Confessions of a Joy Sucker

I’ve been thinking about this ever since Sunday when Pastor Gene said “joy sucker” during his sermon. I guess I should write about it and get it out of my head for awhile. Those of you who know me may know that I have several relatives in the congregation. Among them is my baby brother. Since he was born when I was eight, I got in the habit of calling him that. Also, I think I earned the right to call Doran “baby brother” after having changed his diapers incalculable times. You’ll be glad to know that it’s been at least a few decades since I’ve been called on to perform that duty. But, I digress…

Fast forward a few years from the doodie duty. Its Doran’s first day of school. After school he bursts through the front door with a huge smile on his little face and proclaims something to the effect of “That was my best day ever!” Now there were any number of things the big brother could’ve said in response. Mercifully, I don’t even remember what I did say. I do know, though, that it wasn’t kind. The reason I know is that I do remember what Doran said next. After his face fell. After his arms went limp to his sides. After his chin dropped to his chest. “You spoiled my perfect day.” I hope I tried to recover the situation and make him feel better. I really don’t remember. Even now as I type this, though, I feel again that sinking, twisting sensation in my stomach and that heaviness in my chest that lets me know I’ve blown it badly. Every couple of years since that day, something reminds me of it… like Pastor Gene’s sermon did Sunday.

It’s not pleasant to remember, but it’s good for me, I think. Unkind words seem especially designed to suck the joy out of another person. Of course, they also enlarge the joy-free zone in the one speaking them. It’s good for me to keep the destructive power of my words in mind and to remember, too, how they can be used to soothe, comfort, encourage, and support others.

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Proverbs 12:18

I’m praying that the Lord will keep working at helping me and my mouth to wise up. Of course I really mean that he will keep working on my heart.

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
Luke 6:45

--Lee Lower

A Christmas Story

Christmas is a time for stories. Each year at this time, there are new television specials telling feel-good tales spun in a way that's just enough different from last year's stories that we tune in to watch. At church, we tell and re-tell the first chapter of "the greatest story ever told." So today, I'm going to tell a story.

I received a wonderful surprise last Thursday--flowers from a young man who attends the high school where I work part-time. They were a mixed group, the kind you often seen in the refrigerated case in the grocery store, presented to me in a drinking glass. I found out later that the young man had carried them to school that way in his backpack, and by the time he got to school, all the water had sloshed out of the glass and drenched the contents of his backpack.

I first met Thomas* (name changed) a year and a half ago when I needed to reach some envelopes that were high on a shelf. He was with a group of freshmen milling outside my office door, waiting for their math class to begin in the room next to my office. He was the tallest, so I pointed at him and asked for his assistance. After the envelopes were retrieved, I offered Thomas some candy from the office "stash" as a reward for helping me. "No, ma'am," he said, "My grandma taught me that I shouldn't have to be rewarded for doing the right thing."

Since then, Thomas and I have been friends. He stops by my office every couple of weeks, just to see how I'm doing and to get a quick hug. I ask him the requisite adult questions--how are your grades, what extracurriculars are you involved in, how is work going. As we have become acquainted, I have passed along a number of Daniel's outgrown items--mostly books, as Thomas has a passion for reading. For whatever I have to offer--whether it's a few minutes of my time or some well-worn books--Thomas is always profusely thankful.

This is Thomas: Last spring, the school was donated some flats of spring flowers that were forgotten. As they were breathing their last, Thomas stumbled across them. He rushed to the school secretary to ask permission to revive them. For a week, he spent his time before and after school and during his lunch hour planting them in any bare spot of ground he could find, nurturing them and willing them to live.

I don't know why Thomas has such a tender spirit. He has reasons to be bitter and unhappy. His mother died when he was 10 years old. His father has never wanted to have anything to do with him. He lives with his grandma, whose health is failing, in part due to her tobacco addiction at four packs a day. After school, he goes home to an empty house because grandma doesn't get home from work until 8 p.m. He does his chores, he fixes their dinner, he gets his homework finished.

