A Good Sport

The Bible says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It’s called the Golden Rule and is a really good starting place for teaching ethics in any situation.

By now most of the civilized world (emphasis on civilized) has at least heard the story of the softball game between Central Washington U. and Western Oregon U. this week. The incredible act of sportsmanship by two girls from CWU in carrying an opponent around the bases after she was injured should be required reading to every young person involved in sports in the world.

But is anyone surprised that there has been something of an outcry from the dark side? Though most of us applaud the action, many say it was wrong because “sports is about winning.” One local baseball coach, sadly, was quoted as saying, “I can assure you that nobody from our team would have done that.” A litany of criticisms appeared on ESPN.com which comes as no surprise from a TV network where much of the dialogue intentionally takes on the verbiage and tone of a coach/umpire argument in baseball, presumably for the “entertainment” value.

Lest you think I rank myself on the level of these outstanding young women, let me be clear. Honestly, I think I would have been like the Western Oregon coach who said as the scene unfolded, “I was in shock. I never even thought of it.” I probably wouldn’t have had such a wonderful idea either.

For all those out there who think that sports is only about winning, take a deep breath, count to ten, and ask yourself, "What does being a good sport mean?" The term has always symbolized one who demonstrates good sportsmanship, not one who wins the contest.

To use another sports cliche, for "one shining moment" these girls picked us all up and lifted us a bit higher than the commonplace of competition to something much better. Thank you, Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace for “lifting” us all up a notch in the category of being a good sport.

The Prodigal—Not the Parent

Still reflecting on the Parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15. How often present day parents of prodigals read this passage and project their feelings and emotions onto the father. The tendency to relate to the father is overwhelming because of the pain of a wandering child. As a pastor I always want to comfort these parents and, where possible, offer as much hope as I can.

However, we must be careful not to miss the point of the parable. This is not a parable about hurting moms and dads. No this trilogy of parables, including the lost sheep and lost coin, is a mural of salvation. If we are to project ourselves into this parable it can never be as the loving, persevering parent who longs for the child to come home. Rather, we are all the prodigal, everyone of us. Until we see ourselves in that light we will never begin to grasp just how ginormous grace is.

We are the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. As we come to the end of ourselves, repent and return to our loving Father we experience His grace, His mercy, His pardon, His eternal life, His certain salvation.

“Oh, to grace how great a debtor,
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.”

Selfishness Kills Joy

Today in my Bible reading I was in the 15th chapter of Luke, the story of the Prodigal Son. On this occasion I noticed something I had never seen before.

Luke 15:12 “The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.”

“So he divided his wealth between them.” That means the older brother got his inheritance at the same time as the younger. Somehow, I’ve missed that. I’ve always had a bit of understanding of the older brother’s plight, since he was at home diligently helping, waiting for his share.

So I speculate:

If the dad truly divided his estate between them; and, if the older had his share already; and, if the younger wasted away all of his share; and, if the dad gave the younger, upon his return, a robe and a ring and sandals and a fatted calf…then where did all those things come from? Did they come from the older brothers share?

Could it be that his selfishness over HIS stuff robbed him of the joy of his brother’s return and his father’s grace?

Recently, a close friend of mine was given an opportunity that I had wanted. I was really bummed. I let my selfishness over what I thought was going to be mine rob me of joy for my friend and the joy that should have been mine over the whole occasion in question. Once again, I’m reminded of how much of the “older brother” I have in me.

Phil. 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
Phil. 2:4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Sometimes Death Comes As a Friend…Today Is Not One of Those Days

Reflections at the funeral of Casey Wood.

[Casey was a 20-yr-old college student who was killed in a car wreck last Sunday night. His brother David, 17, died unexpectedly 6 years ago.]

There are many times when we come to this moment with a sense of relief and gratitude, even a profound joy. I have often stood on this platform in this auditorium where the church known as the Fellowship in the Pass meets with a deep sense of praise to God for the “precious death” of one of His saints, because sometimes Death comes as a friend.

To say that Death comes as a friend is not to say that there is not always sadness, for Death always means a separation from the one we have known and loved in this life. Separation involves sadness. As a husband and father, who sometimes is called upon to travel away from home for a few days or weeks, I know how I miss my family, even on those short trips. For those whom we truly love, the old saying is true…absence does make the heart grow fonder.

But one might ask, “how is it possible to view Death as a friend?” How can our enemy be our friend? Recently in a brief span of time from the first of November to mid-January, I had twelve funerals. Some of those funerals were for elderly folks who had lived long lives and their bodies had simply worn out and the time had come to depart and be with Jesus. One of those was my own Mother. At times like that Death is a welcome friend.

Several of those who left us in that span of time were people who had cancer. The pain and suffering were horrendous. Often we stood at the bedsides and prayed that God in His grace would end their suffering and take them home. When Death comes as the end of suffering and the doorway into the presence of the Lord, it comes as a welcome friend.

Yes, sometimes Death comes as a friend…today is not one of those days. Forgive me for stating the obvious. For we all, from Casey’s parents, siblings, and family to his friends and their friends, gather in this moment with exactly the same thoughts on our minds, how does one even cope with the sudden tragic death of one child? And then, to have it happen again, like a lightning bolt on a clear and cloudless night…How can we face this? How can we go on? Is there any hope? Can we make it through?

