It is not just finances that have us so worried. Wars outside our borders and violence within have us anxious. It is difficult to read the papers these days because there is so little to give us courage, or hope, or purpose.

In spite of finally putting the election behind us, the letters to the editor, the comments, jokes and in some cases acts of racial violence remind us how divided we seem to be as a nation. To be a person of color is no longer about ethnicity, but about blue states and red states. It all seems so discouraging.

Yet I am encouraged. This is our time – we who call on Jesus as Savior and Lord. This is our time if we remember whose image we bear.

I was pondering this notion last night as I was teaching the weekly Wednesday night Bible study. I was addressing the familiar story of Jesus who was cornered by religious authorities and asked whether or not it was lawful to pay taxes. Most of us know the story well. Jesus asks for a denarius (the coin used to pay the poll tax in question), which he was promptly handed, and asked: whose image is on it? (Luke 20:20-26)

What is interesting about this exchange is that his opponents were able to quickly produce a coin which bears the image of Caesar and the inscription, “Tiberius Caesar, August son of the divine Augustus, high priest.” The Torah forbids graven images and the Jews of the day considered such graven images idolatrous and the inscription blasphemous. In deference to Jewish sensibilities, Rome allowed Jews to make their own copper coins without Caesar’s image. But carrying a silver denarius was more convenient than carrying lots of copper coins.

Right there on the Temple grounds the custodians of religion produce a coin bearing the image that declares Caesar, son of God. The very act postures, as Thomas Long writes, “them –– not him –– as deceptive and hypocritical compromisers. They are the ones carrying around Caesar’s money, not Jesus; they are the ones who have the emperor’s image in their pocketbooks; they are the ones who have already bought into the pagan system” (p. 251).

Jesus then goes on to speak of the impending fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the coming of the Son of Man. All of this must have sounded devastating and unbearable, and yet Jesus said: Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. (NRSV Luke 21:28)

Yes, I am actually believing that our time has come to embrace the best of times – not because the end is near (indeed, it is always at hand) – but because we have this opportunity to remember whose image we bear.

This is our moment dear church, dear people of God, where we can rise and decide who we will follow and who we will serve and, when it is asked of us, whose image we will bear.

My own beloved community, First Baptist Church of Augusta, has taken on with renewed zeal to bear the image of Christ in its calling to be vessels of transformation and change. As a teaching congregation we have a role and a responsibility to teach those around us by challenging assumptions, deepening the faith journey through spiritual formation and transformation. We also have a role in teaching the next generation to lead the community of faith to meet the emerging needs and opportunities.

Of course it is not just about teaching and educating. We are to be about the work of justice by extending ourselves and resources towards the needs of our region seeking to make right what is wrong. As advocates of truth we address the concerns and the deficits through missional engagement. The church is not a destination but a movement. Each member, while part of a whole, is nonetheless commissioned to move forward into the world – the workplace, the homeplace and so on – effecting transformative change in the name of Christ. Every member a missionary.

I should add, however, that it would be misleading to assume it is all about “busyness.” Whether a member of the congregation I am honored to serve as pastor or not, it is a mistake to see our worth in our productivity. Our worth is in the being of Christ. Being the presence of Christ within our selves and being the presence of Christ to others.

Thomas Merton wrote in the closing pages of the beautiful book New Seeds of Contemplation the following words:

…if we could let go of our own obsession with what we think is the meaning if it all, we might be able to hear His call and follow Him in His mysterious, cosmic dance. (p.302)

It is indeed the best of times and the worst of times. Now is our time to live in it, fully, thankfully, and mindfully.

Peace to you and yours,

Greg

]]> http://fbcblogs.com/pastor/2008/11/20/the-best-of-times-and-the-worst-of-times/feed/ http://fbcblogs.com/pastor/2008/11/20/the-best-of-times-and-the-worst-of-times/ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gregdeloach/~3/457362373/ http://fbcblogs.com/pastor/2008/11/18/seeing-and-saying-thanks/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:45:58 +0000 Greg http://fbcblogs.com/pastor/?p=137 There is so much in life that is not fully appreciated until it is a memory. Relationships come quickly to mind. When Amy and I were newlyweds we lived on a very meager income, rented a garage apartment that smelled of mothballs, and did not have a television set for the first six months of marriage. It seems so long ago and as I now recall that first year of our life together my heart is warmed with gratitude that Amy and I said “I do.” A few years later children forevermore changed our lives as they do for all parents. I remember those early days when our boys were infants and the midnight feedings and diapering and the long sleepless nights of colic. To be honest, it was just about impossible to notice and be grateful. Yet looking back I am grateful, even for those grueling days of early parenting. Through the years we would gripe about driving all over the state to visit relatives during the holidays and wonder if we should just stay home. Now many of those same relatives are dead and we wish we could just share a sandwich.

