A PASTOR'S REFLECTION ON THE BIG THREE!

I think like a pastor - sorry!  After many years in the ministry, it's a liability!  

I love the holy days in our year!  I always planned more carefully for these celebrations.  For one reason, more people attend on Christmas and Easter!  [Mother's Day runs a close third!  😉]  

I heard an interview yesterday where a reporter spoke of her Episcopalian pastor who always joked that on Christmas Sunday he should begin his message with the words: "As I was saying...", in order to connect with all the people who had last attended on Easter Sunday!  I have to admit, I did find that story to be funny!  

But, bottom line, we rejoice on any Sunday when people come to worship!  This same pastor coached his people every year on the Sunday before these novalike Sundays.  He reminded his congregation before Easter and Christmas to be welcoming to these people who would fill the seats on the next Sunday.  He encouraged them to be friendly and accepting.  He ended by echoing how good it would be if some of these folks began attending more often!  [I think I would like this pastor!]

Now that I'm retired, I feel freer to express myself.  It always has bothered me how big a deal we make of Christmas.  Hey, don't get upset with me - hear me out, please.  

It is a great holiday and I have celebrated it creatively and enthusiastically through the years.  But...[you knew that was coming, didn't you?]

Celebrating the arrival of Christ - especially recalling the dramatic and utterly remarkable details of the narrative - certainly welcomes celebration and wonder!  We should replicate that night and its WONDER-FULL events and meaning!  My childlike mind lights up with the celebration of Christmas.

But let's keep things in perspective.  The primary reason for us to celebrate Christmas is because it set the stage for us to observe and commemorate what happened on Easter [Resurrection Sunday]!  This is the believer's true HOLY-DAY!  This is the day that transformed us:

• from darkness to light
• from despair to hope
• from eternal punishment to eternal life and joy
• from death to life!

It's a delicate balance that we should speak about with our families and children.  

WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS BECAUSE OF THE COMING OF CHRIST!

WE CELEBRATE RESURRECTION SUNDAY BECAUSE OF THE REDEEMING SACRIFICE OF CHRIST!

Both are high, holy days for the follower of Christ!  

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Actually - while I'm on the topic - I have always been disappointed in the frequent failure to celebrate Pentecost Sunday [which is traditionally observed fifty days after Easter.]  

As we recall the events of that day, we must recognize the dynamic meaning it has for us!   

This is delicate, but let's look closely:

If we generally recognize the Old Testament Period as dominated and led by God-the-Father...

And if we generally recognize most of the New Testament as being dominated by JESUS [God-the-Son]...

Then, isn't it reasonable that we should also recognize the period after Christ's ascension as dominated by the HOLY SPIRIT [God-the-Spirit]?

WE LIVE IN THE AGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!  WE SHOULD CELEBRATE AND OBSERVE THIS!  WE ARE WRITING THE REST OF THE BOOK OF ACTS!

A few years ago, the Bethel Church added a dramatic celebration on this day to help us catch the glory and wonder of Pentecost.  Three men from the congregation entered the sanctuary speaking the 'GOOD NEWS' in their native languages: Chinese, Turkish and Italian!  It helped the congregation to appreciate the original circumstances of this day historically!  It added meaning, value and a little bit of humor to our Lord's Day!

I can't overemphasize the need for creativity in worship - especially in the 21st century!  We must recognize the values of TRADITION, while also translating it to a post-Christian population!  To refuse or fail to do so runs a significant risk of being irrelevant!  Irrelevance produces no fruit!  It is likely the reason we are closing so many churches in our American culture.  

The Church should be one of the most creative places in our culture!  We have the most important message!  We have a God-assigned responsibility!  We are compelled to engage those who have not recognized Jesus as Lord in a way that challenges them intellectually, reasonably, boldly, relevantly and creatively!  WE ARE THE CHURCH!  WE HAVE A MISSION!  WE HAVE THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!    

A KINDER, GENTLER TIME!

We had carolers sing at our door a few nights ago.  They come every year to the homes here in Heron Woods Retirement Village.  They’re brought by David and Beverly Whalen who also live in our village.  We assume they’re a church group.  They always bring a nice plate of cookies!  😊

This is a rare practice in the twenty-first century.  Perhaps people don’t like to be intruded on; after all, a person’s house is his/her castle [moat and all]!  We just don’t intrude on people these days. 

