Brewed, not rushed

I'm told that smells have the power to evoke powerful memories and one of those smells in  my life is fresh brewed coffee.  Every morning of my high school days started with my dad drinking his morning cup of coffee and, although I don’t drink it, the smell always reminds me of those mornings.

My dad had one of the oldest drip coffee makers known to mankind. In fact, it may have been the original.  As I remember it, the coffee grounds would be placed in an upper chamber and boiling water would be poured in and slowly the water would seep through the grounds and collect in the lower chamber as coffee.  It may have taken a while for the process, but for him it was well worth the wait.

I often wonder how my dad would take to these modern cup-at-a-time-in-a-minute coffee  makers we have today. He would likely say something like,  "Son, it takes time to make a good cup of coffee.   Trying to make a cup of coffee in a minute just doesn't work."  And, " You might have a cup of brown water there but is it really worth drinking?"  I suspect he would ask for his old drip coffee maker. 

Now those modern cup-at-a-time-in-a-minute coffee makers may do the trick and my father's response may be way off base, but his logic may still be true.  Some things need to take some time.  Some things need to percolate.  Sometimes when things are rushed the results may be less than ideal.

James, the brother of Jesus and author of the New Testament letter that bears his name, reminds believers that there are at least two things that are better when not rushed.  He says, "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."  Speech and anger should never be rushed into.  They need to be brewed not hurried.

My experience and observation prove that to be so true.  The words I would like to retract are most often words that have rushed through my lips rather than having spent their proper time in my mind.  Anger has been destructive when it is reactive rather than thoughtful.  James would later say in the same letter that an untamed tongue has the destructive power of an uncontrolled fire.

The smell of coffee reminds me of those cold New England mornings and the time it took my dad to brew himself a good cup of joe.  It also reminds me that some things take time.  That smell reminds me that words and anger are two of those commodities that really aren't worth the effort until they have had ample time to percolate.  James' words ring true: Be slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Religion and Politics

Don't you just love this season?  I'm not talking about fall; I'm talking about election season.  Polls, debates, policies - they all just add up for a fascinating combination of mudslinging, political mumbo-jumbo, and image control.  I wouldn’t call myself a real political person, but I must admit there is something about this cycle we go through every four years that intrigues me.   It's also interesting to observe how Christians perceive this process in differing and even opposing ways.

Some Christians stay completely out of it.  The kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world are two separate entities.  Neither Paul nor Jesus ever encouraged political action, accept to submit to the authorities, so why should we be the least bit concerned about laws and offices.  Let the people of the world take care of those insignificant details while I dedicate my full attention and allegiance to the eternal kingdom.  Real change and transformation has never been an act of government, it is solely an act of God.  It's not that they don’t want a better and more spiritual world, they just don’t think the governments of this sphere are truly capable of bringing that to pass.

Some Christians get right in the middle of it.  One way we can be the salt and light of the world is to enact change through the political process.  We have not been called to retreat from this world, but rather to engage it.  Sure, we are all citizens of the eternal kingdom, but we are also, albeit temporarily, citizens of our respective locales and our voices need to be heard.  It's not that they think government is THE answer but it is AN instrument of God to bring about righteousness and holiness.

I tend to believe this qualifies as one of the disputable matters Paul talks about.

In recognition of that, allow me to remind you that there is not only an important election next November, there is one this November.  There are several state and local propositions that will be decided this Tuesday and, if you are so inclined, you get to have a voice.

In any case, enjoy the season be it fall or election season - or both!

Our Battle of the Axe

This week is a special week for Sherman and Denison high school football fans.  It's the annual Battle of the Axe.  (If you're not from Denison then just think of your high school's biggest rivalry and you have an idea of what I'm talking about.)  I'm not sure of the origins of the rivalry and why an axe is emblematic of that rivalry, but the occasion prompted me to do a little search through the Bible for any references to axes. (I'm a preacher, that's how my mind works!)  I thought there were and lo and behold I discovered  "Ax" is found 8 times in the New International Version while "Axe" is found 11 times.  I have no clue why there are two spellings of this word, but that is for another time and place.  Anyway, my search revealed no mention of Bearcats and Yellowjackets, but one reference especially seemed relevant to Christians like you and me.

Solomon, or whoever wrote Ecclesiastes, makes several observations about the world we live in and one of them has to do with an ax.  Ecclesiastes 10:10 says," If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success." (NIV)  I like the New Living Translation that reads, "Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed." I also like the New Century Version's rendering:  "A dull ax means harder work. Being wise will make it easier."