We do not always see our gratitude until it is a reflection of the past. And then we are often rushing right past gratitude on the way to something else. Perhaps it is too obvious to point out our indignation that Christmas decorations have been out since early fall. Already there is a radio station playing Christmas music 24 hours. I am not Scrooge, but I have a deep problem with our rush to Christmas because in doing so we trample Thanksgiving.

To be grateful is to both see and say our thanks. Alan Culpepper writes in his fine commentary on Luke: “Gratitude may be the purest measure of one’s character and spiritual condition.” Of course he is right. To be grateful shapes every relationship on earth as well as in heaven.

Here is what I have seen to given thanks:

• My life: It is far from perfect – but mine nonetheless to enjoy and live fully within. I have been marked by grace and receive much that I have not earned or deserve.

• My wife whom I have enjoyed over twenty years of marriage where we are still raising each other.
• My two boys whom I admire because they are becoming not the men I want them to be, but the men that God has created them to be.
• My dog Samson, who is getting old and feeble, but is always glad to see me when I get home.
• Beautiful books written by brilliant people and for all those teachers that instilled upon me a love for reading.
• My back porch and yard and fires and Adirondack chairs where I sit with people I love to watch the stars go by.

I am thankful for you too:

• Those delicate hands, gnarled with arthritis that grab my scruffy face in an embrace.

• The children and youth of this church whose very presence blesses me beyond words.
• Your stories – not just the ones of success but even the failures and tragedies, for they too have their meaning and it is a privilege to share them.
• And yes, for our time together and the hope I have for our days ahead. May God bless us even more so as he has these past years.

Since I see it, I have to say it: thank you.

Greg

Please visit the above tab titled “Reading Lists” that covers books I have read since 2005. Not every book was a good book and not every book I would recommend. Still, I find it helpful when people share with me what they are reading and why. I hope you will too.

If you have read something of late that you would recommend, I would appreciate hearing from you. Just post a comment here and share the book with me and other visitors.

Happy reading,

Greg

You could say this is “Part 2” from last week’s article. We have returned from our camping trip and, as always, there are more tales to tell along the hiking trail. This time I had company – my family. It was Amy’s idea that she and the boys join me and I thought, “Wow, that’s neat. We will hike into the mountains together as a family just like they do in the movies.” I picked out a trail loop that was just under six miles and followed one of the creeks. It also had several beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Around mile two things were not going so well. Amy failed to factor in that mountain trails are, well, hilly. She was getting tired, did not bring water, and by mile four was wondering did the trail ever go down hill. She looked at me as if I designed the mountains that way on purpose.

At mile four I leaned over to Aaron and said that in a few minutes we would reach the top and then begin a rapid decent back to camp. I was planning to move ahead “double time” and fetch some water for Amy. At about the time I shared my plan a heard a bumbling commotion alongside the trail and a black blur rush by. I turned around to Amy and Clark and said “catch up with me, there is a bear.” About that time Clark was staring at the bear’s face and Amy just passed all three of us on the way back to camp.

A little motivation goes a long way!

The stock market fluctuations motivate some to spend less and save more. An illness in a family can motivate loved ones to put aside petty divisions and spend more time together. A death can motivate one to take inventory of their life.

Jesus motivated an adulterous woman by forgiveness. He motivated fisherman hungering for something bigger to go and change lives. Jesus motivated through stories, through miracles, through presence and most of all through the good news of God’s love.

What motivates you each day? How does the kingdom of God, the new order of God, motivate you to change your life and work to change the world?

Grace be with you,

Greg

Earlier this month Amy, the boys and I camped somewhere in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains. We try to camp there at least once a year and every year has a new adventure: poison ivy from the firewood; an unexpected rain coming through an unexpected hole in the tent, ants in the smores, and of course bears. Many of you have heard me recount the bear story but it “bears” repeating (sorry, I know it was an obvious pun but it begged to be written).

Last year I was out hiking by myself on one of the back-country trails. The views are always glorious and the trail is nearly always peaceful. I am armed with a walking stick, some water and a pocket knife. A cell phone is not much good on such long hikes since there is no coverage, but I carry one anyway just in case there is a need to identify the body.

Around mile five of the hike I began to smell the distinct odor of a wet dog and in my mind I thought, “Oh great, there is a bear in the vicinity.” The odor would not go away and so I developed a mental plan of action of what I was to do if I met a bear on the trail while so far away. I decided my first plan was to turn around and head back to camp. Still, the smell of the wet dog followed me and so I assumed was this heretofore unseen bear. As I was walking and pondering my mortality as well as my escape plan I would mindlessly readjust my hat. Ironically every time I raised my arm to readjust my hat I would once again detect that wet dog smell. Finally it occurred to me that the smell of the wet dog was not a bear, but me! In fact, after a few days of camping without a bath or shower there was a good chance the bears were avoiding me.

