Undoubtedly by now you've heard a fair amount of news and commentary surrounding the case of Bowe Bergdahl. Sgt. Bergdahl was the U. S. Army soldier held captive and then released in exchange for five Taliban prisoners being held at Guantanamo. Much has been said about the equity, or lack thereof, of such a trade not just numerically, but in terms of probable threat levels each present to the other side once they are free, etc.

Some recent reports have highlighted suspicion that Sgt. Bergdahl may have deserted his unit, gone AWOL, defected, or even aided the enemy. He's been labeled as everything from simply a scared young man to a traitor. I don't intend to comment on those charges as it is obvious there are hours and hours of investigation warranted and still to come in this case.

However, what was curious to me was the charge that if Bergdahl was indeed a deserter or even an enemy of the United States, why in the world would we go looking for him? It's reported that many hours, and possibly as many as six lives were expended in the search to find and free Sgt.Bergdahl. Some that I heard interviewed found this repugnant.He slid under the wire, left his post. Why does he deserve any kind of rescue or redemption?

It made me think, however, about the cost to God in his search to free and find you and me. It poses quite the question in my mind:

To what degree should effort be exerted to recover someone lost if even due to his or her own disobedience?

What might have happened if God had asked that question prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus, his own and only Son? What if God had determined that as deserters, as enemies of God (See James 4:4), we were not worth the cost of his Son's life to save? Where would be now had God embodied the attitude I've heard portrayed in some media?

Instead, we read this in Paul's letter to the Romans:

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8 ESV

By not zeroing in on the actions of Sgt.Bergdahl, but instead focusing upon the acts of a righteous God, I'm certainly thankful that the extent to which God went to restore me was not contingent upon my level of deserving such action! While I was yet a sinner, (and continue to be) Jesus gave up his life in order to restore me to fellowship with God. Was it worth it? Was I worth it? He thought so. I think he still does!

Blessed Contrast

I had a text conversation with my wife this morning and she shared with me what she was observing in terms of weather where she was at that moment. "We have black skies and a rainbow," she said. Out my office window, some 20 plus miles away from her location we had similar black skies, but some bright sun as well. However, the multicolored arc that she was able to see was not visible here. However, some thirty minutes later, on my way to a hospital call, I saw the same black skies and brilliant rainbow.

It set me thinking...

Do you ever see a brilliant rainbow on a crystal clear day? "Well of course not," you're thinking right now, since the rainbow is formed by water droplets refracting light, droplets that aren't present with a crystal clear sky, Pastor George; (and, right now you're thinking, "it's obvious that you studied theology and not meteorology!")

What makes the rainbow brilliant is the contrast in which it is set.

Hmmmm....God's promises.

Remember that the rainbow was placed in the sky by God to illustrate to Noah the covenant he was forming with him; a covenant agreement, initiated by God, that he would never again flood the earth to destroy all flesh (Genesis 9:12-17).

But what caused that promise to be so clearly seen, or at least the representation of the promise, was the contrast with the cloud in which the bow was set (vs. 14).

I wonder if the brilliance of God's promises in our life are as remarkable on clear days as they are when things are "dark" and "overcast?"

Isn't there a sort of "blessed contrast" whereby we recognize God's bestowing of promises and mercy more fully when our situations are such that we feel "clouded over?"

That to me is pure grace. And, perhaps, it's after some time has passed as well. Rarely does the rainbow poke out as the rain is beginning. More so it is the case that after a good deluge, the arc pops forth reminding us that while we might have just gotten drenched, "this is not unto death!" A stark contrast.

Now it would be beyond glib to say at this point "So the next time it rains in your life, just look for the rainbow!" But my encouragement to you is this: if your life is dark right now; if you're struggling to see any kind of "blue sky experience" in your situation(s), then you are in a prime spot, because of that deep contrast, to see the blessed promises of God. Here are just a few that might arc themselves over your cloud covered skies:

** "...I will not leave you or forsake you." Joshua 1:5

** "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." James 4:8

** "...If you seek him, he will be found by you..." 1 Chronicles 28:9

** "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

So don't despise the clouds; that's right where God chose to place the rainbow! In your darkness, replay the promises over and over in your heart. Remember, "he who promised is faithful!" (Hebrews 10:23)

Do You REALLY Think God Knows?

Have you ever watched a movie that has so captivated you that you begin to stress about whether the individual or individuals portrayed are going to make it out of their circumstances okay?

I recently viewed "All Is Lost" along with my wife and one of  my daughters. If you're looking for a movie with stirring dialogue, this isn't the one for you. There are a few moments of voice over at the very beginning, and aside from an unintelligible outburst of frustration at one point in the movie, that's it for any speaking. And, following in the pattern of "Gravity" which featured predominately only two actors, "All Is Lost" boasts one; Robert Redford.

