Remembering Katrina… She Weren’t No Lady!

Yeah… I know. The title is not grammatically correct and worse.

But remembering Katrina? How could we forget?

I heard someone say—a newcomer to the coast—a few months ago that he was tired of hearing about Katrina and wanted folks to get over it and move on.

Many of us have to some extent moved on, but I am not sure we will ever get over it.

Like the generation of Americans that woke up to the national debacle of Pearl Harbor… or like the national effects of 911, Katrina has invaded our individual and collective psychology.

Today, four years later, we remember that which we cannot forget.

• We cannot forget the sight of cemeteries washed open.
  
• We cannot forget homes destroyed.
  
• We cannot forget lives lost.
  
• We cannot forget the time of extreme helplessness and despair.
  
• We cannot forget waiting in a long line in the Mississippi heat for a case of water, a case of MRE’s, and a bag of ice.
  
• We cannot forget the ever present sound of generators and chainsaws.
  
• We cannot forget… and the list goes on and on and on.
  

To be fair, we cannot and must not forget the gifts of mercy and grace that came down on us in a deluge.

We cannot and must not forget the sacrifices made by so many to help rebuild lives.

We cannot and must not forget the awesome God we serve who was with us before the storm, in the storm, and still remains long after the storm is gone.

There is still work to be done. Life does go on. Katrina cannot be a crutch for doing or not doing what must still be accomplished.

Indeed, life necessitates that we must move on. But we move on with a strong sense of memory and thankfulness for what God has done and is still doing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Remembering Katrina?

What do you remember and what are you thankful for today?

Leave a comment if you’d like…

Les, Jr.

The First Thud!

The following sermon (August 23, 2009) was inspired by a sermon from John Beukema—particularly in the use of the idea thud and in the consequences of sin from Genesis 3. The follow up sermon coming this Sunday (August 30, 2009) is titled Grace Makes the Ugly Beautiful … enjoy!

Do you know the sound of thud? Thud is the sound made when two cars collide or the sound of an ankle breaking or the sound of a head impacting concrete. Thud is the sound made when having a great fall. Thud is the sound one hears as the announcement that everything has just changed and not for the better.

Read with me the story of what another preacher, John Beukema, has helped me call the first thud… Genesis 3…

Theologians call this story the fall of man. It was and is the introduction of sin into the world—the first thud felt and heard round the world—it was the thud that changed everything!

With Adam and Eve’s willful disobedience of God, life changed and it was not for the better. Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden and before you know it, God is telling their first born son, Genesis 4:6-7…

Cain didn’t master sin and no one else did either for two chapters later God was ready to destroy the world because of sin and corruption!

Like most people, it is sometimes rather easy to not take a doctors suggestion seriously. Maybe you have also experienced that with a parent or a teacher or even a spouse. And certainly, if it’s a preacher telling you something you don’t want to hear, we can all find ways to ignore what we ought to take seriously. But if somebody says you’ll lose the love of your spouse or children, it’s time to listen. If somebody says whatever addiction you have embraced will destroy your life, it’s time to listen…

We must not ignore the realities of sin. It is time to listen. Failure to see and understand our first thud is a fatal flaw because after sin enters, nothing is ever the same!

In this account of Adam and Eve, the Serpent or Satan personifies sin and we see how easily it creeps and slithers into our lives. Satan was slick and sly—he didn’t come in with guns blazing in a full frontal assault. No, Satan just used a bit of doubt, a bit of innuendo, and a little smidgen of distortion.

And just like that, Eve chose to believe the serpent’s lie–she gave Satan’s words far more credence than the warning from God with disastrous results!

Genesis 3 is all about the consequences of our sins.

What does the thud of sin do? Sin ruins our innocence! Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and their perception and reality changed forever. Sure, they saw their nakedness and were ashamed—but sin would leave them naked time and time again.

What does the thud of sin do? Sin ruins our intimacy with God. Adam and Eve walked and talked in the garden. But when sin reared its ugly head, instead of desire for time with God, we now have a fear of God. Isaiah 59:2…

What does the thud of sin do? Sin destroys our relationships. When Adam first met Eve, he burst out in poetry: Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. The old saw says Adam took one look at Eve and said, “Whoa, Man!” and that’s where we got the name woman. But sin ruins our relationships and after eating of the forbidden fruit Adam says to God, the woman you put here with me, she gave me some fruit and I ate it. How do you think that played out when they got home? The result from God was a curse on man, a curse on woman, and a curse on the serpent—but men and women have been suffering the result of that curse since that very day. Relationships will always suffer from sin!

What does the thud of sin do? Sin ruins our enjoyment of all God’s gifts. Eve will now suffer in her role as child bearer. Adam will now suffer in his role as provider—and both are driven from the Garden.