But, when I was growing up, caroling was still a common practice.  We were accustomed to hearing Perry Como singing on our radios:

Here we come a-caroling
Among the leaves so green
Here we come a-wandering
So fair to be seen

[Chorus]
Love and joy come to you
And to you glad Christmas too
And God bless you and send you
A Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year

We are not daily beggars
That go from door to door
But we are friendly neighbors
Whom you have seen before
[Repeat Chorus]

We also heard Nat King Cole singing:

Caroling, caroling now we go
Christmas bells are ringing
Caroling, caroling through the snow
Christmas bells are ringing
Joyous voices sweet and clear
Sing the sad of heart to cheer
Ding, dong, ding, dong
Christmas bells are ringing

Is it any wonder that this practice was an integral part of spreading the joy of the birth of Christ?

Church groups would actually schedule visits to nursing homes and hospitals to share the joy of the season.  They would also crowd onto the porches of their shut-ins and sing several songs for their pleasure.  Sometimes we would be given cookies as a reward for our songs!  

At the New Brighton Free Methodist Church, we were blessed with a lot of folks who loved to sing.  We also had an extremely capable and sensitive song leader – Morrison Baker. He decided what we would sing and led us in our mission.  I suppose what made our group unique was not only the fact that we were a transgenerational group, but that we almost always had all four parts represented: soprano, alto, tenor and bass.  We would jam into cars [or occasionally the church bus] and caravan around our town making as many as ten or twelve stops.  We dressed appropriately and would sometimes run back to the cars to warm up. 

We were taught to be respectful in the hospitals where we would gather closely at the end of a hallway and sing several carols.  Back then, we were a welcome intrusion to the busy environment of caring for the sick.  By visiting in the early evening the staff seemed happy to welcome us! As we would walk down the hallway we were often greeted by family members who thanked us for coming!  We would go to nursing homes early enough that they would often have many gathered in a room to hear our songs.  Many would sing along with us with genuine expressions of sincerity and appreciation. 

We always went home feeling that we’d somehow made a difference by delivering a little joy of the season to those who might have felt lonely or left out!  I miss those days and the joy they brought!!  

NO ROOM IN THE INN

 [A recording of this post was also placed on my Facebook page as a Christmas Devotion!]

We’re all familiar with the story!  We know that Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem because of a census ordered by Caesar Augustus.  It was certainly an inconvenience for this couple – especially with Mary being very pregnant.

They’d already had a difficult time getting their relationship established.  After revealing his intentions to make Mary his wife, she revealed that she was already pregnant.  We can only imagine Joseph’s hurt and shock!  Bitter, angry and vengeful thoughts surely filled his mind.  However, God had chosen well on Mary’s behalf.  Joseph was indeed a good man and chose to end their relationship quietly.  If nothing else, it revealed that he really did love this girl and had no desire to hurt her further. 

Then, God decided to fill Joseph in on the details by sending him a message in a dream.  Dreaming became God’s preferred way of speaking to Joseph and it would happen quite a few times before this story is complete.  Now, Joseph is convinced by the word of God that this was all part of God’s plan.  He took Mary as his wife but had no relations with her until after Jesus was born! 

Once all this was finally sorted out, they still had to deal with the rejection of family, friends and neighbors who didn’t know all the details and considered them illegitimate. 

The decree from Caesar could almost be perceived as a respite from God – although a very challenging one.  Joseph had no choice.   He had to go to Bethlehem – the city of David – to register since he was of the house and lineage of David.  He chose to take Mary with him, perhaps thinking that they would have a better start by transplanting in Judea instead of Galilee.

Joseph – being a godly man – could surely see the hand of Yahweh in all that had transpired.  He was driven by his faith and willingly left any preparations he had been making in Nazareth to head for Judea with his very pregnant wife.  It was an arduous journey of nearly one hundred miles.  It is likely that Mary was able to ride a donkey at least some of the way.  If they were able to make ten miles per day, then it probably took the better part of two weeks to complete the journey.

After passing through Jerusalem, they were very close – about five and a half miles.  It would have been mostly downhill. Somewhere along this part of the trip, Mary indicated that her time to deliver was drawing close!  Joseph hurried to get her to Bethlehem! 

Bethlehem at that time was probably a village of around five hundred people who lived in modest stone houses on a slight geographical rise.  It is likely that it was primarily populated by farmers, shepherds, and artisans who made their living through agriculture and small-scale crafts.  It was likely surrounded by olive groves.

Being the birthplace of King David, it was a desirable place to visit and apparently had some inns where visitors could stay.

