RICK’S BLOG

December 2025
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Maybe it’s my age, maybe it’s something else, but lately I’ve been obsessively fantasizing, and even had dreams about, going back and starting over…beginning with my Freshman Year in High School. Like I said, I’m not sure what prompted this thought process, but I’ve been imagining what it would be like to know everything I know now, including my life as it has played out, and return into my 14-year-old body with my 62-year-old mind AND know my future, as it played out once.

Think of the confidence, wisdom, and knowledge that would come from the years of experience that wasn’t there when I actually WAS in High School.

I’ve imagined the differences and how much better I’d play out my life because of my knowlege and experience now:

My friendship with God would be much improved, and my confidence in His love and sacrifice for ME would be stronger…which would affect everything, and every choice…and chisel my identity.
I would give my parents a break. I wasn’t a bad kid, but I sure would appreciate them more. I’d love my Mom more, I’d build things with Dad. I’d “help”.
I’d love my friends more, and adjust my life to make them happy. Having no siblings (which I would NOT change) I counted on my friends too much, without allowing them the ability to count on me. As I’ve aged I have realized that “relationships are EVERYTHING”.
I would do less “church” stuff and more “school” stuff. I realize now that I allowed my home church to “sequester” me, when Jesus really would’ve had me BE the church myself: to my friends, “salt” and “light”, if you will…as opposed to using the church as a “club” of “haves” and viewing those outside of my church as the “have-nots”. I know, a weird thing for a Preacher to say, but I would’ve gone to church less, and gone to football games and dances more. At the same time, I would cultivate my personal doctrine, practice my faith and recognize Jesus when I see Him, personally.
I would’ve found one adult, who wasn’t a parent, to trust and open up to. I wanted to be honest about what I felt, and who I was, with someone who was old enough to listen and wise enough to know they didn’t need to fix it…just so that SOMEONE would know me, and hear me talk it out.
I would start lifting weights at 14, and not stop…wow, I’d look good by this point! But I’d also not shy away from eating the great junk food that crowds into a teenager’s life.
I would learn more instruments and read more books.
I would buy the same first car. (1972 Plymouth Duster, Army Green…slant six, four-on-the-floor).
I would’ve used more hair product, grown it longer…and worn my puca shells in my Senior Picture, despite my mom’s warning that it “would make my Senior look too dated, years from then”
I would fall in love more, and allow my heart to break more. I now know that love is everything and heartbreaks heal. (“It is better to have loved and lost….” and all that)

…and then I got to:

11. I would make different choices…

And that’s where the epiphany happened.

Different choices would mean different consequences, which would lead to different paths, which would lead to a different future and lead to a different “me”.

Of course.

The choices I was thinking of were things like: I wouldn’t have jumped into that parking lot fight, to help a buddy, in college (where I walked away bloody and should’ve gone to the campus doctor, but was afraid to because the fight was about something less than legal and we would’ve ALL been suspended) …or… I shouldn’t have hooked up with my friend, Mitch, who led me and some others into a world where we were constantly dodging “the law”. I wouldn’t have chosen the first college I attended, but rather spent all my years at the college I graduated from…

…I would’ve chosen to be honest about myself and lived my life for God alone to judge.

HOWEVER…It is precisely through (not BECAUSE) of those choices that I am where I am today…which is a GOOD place.

It was THROUGH my choice of colleges that I not only gained much needed “transition-from-home-to-my-own-life” education, but where I discovered God in other denominations, other people, and other ways, and made lifetime friends. It was precisely BECAUSE of my first school that I landed an acceptance into the Music Institute from which I graduated.

IN FACT, looking at my entire life, even my poor choices (ones that led me to disaster, failure, or at the least, bumpy roads) brought me…

…here.

On the other side of the journey, there is knowledge to be gained, beauty to be appreciated and love to express. The Spirit never abandoned me, always protected me, and always turned my “straw to gold”. There are many, many parts of my life I would not wish on anyone, and decisions I would hope no one else would make…but the place I am NOW is a destination I would wish for everyone. And the Spirit of God has used every person, every moment, and the consequence of every good and bad decision…to get me here and now.

And so, though there are things I wish I knew then, and confidence, knowledge and wisdom I wish I had…the blessings I have received, the life that I have, I would not trade for all the bacon in the mid-west…or all the bourbon in Tennessee.

Again, I say what the Spirit teaches:
Every moment has its time.
Every person has their place.
Do not brush away either.
In doing so, you may brush away God’s wish for you to either ENJOY,
or BE the miracle.

I’ve learned quite a bit so far, in the five weeks of quarantine; things about others (hmmm) AND things about myself (double-hmmm). For instance, here are just a few caveats:

Sometimes I eat because I just want something to do.
I can throw my back out simply by sitting on the couch.
Learning new skills is exhausting for a 62-year-old.
Some people are really quite stupid.
Some people are really quite wonderful.
I’m glad I love my house AND my spouse.
(From watching NETFLIX British crime dramas) Why am I not living in England? (And a codicil) Of course, if I DID live there, I wouldn’t want to live in one of those small, quaint “one-pub” villages that has a murder every week!
Cats are not as happy their humans are home as dogs probably are.
TV Chefs have a different definition of, “Quick and easy” than I do.
I need to be friends with Chip & Jo Gaines, and…
I’ve learned what IS and what IS NOT “essential”.