This month, Thomas was given the "Above And Beyond Award" as the sophomore with the most outstanding performance in the workplace. This is what his employer said about him: "Thomas is fantastic. He is always upbeat, friendly and provides outstanding service. He is constantly looking for extra tasks and is wholly focused on work when he is here." Even though I had nothing to do with it, I am so proud of Thomas.

Last Friday, the school secretary took Thomas to get the first Christmas tree he and his grandma will have since his mother died. Thomas's plan was to get the tree trimmed and hot cider ready by the time his grandma arrived home at eight. He was thrilled to be able to surprise her in this small way.

I am trying to learn from Thomas. He has a lot to teach me about joy, about grace, about tenderness, and about gratitude.

"... the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Nehemiah 8:10

--Leslie Porter

Tabloid Bible-ism

Many people these days are very interested in their heritage and, so, study their genealogy to learn about the trunk and branches of their family trees. Some invest significant amounts of time, money, and travel in this exploration. Other folks scratch their heads about devoting so much to the pursuit of the past: and wonder, "Shouldn't we focus on the future or, at least, on the here and now?" The Bible itself directs Christians to avoid foolish and endless genealogies.

Why then do two of the gospels, Matthew and Luke, devote space to genealogies, what we sometimes have jokingly called the "Begatitudes?" St. Matthew gives two thirds of the first chapter of his gospel over to "Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; and Judas begat…" (1: 2-3, King James Version) Apparently St. Matthew never took a class in creative writing or even journalism. He certainly doesn't seem to get the idea of using an interesting "hook" to grab the attention of readers and keep them from turning over to the Gospel of Mark. At least his litany of begatting wouldn't be considered much of a hook by today's standards. Still there must be something of value there for us, even today. Since St. Matthew took the trouble to include them, let's invest a few minutes of our own time in looking at these begats.

One thing which quickly becomes apparent is that this genealogy is primarily about men and their sons. This is not surprising given the highly patriarchal nature of the culture of that day. Noting this, though, draws our attention to the several exceptions in the genealogy.

The first one we encounter is in verse three. The New International Version reads, "Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar" (1:3). The nutshell version of the story behind this verse is that Tamar posed as a prostitute in order to trick Judah into impregnating her to raise heirs for her deceased husband who was Judah's son because Judah didn't follow through on his obligation to her after her husband, his son, died. Get all that? Now that's one for the National Enquirer!

In verse five we read, "Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab." This woman wasn't even a Jew, so, how did she get to be in the genealogy of Jesus? Well she, who may also have been a prostitute--although some scholars say she was likely in a more reputable line of business--betrayed her king and people to harbor enemy spies. After her city fell (literally, it was Jericho) she was spared by the victorious Jews and rewarded with her life. She also had the distinction, although she wouldn't have lived to know it, of being the great-great-grandmother of the famous King David.

Still in verse five, we find Ruth listed as the mother of Obed. Ruth was a Moabitess. Moab was a pagan nation and Jews were repeatedly warned not to intermarry with them since this often lead to incorporating pagan practices into the religion of the Jews. In spite of her dubious heritage, though, Ruth becomes a foremother of Jesus.

In the following verse we read that Solomon--probably Israel's second most famous king--was the son of King David and that Solomon's mother was the woman who "had been Uriah's wife." Now Uriah was a Hittite and, though we don't know for sure, Bathsheba may have been one too. At the very least, she was the wife of a Hittite who may well have adopted his religion and religious practices. As with Moabites, Jews were warned not to intermarry with Hittites and, in this case, it is the King of Israel who's doing the marrying. Still, this intermarrying with pagan peoples pales in comparison to what Paul Harvey would call, "the rest of the story." If you turn from Matthew to the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel (chapters 11 and 12) you learn that David had his devoted servant, Uriah, killed in battle after sleeping with Uriah's wife Bathsheba so he could have her for himself.