Imagine Joseph’s consternation when he couldn’t find an inn with space for him and Mary!  Hadn’t they suffered enough?  If this child was to be God’s Son, then where was God when they needed Him?  Why hadn’t God prepared better and planned ahead?  This was NOT an easy start for this confused yet obedient young couple! 

We can only imagine the urgency!  Mary’s water had likely broken and she was probably in hard labor.  They were exhausted from their long trek from Nazareth over rugged terrain and travelling with meager resources.  This was no way to start a family! 

Yet we are given no picture of Joseph or Mary shaking their fists at Heaven.  There is no hint of anger or frustration.  There is simply the compelling need to find a place – any place – where Mary could safely deliver her child. 

Joseph’s sense of urgency and the persuasive appeals he made upon their arrival in this little village had an impact.  After being turned away from the inns, he desperately appealed to a man for any place where Mary could be sheltered and deliver her child. 

Now we come to the crux of the story.  An unnamed man [or woman], heard the desperation in Joseph’s voice.  Perhaps they saw and heard Mary from a brief distance and could tell that she was in labor?  Without hesitation they offered the best they had – a stable or cave where they sheltered their animals.  Surely, Joseph gave them a quick bear-hug and then rustled Mary into the safety of their temporary home. 

Quickly, he gave order to the space and created a clean corner for Mary.  He unpacked their meager belongings and began to attend to her needs.  And in the moments to come – with sheep, cattle and perhaps other animals as witnesses – Joseph helped his wife as she delivered to the world THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL! 

As they eventually collapsed into one another’s arms with the baby – wrapped in swaddling cloths – laying across Mary’s breast, they surely experienced the deepest satisfaction and joy available to couples of any age! 

And so it was that the Son of God – who had left the courts of Heaven nine months earlier – made His appearance on earth under the light of a guiding star!   

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

It's one of the stand-by Christmas songs that raises a feeling of nostalgia for many.  It's had special meaning for a lot of folks who have loved ones serving in the military or who are otherwise located in far flung places around the globe.  

The key word is - of course - HOME!  We all knew it all along; Dorothy was right!  There's no place like home!  Home is where the heart is!  Hopefully for most, it's a place of warm memories and vital relationships.

All of us feel sorrow for those who were raised in a manner that failed to nourish and protect the intimacies, safety and vital connections of a loving, caring family!  It's painful to recognize that this day holds no affection for many - it's just the longest day of the year to get through.  SAD!

The progression of life changes our perspective and our practices as we grow through its various stages.  

When we're young and still believe in Santa, its a time like no other!  We are VERY self-centered and can't wait for Christmas morning to see what he has delivered!

As we grow, we realize that family connections are a priority as we spend the day sharing gifts, special food, and lots of candy!  We may gain a deeper appreciation during these years for the way our parents have protected and guarded us through the years.  We realize that they invested deeply, lovingly and sacrificially to make this season special for us.

Eventually - for many - we enter the phase of making our own home!  We marry and eventually have children of our own!  Now the process begins again but our role has become the one of creating special memories in an environment of security and love!  We marvel at the joy we can create in our little ones and cherish these moments with photos and mental snapshots!

All too soon, a couple of decades slip by and the de-nesting phase is thrust upon us!  There may be a few elastic years where college-age children still return home.  They may also bring a friend or a romantic prospect along for certain elements of our Christmas traditions.  But eventually, they launch into their own adult lives and we find ourselves exchanging gifts quietly with a lot less fanfare in the solitude of our empty home.  Yes, it's sad, but phone calls, the arrival of surprise packages, and even invitations to "come for Christmas" add value to our celebration.

For those of us who sincerely love the Lord, the celebration of His Coming remains central!  We find new ways to express our gratitude to God for giving us such a wonderful and meaningful gift!  We may open our home to others.  We value the meaning gained from our church's programs and special events!

Many of us come to a place of genuinely celebrating the love we have for our spouse who has accompanied us through all these years of experiences and the making of memories!  We come to realize that the sharing of these memories is the glue that holds us together in the midst of so many changes.

In some cases - sadly - a spouse is left alone to face the Christmases that may be left.  They are often enfolded by family and given the opportunity to feel the love and acceptance that they initiated so long ago!  New friendships may also populate their lives adding value and creating new memories and experiences.  