In the gospels, Jesus encourages those who follow him to count the cost. Did you ever stop to wonder if Jesus wanted us to count the cost in a negative way as well? What is it going to cost if we don’t follow Jesus? Sin robs us of our perspective and self-worth. Sin leaves us exposed and destroys intimacy with God. Sin shatters our relationships with the ones we love the most.

And did you catch what happened in Genesis 3: 21…? Sin always means something or someone has to die.

Yes, sin is costly, but Jesus has come to pay the price for our sin. Jesus has come not to just soften the thud and make it less painful—Jesus has come to destroy the thud making process.

Next week we will talk about the beauty that thuds can become, but for now, aren’t you tired of waiting for the next thud and having to suffer through the consequences?

Quit suffering and start healing…

Les, Jr.

Fifty Ways

In 1975, the iconic pop musician, Paul Simon, scored a major hit with a quirky little ditty titled Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover.

Maybe you’ll remember the catchiest part of the lyrics…

You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free…

When the song came out, I was thirteen. I didn’t have much experience with relationships and breakups and bad situations. At forty-seven, I’m not so sure I can yet recommend Mr. Simon’s message as a viable way of dealing with a difficult relationship. But I do get it. Sometimes, you just want to escape what is bad and getting worse.

So what if we took these words and applied them to all the junk that constantly threatens to come between the relationships that matter the most?

Let’s be clear. There are things and people and situations whose only response calls for running. See the story of Joseph and Potiphar in Genesis 39. Fleeing, as in running for all your worth, is a consistent command in the New Testament. Two major examples are fleeing from idolatry and sexual immorality.

Yes, there is a time to run, a time to make good your escape.

1 Peter 5:8, Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
(NIV)

From that perspective, Mr. Simon got it right…

You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free…

Go ahead and run. Just make sure it’s Jesus you are running to!

Les, Jr.

Unexpected Blessings

Years ago we used to sing with frequent regularity “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God has done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done.”

Is “frequent regularity” redundant? Maybe so, but it says what I want to say. Counting blessings ought to be a regular spiritual practice. First, it helps us be aware of the good things God has blessed us with; and second, counting blessings helps us understand where our gratitude should go.

I so appreciated one of our sweet ladies this past Sunday. She came forward during the invitation, not to confess sin or heartache or to seek help for some problem. Instead, she came to express gratitude for what she saw and experienced from God in her. She came to say thank you.

It reminds of a story…

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-17)

Yes, counting blessings is what each of us should do. And the amazing thing is that in the counting, you often find unexpected blessings. Sometimes those blessings are there all along and you were just missing them. But sometimes, the very act of gratitude seems to unleash the floodgates of heaven.

I don’t mean that in a get rich sort of way. This is not the latest internet scam to get out of debt. I can see it now: “Call 1-800-IBEDUMB and learn how you too can find yourself unexpectedly debt free…”

But, being grateful just somehow brings more blessings—more opportunities. It really does. Every time I express my gratitude to God for the opportunity to serve, give more, help or be a blessing, another opportunity and the wherewithal to do it always appears.

So count your many blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings and see what God will do next…

Les, Jr. (who in counting his blessings sees the Orange Grove Church Family as a humongous part of his blessed life!)

No Perfect People Allowed: What Year Is It?

The following sermon preached August 16, 2009 at the Orange Grove Church of Christ in Gulfport, MS comes as a natural outgrowth of the previous sermons loosely following some ideas and thoughts generated by my reading of John Burke’s book No Perfect People Allowed—Creating a Come As You Are Culture in the Church. This continues to be an interesting read and it has helped me think through some things I need to deal with—I believe the church needs to deal with them as well…

Good Morning & Welcome! What year is it? I know you know I know we all know the answer. Does anybody here have a spouse that sometimes likes to test you with dates when you least expect it? What’s our marriage anniversary date? What is the birthday of our second son?

To borrow the words of Mr. T, “I pity the fool” who gets those wrong! And what is with those folks at Walgreens? “Hi, I’m picking up a prescription for our son…” “Yes, we have it right here… what’s his birthday?” If I get it wrong, are they going to rat me out to my wife?

So what year is it? We all know the current year is 2009, but if you suspect that is not quite the answer I am looking for, you are so right!

What year is it? Before you try and figure it out, take a quick look at a couple of telling passages…

Luke 4:14-21…

Romans 15:1-4…

Regardless of the numerical year, it should be the year of hope!

I want to believe that deep down inside every Christian is a place where belief in the message and ministry of Jesus is real, strong, and sure. I want to believe but I can’t because it is far too easy to live in the place of fear, anxiety, brokenness, and loneliness. And Christians are not immune. Henry David Thoreau once said that most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.