I've probably swung an ax fewer times than I've been to the Battle of the Axe but I have had some experience with dullness (no pun intended).  A blade, whether it be on a knife or a saw, makes work so much easier when it is sharpened rather than being dull.  Sharpening a blade may not seem to be accomplishing anything but it really does.  It makes the work we do easier.

Some people see going to church, listening to sermons, singing religious songs, and all the other things we do when we get together on Sunday as a waste of time.  Au contraire!  Worship and Bible study is kind of like sharpening our axes, and as we get sharper we'll find our job, whatever that may be, a little easier the rest of the week. 

The Battle of the Axe may be this Friday in Texomaland, but really every week is a battle and every week we need to be as sharp as possible!  I hope when you go to worship you leave a little sharper than you were when you came, because let's face it, most of us can't afford to get any duller!

Lesons from a Yard Sale

A couple of weekends ago my wife and I decided to put some things out in the front yard and have a yard sale.  You learn a lot from having a yard sale.

Lesson #1:  I have neighbors!  I already knew this of course.  I see people, the same people, driving up and down my street and walking into houses near me, but I sadly confess I have not been the neighbor I should be.  It seems we've become pretty adept at holing ourselves up in our air-conditioned and entertainment equipped homes that we can easily forget there are real people living all around us.  As we sat outside in our front yard people from up and down the street came by and said hello.  We may not have sold a lot, but we did get to know some new people.  I learned it's hard to love your neighbor when you stay safe and protected surrounded by your walls.  I might need to let some walls down and step outside a little more.

Lesson #2:  Kids are the best shoppers.  When a car would pull up and kids would shuffle out we knew we had a sale.  There was more than a fair share of kids toys that our high school boys were willing to part with, so we had plenty of bait for eager children.  It's so fun watching them rummage through the well-worn gadgets and doohickeys that entertained our kids for years but now were ready to serve that same purpose at a new address.  And what's so refreshing about watching those kids is that it really didn’t matter that there was no fancy packaging or recognizable labels.  Kids, and it seems the younger the better, are not impressed with labels and tags.  I suppose we learn that deceptive lesson as we get older, but isn’t it wonderful to see kids finding joy in simple things.  I think that may have been something of what Jesus meant when he told us to be like little children.   If we could see the world through their eyes we may find ourselves less bothered by appearances and more amazed by the simple joys all around us.  

Lesson #3:  I have a lot of junk.  For the last several months my wife has been boxing up our potential yard sale items.  The evening before the sale we carried the dusty boxes down from the attic and early Saturday morning loaded it all on the tables.  I guess everyone's yard sale fantasy is for someone to come by and offer you an outrageous amount of money for all your stuff and you can run off to the bank and take the rest of the day off.  That didn’t happen.  In fact,  the crowds were slow to appear and the tables remained full.  Sure, some things sold but sales were not near as swift as we had hoped.  At one point my wife said to me she was amused at the thought of how delighted she would be if someone would just give us a dime for that thingamabob that at one time we couldn’t live without.  Isn’t that strange?  Things that we once thought would make our life complete we would gladly part with for ten cents.  How has stuff managed to deceive us so completely and clandestinely?  Sitting at that table eager to part with my "treasures" the words of Jesus rang so true:  " Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

It was a good yard sale.  We met some neighbors, were entertained by some kids, and cleaned out our attic.  But more importantly we were reminded of how temporary stuff is and encouraged to set our hearts on things that will last.

Just a couple of thoughts

I have a couple of thoughts:

Thought number one!  What am I doing to strengthen myself spiritually?  If you're reading this you probably go to church on Sundays, and that's good.  It’s real good and I strongly encourage it.  Sunday worship is like getting a spiritual infusion that seems to give you that boost that you need to face another week. You're wise to go to church because you recognize that living spiritually isn’t the easiest thing to do.  So kudos to you.  But, let's face it -- if you really want to be a spiritual stud you're going to need more than an hour or two. So, what else are you doing to get spiritually stronger?  What daily disciplines do you have in place to supplement what we're doing on Sunday morning?  I could tell you what to do, but really you need to decide because only you know and only you choose what you are going to do!  Doing almost always is preceded by a question, so ask yourself the question, "What am I doing to strengthen myself spiritually?"

Thought number two - What am I doing to serve others?  Most people are selfish.  I don’t know why but selfishness seems to be rampant in human beings.  Perhaps we suppose that someone has to look out for number one and who better to do that than me!  Jesus taught the exact opposite and trusting that Jesus knew a thing or two about abundant life, I think we ought to give his plan a try.   Making ourselves last and becoming a servant to others are two essential ingredients in Jesus' formula for abundant life.  It stands to reason that if I make myself first and look to others to serve me then my recipe for life is messed up.  So you need to ask yourself, "What am I doing to serve others?"

Well, that's a couple of things to think about.