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The Haire household has certainly experienced these transitions!  Having moved over fifteen times, we learned not to associate our memories so strongly to one house or town.  Debbie has been such an effective homemaker that our kids learned to think of wherever we lived as HOME!  Her touch and gift of making every place we lived into a warm, comfortable space allowed our kids to walk in, plop down and enjoy that wonderful feeling associated with being HOME!  

For quite a number of years we learned to flex our date for Christmas from early December to late January to suit Travis' military schedule.  It didn't bother us a bit!  While others were working and otherwise deployed, we were celebrating the depth of our love and the fun of being together!  

Our traditions have changed.  We've learned to enjoy the season of focusing on each other and acknowledging the joy that we've experienced in our fifty-one years of marriage!  In case you're wondering: love gets deeper with added years!  Debbie's beauty magnifies as she ages!  How I rejoice at the wisdom God gave me to seek her out and pursue her when I was just a sixteen-year-old boy!  😉

This year, we'll slip into Tracie and Jon's home for a few days right after Christmas!  We'll share good food and fun memories.  We'll play games and repeat stories.  We'll exchange gifts and love on one another.  It'll be fun and will launch us into the new year with a positive attitude!

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Wherever you are in this matrix of possibilities, make the best of it.  Don't sit at home and let this wonderful season pass you by!  Engage.  Stretch!  Take some risks!  Find a few to share your joy, food and memories with!  It's far too rich a season to simply sit out!  

NO ONE IS INSIGNIFICANT

If anyone was insignificant, it was Ross.  He lived several blocks from the church I led for over a decade.  Due to an accident many years earlier, Ross couldn’t speak clearly.  He was always dirty and unkempt.  He smelled really badly.  Very few attempted to engage him for the obvious reasons.  Yet, he was a regular attender.  His hair looked like it hadn’t met with a comb in ages.  Yet there he was week after week.  I tried so hard, time after time, to understand him, but with very little success.  Occasionally he’d stop by the church when he saw my car there and try to have a conversation with me. 

Even as the church grew, Ross continued to come.  He did have one friend in the church.  Harvey was a fellow that came real early on Sundays to distribute Sunday School materials.  He didn’t particularly care for the ways I was leading the church.  I had known him for many years because of our district camp meeting. As a kid, I had helped him ‘white-wash’ the trees at the campground.  I had respected him as a godly man because he was often blessed and would let out a loud melodic “Woo Hoo!” when he felt the moving of the Holy Spirit. 

But when I became his pastor, he seemed to see me as a threat to the homeostasis of the church.  He singlehandedly made ministry hard for me. Even when the church doubled in size, he could only see me as a threat. 

Yet, Harvey – unbeknownst to anyone but me – would periodically take Ross into the church’s furnace room and completely bathe him.  He would wash out Ross’ clothes and dry them.  He was Ross’ best friend!  Harvey seemed to be able to understand Ross better than the rest of us.  He exhibited genuine, tangible love for Ross, while most of us did our best to ignore him. 

In spite of the adversarial relationship I had to endure with Harvey, I always admired him for the love and attention that he doled out to Ross. Somehow, Ross had risen above insignificant to Harvey. 

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There is no one that is insignificant to God!  He made us all and He cares for us all! 

I look back and wonder why we didn’t at least try to do more for Ross.  If we had focused our efforts, it seems that we could have helped him.  Was there a medical procedure or speech intervention that could have given him back his ability to communicate?  Could we have helped him learn to be more approachable?  How did so many of us manage to just ignore him Sunday after Sunday?  Where was the love of Christ in me when I was so systematically confronted by one of the least of these? 

Forgive us Lord!  Forgive me, Lord!  

No one is insignificant to You!  No one!

Be aware of that as you move through this day, this week, this Christmas season!  Be alert to those who might be invisible to the crowd.  Speak to them.  Recognize them as a gift of God!  Lift their day!  You have the power to change their life!  Don't let them continue to be invisible!

SUBTERRANEAN SADNESS

I have a faint memory of slipping into my bedroom during the Christmas season when I was a young boy, where I would lay on my bed in the darkness and brood.  It didn’t happen regularly, but I seem to recall it happening several times.  What was this about?

I lived in a healthy, happy home where I was loved and cared for. My needs were met and I had no real problems in my young life.  Why do I associate these few random times with Christmas? 

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I am proud of the churches that offer a ‘Blue Christmas’ service.  It provides an opportunity and gives permission for people to have trouble while processing through the Christmas season.  I wish that I had thought of this idea when I was leading the church. 

As a counselor who has worked with hundreds of couples and individuals over the years, I think this is a worthy topic to address.

