Jesus Wants A Chocolate Bar?

There are no words.

Missing Out on the Good Stuff

There was a communion service on Sunday.

Communion (or The Lord's Supper), as most of you know, is a time during the church service when we are reminded of Christ's sacrifice for us. We drink some wine (or grape juice) to represent Jesus' spilt blood, and we eat a tiny bland, dry cracker to represent his broken body. I confess that I have always wished for a better tasting cracker.

But I digress.

Several years ago, one of the "church ladies" gossiped and judged me right out of the church. She shook her little finger of spiritual condemnation my way and convinced one of the leaders that I was not worthy to play a tiny servant role in ministry. The job went to her.

Time has gone on. She no longer has the position of authority that she once held, and I've come back to the congregation - much to her chagrin. Oh well.

When the communion elements were being passed, I saw immediately that the church lady's husband was serving the people in my section of seats. I've got to say that I was pleased and amazed at how God was working things out. This man was going to serve me. What better way for reconciliation and love, then to be served by someone who had once opposed me?

When the man got to me - grape juice and crackers in hand - he went past me to the other end of the pew. He ignored me, and refused to serve me.

A server from the other side of the aisle crossed over and gave me the wine and bread.

It made me sad to know that years have gone by, and this man still (apparently) harbors...I don't know...something toward me. Is it anger? Bitterness? Guilt? Judgment? Pride? I can't possibly know what motivated him to pass me by, but I know it wasn't right.

The Church uses 1 Corinthians, chapter 11 as an admonishment to believers about the condition one's heart must be in to be worthy to take communion. I suppose the plate passer might justify not serving me if he holds anything against me. I say that NONE of us are TRULY worthy to take or to serve communion, and he missed an opportunity for heart restoration.

Look, Jesus washed Peter's feet, even knowing that Peter would betray him. Jesus set the example for us. We serve - even those with whom we disagree. We serve.

I'm very disappointed that the church lady's husband missed the opportunity to smile, make eye contact, and take a baby step toward reconciliation. I think God was trying to do a great thing on Sunday, and the man missed out.

Get off the pew and quit holding on to past junk. Let God do the good stuff. He wants so much good stuff for us. Why won't we let him?

Get off the pew!

I Think You Should Leave

My friend was going through a very difficult divorce - not that every divorce isn't difficult. It certainly wasn't something she desired, and the breakdown of her marriage was devastating.

My friend had raised her kids in the church, and the whole family had been members of a particular congregation for many years.

One day she got a call from her long-time pastor. He said, "Now that you and your husband are getting a divorce, we think it's better that one of you leave. We think it should be you."

Divorcing couples go to court to decide who gets custody of kids, dogs, furniture, goldfish - even friends. Shouldn't the decision to stay or leave a church family be left up to the husband and wife as well?

What are pastors thinking when they do this? Seriously. I'd love to know. What Biblical truth or standard do they use when they do this kind of thing? It's bad enough that children have to walk through the dissolution of their family, but now they have to choose whether to stay at Dad's church, or go someplace new with mom?

Kids are watching you pastors. They're watching and listening. How can you preach grace from the pulpit, but fail to show grace to a hurting part of the body? I'm guessing my friend needed her church family to put their arms around her and hold her hand during the rough waters of divorce. Why would you push her out of the boat without so much as a flotation device?

I think we should keep the broken and hurting as close to us as possible. They need us to pray for them, love them, and be intimately aware of their needs. We need to be part of the healing - not part of the pain.

Get off the pew of judgment, and extend the hand of grace and love.

Get off the pew!

Smoke Pot With God

Los Angeles, California. As California goes, so goes the rest of the country (so they say).

A Christian Educator

"Diana" is a dedicated teacher. She's exactly the kind of teacher you'd want your kids to have in the classroom. She's kind, smart, disciplined, and she genuinely cares about students. Diana loves Jesus and is a woman of deep unabashed faith.


Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) is an organization whose mission is (according to their website) "To Encourage, Equip and Empower Educators according to Biblical Principles." We are the only professional association for Christians who are called to serve in public schools.


After Diana spent a weekend at a CEAI retreat, she was excited to become a part of the organization. It can be tough to be a Christian teacher in today's public schools. We live in a politically correct world where fear keeps us from expressing our opinions - even when the law provides us the support to do so.


Inspired and fired up after the encouraging retreat weekend, Diana decided to plug into the resources made available to her through CEAI. She hoped to build lasting relationships with other like-minded Christian educators.


But there was a problem. Diana is gay.


The CEAI leadership opened their arms to Diana, but they said they were afraid the other members might be uncomfortable if Diana were at Bible studies or small group gatherings. You know, when I'm in a room with other people, I never think twice about what they do or do not do in the bedroom, so I can't imagine what could be "uncomfortable" about hanging out with Diana!


Christian teachers need all the support, encouragement, and legal know-how they can gather. They can be woefully ill prepared to go toe to toe with a bully principal who tries to hush their faith in the classroom.


Why can't we come together because we love Jesus and He loves us? Let's keep our eyes on the commonalities and shared beliefs. Let us hold one another's hand as we navigate the sometimes scary and confusing walk of faith.


Get off the pew. Take someone's hand!   

God Speaks via my Television

I wake up this morning and decide it's just too cold to get out of bed. So, I scootch (according to the Urban Dictionary, it's a real word) further under the covers, and then turn on the television. I'm thinking I might catch a bit of news before the Saturday morning cartoons take over the airwaves.