That is camping for you – one adventure after another. In a previous article about a year ago I wrote that one of the things I like about camping is the mobility. All you need is a tent (and you don’t really need that) and a good map (which I usually ignore – it’s a man thing). Most everything else you need to enjoy a few days in the woods should fit right on your back. Mobility and flexibility is the key to happy camping.

Not a bad metaphor for the faith. A faith on the move…going places. It is too bad so many are content with just staying put in their relationship with God. Never changing, never growing, never blossoming into anything more. Like water, such a faith is in mortal danger of stagnation. Water that is not allowed a place to flow becomes putrid and useless. That is why you hear me speak so often of our faith as a journey, or pilgrimage. As the people of God we lean across the next horizon for the opportunity, the next possibility.

Let’s break camp and move on – a church on the go, a people on the move and God who is out there in front.

Grace and Peace,

Greg

Last weekend it was out with the old and in with the new. I am referring to my small raised-bed vegetable garden. I cleared out the old tomato vines and pepper plants and reconditioned the soil with a mixture of horse manure and organic fertilizer. Finally it was ready for my fall planting and so I set out a few cabbage plants and scattered seed for collard greens.

Collard greens! I love that plant; especially boiled on a stovetop with a healthy slab of fatback or ham hocks (I am not picky). We eat them on New Year’s Day because it is tradition, but from Fall through Winter we eat them because we like them. Actually, just Amy and I like them. Neither of my boys can get past the smell. I was the same way when I was their age, but one day they will grow out of it. Collard greens may smell bed, but they are good for you and a meal unto themselves if accompanied by a generous wedge of cornbread. They are, as my daddy is fond of saying, “good for what ails you.”

The best part of keeping a garden is the anticipation. Every day I walk out and look at the seeds half expecting full grown plants. Of course at the time of this writing the seeds have only been in the ground a few days. Still, the waiting and the expecting is part of the journey.

Much of what we do in this world is about planting and anticipating. Too often we rush to the end result not realizing that God has not asked us to be successful, prosperous or “winners.” God has asked that we be faithful. Faithful – what a liberating word. It means the future is not in my hands. It means my observed successes or failures are not how I will be measured. It means that my talents, gifts or the lack of my talents and gifts are not the sum of my worth. God has simply invited me to be faithful in the living of my days.

It is our invitation as a church. This Sunday we conclude our stewardship focus and I am giving you my invitation early: Let go of the graven images of the old – definitions of success, struggles for power, notions of triumphalism – and enter into God’s call for faithfulness.

Paul writes to the congregation in Corinth: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (I Corinthians 3:6-7)

Live the life God has called you to live and do not worry how others will measure you. That is God’s business. May it be so for each of us and our beloved community we call the church.

Peace be with you,

Greg

I must say I have enjoyed it in spite of myself. Through Facebook I have reconnected with friends from college days and former churches. I am also discovering that if you want to communicate with youth, Facebook is the way to go.

One of the interesting things about Facebook is that a user can create a virtual identity. What I mean by that is the user can create a profile through pictures, books, music and a many other categories. In short, it can be a way to be somebody, electronically speaking. I am thinking about profiling myself as a superhero, like the Hulk or Batman.

For me its most amusing feature is the notion of being a friend and inviting others to be a friend. The way a user connects with others is to ask to be a friend or a “friend request.” An email is sent making the request and the other person can accept the request, deny the request, or ignore the request.

Making friends through Facebook is rather simplified. It reminds me of my days in Eatonton Grammar School when I was a first grader and asked this beautiful second grader would she be my friend: please check yes or no. We all know, however, that making real friends is not as easy as an email exchange. It requires mutuality, trust, and the willingness to work at a relationship.

The believing community is a gathering of friends. Quakers, for example, refer to fellow members as friends. In Proverbs 17:17 we are reminded that “A friend loves at all times…” Jesus was described as a friend to others (especially to the “undesirables.”). One of the Greek words often translated as friend is philos, which also means beloved. Friends love one another, pray for one another, support one another and are present to one another. Not a bad way to define a gathering.

Will you be my friend? If you are on Facebook send me an invitation. For all the rest, just love me, pray for me, support me, and be with me. I will covenant with you to do the same.