**SPOILER ALERT**

It's the story of a man on a boat, which soon sinks forcing him onto a life raft, which soon catches fire and  burns, setting him adrift in the ocean with nothing except his ability to tread water!

While I didn't find the movie "spectacular," it was certainly captivating; if for no other reason than my continual anxiety on his behalf! Will he ever get rescued? How likely is it in this huge expanse of ocean that anyone will ever see him?

That anxiety grew even greater when he finds a sextant and a map and soon realizes that he is in the middle of a shipping channel. Not long after that realization, as he's floating in his "soon to be melted" raft, a massive shipping vessel passes right next to him. However, in spite of his waving, he isn't seen by the crew of the tanker. A similar ship passes later, this time at night. Even armed with flares, he's not able to flag down the ship's crew.

Try as he might, he was simply too small to be noticed!

Sound familiar? Have you ever sensed that in your life? Do you ever feel adrift in this incredible sea we call life wondering if (a) there is a God, and (b) does he know you're out there? Have you had the experience of shooting off flares and jumping and waving, only to bob in the wake of the ship as it passes you by?

David asked something very similar of God. In the 8th Psalm:

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

In other words, in the great scheme of things, God, given our relative unimportance, why do you even care?

It's rhetorical. David answers his own question:

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet...

Your value is intrinsic because of the identity of the One who formed you!
 
Hardly inconsequential, I'd say.

You do matter! You are valued in God's eyes! You were created by the same hands that created the heavens, the moon, and the stars. The very same hands that positioned them all in a specified location, giving them a certain path in which to orbit, those very hands also made you! And while our circumstances can cause us to feel dwarfed and adrift with no hope of rescue, your immense value in the sight of the One who formed you hasn't dropped a bit.

Unfortunately, what many of us do, is use our surroundings to quantify us.

We play an endless comparison game whether it's with what others possess, what others look like, how popular they seem to be, etc. all the while missing that fact that our value isn't earned or purchased or acquired, it's intrinsic because of the identity of the One who formed us! Your "size" in His eyes is immense. And, when compared to him, you SHOULD seem small! After all, He's God. But how great is it that even as huge as he is, he's still mindful of you! You're big to Him!

You're valued because you were formed and crowned by the only One who's able!

So the next time life tries to dwarf you and your circumstances break over the top of your raft, remember that the same hands that formed the heavens will settle that raft and can tow you to still waters. Cry out to him for that!

 

Retrospective Grace

I am the brunt of jokes in my home. More accurately, my PHONE is the brunt of many jokes. You see, it's old. I get remarks from phone store employees along the lines of "Oh wow, I remember when those came out.." and other such comments that only make the situation worse.

And, occasionally, just to prove how "with it" I am, I will even take pictures with my phone (yes, it has that capability!) and even upload them to Facebook! However, that in itself is a multiple step process! Consider this; after I take the picture, I have to edit it, save it to the phone, then email it to myself, download it from my email on another computer, then upload it to Facebook! I know...you're actually impressed I know the word "upload!"

But here's the rub: many of you, if not most, take a picture, tap it or blow on it or whatever you do with your fancy phones, and there they are; uploaded to Facebook or Instagram and receiving lots of comments already. Meanwhile, I'm flipping through all of the saved pictures on my phone, looking for the one I just took so that I can complete the aforementioned steps! However, it serves to be a great exercise in what I would term "retrospective grace!" Here's what I mean...and here's where I get serious.

That journey through the memory bank of my LG Envy 3 allows me a view into the past and a view of God's presence around every turn. For instance, there are lots of granddaughter pictures on board. It reminds me of how blessed I am to have this little girl only 12 hours away. It calls to mind how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to have her at our home for a few weeks each year. It helps me recall the excitement she expressed that morning when she stormed into our bedroom to let us know it had snowed. It reminds me of the excitement in her eyes when she nearly rode the length of the driveway without training wheels this summer. Memories of fun that are too easily forgotten in the rush of life. Grace filled moments of pouring into and receiving love from this little 6 year old!

This venturing into the past also shows me a shot of all four of our kids sitting on the couch in my mom's house in California taken this June. With kids spread out geographically, it's rare to get them all together. But there is another aspect of the picture that just makes me smile; they're all laughing at something! Probably at my phone while I was taking the picture, but it still makes me smile to see them all together laughing and obviously enjoying the moment. They really like each other, and it gladdens my heart that they love one another! That in itself is a grace thing. For all of the doubts we have about our parenting skills, it makes me think we might have done something right.