It’s the question of the day: “Is it essential?”

Of course, “Essential” is looked at by every person in a subjective way; what seems essential for me may not be essential for you. For instance, because I’ve run out of hair product, and the product has doubled in price (let’s chat about price-gouging during a pandemic, sometime) I decided to buzz my hair off – my hair is not essential.

Bacon is.

But again, that’s MY subjective decision. I am thankful for leaders who have to wade through their constituents’ requests/whining to determine what is best for the community and not just for the “squeaky wheel”.

“ESSENTIAL” – of the utmost importance (MERRIAM-WEBSTER)

I have, as a minister, been busier than usual (yes, it even surprises me). Although, when chatting with my minister friends, they are all saying the same thing; they’ve never felt busier, nor have they been more tired at the end of the day. We have also come to the conclusion that this circumstance has been great for re-booting our minds, our doctrines, and our analyses of God, His people, and the world.

It has also caused us all to ask: what is “essential” for the Believer & Follower of Jesus?

GOOGLE that question and you’ll find as many answers as there are televangelists in Georgia. Again, it SEEMS like a subjective question: , each denomination and church seems to have a different idea about essentials for those of us who Believe & Follow.

But I disagree, I don’t think it’s as complicated as the Church or Church leaders would like to make it. I believe the recorded words of Jesus, and the words of scripture as we read them, are quite clear about the “essentials”.

Now, you know I don’t like to take any scripture out of context, but a good place to start is with the prophet, MICAH.

A minor prophet, MICAH lived during the reign of three Judean kings and spoke specifically to them in their time and place. At one point, however, he addresses (with Providential authority) all humanity:
“Mankind (humanity), He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord (“YHWH”: self-Existent or Eternal; name of God) requires (requests/asks) of you: to act justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” MICAH 6:8

But isn’t there MORE to it than that? For those of us who grew up in the Church, in the 1970s, there were “The Four Spiritual Laws” which showed the method by which we chose to Believe & Follow Jesus. Based on a variety of scriptures, these were a good start…but then some thought some talk about behavior is essential, while others believe that regular attendance in church or tithing is essential. Add to that the denominational differences of frequency of sacraments and public baptism…you can see where it can get a little out of hand.

What about Jesus? What does HE say? After all, the whole of scripture prior to His birth points to HIM. And the whole of scripture following His resurrection and ascension comments on HIM. I think what HE says takes precedent over all else.

What should one do to “become” a Believer & Follower? Jesus took each person where they were and sometimes asked things of one that he didn’t ask of another – based on who they were, and what they needed. But the simplest exchange was on the cross. The insurrectionist hanging with Jesus said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.” (LUKE 23:42-43) And Jesus simply answered that he (the insurrectionist) and Jesus would be together in God’s garden, sooner rather than later. No “Four Spiritual Laws”, no Church attendance, no tithing, nada, the man simply acknowledged he believed Jesus was who He said He was, and asked for a favor. That was it.

When it comes to everyday living, however, it seems to be even simpler. Jesus was, and is, explicit in two places.
FIRST, in His description of the last days (MATTHEW 25:34-40) there is no talk of denominations, church attendance, sacraments, etc. It’s simple: “take care of those around you, love them, that’s how you love Me.”
SECOND, Jesus told His disciples plainly, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (JOHN 13:34-35)

What is “essential” for “Believers & Followers”? LOVE is essential. LOVE; the “agape” that chooses to love no matter what and no matter who. The LOVE that is not based on emotion, but based on action. LOVE is essential because it covers all, it heals, and God IS love.

Our denomination, THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) talks about “essentials” a lot. We quote (as do many other denominations) Marco Antonio de Dominis (d. 1624) when it comes to life with others, and essentials:

“In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas.” (LATIN)
“In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, freedom. In all things, love.”

In this time & place when the mere sound of a voice, a smile, the eyes, or the touch of a hand have become so valuable – let’s remember the “essential” thing – LOVE one another.

LISTEN and/or READ

In May, in the year 1889 (10 years prior to the construction of our current sanctuary, and the year construction began on my Brown-Delaware house) one of my “heroes” passed away. His name is familiar enough that most American and British citizens would recognize it at once…and smile. But let me tell you a little about him, before I tell you his name.

As a Quaker, he was genuine, as a businessman, successful…and as a philanthropist, generous. As a Quaker, his beliefs didn’t allow him to enter a University or pursue a career in medicine or law…and a military career was obviously out of the question. He turned to business and philanthropy.

His love of animals moved him to form THE ANIMALS FRIEND SOCIETY, which then become the ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS; the fore-runner of the American branch of the same.

What most people know of this man has nothing to do with his service to animals. He is, like all of us, multifaceted. Which reminds me once again…

…everyone has a story. Everyone has influence far beyond their time in this place. None of us can predict what effect we will have on others we may never see.

