Crunchy Communion Bread

our church changed the type of communion bread they use over the last few months.    i am not sure of the reason but i think it had to do with  individuals who were allergic to gluten.    the ushers in the back of the sanctuary would have a gluten-free option where individuals could get up and go to participate in communion.    i am glad for the change because who wants to be singled out in order to participate in a corporal observance of the Lord's supper.


interesting thing about this new communion bread is that it is crunchy.    the pastor reads the scripture, breaks the bread, prays, and directs us to eat together with the words, "...Having given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, broken for you. Do this to remember me.” (MSG)

with no music background and no one speaking, the sound of hundreds of people crunching bread distinctly echoes through the congregation. almost humorous.... but not quite.    the words of the scripture resonate with me and suddenly the crunchiness conveys a symbolic and powerful message.    the body that was broken, was broken by me as a direct result of my sin.    the burden of my personal sin and guilt is expressed by the 'crushing' of the bread as i truly participate with my fellow worshipers and recognize my culpability in the death of the Saviour. a very somber moment.

but it also conveys that message of grace and hope as He said, "This is my body, broken for you..."  His sacrifice was purposeful, intentional and redemptive. and THAT is something to remember, something to celebrate. "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ...we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Rom 5:8,11).

i hope we never change from our crunchy bread because it brings it all home in a very simple way.

Do this to remember me....

A New Thing...

I like to explore...my wife likes routine. When we take our walk, I like the variety of different routes,  where she is content to stick to the same route. Driving through the mountains, I see a dirt road and say, "I wonder where that road goes to...should we try it?" And she says, "Ah no..." (I do remember following this urge in my single years and discovered that a standard, 4 cylinder Mustang II can not go up a 50 degree incline)....

Isaiah 43 has been a wealth of insight and encouragement to me over the past several months and I continually review this chapter. What recently caught my attention was the difference in my expectation of how God answers prayer to the reality of how God will answer prayer. I want the routine.... God will be creative in His provision...

Isaiah 43 speaks to God's attention to our fears of life:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." (vs 1)
"Fear not, for I am with you;" (vs 5)

It speaks to God's provision for all of our struggles:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. (vs. 2)

And it recalls God's faithfulness to deliver Israel in the past by referring to the deliverance from Pharoah:

 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: (vs 16, 17)

However, while calling us to remember God's faithfulness, love and provision, it also calls us to forget the manner in which God answered prayer:

 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (vs 18,19)

The creativity of God extends to how he accomplishes His will. Will it ever be the same or always creatively different in how He accomplishes it? If we look to God to accomplish His will like we have seen in the past, we deny Him His character to be creative....We deny the CREATOR. We can only look at the past to see His faithfulness to accomplish His will and keep His promises, not to set the pattern for answers to our future. The recalling of God's faithfulnes to 'the formers things.." leads us to ..."know and believe me and understand that I am He." (v. 10) But we can trust God to continue His creative character in how he accomplishes that in a way that we have never seen before.

So, "Hang on honey... we are going to see where this road takes us...."

A Burden Shared

After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. (John 13:21-26)

The 'disciple whom Jesus loves' shared an intimate moment and insight into Jesus' emotions on the night of His betrayal. John  records that 'Jesus was troubled in his spirit...' We hear about the impact on John and it is often applied to our current situation of how we are to 'lean on Jesus,' but perhaps we have overlooked the support and comfort this provided Jesus as He took on the burden of the cross.

Also note that there was a physical closeness, a friendly touch, an intimate interaction that revealed the familiarity of two friends. Much like we reach out to touch a friend who has shared a grief or loss, to touch an arm or a hand, to embrace, to put an arm around a shoulder, John leaned over to 'touch' Jesus.

What drove Jesus to reveal His upcoming betrayal? Could it be possible He needed to share His struggle with someone whom He could trust? Sometimes we just need to know that others understand our situation and our pain. Not to give answers, not to solve, not to attack the aggressor, but to help lighten its weight. By sharing His burden with His close friends, Jesus was able to bear it to completion... "IT IS FINISHED!"

Psalms 23 - A Different Perspective

Early spring hiking is best at Hell's Canyon due to the hot temperatures that occur in the summer. The canyon walls act as a baker's oven, reflecting the sun's rays back and forth significantly raising the temperature in the semi-arid climate. The trail traces the Snake river, rising  and falling along the banks sometimes right next to the water and sometimes hundreds of feet above it. Having done this hike 3-4 times, there is one section on the trail that is permanently embedded in my mind. With the cliff face crowding you on one side, and a 400 foot drop 3 feet away from the cliff wall, there is a section of the trail that has broken away where you actually have to step across to continue on the path. With a backpack on and crowded by the cliff, you become acutely aware that if you twist your body to hug the canyon wall, your backpack will strike the cliff and throw you off balance and over the edge. It's a very real adrenaline rush just to take that step.

Every time I read Psalms 23, I think of this spot on the trail. It's interesting to note that the 'normal' imagery Psalms 23 usually produces is peaceful, quiet lakes...sheep resting on green grass, eyes closed in rest or gently grazing, unhurried and free of any danger (just google images for Psalms 23 and see what I mean). But in the midst of this beloved Psalms, there are two phrases that stand out starkly against that image of peace;

•  "...the valley of the shadow of death..." (vs. 4) and 
• "...in the presence of my enemies..." (v. 5). 

When I isolated those two phrases and contemplated the imagery produced by them, I came up with the following descriptions:

• "...the valley of the shadow of death..."
• danger
• life-ending, 
• dark, 
• cautious, 
• uncertainty, 
• obstacles, and 
• "...in the presence of my enemies..."
• animosity, 
• hatred, 
• injustice, 
• defamation, 
• insults, 
• lies...