Why do some of us have periodic bouts with depression?  Why do they occur when they do?  Are there any tools we can employ to help process these times?  Is there knowledge that can help us understand and cope with these times?

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There is no way to address this topic comprehensively in a single blog post – but let’s at least introduce the topic. 

Many draught-ridden areas around our globe have learned to benefit by tapping into underground rivers and reservoirs.  That’s a positive thing!

Similarly, I have come to understand that some of us have rivers of ‘subterranean sadness’ that periodically find their way to the surface and cause us problems.

What provokes these eruptions of sadness? 

Sometimes – like the Christmas season – it could simply be the emphasis on joy and celebration!  The simple expectation that we should be happy may – in and of itself – trigger sadness.  We’re speaking of the emotional realm here where things are not always governed by laws and principles!  Our emotional make-up is integral to who we are and how we experience life. 

Some psychologists suggest that our minds log everything!  Everything?  That’s a lot to process and keep organized [or suppressed].  Everything includes bad experiences and sad moments that marked us significantly.  It’s easy to understand how memories that we’ve repressed tend to gravitate to the surface and become a problem for us again.

REPRESSED is a term used by counselors that implies pushing down uncomfortable feelings, experiences and memories into our subconscious without fully dealing with or understanding  their ramifications. 

Counselors believe that these memories percolate on a deep-memory-level.  Consider this a dormant stage.  However, when circumstances in our life provoke these memories, they are believed to migrate back into our consciousness along with their recollections of pain, sorrow, anger, hurt, etc., etc..

So, we’re rolling along, doing pretty well, when suddenly – through life’s normal interplay of people and events – we find ourselves feeling vulnerable and distracted.  We don’t understand what’s going on.  Emotions are POWERFUL!  They handicap us!  They have the power to distract us and distort our normal way-of-being. 

The result – DEPRESSION! 

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Most of us need help, instruction, comfort, and trust to navigate our way through these complex, emotional sand traps. 

The best place to turn is to a trained and qualified counselor!  By doing so, we gain:

·         Their objectivity

·         Anonymity [We see them for a period and then move on…]

·         Their expertise.

Many turn to friends and/or family, but this incorporates risks.  Sharing secret hurts and past experiences with those from our closest circles runs the risk of changing the dynamics of those relationships  -  something that we may not anticipate, but may regret.

Some pastors have training and gift packages that allow them to be effective interventionists for these life-interruptions.  Others, however, have no interest and no skills that are appropriate to this challenge. 

Before closing this article, I’d like to mention three observations that I have made through the years that have helped me cope with and learn from my depressive dips.

1.    Having served as a spiritual guide through the years, I have observed that there is always a satanic factor involved in these depressive episodes and that it usually has most to do with their timing!

It might be helpful to sit down with a journal and ask yourself some questions:

·         Why am I experiencing this depressive episode right now?

·         What is going on in my life that has triggered this sadness?

·         Is there a particular memory that is pervasive right now?

·         When have I felt this way before?

     This is an excellent opportunity to exercise the ancient, spiritual practice of meditation!  Sit quietly and uninterrupted and talk with God about your present experience.  Ask God to shed light on this unwelcome experience.  Write down whatever thoughts that may come to your mind – however unrelated they may seem.  At a later time, these observations may make sense! 

2.    I have to talk if I want to grow through this experience!

So many have protested through the years: “What good does talking about it do?” 

Well, the science is now in!  The evidence reveals that the process of talking changes the chemical make-up in our brain! 

Talking – especially with a properly trained person – can indeed help!  We gain perspective from a guide who has our best interests at heart.  We have truths and observations reflected to us that allows us to look at a situation in a new way.  We gain insights!  These insights will help us with future eruptions. 

3.    There is usually a spiritual factor that I need to recognize, work through or confess.

Here is where speaking with a pastor might truly be helpful. 

It is also a point where an increased exposure to scripture might open doors of understanding. 

There are books that might be helpful.  Two that I would recommend are both by the late David A. Seamands:  HEALING OF MEMORIES and HEALING FOR DAMAGED EMOTIONS [both currently available on Amazon for very low prices]. 

When I deal with a persistent depression, I turn to D. Martyn Lloyd Jones’ book, SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION: It’s Causes and It’s Cures.  It’s heavy reading that most would not respond to.  I don’t believe I’ve ever finished reading it!  Usually after the first five chapters, I have gained insight and perspective and have made adjustments to my spiritual life. 