And so we have a responsibility. Jesus reminds us that every little thing we do, every smile, frown…every word (bad, good, flippant or thoughtful) matters. The famous and rich are not any different than the unknown and poor in this way. Each of us has a circle of influence; friends, family, acquaintances, enemies…and they have circles, and so on, and so on. And GOD holds us responsible for the people He has placed around us.

This is the miraculous way the world was created to work: when we follow through with our responsibilities to each other, WE are happier. Jesus knows what He’s doing by connecting our love for each other with our love for Him and our own sense of well-being and joy.

ONE life influences MANY lives, AND we are on this earth for a short time. Those two facts alone should remind us to enjoy every moment, by loving each other and by knowing that EVERYTHING we do will influence others. We are happy when we understand our reason for living.

Being famous or well-known, or wealthy, seems to have no bearing on influence of quality. After all, when was the last time your life was altered simply by holding a new-born, visiting someone in their last days, or simply being there? You see, even in those times we have influence.

I’ll bet my “hero” DID have some inkling THE ANIMAL FRIEND SOCIETY would have far-reaching implications…but I doubt that he, also a proprietor of a small confection business in England, had any idea the emulsification process he developed to make solid chocolate (thus creating the modern chocolate bar) would make the name of John CADBURY, famous.

You see, we still cannot foresee what the future holds, or the choreography of the great dance that God sets in place; what we may think has influence on others may in fact pass quickly away. That random smile, kindness, or worse, that harsh word or decision based on bad judgement, may reach beyond our lifetimes.

So, with that next CADBURY EGG, or chocolate bar, remember that our joy, our happiness, our full life, is dependent upon the little things that connect us to each other. Every word out of our mouths, every action from our hearts, has the potential to last far beyond our passing…

…and has the power to change more lives than we could reach in our own lifetimes.

Jesus says it best, “let your light shine.”

Now I’m going to have another CADBURY EGG and pet the cats.

I sit in my house during week four of this “season of sequestering”, this “Lent of Solitude”, and this week: “Pandemic Passion Week”. It’s not as I imagined so many months ago when I pictured all of us together in the decked-out and “lily-filled” sanctuary. Then all my extended family at my house (which was the original plan…just postponed) eating home-made wonders which surround turkey, ham, and salmon…screaming little girls searching for eggs and all the “grandparents” finally collapsing in our comfy chairs at the end of the day, sleeping through some movie.

It was a nice dream, but not to be this year…and yet…it’s STILL Easter.

This pandemic season runs the spectrum from “death” (ours or our loved ones’…alone), fear of the unknown, to mere lengthy inconvenience (which is, thankfully, what most of us are experiencing). But no matter the circumstance the Church message still stands: THIS day, of all days, is the most sacred, most special, most holy of all the holidays the Church observes.

Without Easter there IS no Church…there are only clubs filled with good people, whose good deeds have no power, and will die when they die. Why? Because if Jesus is NOT the Son of God and NOT the One who died and then came back to life, there is NO REASON to worship, to educate, to serve.

Doing good and treating people well might be “the right thing to do”…but that is not a good enough reason for most of us to do it. “Loving” is challenging and difficult work…especially when we are SPECIFICALLY commanded to love those who do not and WILL not love us (because the world is created to operate better that way). If there were no “supernatural”, or perhaps a better word would be “trans-natural” element to Church, then we would be (and sometimes are) just another club.

If the only possibilities for the restoration of this nation and world were in the hands of good people, who could still do much, the world would still die…and we would die with it.

HOWEVER, that’s not what we believe and know. We know, through faith alone in the knowledge that comes from the Spirit of God, that we ARE souls housed in a temporary body. Our soul will one day break free and be housed forever in a permanent body. We also know, through faith alone in the knowledge that comes from the Spirit, that this world will be stripped, reconstructed, rebuilt, and redeemed to a permanent place. We know, in faith, that if we SAY Jesus is God’s Son…resurrected from an unfair execution at the hands of the Church and the State (please stop blaming the Jews and the Romans, it was you and me)…then we had better live according to what we SAY is true…or get out of the way of those successfully living according to what they believe.

The message of Easter is, as Jesus’ body died, so will ours…but when HE died, He killed the effect of decomposition caused by mistakes, bad choices and separation from God. And when He climbed off that stone bed and unwrapped his now-breathing body…He stepped back into the garden…and so will we. If we don’t believe that…then there is no reason to celebrate this Sunday.

Through “better or worse, sickness or health”, Easter doesn’t represent a “Good man”, “prophet”, “philosopher/teacher”…Easter is a God who died so that I wouldn’t have to…and then got up and kept living…and asked me to follow…I will.

By request, I am recounting the story of “FERN SUNDAY” (an unofficial observance of my own; the Sunday before Palm Sunday – last Sunday, in fact.)

First, I know this is April 1^st, but this is not an “April Fool’s Day” story…it’s simply another “colorful” event I remember from my strange life; something to bring a smile and maybe provoke a thought or two during these weird times. It’s a story of rebellion, of “church politics” and the seed of tradition…and it is set during LENT.

