I returned to my office that it dawned on me that I should drive by the address to make sure I knew where he lived.  Wouldn’t you know, there was no such address!  That one really hurt!  Not so much the loss of money though at that particular time in our lives it was a lot of money to us, but that he had been so good at his con job, using a profession of faith, etc.  He deceived even the elect!

Well, that was just one of too many times; I can say, though, that I have always given in good faith in order to help someone whom I really believed to be in need; believing that God knew my heart and motives and that if the recipient of the charity given in Christ’s name was a fraud, he or she would have to deal with that before a holy God.  He keeps the score and will adjust the accounts in His time and for His own glory.  It is still more blessed to give than to receive!

“As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10)

“And He (Jesus) withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” (Luke 6:16)

Well, it’s not exactly banishment.  It may be a medically necessitated or self-imposed quarantine, but for most of us, we have been out of “circulation,” including that of attending regular church services, for a longer time than we have ever experienced before.  Because of the federal, state and local guidelines in coping with the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a national and even international sheltering in place that has been deeper, broader and longer than we had imagined it would ever be.

We have had doctor’s appointments via our smart phones during which a doctor can examine us, diagnose our problem, and prescribe the proper medication all while we are sitting in a bedroom, living room or den of our own house.  We can have our groceries delivered as well as meals if we so choose, all without any contact or conversation in the transaction.  We worship via the internet and conduct our business or family gatherings through the medium of Zoom.  Coughing cannot contaminate the air in the isolated manner in which we conduct our lives now.  We can do banking and about everything but pump gas; but then, we are going nowhere so there is no need for filling up the tank.

It’s a new world!  And, we are dreaming about the old world with its infinite number of choices of what to do and where to go, wondering if life will ever be the same again.

As we contemplate the future while musing about the past, it probably has dawned upon us that all of this lockdown has had some benefits.  We are not so pressed now to find time to read the Bible that has so often been neglected in former days.  Prayer is more likely now upon our hearts if not upon our lips as we are able with fewer distractions to focus more; and we are likewise more prone to listen to others as they share their blessings and burdens.  Facebook may have been a nuisance before the shelter in place, now it is a lifeline of communication into the homes and hearts of those about whom we care.

Speaking of a time when one’s life was shut down, consider the aged follower of Jesus Christ, the apostle who outlived all other apostles, John the beloved.  He was banished by the Roman emperor Domitian and exiled to the island of Patmos because of his testimony for his beloved Lord.  It was there, in his old age, that John received a message from God through Jesus by an angel, known as The Revelation, the final Word from God about things primarily future.  John had time to listen, to meditate and to commit to memory that which he had seen and heard until he would have the opportunity to put those unimaginable images and texts in writing.  All in a place of desolation and desertion, but Oh, what he saw and heard and learned about the Lord and His plan for the culmination of the ages!  

So, as we continue to move forward to the future, still in slow motion because of a “shut down,” remember that good things can accrue because of what we are experiencing.  Don’t forget John and his “lock down.”  Then meditate upon the Psalmist’s words found in Psalm 46:10:

“BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD:  I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE HEATHEN, I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH.”

“l am as a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge.” (Ps. 71:7)

I was making a hospital call on an old friend, not a member of our church, who had lived her three score years and ten, plus.  She was prepped for surgery; without the hair piece she normally wore and sans teeth.  Her son was sitting by her side.  I had not seen her for a couple of years and when I walked into the room, she looked at me in wonder and said, “My you’ve changed; you’ve lost your hair!”  I got a chuckle out of that.  At least I thought, she was not self-conscious (No, I don’t think they had given her anything yet to make her goofy).

It reminded me of another hospital incident a year or so earlier.  I was hurrying through the lobby to leave and one of the volunteers, a lady whose head was white with hair, was sitting at the desk probably waiting for flower deliveries.  I happened to pull a pocket comb out of my pocket to run it through my hair (why? Just an old habit) and she looked at me, a total stranger to her, and said, “not much there to comb is there?”  I walked by and pretended not to hear her (an old man without hair might be hard of hearing too!)

Age does a number on us; and no matter how many ointments we apply, it always seems to win!  Very few are able to really conceal their age.

But, inside, we do not feel that old.  I used to marvel when my parents would say, before the ravages of old age began to torment them physically on a daily basis, that they sure did not feel as old as they looked on the outside.  Now of course I understand.  Most usually I do not feel my age but a morning look in the mirror always confirms it.

We do not see ourselves as others see us.  If we did, my friend going into surgery would probably not have been thinking about how much I had changed but rather she might have been explaining that they had taken her hair piece and teeth away from her.  And, the aged candy stripper wouldn’t have been focusing on somebody else’s lack of hair had she gotten a fresh look at her own.

Nor do we see ourselves as God sees us.  He sees every blemish…all the wrinkles and warts inside and out.  Yet, we come to Him, I fear, with little or no thought of our own condition.  I need to take a long and lingering look at Him.  Then I will cry, “woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips….” (Isa. 6:5).  After Isaiah saw God in His holiness, he saw himself as dwelling in the midst of people like himself.  He had the same uncleanness that others had, compared to God in His holiness.  Thankfully, the believer can say that “our life is hid with Christ in God,” (Col.3:3) and thus we are “accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6) to the praise of the glory of His grace! (Eph. 1:6)

May we ask our heavenly Father often to help us see ourselves as others see us; and to see ourselves as He sees us.