Do an honest self-search!  What does God want you to learn from this experience?  How is He working to create in you a greater dependence on Him? 

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I hope these ruminations have provoked some hope in you as you address the ‘subterranean sadness’ that is rattling your life currently.  There is hope!  You can grow as a result of this depressive experience.  You can gain understanding that will equip you to be more effective in dealing with these interruptions in the future!  GOD BLESS AND HELP YOU!

ALCOHOL USE IS NO LONGER A MORAL ISSUE

Temperance is not a term that we hear or use much in the 21^st century.  But 175 years ago, it was a highly recognized word in American culture.  Around 1850, there was a moral debate going on that ended up focusing on the evils associated with the use of alcohol. 

A poem was published along with a woodcut of a swell-headed, bottle-toting gentleman:

How could I ever think to wed

A man who’s always drunken;

Who really has so large a head,

It looks like a ripe pumpkin.

The woodcut included the words: “Choose for yourselves men: the bottle or a bride.”

Remarkably, in 1851, Maine lawmakers declared the entire state of Maine “dry.”

By 1874, a group of women formed the Women’s Christian Temperance Union [WCTU], advocating total abstinence from alcohol because of its destructive effects on health and family life. 

In the early twentieth century the Prohibition Party had been formed to make an impact on the country’s politics.

SIDEBAR:

My mother was a member of the WCTU and the Prohibition Party.  She would not drink a beverage from a glass that in any way resembled a wine glass. 

I recall an election year when she was denied the privilege of voting because she was not Democrat or Republican, but a member of the Prohibition Party.  She went to the judge on duty at the courthouse in Beaver, PA and he ruled her eligible to vote!  

She had strong convictions opposing the use of alcohol and made no attempt to hide them.  For a humorous story about my mom and dad, see my bog article:  https://hal-lelujah.blogspot.com/2011/12/egg-nog.html

 THE END OF PROHIBITION

 “By the 1930s, it was clear that Prohibition had become a public policy failure. The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution had done little to curb the sale, production and consumption of intoxicating liquors. And while organized crime flourished, tax revenues withered. With the United States stuck in the throes of the Great Depression, money trumped morals, and the federal government turned to alcohol to quench its thirst for desperately needed tax money and put an estimated half-million Americans back to work.”  [https://www.history.com/news/the-night-prohibition-ended]

In February 1933, Congress easily passed a proposed 21st Amendment that would repeal the 18th Amendment, which legalized national Prohibition.  For the first time in American history, a Constitutional amendment had been repealed!  On December 5, 1933, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Utah were the last three states to meet the necessary ratification process to repeal the amendment. 

“An hour later, with little pomp and circumstance, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation declaring the end of Prohibition while also admonishing the country to drink responsibly and not abuse ‘this return of individual freedom.’ ‘I trust in the good sense of the American people,’ the president said, ‘that they will not bring upon themselves the curse of excessive use of intoxicating liquors, to the detriment of health, morals and social integrity.’”  [Ibid.] 

A remarkable fact of irony is displayed in the fact that the well-known and highly effective group – Alcoholics Anonymous – was created just a year later in 1934.  By 1939 it published its groundbreaking book, ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.  In 1940, it opened its first headquarters in Lower Manhattan.  [https://www.columbusrecoverycenter.com/alcohol-addiction/history-of-aa/]

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THE COST OF EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL USE

According to a study by Ardu’ Recovery Center Today:
[https://www.ardurecoverycenter.com/economic-costs-of-excessive-alcohol-use/]

Excessive drinking takes a heavy economic toll across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2010 economic cost of alcohol abuse was $249 billion. 

Productivity losses and healthcare expenses account for 83% of the annual economic cost. While targeted policies offer the most effective means to alleviate financial stress, cost-benefit analyses consistently reveal that the costs of alcohol consumption outweigh any economic benefits.

A 2023 report from Harvard Medical School projected that the annual cost of treating alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) alone would more than double over the next two decades, increasing from $31 billion in 2022 to $66 billion in 2040.  

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This information is not frequently published although it is obviously readily available.  We continue to live in a country where – within legal age limits – the consumption of alcohol is a free choice.  The morality of this issue is now rarely addressed.

As families and individuals, we must deal with the consequences of our choices. 

WE MUST AVOID PETRIFYING THE GOSPEL

The King James Version of our Bible was written in 1611.  It's use was almost exclusive for over three hundred years.  When it was written, it was absolutely colloquial and contemporary.  Yet today it is safe to assume that it is only used in extremely conservative groups!  