When I was a Freshman and Sophomore in college I had my first actual “church job” that didn’t involve my home church. I was hired by a very wealthy congregation to be one of four section leader/soloists for their aging choir. This was the first congregation I belonged to that was not the church of my family, nor was it the denomination I had grown up with. It was a very enlightening (in a good way) experience for me, and my own formation as a Believer & Follower.

Being one of the few “young” people (read: anyone under 50) at this large and established congregation I gravitated to the other few who were close in age…one was another paid member of the choir, and one was his girlfriend who also attended. We would gather after worship and chat/mock/chill in the mammoth, two-story, parlor behind the chancel area.

This church building was beautiful. A former synagogue/temple, it had been “redeemed” as a Christian worship space with magnificent carvings, paintings, windows and a stellar pipe organ. The choir sat in the back balcony with the organist, and so could observe everything. The worship was traditional to the extreme and well done, but a little stiff and stodgy. The people were older, much older, than us, but warm, gracious and very, very thankful for any youngsters that were in attendance, so we always got lots of love and food.

The congregation eased into LENT, a church observance I had NEVER experienced, so I paid attention to every fascinating detail of the “traditional mainline protestant” observance.

First off, the sanctuary was always filled with the most impressively large floral decorations I had ever seen in a sanctuary. The first Sunday I sang in worship I had assumed there had been a wedding in the sanctuary the Saturday before, there was SO MUCH “flora” tucked into every conceivable place…but no, I quickly found out there was a “flower lady” who took great care each Saturday to deck the sanctuary like the Garden of Eden. She had a well-known floral shop and used her buying power to procure everything we saw. I honestly don’t know if she donated or charged the church, but I DO know she was a “force to be reckoned with” as she was in the choir, and also dictated which color stoles the choir wore on which Sunday. She appeared to be the “Martha Stewart” of the congregation.

In any case, LENT arrived, suddenly and shockingly. The sanctuary was stripped of greenery AND flowers. I stood amazed at how large the sanctuary actually was when there wasn’t a forest taking up much of the space. Dark purple decked the pulpit, the lectern, the windows and the walls…but even with all of that, the place was “bare Lenten bones”.

The Flower Lady was not a fan of LENT. She complained, starting on Ash Wednesday and continuing throughout the 40-day observance, about the “sad music”, the “dull sermons”, and especially the “lack of beauty” (read: “flowers”). The “youngsters” (me, and the other chosen few) for whom this congregation was new, appreciated the humor of her probably more than the saints who had been attending since the founding of America. So, when she wasn’t amused, they weren’t either.

It seems that finally, on the Sunday before PALM SUNDAY, she’d had it. We walked into the sanctuary (the choir was one of the first there each Sunday) to what looked like the bar at the local “Holiday Inn” (not that I ever was ever THERE, but I’d seen pictures): it was wood, brass and ferns, ferns, ferns…everywhere.

Yes, it seems, without permission, she had taken it upon herself to ease the congregation back into the woodland glade that was the usual setting for us in the sanctuary. The fact there were suddenly ferns in the sanctuary did not sit well with the Minister, the Board, or the other woman, who understood fully how LENT may be ruined for everyone if it wasn’t “plain and bare” up to PALM SUNDAY. It began what turned into a yearly struggle (so I’m told, since I moved to Seattle the next year…but kept in touch.)

Oh, I didn’t tell you another important fact…her name was, appropriately, “Fern”.

And so, for me at least, the Sunday before PALM SUNDAY has always been “FERN SUNDAY”. Here at CCC we have (well, I have) carried on that tradition and placed ferns out, to make sure we’re not all too shocked to worship on PALM SUNDAY when the palms are put out.

I don’t advocate stirring up trouble in church, especially by stamping on people’s traditions (unless moved to do so by the Spirit). I also don’t advocate one person’s tastes and traditions over the traditions and tastes of the “community” (unless you’re the Pastor, then you can do whatever you want…just kidding). But what amazes me most about this story is…that I’m telling it. We put out ferns each Sunday before PALM SUNDAY…and all because of a woman who wouldn’t remember me from Adam, if she is still alive, which I doubt. But here I am, changed, calling the Sunday before Palm Sunday “Fern Sunday” because of her, and something she did.

It reminds me of the power all of us have to affect the lives around us, for better or worse. Every word we say, every action we take, is heard and observed…and in some cases, is absorbed. Words are power, actions speak louder than words, and people are still the greatest influencers of other people.

Fern only impressed this great story on me, her actions and words are not something I aspire to…and, in a way, she taught me how NOT to speak or behave around others. But there are many other people whose words may have been fewer, and actions smaller) who have influenced me even more:

The sixth-grade kid who watched my fourth-grade play and told me I needed to be on stage…
…I remembered that.

The shoe salesmen who sold me my first pair of “big boy” shoes, and called me “tiger”…
…I remember that.

The first person who looked me in the eye and said, “I love you.”

And I will always remember the five people who greeted me that first Sunday I stepped through the doors of Central Christian Church in June of 2006.