Now there aren't any women noted in the remainder of St. Matthew's genealogy, but this doesn't mean that the scandals screech to a stop. Among the men who were kings of Israel after David were Rehoboam, Ahaz, and Manasseh. Among the other things the Bible records about their reigns is the fact that Rehoboam allowed pagan religious practices which included his subjects consorting with a group of male temple prostitutes. The Bible documents that Ahaz sacrificed his own son by burning him as an offering to a pagan god. Manasseh also sacrificed his son, practiced sorcery and divination, consulted mediums and spiritists, and even set up pagan idols in the very courts of God's temple in Jerusalem.

Now we're talking here about Jesus' family tree, albeit only his earthly one. No one who's ever been on the Jerry Springer show could hold a candle to Jesus when it comes to having a stunning set of reprehensible relatives.

What was God thinking when he sent angels to Joseph and Mary? Wasn't there a better family Jesus could have been born into? Wouldn't it make sense for the Savior of the World to not be associated with the likes of these?

Apparently God didn't think so and, when he grew up, Jesus showed the continuing influence of his Father. He was often found hanging out with an undesirable element. Among other things, he was called, "a friend of tax collectors and sinners."

You know what? God still doesn't think so. Jesus isn't satisfied with having a few black sheep in the family. He's constantly reaching out to people who don't honor their obligations; who lie, betray others, steal, have extramarital sex, kill, defile themselves, engage in witchcraft, worship other gods. He continues to invite us all to become part of the family; his brothers and sisters; sons and daughters of God.

St. Luke, that other genealogist gospel writer sums it up:

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Luke 19:10

--Lee Lower

Merry X-Mas!*

Most of us have participated in classes, seminars, or trainings with Cultural Diversity or Sensitivity in the titles. An episode of the TV show The Office depicted the clumsy efforts of the boss, Michael, to address diversity. Like Michael's subordinates, you may be more or less receptive to these attempts to promote understanding, openness, and acceptance of the cultures, traditions, religions, ethnicities, and sexual orientations/lifestyles of others. In the United States in this first decade of the 21st century, some Christians have felt as if they're encouraged to celebrate any religious viewpoint but their own. At this time of year, we're reminded of this as businesses, governments, advocacy organizations--and often their attorneys--haggle over whether to allow a manger scene, a Christmas carol, or a "Merry Christmas." As Christians at Christmastime, we can almost feel a little oppressed, even persecuted.

St. John records these words of Jesus:

"Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me."
John 15:20-21

Now, our "persecution" here and now is of a different magnitude than that which Jesus suffered, that which Christians have suffered through the centuries since his death, and that which many Christians in other parts of the world suffer even as I type this. Still, whatever the level we experience, we can ask God to transform its meaning and guard us from becoming resentful or reacting in unrighteous anger. We can begin to see it, maybe even embrace it, as a reminder that we are his servants and that we share in our Master's portion, both good and bad. We can, in the strength of our Master and the power of his Holy Spirit, respond lovingly at Christmastime to those who seek to suppress even the mention of Christ. Jesus says we will sometimes be treated poorly because of his name and we want to respond in love for the same reason--because of his name.

And speaking of the "bad" and "good" portions, the often persecuted St. Paul encourages us:

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."
2 Corinthians 4:17

*Just in case this is new information: "X" is the Greek letter that corresponds to the word for Christ. So, the next time you see "Merry X-Mas," smile knowingly.

--Lee Lower

Your Neighbor And Yourself

Earlier this week I was the odd man out, literally. Four women in my office in Salem were talking and I was clearly on the fringes of the conversation. One of them was pregnant and the others were members in good standing of the Pregnancy Alumna Club. They were speculating about the unborn child. All three alumna were sure it was a girl child behind the bump that was "so pointy" and being carried, "just like I carried my girl," and etc. The mother-to-be had avoided a technological determination and wasn't so sure. She was holding out for a little mystery in the face of the certainty of her friends and co-workers. Friends, and family members-likely mostly of the female variety-have been having conversations like this one since there were friends and family to converse.