Growing up in the 1950's and 1960's, the KJV was the only version that I read until my teen years when Ken Taylor began to produce The Living Bible.  It was so refreshing and relevant and in the language of the 1960’s. 

Many of the people in my early-life church even prayed in the language style of the KJV, using thee’s and Thou’s in their prayers.

It is only suitable to deduce that this kind of language use was petrified from the era of 1611.  Once upon a time it was relevant and essential.  But time evolved and the language morphed.  Today, we celebrate having the Bible available in translations that are in conversational language!  Relevance has been restored!

In recent months I’ve been enjoying a devotional book written by biblical scholar, William Barclay. I was stunned by the significance of his comments for today’s date referring to the use of the ‘Authorized Version’ [KJV]:

[REMEMBER – This was written well over fifty years ago.]

“Worship by so many has got to be in the language of the Authorized Version of the Bible.  But surely a twentieth-century man speaks to God in twentieth-century English.  The biggest barrier to prayer is the stagnation which insists on a special prayer language which is quite out of date.

But in worship there is also stagnation in the order of service.  For the person within the Church, and brought up within the Church, no doubt the accepted and traditional orders of service are hallowed and dear.  But when a man (sic) comes in from outside the Church, we cannot afford to go through the long preparation of prayer and praise and reading, or we lose him (sic).

We must talk to him almost at once.

After all, the Church must be concerned for the man (sic) outside.

There are fewer and fewer inside!”

Many readers will miss the power of Barclay’s statement by virtue of not knowing that it was his life’s mission to make the Bible understandable to the common student of the Word.  His seventeen volume study Bible (commentary) was/is an invaluable resource to pastors and students to this day!  It was my personal dream to own it, but I was not able to make that happen, so I settled for reading it in various libraries along my journey! 

I digress. 

Worship must be relevant! 

While attending Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, I leaned toward a more liturgical expression of worship.  But this was balanced by the use of praise and worship music that was exploding in the 1980’s.  Many churches are migrating toward increasingly liturgical forms of worship [even in my own ‘free’ tradition of Free Methodism].  I believe this creates barriers to convert growth.  Although I'm aware that MANY will disagree, I believe it is a form of petrifying the Gospel.

I currently worship in a Reformed Presbyterian church.  I am not drawn to the identical form used week after week – although I recognize that many are indeed comfortable with this format.  This church made a significant hire a few years ago of a new worship leader that has brought novelty and creativity to the leadership of worship via, instruments, new music, and the innovation of two distinct worship teams that alternate.  Her direction regularly infuses vibrancy into a rote form.  This IS a growing and vibrant church.

Our task is the task of our Lord: “to seek and to save the lost” [Luke 19:10]. 

During nine years of service in leading a church before we left for China, we tapped the talents of our people by creating a worship experience that was marked by creativity, engagement, variety, and stimulation.  How?

By using drama, humor, video clips, testimonies, three worship teams with unique styles, fill-in-the-blank worksheets, and worship experiences that involved the congregation in movement – such as:

·         Occasionally having the people bring their tithes and offering forward while singing a joyful song of praise.

·         Coming forward once-a-month to receive Holy communion.

The response to these specific plans was one of growth!  The church more than doubled in size and a second worship service was begun to allow for even greater growth!  For two years in a row the church was recognized by our denomination as a 'Multiplying Church'.

___________________________________

Having led ministries for over forty years, I'm very familiar with the dynamics of trying to change the local church!  The resistance faced requires patience, love yet persistence.  This is the Kingdom of God and we are compelled to follow Him as He leads us into our world! 

Ever loving Lord,

Help us who have impact on the worship of our church to fearlessly innovate so that the common person will find relevance when they enter our sanctuary.  We want them to see You and come to know You!  This is far more important than meeting our needs for comfort and control.

For the Kingdom’s sake.  Amen.  

RETHINKING RETIREMENT

The ancients had a proverb:  "Whom the gods love, die young."  This maxim was frequently misunderstood by people.  This observation did not mean that those whom the gods loved were taken from this life in their youth.  Rather, it implied that, if the gods love a person, no matter what age they attain - even if they go over the biblical three score and ten - they still maintain the gift of essential youth.  