The Spirit is changing the community of faith during this season, almost as if we were all in a cocoon. I, for one, believe we will emerge with a new appreciation of each other’s smile and voice. As we learn, during this time, what is truly important, I hope we hear the Scripture’s words about the effect we have on one another – through our words, our prayers, and our love.

I am, by nature, an introvert. It seems strange to people who know me well, but like many performers, teachers, and ministers, I need and love alone time in my “cave”…but lately, THIS is a little too much.

“Social (or “Physical” may be a better word) Distancing” is a mixed blessing for those of us who are happy cocooning at home. People like me like the “cave” for a while, but sooner or later it gets old, even for us, even for this short period of time (so far).

I am thankful that I have a comfortable home stocked with food, and things to do…I know there are many who aren’t so fortunate. I am thankful I’m not alone, many are. I’m thankful I have “a tribe”: people in the church, or people in the theatre, who surround me with their creativity, pictures, laughter…all “virtual” but still there…many people have no “tribe” or support. I am thankful that during this time of changed routine, collapsing businesses, and unknown futures I am a child of the one who understands the “now” and knows the “later”. Many others have no such hope.

However, in my thankfulness, the “cave” has become sometimes darker.

Some people suffer from clinical or circumstantial depression…for them, this time becomes steadily more claustrophobic, and dark. I find that even “life events”, good and bad, take on a new “blue-tinged” dark light these days…because I’m so cloistered away. So far, during this time of isolation I have (along with many others) : received sad news, lost some money, unintentionally hurt someone, forgotten a loved-one’s special date, forgotten to call, made mistakes – and though these things should be taken seriously, they are the usual “bumps in the road of life” for all of us, every week. BUT NOW all those things are magnified, amplified, and sensationalized because somehow in the isolated darkness of “the cave” those things seem bigger and louder than usual.

For me, and others, the “cave” that has always been the safe place, the nest, the cocoon, has the possibility to become a deep, dark, trap.

The Psalmist seems to mention this effect: “Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!” (130:1) is what he says at the beginning of the song. This is, at times, a time of darkness for many…because being alone, listening to one’s own thoughts, and separated from those we love (and even those we barely like) reminds us how much we need each other.

What does the Spirit teach us about these times? I only speak for myself, but my answer came in another small event that appeared larger because of the times: someone contacted me to perform a wedding in September.

Normally, although a fun and joyful event, it would involve me saying “that would be fun, I’d be happy to do it, let me check my calendar” but THIS time, it was as if somewhere outside “the cave” someone set off fireworks. A light came on, and just like a candle in a completely dark room, I was gobsmacked at how much light a single candle can bring, how much distance one can see, and how much perspective it gives to everything else.

God is right; Light is greater than darkness.

I believe these times are…weird. For me, at this moment at least, that’s all they are, weird. I pray it doesn’t get worse than that in our home. For many, however, these times are beyond weird; they are devastating, harmful, desperate, and dark. Those people are a “cave” that is NOT a place of comfort and seclusion, but a dark hole they cannot see, or crawl, out of.

During our “LENT OF SOLITUDE” it is, frankly, not about ME nor is it about YOU, it’s about US…perhaps more than any other recent time. What can I do? What can YOU do, as a member of the Advance Team of the Kingdom of God. I believe what we should do is…share light.

We all have our gifts, but the Light of God is reflected in as many different ways as there are people: music, art, personality…laughter!

It’s time to make sure we are all cared for, first physically, and then we should GIVE LIGHT in every way possible.

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before everyone, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” MATTHEW 5:14-16

And to paraphrase ESTHER 4:14, “…who knows but that you have come here for such a time as this?”

Shine your light.

I was in my car, on my way to Indianapolis. I was in the right-hand lane (going the speed limit…really!) and a car drove past me, pulled in front of me and slowed down. It was obvious, from my vantage point, that the driver of the car ahead of me was busy on his smartphone, texting. I wasn’t really in a hurry, but did at least want to go the speed limit, so eventually I signaled and moved to the left lane. This action apparently jarred the driver from his text conversation and made him upset as, to my amusement, he sped up the minute I was beside him so that I could not get around him. I didn’t care, as I didn’t need to be in the right lane for a while. After a few minutes he slowed down, abruptly passed behind me to the turn lane coming up on my left, honked and gave me a “sign” (and it wasn’t the sign of the cross). I was a bit confused as to his anger with ME, but not enough to care. I was more humored than anything else.

Oh, did I mention that he had an ichtus (sign of the fish) on his bumper?

I assumed the car was purchased by the current driver at a used car lot.

And once again the words of a friend came to me, “If your car has a bumper sticker about heaven, you probably shouldn’t drive like hell.”

That quote is far-reaching implications for any of us who identify as Believers & Followers of Jesus. If we are going to put our identity out there, we should probably BE what we advertise. After all, I don’t expect to find SKITTLES in an M&M bag. If M&Ms are advertised on the packaging, they had better be M&Ms inside.

