Here and Now

I was reading Colossians the other day and one of the last verses says, "And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea." (Colossians 3:16, NRSV) There IS no letter to the Laodiceans in the New Testament. That got me thinking, of course... What is Paul talking about? Where is the letter? Why is this here? Now, I remember Church history classes and the fights over the canon - what books would be included, were the letters authentic, the compromises (like Revelation being included only if Hebrews was included - an East/West battle), and so on. I mean, there's a very human aspect to the whole collection of the canon and the determination of what was included and what wasn't included. So I did a search (Google, my new best friend...heh) and I came across several sites that purport to have copies of this "Lost Epistle." One site alleges that in 1844 a man ...

Yesterday I got to lead chapel at one of our local Christian schools. I was freaking out because I didn't know if I could relate to the little kids (even though half the time I act like one) and I heard the Jr/Sr High kids could be pretty brutal (bored, non-responsive -- not really HOSTILE, mind you...). Anyway, I wasn't sure what to do, so I prayed. Well, duh. Of course I prayed. Yeah, but I mean I BATHED this puppy in prayer. I was on my knees (figuratively) more over the past week or so over this service than I have been over anything in a long time (though, check out my last post...). I really felt like I should speak on the Holy Spirit (I mean, this is Pentecost, right?). So I did. And I used an old standby for when I do a children's sermon at another church (they've seen it here) -- balloon animals. Okay, I'm not very good at balloon animals, but I can be kind of goofy in my inability (you know, "let me show you the first animal I learned to make.....

I spent a lot of hours on the road over the last four days. That always gives me time to think - to pray - to whine and not worry about offending anybody - to dream out loud and not be embarassed... I realized (at 70 mph, thank you very much) that I've pretty much put God on the back burner, so to speak. Don't get me wrong. I'm a pastor, God is my job. So I still read the Bible. I still pray. I'm still present with God. But you know how people can be in the same room (present with each other) but be miles away? That's been me and God - off and on - for the past several months. And, of course, it's been me. But I never really thought it bothered God all that much. I mean, God created patience, right? Okay, I'm rambling... I ran across this passage from the Psalms (44:20-21): If we had forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god would not God discover this? For he k...

Wow -- I was just rocking Elie before her nap and she kept grabbing my thumb. She's almost two... What struck me was how tiny her hands are. And how HUGE mine seem to be. When did I get grown-up hands? They're a little wrinkled and a little scarred and the veins pop up on the back (which Lori thinks is gross) -- they're not kid hands any more... Then I started thinking about God's hands. How big they must be... I mean, if God HAS hands... But, well, I hope you know what I mean. Elie depends on my hands to hold her, to pick her up, to guide her across the street. My hands offer her things she knows she needs (like food and her "blankie") and things I know she needs (like her vitamins). My hands throw her in the air and catch her, my hands tickle her while she squirms, they stroke her hair while she sleeps, they wipe her nose, put on her shoes... My grown up hands...nothing like her tiny, innocent hands... One day she'll have grown up hands too.....

I just opened up my Bible and read the first thing that I saw. It happened to be Micah chapter 7. You should read it. I'll bet if you read The Message translation you'd think Micah was talking to us today. My Bible gives the chapter the heading, "The Total Corruption of the People." That's pretty appropriate. Micah is complaining about how depraved people have become -- hunting one another, officials taking bribes, friends and loved ones betraying one another, children hating their parents... Yep, sounds like the world I see around me today. But what caught my attention in this (after all, there are dozens of passages like this scattered throughout the prophets, Micah isn't unique in his assessment of the wickedness of the people) -- what caught my attention was how he begins this section: Woe is me! For I have become like one who, after the summer fruit has been gathered, after the vintage has been gleaned, finds no cluster to eat; there is no first-...