Are there any answers? Yes, there are answers. But there are no explanations. When I was young I tended to shout my answers. Now, more often, I whisper them. Not because they are any less true. In fact, just the opposite. Now they have been engrained upon my heart from a lifetime of God’s gracious guidance into His truth. Prayerfully and with a profound sense of weakness I would like to suggest to you, no, I’d like to proclaim to you, not with a loud voice, but with a gentle reminder what I believe God has shown me over these last four days. This is how God has comforted me and I share it with you.

First, let me say that the knowledge that others have experienced this same kind of loss is of some help but not a great deal. One dominant recurring thought for me over these days has been of those families who have had sons at war who have received that dreaded knock on the front door, not once but twice. Most of us have seen the movie “Saving Private Ryan” and we know the sometimes extraordinary lengths to which the government will go to avoid that happening. Or we know of other accidents where whole families have been instantly taken, or the pages of Scripture where Job lost seven sons and three daughters and all his possessions in one day. This knowledge is some help, but it does not in any way reduce our pain.

So what are the answers? It is uniquely revealing to me that when I stood in this same place with this same family and sought to give hope in the midst of tragedy just a few short years ago, my thoughts had been led by the Lord to exactly the same places they are today. I went back and looked at what I said at David’s funeral and the message is the same. For me that brings a large measure of comfort. God spoke to me through His Word with the same comfort and hope then as He does now. How good it is to know that God truly is the same yesterday, today and forever.

I mentioned Job. In exactly the same type of situation we have here, Job held fast to His faith in God. If you are looking for answers today this is the first and greatest answer:

“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.’… Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 1:20-21; 2:10)
“Though He slay me, I will hope in him….” (Job 13:15)

How was it possible for Job to respond like that? The answer can only be found in the words of God Himself to the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” God gave Job the grace and the peace that passes all understanding to hold fast to His faith in the most difficult of times.

Can we hear these words from one who has walked through this valley of the shadow of death before us and accept them as truth? Can we say through tears that never seem to stop and lips that quiver even as we form the words, “Blessed be the name of the Lord?” Oh, God, please give us the grace to worship you.

The second answer, I pray will come to you even if nothing more than a sliver of light into your darkness, that one day will emerge as the brightness of the sun.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. …. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. …. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:18-39)

I leave you with the Word of God. It is enough.

Take a Monkey to Lunch Day

Take a Monkey to Lunch Day

Do you know whose birthday today, February 12th, is? I had no idea until a phone call with a friend. If you say Abraham Lincoln you would be absolutely correct. But there was another historically significant individual who was born on the same day in the exact same year as ole Honest Abe. And who was that illustrious persona? (A little drum roll please) Ta da!!! — Charles Darwin. That’s right, today is Darwin Day! (hereafter known as Duh Day — emphasis on Day) C.D. would have been 199 today, if only he had been stronger in his evolution and not been naturally selected to die.

Yessiree, Mr. Natural Selection who, when he wrote his magnum opus entitled On the Origin of the Species, naturally selected not to mention one word about how all this actually originated. My, my! Slight oversight there, Chuck.

Soooo, wanting to give credit where credit is due, I wandered over to www.darwinday.org. Interesting website. One of the links on the home page takes you to a page that instructs you on how you can participate in Duh Day. The first suggestion is “Sponsor and produce a [sic] annual Darwin Day event.” (The particular Darwinian who wrote this has not yet evolved into high school grammar.) As I pondered what would be the best event to commemorate Duh Day, several ideas came to mind. But before I share my ideas here is the official Duh Day Challenge for both my readers: What event can you think of to properly pay homage to ole Chuck-E (for evolution)-Cheesy D?

Here are a few suggested events for Duh Day:
1. As per the title, take a monkey to lunch or work or school. Since you are only an ape in designer jeans (not with Designer genes), what a fitting way to celebrate.
2. Take someone weaker than you to the gas chamber. Oh, sorry, the Nazi’s already did that one. But if you are truly Darwinian, you in your superiority get to choose who the weaker ones are.
3. A little commercial here: The very best way to celebrate Duh Day will be to make plans now to take a friend to see the new movie Expelled when it comes out this spring.

Charles Colson has an interesting commentary on Duh Day at his website recognizing PETA as the perfect example of Darwinism carried to its logical convulsion, er conclusion. Here is a brief quote:

“Here’s where PETA comes in. PETA was celebrating Darwin Day long before there was an official Darwin Day. You can see it in everything it does—from its ads comparing the slaughter of animals to the Holocaust, to PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk’s famous statement that “When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness, and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy.”

What does that have to do with Darwinism? Everything. To a Darwinist, you see, there is no distinction between human beings and animals. We all came about by chance; we are made of the same “stuff,” and we all end up as nothing more than dust. Instead of recognizing humans as bearers of God’s image, Darwinism sees us as nothing more than competitively successful bipeds with opposable thumbs. Forget any talk of human dignity.” (http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7522)

OK, answer the challenge. What creative way can you think of to celebrate Duh Day? Post it here.