Somewhere around 2010 years ago, depending on whose dating of events you follow, friends, family members and neighbors--and likely not just the women--were surely having a version of this discussion. Some things like those above may have been said in Mary's presence. Some less kind things may have also been said right to her face. Questions about the identity of the baby's father may have been asked by relatives and friends of Joseph who thought he was a soft touch, a too-easy mark, for the girl who, obviously, hadn't kept herself pure in spite of her betrothal. Some of her own family members probably let her know how disappointed they were in her and how lucky she was that Joseph "was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace" (Matthew 1:19); how fortunate she was that he planned to follow through with his commitment in spite of her swelling belly. Lots of things may have been whispered about both of them and their unborn child behind their backs. Knowing human nature from the inside out, few of us would argue that this kind of talk stopped even years after Jesus' birth.

Interesting that Matthew's gospel, often thought to be the one most oriented to the Jews, would treat this in some detail. Mark and John don't even mention it. Luke touches on it more lightly. Like the Jews, we are often very concerned about who we are and our own reputations. As a result we can have a tendency to tear down others and their reputations. Even those in our own community. Even those in our own family. Even those in our own church family. Though it may not be the main point of the birth story in Matthew, clearly God wanted the Jews and us to know that he favors--even loves--and uses, not just ordinary people, but even people we might despise.

The "bad" news? We may have some repenting to do of destructive thoughts, words, and attitudes we've directed towards others.

The good news, and the Good News? God clearly wants us to know that he favors-even loves-and uses, not just ordinary people, but even people we might despise. This applies even when one of the people we've directed destructive thoughts, words, and attitudes towards is ourself. It's not grammatically correct, but it's true just the same.

Love isn't easy, but it's what we're called to. When some of the pickiest people of his day asked him to tell them which commandment was the greatest, what did Jesus say? Matthew tells us:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:37-40

--Lee Lower

Love

So, Sunday, the second Sunday of Advent, we lit the Bethlehem candle, the candle of Love. Pastor Gene quoted John 3:16, probably the first verse most Christians ever memorize. Like him, I learned it in the King James Version. It's silly, I know, but it doesn't quite seem right when I hear it quoted from another translation or paraphrase.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

I've heard a lot of preaching and teaching about God and God's love in the 49 plus years (including the months in utero) I've spent in church. As Pastor Gene pointed out, quite a substantial portion of that love language is packed into the writings of St. John. If you only count the word love itself, and not other forms of the word, John uses it about 60 times in his writings.

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
1 John 4:8

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
John 15:12

"Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother [or sister]."
1 John 3:10

Clearly for John, and for God, this love stuff is a big deal: The biggest deal. It's at the core of who God is. It's his nature. It's what makes grace possible. Given that, it's not surprising, though still awesome and overwhelming, that his child Jesus would love us completely and with all that he had to give.

The Apostle Paul, who also knew a little something about God's love, wrote:

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:6-8

Like Father, like Son.

We are God's children, too. Love is our new-birthright and calling.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."
John 15:9

Your name here: __________ is God's child, too. Love is ___________'s new-birthright and calling.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved __________. Now, __________ remain in my love."
John 15:9

Rinse (of doubt, sense of unworthiness, lies of Satan) And Repeat until it sinks in, even just a little more.

--Lee Lower

Bah! Humbug!

"He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!"
—Lyrics from Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

About this time of year, I have usually used up all the patience I have with the human race. After working hard all year to be on Santa's nice list, I'm about to get booted.

I want to blame this on feeling out of sorts due to the mass quantities of sugary food products that I tend to consume at this time of year. However, I don't think the "Twinkie defense" will work on judgment day.

About this time of year, I get tired of trying to live by "The Golden Rule"—treating others as I want to be treated. About this time of year, I get tired of trying to remember that all have been created in God's image. About this time of year, I get tired of trying to extend grace to others as it has been extended to me.

Bears have the right idea. They hibernate about this time of year.

About this time of year, God says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

--Leslie Porter