There is another set of photos, all snapped during an impromptu trip down the Oregon coast. It was a sort of melancholy trip, about which I won't go into deep detail here. Suffice to say it was a time of getting away and breathing some fresh sea air during a difficult time. As I see it, I am reminded of the restorative presence of God and his Holy Spirit that can bring healing and apply balm to the toughest of wounds. Still, even in struggle, that grace was, and still is apparent.

One last photo shows the Seattle skyline, taken during an early morning trip to make hospital calls. Two church members struggling significantly with health issues were the aim of my visit this particular morning. Even after 30+ years of ministry, I still wonder if what I say is wise enough; comforting enough. But then I'm reminded of the encouraging words of my mentor, Dr. Jimmy Adamson, who spoke so frequently of having a "ministry of presence." And so I strive to enter those rooms not searching for the most pithy thing to say, but rather being the most open to whatever the Lord would like to accomplish in those few moments at the bedside. I become even more dependent upon that grace.

And so, in spite of having the "prop driven" phone in a world of jets, it still affords me a glimpse of how grace filled my days have been, thanks to the Giver of Grace; the Lord Jesus. So take away the "delete file" key; I need to reflect on that retrospective grace often.

What Was He Thinkin'?

Unfortunately, many of us do not spend lots of time in the Old Testament. Oh, we know some of the "biggies" in that half of scripture: Abraham, Moses, Noah, Samson, Daniel, David, etc. Fewer of us know some of the other characters, and, I would hazard a guess that even fewer of us know the ins and outs of some of the stories. One that has been an anchor for me is the story of Joseph; especially the end. The epic of Joseph ends up concluding in the last chapter of Genesis; chapter 50. It's there, in verse 20 that we read,

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

I won't recount the entire story for you, but in a nutshell, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, carted off to a foreign country, favored by the government there, finds himself falsely accused of a crime, imprisoned for it, released from prison, rises to power in Egypt, and ends up showing mercy to his brothers at a time of great famine in Egypt. And it is then, as he is dispensing grain, and mercy to his brothers, that he makes this stunning and gracious pronouncement.

God knew all along what he was doing.

But what was Joseph thinking? What was Joseph thinking when his body hit the bottom of the pit into which his brothers threw him at the outset of the drama? What was Joseph thinking when he was falsely accused of taking liberties with Potiphar's wife? What was he thinking when he landed on the ground of the prison? In those awful moments, do you think Joseph was thinking "Wow, this is great because something great is going to come of it?" Do you think he began to contemplate the great exodus and deliverance from the soon-to- come slavery in Egypt? Was he excited about how this would set the stage for God's great work through Moses? Did he see this as simply setting into motion the coming to fruition of Joshua's budding leadership skills?

Neither do I!

But the hindsight with which we view God's sovereignty is one of the greatest "grace gifts" that God gives us through Holy Scripture. Because we are afforded this rare view of God's workings, we ought to rejoice.

I think one of the greatest "phrases within a phrase" is when Joseph says "God meant it..." To me this is just one more indicator and reminder that there is nothing that escapes God's eye. Beyond that, he not only knows, but that knowledge is intertwined with intention. God meant it. He didn't slip up; things didn't just "happen" and take him by surprise, there is purpose.

That's hard for us, especially when the situation is hard. We default to the usual expressions. "I thought God was a loving God?" "How could he intend this?" I think Isaiah did the best job of summing that one up:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

We know, by reading ahead in the story, how God wove greatness and redemption into the outcome of that story. Joseph didn't see it, but we did, and still do. And, as hard as it may be in the midst of what you are facing right now, God, I believe (and I hope you do too) is at work, meaning to weave something out of your circumstances. I believe that he has a plan, because God is a God of order and order means a plan. And I believe that the goal of that plan is His glory and not ours. That might be even tougher yet. But to sum up John Piper quoting Jonathan Edwards, we find our prime satisfaction in God's glorification.

Can you trust in that today? Are you ready to give up being god of your circumstances and allow Him to reign rightly there? As Joseph expressed to his brothers, "Am I in the place of God?"( vs. 19) The clear inference there is that God is at work and will bring about what HE wants to bring about from our circumstances.

So, what are YOU thinkin'?

Living the Dream

     I have really enjoyed hiking up Mount Peak in Enumclaw twice in the last week with my lovely wife Elizabeth. Well, wait just a moment: enjoyed might be too strong a word! I’ve loved having time with my wife; I have loved the interaction with folks coming down and going up the one mile climb; I have absolutely LOVED the weather…but…concerning how I feel as I’m hiking…that’s another topic for another entry: perhaps one on pain or misery!

   What was the most striking was one comment from a gentleman while we were descending the steep gravel road on the back side of “Peak” as it’s known by the locals. He was jogging down a side trail and as he emerged from the bushes and branches, I casually said “How’s it going?” His reply stuck in my head:  “Oh you know,” he stated, “living the dream!”