My Vizio monitor snaps to attention, and THIS is what I see on the TV screen:

Really? Wow, it's awfully early, and I'm not fully awake, but okay! Let's go. I mean, God needs ME!

Now I'm tuned in to the fact that a bad recording of an old hymn is playing in the background. The screen shot changes. I see this:

God needs me to "Broadcast Nonstop Prayers Into Every Home...Every Where". Every home? Every where? Shouldn't "Every Where" be one word?

Okay, now I'm up. God needs me!

It Gets Better?

It's not often that a teen boy's suicide makes national and international news, but that's exactly what has happened in the case of 19-year-old gay teen, Eric James Borges. EricJames - as his friends knew him - died January 11, 2012 in California.

EricJames was a source of strength and encouragement to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community. He spoke out on his "It Gets Better" video, where he shared his own story of being bullied from an early age, and eventually being disowned by his fundamentalist Christian family.



He says his mother prayed for him and tried to exorcise the evil spirit of homosexuality from him. He was kicked out of the family home just a few months before he killed himself.

I have no intention of entering into a debate about the rightness or wrongness of homosexuality. This isn't about that. This is about the tragic death of a young man, who apparently felt hopeless, lost, disenfranchised, marginalized, and bullied to the point of desperation.

One of our favorite Christian bumper-sticker-isms is "Hate the sin, Love the sinner." Did EricJames know he was loved? Were the Christians in his life able to separate "the sin" from "the sinner"? I can't answer those questions, as I wasn't there. All I know for sure is that a young man is dead - and it should not have ended this way.

Today I'm praying for EricJames' family. I can only imagine the broad range of emotions they must be going through - brokenness, sadness, loss, guilt, anger, fear, and the dreaded "what if's".

Please get off the bully pew. Is there an EricJames in your life? I ask that you love him (or her) and please, please love his parents. Get off the pew!

Why I Hate Religion

Suicide.

"Marcus" died a few months ago. He leaves behind his wife, "Cindy", and their two grown children.

Marcus killed himself.

The family released very little information about their loved one's death. The paper said he'd suffered from cancer (he did), and the church announced that his death was "unexpected" (it was). But no one told the truth - Marcus committed suicide.

There are still so many stigmas in the church. We claim to be all-forgiving, all-accepting, and all-understanding, but there are still taboos - things we don't admit or share. 

Some moms can't publicly acknowledge that her child is living a homosexual lifestyle. I know a dad who teaches a Bible study, but hasn't talked to his only son for many years. He's too ashamed to even ask for prayer. He misses his son terribly, but can't talk to anyone about his anguish. What would people think of him?

My heart breaks for people with deep gaping wounds, and who feel they have nowhere to share their grief. Some are simply too embarrassed to admit the "blight" on the family name.

Suicide is just such a blight.

Well meaning people have told Marcus's wife that she should be comforted by the fact that he's in a "better place". Others rejoice because his death was the end to his earthly suffering. Meanwhile, Cindy is feeling guilty and asks herself what she missed, and if there was something she could have said or done to keep Marcus from ending his life.

She feels she has nowhere to turn.

Get off the pew. Open your hearts and open your arms. Be someone who gives others a safe place to land - a place wherein they can tell the truth with no fear of judgment, condemnation, or behind-the-back whispers.

Get off the pew!

The Hurting People We Never See

Last month I wrote about my friend's encounter with two busybody church ladies, and what happened when they literally backed into one another. One woman insisted the other was lying about the circumstances surrounding the parking lot fender bender, and was going to "tell Pastor Dave" about the deceiver.

My friend is an officer who, after more than 30 years, he has seen it all. But, it's the nasty trash talk that comes out of the mouths of so-called "Christians" that continues to dismay and confound him.

He worked a minor car accident the other day in which a truck driver was sideswiped by a passing vehicle while standing outside his truck. He's lucky his injuries were minor. Anyway, he was a large man, and he was missing a few teeth. These facts are important to the story.

My friend was taking the accident report from the visibly shaken man. When asked if there were any witnesses, he said his driving partner had seen the whole thing from his seat inside the stalled truck. Before speaking with the witness, the officer chatted a bit more with the victim, and he was struck by how kind he was. He wasn't angry with the driver who clipped him, but in fact he was concerned for the man's well being.

The officer complimented him on his gentle spirit and remarked at how calm he was. He said, "My partner is the angry, mouthy one. I find it easier to just relax and try to be a gentler person." He explained that the man who often accompanies him on long-distance trips could be a preacher because he knows the Bible so well. However, he always makes fun of people who are "fat" or "ugly".

As the sweet man nursed his wounded arm, he continued the conversation.

"My wife is overweight and she's very, very self-conscious. She is the kindest and most beautiful woman in the world - to me. However, she rarely leaves the house because of people like my friend over there."

The officer listened sympathetically.

"That man claims he's a Christian, but the words that come out of his mouth are cruel and ugly. It's hard for me to travel with him because I know it's because of guys like him that keep my wife from even going to church. He even makes fun of me sometimes." Apparently the guy tries to share the gospel, but his testimony is clearly overshadowed by his mean spirit.

My friend never did quite understand why the gentle, albeit scraggly, trucker had to share the cab of the eighteen-wheeler with the caustic Christian, but he felt his pain.

I don't care how much someone knows about the Bible. People don't care about how much you know; they need to know how much you care. 

Every time you're tempted to make a joke about someone's appearance, think about the "kindest and most beautiful woman in the world" who can't even leave her home because of people like you.

Now, get off the pew and be kind to someone today.