Your friend,

Greg

Years ago my method in replacing running shoes was pretty simple: replace them when the soles are worn smooth to the point that you could see my socks or the shoe itself fell apart. I have since learned that if you wait that long to replace shoes you are doing harm to yourself. For a person my size (about 205 pounds, give or take a cheeseburger or two) I should replace my shoes every thirty hours of running. At this point the shoes are not particularly worn to the visible eye. There is still ample tread on the soles and aside from dirt and, well, the aroma of sweat, they are in decent shape. The reason they need to be replaced is that the shock absorption of the shoe is dangerously diminished. The shoe helps take in the pounding of a heavy guy like me and therefore saves my feet, knees and back from too much wear and tear.

I suppose there are all sorts of life analogies that can be made: the danger of wearing others out beyond repair; guests that hang around too long stink; or save your “soul” before it is too late (sorry, I could not resist!). The connection I am mulling over is how necessary we are to each other. We the community of faith surround one another to help absorb the poundings, the shocks and the day to day use that wears and tears on us.

The author of Hebrews writes: “…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…” (12:1), but this is no individualistic pursuit. Spiritual formation is a journey intended for sharing. We are church not because we say we are, or bear a name, or construct a building. We are church when we hold one another up, absorbing and enduring with one another the impacts, poundings, and shocks inevitably encountered in life.

Paul writes in Colossians 3:13 “Bear with one another…” This is family. This is community. This is Church. Bless you for bearing with me!

Greg

Ten or so years ago I attended one of the most interesting picnics ever in my life. Instead of hearing phrases like, “pass the fried chicken” or, “put another hot dog on the grill”, I heard remarks like, “falafel anyone?” and, “would you like some more dumas?” The red clay and pine thicket of a campground on Lake Allatoona was transformed into a little Kurdistan. I was part of the Georgia Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s effort to resettle Kurdish refugees, and all the participating churches hosted a picnic for our guests. Everyone was invited, but our special guests were our Kurdish friends. There were more than 200 Kurds attending this great picnic.

Some of the Kurdish families had not seen one another for some time because their persecution in Iraq had separated families and friends. You can imagine the joyous reunion many of them shared at our picnic. Perhaps this was a small example of what Jesus meant when he prayed, “thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” On a hot, Saturday afternoon in the middle of the summer I was a small part of God’s realm on earth.

Church is about setting a table for the world. When we support missionaries around the globe or send out mission teams to provide dental care or volunteer time at the Augusta Urban Mission we are setting a table and inviting the world to join us. Throughout the Bible banquets and feasting are used to describe God’s redemption. Through missions we feed the hungry, provide water for the thirsty, and hope for the searching. We do this through contributions, prayers, and presence. Missions is not a program but a way of life for God’s people. In fact, missions is a privilege, life being invited to a picnic or a feast.

As we enter a new school year and a new season of Bible Study, mission, and worship, may we be faithful and attentive in joining in the feast and inviting others to do the same.

Grace and Peace,

Greg

The other day I was out pulling weeds and snipping some roses while Aaron was supervising (yes, I know that the roles are reversed). Aaron noticed that we were being watched…by a squirrel…more specifically a baby squirrel. Upon closer inspection it was not just one baby squirrel but several. A family of squirrels is living in our bird house designed for bluebirds. Over the years I have chased away woodpeckers, chicken snakes and occasionally neighbors but never had I faced the notion of an eviction notice for squirrels. Of course baby squirrels are too cute to kick out on the street, so I suppose I will just have to learn to live with them for a while.

Several years ago I read with amusement that Dr. Bill Self, pastor of Johns Creek Baptist Church, preached a series of sermons entitled: Squirrels in the Attic and Water in the Basement. I have much respect for Dr. Self but I have no idea where he was going with that series. He certainly had my curiosity, which may have been the point.

For me “squirrels in the attic” is personal. Over the years I have had a few squirrels who have attempted to take up residence in our attic. Now that I reflect on all this a bit further, maybe what Dr. Self meant by the title “Squirrels in the Attic” is that in the course of life we are inconvenienced by the uninvited. One day we have squirrels in the attic the next our child is sick with the flu. Sometimes the surprises are relatively trivial. But we all know there are events that can also be devastating.

Our faith is not to insulate us from “squirrels in the attic” or disappointments in life. Rather, we bring together our sometimes tenuous beliefs to remind ourselves of God’s steady presence. I love the beautiful words of Psalm 139:8:

“If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.”

What a great affirmation of the character of God! You and I arise each day with little knowledge of what we will face. Our day may go well or it may turn disastrous. Yet in it and through it we will not journey alone. God is the one who follows us even to the pit of our despair as well as the pinnacle of our triumphs.

This Sunday join me and a congregation of others who battle against squirrels in the attic or the birdhouse, and all the other surprises that life brings our way. It is an honor to be in this journey and family of faith with you.

Grace and peace,

Greg