   That’s a curious phrase to me. It’s certainly not the first time I’ve heard it. It is, however, the first time I have become this analytical about it. “Living the dream;” does that mean that you actually DREAM about Mount Peak and now you’re living it because you’re here? For me, with the agony my body feels as it’s ascending, a better response would be “Living the nightmare!” But under closer examination, I think I know what he meant.

   I’m sure he was reflecting on one of the “out of character” warm days here in the Puget Sound (88 degrees when this adventure took place, breaking the all time high of 79 for the same day in 1957). I’m sure he was impacted by the gorgeous surroundings of this 1,800 foot peak that rises up out of a relatively flat surrounding area. And perhaps he was even more reflective than that: realizing that there are some that would love to come up and climb but for physical issues are unable.

   Reflecting on his comment caused me a bit of chagrin. While my first impression was “I’m living the dream too because I’m on my way down,” the more I thought about it the more I realized how grateful I should be, even for the pain. There are others that would love to make this climb and feel that same pain I’m dissing, but for a variety of reasons aren’t able. 

   I thought of some of those unfortunate, innocent race goers in Boston that now don’t have legs due to the reckless acts of two alleged bomb makers. I thought of the men and women that went far from their homes to try and secure freedom for other countries and have come home without limbs. I thought of folks in our congregation that due to health issues have slowed greatly that would, at one time, have nearly galloped up this road, but now are tethered to oxygen or other health support devices.

    “Living the dream!” Certainly, because there are those that can only dream; who won’t get another crack at living it.

   We all need a good wake up call now and again; and this one was mine. Can you look around you and see what it is that you take for granted? Maybe it’s a relationship, a person, your job, your home, maybe something or someone that generally is the brunt of more complaints than affirmations. Can you agree that you probably really are living the dream? Maybe you just need someone to shake you!

   James, in the New Testament, serves that purpose well. He writes: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change…What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 1:17, 4:14-15).

Coming Full Circle

I have to admit I am somewhat loath to wade into the social media tidewaters surrounding the work of the Supreme Court this week. Most likely you've not escaped it. If you're a regular Facebook user, undoubtedly your eyes have been caught by the various changes in profile pictures to either support the work of the court, or protest it, as it relates to their deliberation over California's Proposition 8 and the National Defense of Marriage Act.

I must say that I am in agreement with the justice that voiced a question over the appropriateness of the high court ruling on the issue of what constitutes marriage. I have always felt as though it was fairly clearly delineated in both the Old and New Testaments. It is, in any case, the source I intend to use to support my argument that what we now call "traditional" marriage is worth fighting for since it clearly, in terms of relationships, represents a coming full circle. Allow me to explain.

At the outset I must first credit the source from which I'm gleaning this fundamental example. John Piper, in his book "This Momentary Marriage," argues, I believe convincingly, this point; the marriage of a man and a woman is a coming full circle of the creation of man and woman.

In Genesis 2:18ff, God, in his quest to provide for the man a "helper fit for him," creates woman. First, it's crucial that we don't apply a western mind to the definition of "helper." The Hebrew more closely resembles a "counterpart." God, in his eternal wisdom, having observed no perfect counterpart yet in existence, creates  woman as the most suited, specifically designed answer to make this union complete, as it was birthed out of a desire to bring completion and unity (as the counter, "alone" in Hebrew is more closely "divided" ) to the man ("it is not good that the man should be alone;" Gen.2:18).

Key in that new creation is God's utilizing the rib, taken from man, in verse 21. There is a commonality in this creation, namely the rib, a part of the man, that does not exist in the animal or plant world. So this obviates that the perfect counterpart would not be found in anything other than that which would possess at least a portion of the man himself. The next verse reads "And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man." (Gen.2:22) Note carefully the man's response to the delivery of this one made from his own body: "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh..." (Gen.2:23)

"At last" he exclaims! What was taken from me has now come back in the form of a perfect and complementary creation!" The problem posed by being alone, that which God said was "not good" is now solved by coming full circle; manifested in the person of the woman; created as the perfect and complementary counterpart having used part of the man. As trite as it has become, she does "complete him!"

If we truly hold to "intelligent" design, believing that God IS that intelligence, can we not trust that how he completed the circle need not be improved on? I heard someone on the radio yesterday say that what is involved in the proposed change in the definition of marriage embodies a type of "evolving." Does that not imply a NEED to change from a deficit to a more complete, more perfect solution? If so, that renders God's original intent, the full circle completion via the creation of woman, as flawed and somehow in need of an evolutionary touch to "clean it up" and improve it. That becomes a slippery slope leading to a less than adequate God, which then calls into question everything, not to mention the efficacy of the salvation he's provided as well through Jesus Christ. I think I'd rather trust and believe that he got it right the first time!