So that you may be fruitful...

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful...Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John 15:1-4

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Hebrews 12:5-6

Cry for Justice

For the past year, God has been bringing the concept of "Justice" before me again and again, in many different ways and from many different sources. It's like a school teacher telling a child, 'Now pay attention, you're going to need this one.' I have no idea where it's going, but it keeps coming up. Much of those thoughts seemed to coalesce in a sermon series delivered by our pastor, Crawford Loritz, over the winter.

Take, for instance, his talk on racial justice. It was a tricky talk to give, as he happens to be an african american pastor of a (mostly) white church, and he admitted he did not want to come across as "scolding us". He wisely presented it in the form of a dialogue, between himself and an associate pastor, Monty Watson. I think the highlight of that talk came when Monty asked Crawford, "So, what is it that african americans want of white people? Do we owe an apology, or what?" There was a slight pause, as you realized that this was probably the crux of the dialogue, than Crawford gave a great answer (and I am paraphrasing here, based on memory)."No," he said, "it's not that anyone owes anyone else an apology. After all, most of the offenses done against african americans were committed long ago by people long since dead. But what many of us in the african american community want is a realistic understanding of the weight of the sin, of those offenses in the past. Many white people talk about the good old days with a pollyannaish view that everything was great in the past, as they are only aware of what white people experienced. For african-americans, the experience was quite different."
That comment struck me that morning, as I could definitely relate to it. The early part of the century was indeed a pretty good time...if you were white. I was reminded of that again this morning, listening to a personal essay given on NPR. The speaker was Mary Ellen Noone, and her story was recorded as part of StoryCorps Griot, an initiative that collects the recollections of black Americans.
In her story, we see a glimpse of the other side of life, where the absence of basic humanity in the ill treatment of others cries out for justice. And in seeing that, we can better understand some of the scars that still remain.
You can read her story on NPR by clicking here. To listen to it, just click on the "Listen Now" button. It is hard to hear, but it is important.

Spring is coming!

My favorite time of year by far - Spring, the promise of new life. I took this picture one year ago, on March 22. I can't wait to see all those flowers in bloom again.

Hey, after having a few kids, a guy is free to appreciate flowers without having his manhood questioned. ;-)

What if...you could go through life with a guarantee that your every need would be provided for? What if you knew someone was actively watching out for you, someone powerful enough to control any environment, any situation you find yourself in? What if you were guaranteed to survive, to thrive, to win....and all you had to do was ask...and be willing to take on a new perspective. Would you?

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air...your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25

"...If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all -- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?.....in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. " Romans 8:31-37

Raising Daughters

I once asked someone what it would be like raising teenage daughters, and after pausing a moment, he said, "It's very easy to NOT do it right. Unlike young children, who beg and demand your time, teenagers are more independent, and they will quickly glide through your life if you are not paying attention, going about their own lives. You have to force yourself to stop, to make time to spend with them."

You know, he was right.

Will I?

This is one video you have to see. The song comes from the Broadway play "Rent", and although I can not recommend the play, this one piece of it is a gem. The setting for the song is an AIDS support group. From what I've read, the idea for the song came from an HIV support meeting a few years ago where a man stood up and said, "I'm not afraid of dying -- I'm ready for that. I just want to know this: Will I lose my dignity?"



Wow. It just takes my breath away. Not that I've been in that immediate circle (dealing with AIDS), but having gone through the dark valley of cancer with my father and my first wife, I recognize those heart-stopping moments when you struggle with fundamental questions that you never thought you would be asking.

Many of us may not be able to relate to Aids, but none of us are immune to the big life-challenging illnesses (whether cancer, diabetes, ALS or whatever). Even if we do not face them directly, odds are someone close to us eventually will. They all have a way of eradicating walls that otherwise would never come down. You will probably never find yourself in an AIDS support group, but you very well may one day be asking yourself, "Will I lose my dignity?"

For some, the answer to that question is a painful one. I've watched this process slowly unravel the worlds of my father, and then my first wife, Ida, as everything they felt important slipped from their fingers. For everyone, the "Will I...?" questions are different, but they all have that same heartwrenching feel to them. Will I lose my health? Will I lose my career? Can I continue homeschooling my children? Will I see my children grow up?

And when all the things we clutch on to so tightly in life have been peeled away, one by one, all that's left in the end is God. At that moment, we start to realize what a sacrifice Jesus made to leave the glory of heaven, to find himself cold and bereft of comfort in a humble manger. Knowing that the cross lay ahead of Him. When everything that was important to us is gone, all that is left is Him. Some get angry and shake their fist at Him, while others run into His embrace.
And what about us? While life is good and the days are sweet? When we still can hold on to those we love and reach for our dreams... Can we appreciate Jesus during these times? Can we appreciate His sacrifice for us? While we may not have to ask the "Will I...?" questions, He did.

"For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." 2 Cor 5:14-15

The Lineup

Hillary Clinton - I can not imagine her overcoming the animosity against her in the Republican party. The two-party system today is so closely balanced that a candidate must draw voters from both sides in order to win. I just can't see Hillary doing that.

Barack Obama - He just strikes me as so young and inexperienced. He scores way, way high on style, but pretty low on substance (in my humble opinion), largely based on his age. Nevertheless, given our current culture, it is possible that someone could get into the White House based on style alone. I sure hope not, though.

Mitt Romney - He has strong business experience and is running as a social conservative, which should get him into the heart of the Republican party, BUT...he is Mormon. Let's be honest: social-conservatives of the GOP are evangelical Christians, and although the rest of the world may confuse Mormon's with Christians, the evangelicals sure do not. The Christian right is not ready for a mormon president.

Mike Huckabee - Here's the one I voted for, because he is, well, great on the social-conservative issues. But I expect his background as a Christian preacher may make him unpaletable for everyone outside the Christian-right camp.

John McCain - The face of a war hero, seasoned, and appeal that could stretch across party lines. Just two strikes against him: he is not a social conservative, and he is the sole proponent of continuing the Iraq buildup, which is unpopular. Nevertheless, he has already reached across party lines by being progressive, and if he picks a social-conservative VP to appease the Christian right, then this race will be his to lose.


The moral here: A candidate in today's politics must have appeal across the full spectrum to win. McCain is the closest to that.