Now we all do some things, as Believers & Followers, that some other Believers & Followers would call “unchristian.” Example: as an actor I have been called upon to play characters that are NOT Believers & Followers. One of those times, I had to carry (not smoke) a fake cigarette through most of the production. A dear saint wrote a kind note to me, making her case that she thought it was inappropriate for a minister to carry a cigarette. I, of course, disagreed…on several levels (1. a minister WASN’T carrying the cigarette, the character was, 2. I know several spirit-filled ministers who smoke, and 3. if you’re offended by THAT, then I could tell you a few other things about me that might make your hair curl…etc.) but what I actually said was that I was sorry she was offended and hoped that my carrying a fake cigarette around, as an actor, didn’t shatter her faith. And I realized that in this large community we call the Kingdom of God, social norms, geographic boundaries and tradition often define what some might think is “Christians behaving badly” while another group doesn’t see an issue.

At the core of the community should be the unity of the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, no matter what we wear, how we cut (or don’t cut) our hair, how we worship, when we worship…etc. A person ADVERTISING they are a Believer & Follower, either by carrying around a Bible, wearing a big cross, or even putting a bumper fish on their car need to at least PRACTICE (if not perfect) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (GALATIANS 5:22-23). These things, and not anything else, are the mark of those who believe Jesus is the Son of God and follow Him as sheep follow a shepherd. If one is not willing to at least attempt to practice these things, then they shouldn’t advertise they are something they are not.

I say “attempt to practice” because many of us are not there yet. However, the practice and attempt are obvious in people who DO practice and attempt to be who they claim.

Those who are obviously (by their lack of “fruit”) not who they profess to be give a bad name to those who ARE, because the world tends to paint all Believers & Followers with the same broad brush, and God gets a bad reputation. The FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT; the evidence of a Believer & Follower’s roots, plays out in large and small ways, sometimes those ways are how we DRIVE, how we treat people we don’t HAVE to be nice to, how we tip, how we serve.

Jesus called this sort of false advertising “whitewashed tombs” (MATTHEW 23:27), a far more colorful description even than “If your car has a bumper sticker about heaven, you probably shouldn’t drive like hell.”

Even better is to make sure that one’s fruit of the Spirit is so self-evident that a bumper fish isn’t necessary.

Drive safely. Advertise accurately. Produce fruit.

I was a small boy who could barely read when my mother began instilling in my little brain the idea of memorizing things: phone numbers, addresses, scripture, poems. She was an advocate of memorizing long passages of prose; speeches and monologues, a passion she got from her mother, the teacher.

Also, my grandmother (who passed before I was born) was, as someone who lived through the wars, convinced the scripture would someday be taken out of the hands of the faithful and should be memorized as much as possible. She herself could recite at least 4 books of the Bible, in scorching King James English (so mom said.)

As was often the case, being the child of the “Church script writer”, I was “cast” as the child with the longest (and I’m sure, the most dramatic) monologues and Bible verses to recite. I was at my hometown church one day when mom and dad were there doing something else, and I decided to go to the sanctuary and see how scary it was to stand up on the platform and deliver to the rows of empty, blonde wood, pews. I started the walk up to the front from the back when someone popped their head up from below one of the pews. It was Mr. Reiboldt, the father of some of my friends at church, he was fixing something in one of the pews…he smiled and said “Hi”. He then asked what I was doing and I told him I was going to practice my “monologue”. He then asked me a question that confused me because I had never heard the term before.

“Do you know it by heart?”

It’s funny how some things stick with you. I couldn’t have been more than 6 or 7 years old and yet, I can see the pews, see his 40-year-old face, hear his voice and see the surprise on his face when learning I had never heard that term before. He explained that having something memorized was often referred to as, “knowing it by heart.” That could refer to things like what I was learning and delivering…but also to things, truths, that need to be “kept in our heart.”

“Do you know that your mom and dad love you?”
“Yes.”
“THAT is something you know by heart.”
“Do you know that we all love you?”
“Yes.”
“Keep that in your heart.”
“Do you know that God loves you?”
“Yes.”
“Then, there are the most important things you can know…by heart.”

Again, if an angel had broken through the walls, stood beside Mr. Reiboldt with a flaming sword held high I couldn’t have been more impressed (for more than 50 years or so) with that moment in time than I was…it has stayed with me.

The term comes from the Greeks, who had no separation, in their culture and philosophy, between logic and emotion, considering the organ of the heart to be the seat of knowledge. To “know something by heart” was to remember in the deepest part of you, and COMMIT to remember it.

Currently, I am performing some Shakespeare. I don’t have a large role, but it IS significant: I’m one of the storytellers. I have 3 monologues. They are stunningly beautiful and crafted as only a brilliant writer can craft: using language as a painter uses brushes and oil, and as a sculptor uses chisels, hammers, and polishing cloths. They are also difficult for a 61-year-old mind to remember…but I am DRIVEN to remember them because they also contain “truth”…and I want to commit them “to heart.”

What do YOU know by heart?