The words of Psalms 23 take on a whole new meaning when I begin with those images in mind. In the midst of the valley of the shadow of death...I can trust that HE leads me in paths of righteousness. I can take that step across the void, trusting HIM to lead me to still waters. Amidst the accusations and injustices thrown at me, I can sit down to all the goodness HE has prepared for me. My cup is full because HE overflows it. I will not want...HE restores my soul...I will not fear...HE comforts me...my cup overflows...I am followed by goodness and mercy...I will dwell with HIM forever. 

Now that's peace...

“Danger and oppression are never too much for faith….Evil is always temporary. “The worst does not last.” Nothing counter to God’s justice has any eternity to it. Paul’s witness was “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it” (I Cor 10:13 The Message). “He knows when to say, It is enough.”  Eugene Peterson, "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction":

Refreshing

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
    proclaim that his name is exalted.

“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
    let this be made known in all the earth.
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,    for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 12:3-6)

The climate of Western PA where I grew up is defined as 'humid continental'. Scientifically, this means that during the worst months, 3 out of 4 days are at 88% humidity and often reach 100%. What it personally means is misery. Evenings brought cooler temperature but also higher humidity and thick fog as the lower temperature could not hold all the moisture. Heavy dew in the morning would soak your shoes with a brief walk outside, portending more heat and humidity to come later in the day. All exertion would almost immediately soak you in sweat as the air could not absorb your perspiration. I didn't know anything different, so I accepted it. 

During our summers of camping and hiking, it was not unusual to come across a hand-pump for drinking water. You would take turns pushing the handle up and down waiting for the water to come from the cool depths and begin flowing. Then while one of you continued to pump, the others would take turns cupping their hands for a drink and splash across their face and back allowing the cool, clear fresh water to revitalize you. Often the drink would turn into a water fight as we splashed each other even as we continued to pump the handle, laughing and enjoying the respite from the heat and humidity.

That is the image I refer back to every time I read Isaiah's words, "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation". As we plod through the oppressive duties of this world and our own personal struggles and failures, we come across the wells of refreshing that God provides. Sometimes it's a passage of scripture. Other times a song of worship, or a casual interaction with a brother who offers an encouraging word, a magnificent sunrise or the discovery of a blooming flower. Sometimes God just impresses upon us Himself....His LOVE, His CARE, His reminder of PROVISION in the past, His AWESOMENESS, HIMSELF. And we walk away renewed, refreshed and revitalized as we draw deeply from His wells of salvation. Ahhh.....

Post Script: 

 

And the reason for our JOY? "Shout, and sing for joy... for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” Right in the middle of 2020, God is with us, Emmanuel!

A Leadership Model - A Manifesto

In the face of certain aspects of my job which have challenged my values, I though I would create this manifesto originally inspired by I Thessalonians 5:15-22 but pointed out to me by my wife as she was teaching different students and used this passage as her guideline. I have been amazed at how often over the past 5 days this has come up and I have been able to refer to it.

– A Model for Leadership--- A Manifesto

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (I Thessalonians 5:12-22)

• I will seek to respect all individuals I work with, both those who I supervise and those who supervise me. I will not tolerate disrespect of others, either by myself or as I see it displayed by other employees.
• I will seek to value each individual as loved of God and worthy of my time and attention. I will seek to value the contributions they make in the work arena as well as to the community at large.
• I will seek to promote right relationships in all areas of my influence. I will make determined effort to reconcile conflict among individuals including myself. I will seek to understand those who are in conflict with me and promote understanding of all perspectives
• I will seek to supervise those I have responsibility for by identifying their specific need and address it accordingly:
  • For those who are ‘out of line’ in respect to their job duties, I will gently warn, caution and instruct them as to their error and the correct and expected behavior.
  • For those who are discouraged (small-souled), I will seek to provide perspective and encouragement that allows them to see beyond the immediate struggle.
  • For those who lack the tools to do their job, I will seek to educate, train, coach and provide them tools for success.
  • I will seek to be patient with all.
    • Patience does not imply permissiveness but a gentle, determined path toward expectations.
    • Patience does not imply toleration and has a definitive time-line of meeting expectations. The end of patience means that the individual is either unable or unwilling to perform their duties.
• I will seek to prohibit revenge and vengeful behavior
• I will seek to do the right thing for and to every individual, promoting what is best for them
• I will seek to celebrate whatever situation I am presented
• I will seek to pray for all people and situations in my work world, seeking Kingdom perspective as God works in the life and lives of all people for their salvation and perfection.
• I will seek to give thanks for ALL that God brings my way on a daily basis.
• I will seek to not hinder what the Spirit is doing in the lives of those around me.
• I will seek to trust but verify what is reported to me
• I will seek to do the right thing, to have integrity at all times.
• I will seek to avoid any hint of impropriety in all of my dealings.

Something To Make You Go "Hmmmm"

When we are busied, or meditating on spiritual things, even in our time of set devotion, whilst our voice is rising in prayer, we ought to cease for one brief moment. Or as often as we can, to worship GOD in the depth of our being, to taste Him though it be in passing, to touch Him as it were by stealth. Since you cannot but know that GOD is with you in all you undertake, that He is at the very depth and center of your Soul. Why should you not thus pause an instant from time to time in your business, and even in the act of prayer, to worship Him within your Soul? Or to praise Him, to entreat His aid, to offer Him the service of your heart, and give Him thanks for all His loving kindnesses and tender mercies?

From "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. p. 72.