The implication is that there is a quality that some maintain which enables them to stay relevant, focused and energetic.  In America, we have just elected a man who is 78 years of age to be our next president.  We watched him campaign tirelessly over recent months, often making appearances in three or four states within one day.  Whether you support him or not, it is clear to observe that he speaks with relevance, clarity and passion.  He is quick-minded and able to respond without confusion or delay.  During his first term [2016-2020] we did not see his hair turn grey or any dulling of his capacities - even though he aged from 70 to 73 during that term.  

I'm currently reading a book that was published in 1973, in which I found the following quote regarding retirement:

There has been a good deal of research into the problem of retirement. In an aging population, and with social security pensions, there are many more people who now retire from work, because they have to, while they still have a fair time to live.  In such retirement, the researchers show, there is a good deal of unhappiness, and most of it has its source in boredom.   [from William Barclay's DAILY CELEBRATION, Vol. 2, p.264]

Now there are certainly genetic issues that are relevant to our aging process.  There seems to be little that we can do to alter the genetic package that we've inherited.  But there are certain decisions we can make and practices that we can adopt that may impact - even enrich - our retirement years.

When I was preparing to retire [in 2017], I deliberately read a number of books to guide me into that process.  I found Bob Buford's to be most helpful [and they are available online at very low prices].

• Half Time: Changing Your Game Plan
• Finishing Well: What People Who Really Live Do Differently
• Beyond Half Time: Practical Wisdom for Your Second Half
• Game Plan: Winning Strategies for the Second Half of Your Life
• Stuck In Half Time

He is obviously focused on helping people find fulfillment, meaning, and fruitfulness in their latter years.

 

I observe a phenomenon that may make this topic even more important to future generations.  In working with younger people as a pastor, I have noticed a pattern of thinking that is prevalent among the later generations.  For information’s sake:

1.   Boomers:             born from 1946-1964

2.   Generation X:       born from 1965-1980

3.   Millennials:           born from 1981-1995

4.   Generation Z:       born from 1996-2012

Many Millennials and those from Generation Z have adopted aggressive plans to make a lot of money and retire early!  Boomers have already been very successful in gaining wealth, much of which will be passed to Generation X in the form of inheritances.  Projections for Millennials is also for them to be highly profitable.  Already we see that their vocation choices are driven by monetary goals rather than talents, interests or skill-sets. 

There will certainly be challenges for these younger generations if they indeed attain their goal of early retirement.  Will there be a crisis of meaning as they enter into a life of limitless leisure?  Will they be able to sustain a sense of purpose?

To attain this objective of remaining relevant, we must resist strong tendencies that emerge as we age.

• The trap of thinking that our greatest achievements are behind us!  

Look it up!  There are many examples of people whose greatest success came late in life!  

Consider Harlan Sanders who was fired from a dozen jobs before starting his restaurant, and then failed at that when he went out of business and found himself broke at the age of 65.  But then things worked out when he sold his first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in 1952.

•  The trap of disengagement!

As we age, there is a strong and natural tendency to withdraw socially.  Seniors no longer enjoy going out at night.  Home becomes a safe respite with low demands and increased leisure.   We benignly begin to give up our dreams and settle for what we've already accomplished.  Unbeknownst to us, however, by doing so we become increasingly irrelevant!

• The trap of losing our sense of wonder!

To stop learning is to stop growing!  The average four-year-old asks between 300 and 400 questions per day!  There is so much that they need to learn about!  

I decided as a young seminary student to become a lifelong learner.  I challenged myself to read a book every week.  I saw that to maintain vitality and relevance, I would need to continue growing in wisdom and knowledge!  I was not always able to maintain this pace, but it continued to be my goal.  As a retired person, I recently noticed that I had slacked off in this area.  So, I have re-challenged myself to reestablish this goal in my life!

• The trap of disinvesting!

Investing in others is a key to remaining vital and fruitful.  

 

My favorite illustration of this is from a geographical reference observed in the Holy Land of Israel.  The Sea of Galilee in northern Israel is fed by underground springs, but primarily by the Jordan River which, in turn, flows out from the Sea of Galilee and flows along the eastern borner of Israel, eventually emptying into the Dead Sea.

 

The Dead Sea has no outlet and consequently becomes a collecting area for minerals that are subject to evaporation and a consequently heavy mineralization!  As a result, it is the saltiest body of water on earth!

 

We too, must learn that to stay healthy and vibrant, we must learn to have an outflow!  We must invest in others!  So many around us could benefit from the wisdom and experience that we have gained throughout our lives!  We must find those who are needy and hungry and nurture them!  Doing so will keep us young!