Jesus is constantly reminding us that there are some things we know by heart that we shouldn’t: worry, past indiscretions He has forgiven, the times someone else hurt us, as examples. We may not WANT to commit those things to our hearts, but we do, and we memorize every hurt and say it, play it, over and over again. Jesus reminds us that the things we keep in our hearts tell everyone (including Himself) what we truly “treasure”. (MATTHEW 6:21)

YET, as humans we are prone to forget the GOOD things, the beautiful things, the true things…and the writer, Paul, reminds us to actually to commit those things to heart. (PHILIPPIANS 4:8). God asks that we remember what He has done for us, so as to STRENGTHEN us. Psychologists teach that training the mind to remember good events, strong events, actually CHANGES the way our mind works (as the opposite does, as well). People who learn by heart to say the bad things in their lives over and over again will change…you and I have seen it happen, and experience those kind of people every day. Those that remember when God delivered, when God loved, when God provided, also change…you and I see a few of them every day as well.

What do YOU know by heart?

Choose carefully what you learn, what you memorize, and what you know by heart. It will change you…change isn’t bad, change is life. But whether you change for the better or worse is up to you.

“Go to your bosom; knock there and ask your heart what it doth know.” SHAKESPEARE

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” ROMANS 12:2

(reprinted from June 2019)

During my college years, in Seattle, I played the piano and sang – somewhat frequently – to try and make a living while going to class. I had some “regular gigs” (playing for some ballet classes and playing in the Executive Dining Room of the Rainier Tower every week) AND every-once-in-a-while a special party or wedding. As payment for one event I did at the historic Olympic Four Seasons in downtown Seattle I went a little “above and beyond” and did some extra playing for the hotel itself on a night when I was there to play for a party – the hotel gave me a dinner for two at their famed Georgian Room.

Now keep in mind that I was barely 21, had only really experienced anything as elegant and elite as The Georgian Room because I was a sometime performer in places like that, meaning: I entered through the back door or kitchen, did my gig and left the same way – not mingling with the guests NOR eating the food NOR drinking the wine. So this free dinner was not only going to be a new adventure, but also something that otherwise would’ve cost me the monetary equivalent of tuition for one semester at my school; a little out of my range.

I asked a girl friend (as opposed to a girlfriend) to join me. She eagerly agreed. She was a performer/student herself and shared the same world as I; dining mostly on ramen noodles, pizza, popcorn, etc. This was going to be spectacular…we didn’t eat for two days, in preparation.

I picked her up and, being a girl, she looked perfect for the occasion; chic, but not TOO dressy. I wore my best white button-down, nice linen khakis, freshly-shined brown oxfords…plus (did I say I was younger) I didn’t need AS MUCH HELP looking good as I do now. I imagined we would turn heads as we, much like Eliza Doolittle at the ball, walked into the Georgian Room.

I admit, I had some expectations (based mostly on the movies and television shows I watched) about what I would experience in such a fancy place; snooty staff, food names I couldn’t pronounce, a lot of “raw” things I wouldn’t want in my stomach…etc. But the one thing I wasn’t expecting happened at the door to the restaurant when I said we had reservations.

The Maitre d’, (and he really was THE perfect definition of a gentleman) smiled and asked if I had a jacket, since jackets were required in the room. I had never heard of such a thing. Shocked, embarrassed and thinking of some extravagant story I could tell about my jacket being stolen right outside as I saved myself and my date from certain death just before entering the restaurant…mostly I remember no response, except “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

The Maitre ‘d gave me a sincere and truly reassuring smile and said not to worry, several gentleman who dined there regularly kept jackets in the cloak room just off the Maitre d’s station. He sized me up and brought out a green jacket which he helped me slip on. First, it was perhaps the most comfortable jacket I’d ever worn…perfect fit, and whatever the cut and fabric were I now judge every jacket I’ve worn since by that one. Second, from that time on we never were treated by him or the staff as if we didn’t belong in that place and time.

Although the jacket wasn’t mine, it fit better than anything I one at the time, and I felt oddly comfortable as we were seated by a large beautiful window, under a chandelier. Our server couldn’t have been more engaging, welcoming and helpful…pointing out some things we would really like and encouraging us to try some new things…since our dinner was “on the house”. It was that “night of the green jacket” that I found out crudité just means “raw veggies” and vichyssoise is just cold potato soup…among other things.

By the end of the evening we were laughing, comfortable, surprised, satisfied, …and filled with memories that I still have some 40 years later…I’m assuming it was probably less memorable for my “date”, but who knows?

When we left, the Maitre d, after asking how our evening was, removed my jacket and asked my name. I told him, he took out a form and found a number on the page that corresponded with a discreetly-placed number sewn in the inside of the jacket, and wrote my name beside it – under the other few names beside that number.

“There”, he said, “when you return, your jacket will be here.”

I learned some things that night, as my Father (in His undeniably supernatural AND natural way) taught me not to make assumptions about anyone or anything, that trying new things (like new foods and new destinations) stretches and invigorates the mind and body. He taught me that some people have a gift of making others feel good about themselves, and I wanted to find out how to cultivate that gift.

But most of what I learned had to do with “putting on” something I didn’t think of as “mine” and learning that most often, we don’t see ourselves as others see us, we don’t imagine that some experiences, gifts, blessings, are for us…when, in fact, they fit us perfectly.