That’s pretty bleak, isn’t it? But it is true—and for Christians it’s often a product of putting our hope in the wrong place. We may preach a gospel of mercy and grace, but for most it is far too easy to get caught up in a performance oriented religious approach. Like the Pharisees Jesus did battle with, we so easily are about laws and traditions to the point that we define ourselves by them and how well we keep them.

But the problem is Jesus didn’t come to be a law-giver; Jesus came as a life-giver! John 10:9-10…This isn’t about prosperity, perfect health, or a problem-free life—instead it’s about hope for the future—the knowledge God is there! Yes, “the truth of God’s love is not that he allows bad things to happen—it’s his promise that He will be with us when they do.” (Mike Kjergaard)

The message we need to share with the broken and lonely is this: there is an answer for sin—there is an answer for brokenness and loneliness! Obviously, when Christians fight and bicker it hinders that message. Obviously, when Christians are more concerned about traditions while calling them truth, this message of Jesus gets short-shrifted. And maybe it should be more obvious that when Christians don’t have lives of hope, no one wants the pharisaical nothing we have to offer!

Listen to this story of Jesus… Matthew 9:9-13…

This reading sets the stage for what Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30…Are there any other bigger burdens than sin, addictions, loneliness and brokenness? Only if you count the burden pharisaical religion which often forces those coming to Jesus to bend to our traditions as if they were law—and that’s what Jesus was offering rest from!

Living with a handicapped child has given me a much greater appreciation of all the different nuances to the word normal. Exactly what is normal? Is it you? Is it me? And why in the world would we want to categorize people that way? When it is done, I don’t want to be normal. I want to be forgiven. I want to be healed of my brokenness. I want the real answers to loneliness. I want Jesus in my life in an ever-increasing measure! That’s real life. That’s the abundant life God has to offer.

No perfect people allowed: come as you are? Some of us today and for as long as you can remember are struggling with sexual, chemical, and gambling addictions. Some of us are struggling with manipulation, lying, and controlling. Some of us are extremely narcissistic and materialistic. Some of us are more adept at practicing a religion than you are risking it all with Jesus Christ. And when left on our own, in spite of our denials and self-affirmation, we are all broken and lonely people.

As a part of spreading the gospel and being the church Jesus envisions, we have to first seek and find our own redemption… and then we have to get out of the way and allow God to create a place of addiction recovery with vibrant small groups where we minister to and care for one another all while sharing the message of healing and hope. We must get out of the way and allow God to create a place where we can be the family you’ve always wanted.

In 1987, the Irish rock band, U2, released what they actually call a gospel song… You broke the bonds and you loosened the chains Carried the cross of all my shame. You know I believe it, but I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…

If you are looking for the more Jesus has to offer, then why don’t you come as you are today? We offer you the God of hope, the God of healing, the God of salvation!

What Do You Know?

Me? I’m afraid I don’t know much of anything at the moment…

And that’s not really true.

I know a lot. I really do. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I know a lot.

Basically, it’s not so much what you know as it is whom you know.

I don’t know all the answers to the political questions that are raging throughout our country. I certainly have my ideas and I am not a big fan (ok, a slight exaggeration) of the current administration or the party in power. Truth to tell, I have some grave differences with much of what we are hearing proposed in the name of health care reform.

And as much as my argumentative nature and the political junkie inside me would like to engage in battle, I’m afraid I’ll have to argue with you on your blog or at your place. Not gonna do it here at least today.

Call me chicken if you like even though it’s not a fear of the war of ideas that I am afraid of. No, what I am afraid of is losing sight of what I know or rather who I know.

Sooner or later this grand idea called the American experiment is going to come to an end. And truthfully, I hope it lasts until the end of time, but that’s the point. One of these days time will end—nothing here will matter. Sure, I would love to see problems solved, hurts righted, and dignity for all. Social ills and social justice are things to correct and things to pursue.

What I don’t want to do in the process is forget the One I know.

Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Maybe the best thing we could do for ourselves and our country is to be first drawn back to the Author and Creator of everything. A little change of perspective might just be what the doctor ordered.

What do you know?

I know this: Knowing Jesus changes everything!

Les, Jr.

Break Time!

I needed the vacation time I took last week. It was nice to be free of the stress of writing lessons, blogs, bulletin articles, etc. Not that I don’t love what I do, it’s just nice to have a break every now and then.

Unfortunately, taking a break isn’t always the thing we ought to do. Too often I see Christians taking a break that leads to something worse.

• Taking a break cannot mean a lessening of our spiritual walk with God.
  
• Taking a break cannot mean flirting with sin.
  
• Taking a break cannot mean pulling back from our church family.

Every time I see a Christian taking a break like the ones mentioned above means ultimately seeing them struggle and sometimes with horrific results.

So know this: You are not the first person to get weary. You are not the first Christian to struggle with time and responsibilities. You are not the first child of God who wonders if the grass is greener (or more fun/fulfilling) on the other side of the fence. You are not the first believer to get bogged down in relationships.

Galatians 6:9-10, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. NIV

2 Thessalonians 3:13, And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. NIV

Take a break with Jesus.

1 Peter 5:6-7, Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Life is hard and we need all the help we can get.Don’t make it worse by removing yourself from God and his people.

Hebrews 4:14-16, Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. NIV

Have a blessed week!

 Les, Jr.

No Perfect people Allowed: The Battle for Truth!

The following sermon preached August 2, 2009 at the Orange Grove Church of Christ in Gulfport, MS comes as a natural outgrowth of the previous sermons loosely following some ideas and thoughts generated by my reading of John Burke’s book No Perfect People Allowed—Creating a Come As You Are Culture in the Church. This continues to be an interesting read and it has helped me think through some things I need to deal with—I believe the church needs to deal with them as well…

Acts 17:16-34…

There’s an ancient legend about a Cretan philosopher named Epimenides. In this legend, the people of Athens were being ravaged by a plague. Epimenides’ answer was to turn loose a flock of sheep–wherever one stopped and laid down, an altar was erected in honor of an unknown god in an attempt to end this devastating plague… Some believe this legend was the backdrop behind Paul’s encounter with the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. If nothing else, it serves to illustrate that almost since the beginning of creation, we have done our best to lose not only our intimate connection with God, but also our understanding and knowledge of who God is and what God is about!

Do you remember when Jesus was with Pilate, the Roman governor in John 18? The crowd was clamoring for the crucifixion of Jesus and Pilate was wrestling with the central question of life: “What is truth”?

The central question is not reserved for philosophy class or the college campus or a meaningless debate–no, the central question is a question resonating through the centuries.

What is truth? We live in a world in which truth is deemed either unknowable/ indefinable or it is determined individually by circumstances and feelings. Have you ever heard the phrase, what’s true for you may not be true for me?

What is truth? Truth is not a teaching, or a set of rules. Truth is a person, the embodiment of God in Jesus Christ! Three times in the gospel of John, Jesus speaks about the Spirit of truth that will help us in our walk with God. But before Jesus uses those words to describe the Holy Spirit, he says about himself in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

What is truth? The simple answer is Jesus Christ! But what is initially simple often gets complicated by our faulty understanding or portrayal of Jesus! And the result is we can easily lose the battle for one uncomfortable reason: having the truth doesn’t always produce a quality of life in Christians that works as a good advertisement!

In our arrogance and zeal, in our desire to get others to see what we see, we sometimes forget just how messy our own lives really are. We sometimes fail to act humbly—an un-humble Christian ought to be an oxymoron! We sometimes fail to live our faith practically—how many of us are full of anxiety and fear? We sometimes fail to live and love relationally—what kind of truth is it that causes us to treat one another like dogs? And we sometimes completely miss the incarnational truth of Jesus!

Incarnation is the reality of God becoming man in Jesus Christ! We—those who accept truth–are the second incarnation. We are the body and community of Christ, the visible representation of Jesus to a lost and dying world. And it’s not arrogance and judgment that the world needs to see, it’s not fear and worry, it’s not fratricide between families —it’s Jesus!

 Look at how Paul says it in 2 Corinthians 5:14-6:2…

Did you catch that? God has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation? There is an answer to the problem of sin and guilt. There is an answer to emptiness and loneliness. There is an answer to broken messy lives and broken messy hearts.

The answer is the truth of Jesus—sent into the world to be our Savior—the ultimate sacrifice bringing us back into the mercy, grace, and forgiveness of God–the answer is Christians living out this truth with mercy, grace, and forgiveness of others.

When people are caught up in the grips of despair brought on by their own choices or the choices of others, when people are living in alternative lifestyles, when people are afraid of or turned off by Christianity, it’s not condemnation they need to hear! Trust me, they have already heard it, felt it, tasted it, and become intimately acquainted with it. More condemnation only serves to drive people further and further away. What they need is the truth of Jesus–what they need is to see truth in your love, acceptance, and willingness to be their friend and neighbor!

 The central question of life is what is truth? The answer is Jesus. The answer is Jesus living in you.

 The unknown god is knowable; will you be the one to make Him known?

 How gutsy will you be? Will you have the guts to live out the truth of Jesus? Will you have the guts to reach out to people whose lives are so far out of whack with God that it defies description? That is exactly what you are called to do! I am not Jesus and neither are you, but it is Jesus in me, Jesus in you that others must see! What has your church family, your physical family, and the world been seeing in you?

Les, Jr.

By the way, I am taking a week’s stacation! See ya!