I know that’s true with Gifts of the Spirit. I know that it is much easier to see another person’s giftedness than our own. That’s why I’ve always thought “Spiritual Gift Assessment” tests should not be taken by the person trying to discover their own gifts but by someone else, who knows them well. I know that some people would never see themselves in a certain “jacket” because it is so out of their usual or out of their self-defined comfort zone…only then to have a friend, mentor, or someone they love, tell them the “jacket” truly fits…they should wear it, even if only for a short time and place.

The lessons of THE GREEN JACKET have stayed with me. There are times I’ve found myself in a place or time where I’m sure I don’t fit…then, remarkably, comfortingly, someone speaks with the inspiration of the Spirit and says, “Why don’t you just try it on.”

The “green jacket” may represent a change in life, a place in your congregation or family, or what some call a “special anointing” for a specific time or place. Whatever your jacket is, I say to you: “Why don’t you just try it on.”

You may be surprised what God has tailored for you.

I love to travel, as you all know, and am travelling as I write this BLOG today: this ASH WEDNESDAY. I love seeing our beautiful world and the people in it. In fact, as wonderful as all the scenery and cultures are, it’s the people that are most fascinating to me.

I’m an introvert at heart, and when I’m “not in charge or on stage” I like to sit in the back and see the whole picture. When travelling, my favorite thing to do is find a quiet table, a bench, or a palm tree…and sit to watch people.

We are a fascinating species; all types, all personalities, and yet similar. I, jokingly, like to say that God only has a few “molds” He uses in building us; and so He uses some over and over. For instance, I ALWAYS see people “I know” in the most unique places. They aren’t really the people I know back home, but they sure look and act like them. In these few short days, while in another country, I’ve already seen David Priest, Diana Huntoon, and Jacqueline Sokol. Now, it’s not them, but they all look like someone made from the same mold.

Of course that’s ridiculous, we are as different as individual snowflake crystals or individual sands on the beach…but it’s a fun game. In truth, we humans are as diverse as we are similar. I watch young parents with children. Children seem to be the same throughout the world. I watch older couples, helping each other navigate the tours, the shops, and the uneven the walkways. And then there are the wealthy, the elegant, the plain, and the boisterous. I see the friendly, and the not-so-friendly, the grumpy, and the funny. It’s always a wonderful collection of sameness & difference.

On this day, ASH WEDNESDAY, I am thinking of the ashes, Palm Sunday, people, and the journey each of us together. Our bodies move toward an end, while our souls grow and finally break through. Where our souls travel, when free of these bodies, is taken on faith according to what each of us believe. We all have an idea as to what will happen when the soul breaks free, and we argue with each other about it…wasting time that could be used to connect to each other, as Jesus asked.

But, as for our bodies, we should all KNOW what is going to happen. And not just bodies, but our lands, our homes, our countries, and our kingdoms. It’s not just faith and religion that teach us about this cycle of beginnings and endings…it’s history itself. All human things end, whether individual humans or communities of humans, large and small. And hardly anything symbolizes that truth than ASH WEDNESDAY.

Where do our ashes come from? The ashes we at Central use for Ash Wednesday are the ashes of the palms used the prior Palm Sunday; mixed with olive oil which is infused with frankincense and myrrh. Once the palms are burned, ground down and mixed, they are preserved. In fact, at Central, the ashes I’ve used for thirteen years, predate me by three ministers at least. I have only added some ashes, but they are combined with ashes from Palm Sundays past. The alabaster jar that holds Central’s ashes holds the representation of at least two decades of parishioners, pastors, elders, deacons, and stories here in the heart of the heartland…and now, it’s all ash.

The palms that symbolize the crowds in Jerusalem wishing for and welcoming what they imagined was an “earthly” kingdom, are now dust…reminding us that the “earthly” kingdom is not what our King came to inaugurate…HIS Kingdom is “not from, or of, this world”. HIS Kingdom doesn’t turn to ash. But our kingdoms, our countries, our homes, and our bodies…do.

We are all headed in that direction. No matter our diversity, no matter our likeness, we all travel to that location. That knowledge alone should cause us to be kinder, more loving, more patient, and more helpful, to each other. It should cause us to live every moment on this earth, in this body, with intention. Does it?

All this isn’t really bad news, it’s the way of life as physical life was created to be…but “Life” (with a capital L) isn’t defined by things that turn to ash. “Life”, according to what I believe and teach, transcends nations, communities, and human bodies. I believe our souls will land in new bodies that don’t turn to ash, in a land that always remains green, lush, diverse and colorful…like the immortal souls that will inhabit it with our King, Jesus.

My time at Central, in Anderson, and on this earth will one day be represented in the palms I have burned and mixed with ashes from times before, and pastors who have served and moved on, along with their parishioners…but my soul has already started packing for another trip. The Kingdom of MY King has already been created.

So take the ashes and remember: we are all on the same physical journey, and it might be your responsibility to show (without words, but with action) someone else the way to “the lifeboat.” On the way, offer your hand, your smile, your love because Jesus asks you to do that…and because, as different as we all may be, and no matter where we started…we’re all in the same boat.

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