Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image; in the image of God created him; male and female God created them.

Genesis 1:31a
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

Luke 11:42- 43, 46
But woe unto you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God; these you ought to have done, and yet not leave the other undone.Woe unto you Pharisees! For you love the uppermost seats in the synagogue and greetings in the marketplace.”And he said, “Woe unto you also, you lawyers! For you heap upon men burdens grievous to be borne, and you yourselves will touch their burdens with a single finger! 

Are we human beings who are in search of becoming more spiritual beings? OR, are we spiritual beings on a quest to become fully human as God intended at creation? I must warn you, Reader, that these two questions are not meant to be tricky, but to clarify.

God created human beings “in God’s image”. What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Let’s eliminate what it does NOT mean. To be created in God’s image does NOT mean that we have three characteristics of God:

1) Everlasting Life as a human being,

2) and it does not mean that human beings have a physical likeness or physical image of God, and

3) we are not created with the capacity to live our lives with perfection (without sin).

Centuries after creation, we have the story of the coming of God’s salvation in the Person of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, through whom human beings, by faith, can join with God and therefore receive these three attributes in eternity that we were NOT given at Creation. It is only after the death of the human being that followers of Jesus Christ may experience a resurrection like Jesus.

Because believers are resurrected, then we share in the Everlasting Life with God, receiving a spiritual body (not physical) in the likeness of God that lives forever, and then we human beings, transformed in resurrection, live throughout eternity without sin. I repeat: while we human beings were not created in a physical likeness of God, through resurrection, human beings are given a new body, eternal in the heavens, in a spiritual likeness of God that will exist forever. And finally, in the Last Supper that the Disciples shared with Jesus, Jesus took the cup and declared that the cup was for forgiveness of sins. Mind you, this was a unique Greek word for forgiveness, namely, that all sinfulness of human beings who, by faith in Jesus Christ and who, share in a resurrection like his, our sin will be removed as if our sin never existed. Therefore, human beings may, through grace, enter Everlasting Life, have an immortal body, and live without being troubled by sinfulness.

The question demands an answer, “what is the image of God that we are given as human beings created by God?” I shall begin with a story. Several years ago, as I was preparing a sermon on the Creation of Humankind, I went to a farmer, a member of the congregation, and asked for a favor, and he said “if possible, I will do it.”

I said, “For my sermon this coming Sunday I need a bucketful of the richest, blackest dirt that you can find on your farm.”

On Saturday, he called me and said “I have your dirt, what do I do with it?”

to which I replied, “I have a small folding table set up in the front of the sanctuary, just bring the bucket of dirt with you to church tomorrow and sit it on that table.”

During the sermon that Sunday, I read the scripture and started the sermon by reading a portion of James Weldon Johnson’s poem where God exclaimed “I’m lonely. I’ll make me a man! And He scooped up the clay.. . . “ Then I went to the bucket of black dirt, took out a double handful and showed the congregation how loose and light that dirt was. Then I reached into the bucket, got a big handful of dirt and squeezed it. Immediately, it formed a ball in the shape of my hand and did not fall apart when I opened my hand. How revealing: even the gaps between my fingers could be clearly seen as ridges in that molded dirt! I asked the congregation to note that fact when I walked around, showing them that molded dirt. I then continued my sermon by saying, “This black dirt is no ordinary dirt. It is humus, the root word from which we get the name ‘human’ and humus was the dirt God used in the creation of Adam.”

So back to the two questions. Are we human beings in search of becoming more spiritual beings OR are we spiritual beings in search of becoming more fully human?

When God created Adam from humus, God knew that human beings were creatures and they would not have Everlasting Life on earth, they would not be in a physical image of God, and they would not be perfect. BUT human beings would have different gifts and abilities. God did create human beings with the expectation that they would live harmoniously with one another, draw from the gifts and abilities of one another, and honor the sanctity of life for all people. Furthermore, Jesus taught us the actions and mindset that describe a “fully human” person.

In Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees and lawyers (who sought to be seen as persons who had searched for and reached a spiritual pinnacle), Jesus told them that they had ignored the love of God for all people and they had refused to touch other people with a single finger! In essence, their drive to be “spiritual” had blinded them to the necessity of loving and helping other human beings. Jesus also taught us to turn the other cheek in confrontation, to be a friend to the stranger, to restore those overtaken in a fault, to respect the bodies of each other as a “temple of God”, to seek the wholeness (healing) of one another, to live in hope (rather than despair), and above all, to become “fully human” is to recognize that all other people are human beings in need of love and encouragement and support.

Jesus never taught that becoming fully human was “perfection,” but rather he argued for living as fully as possible with the best attributes or characteristics of human life for which God had created us. Indeed, we would not be in the image of God perfectly, but if there was any truth and virtue, we were to think AND act on them.

The problem for us today, theologically, is the history of the Church in which, by the Medieval Ages, placed great emphasis upon the imperfections of sinfulness in human beings who were considered without worth and merit except by salvation. Therefore, human beings were in constant search of spirituality, and only by “finding” this spirituality in God through salvation could human beings have value. Unfortunately, this predominant view never answered this question, “why would God create human beings ‘in the Image of God’ if there was nothing spiritual placed within us at Creation?” There is, within all of humanity, an image of God; the Scriptures declare it!

What is that Image of God which we all share?

We must recognize that even the worst among us have done that occasional good deed. Abraham Lincoln once said, “There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us that it behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us!” What if the Image of God within us is an ability to love one another as ourselves, a desire to engage in a quest to live harmoniously, and a willingness to live in community by seeking the well-being and common good of all? Is this the very description of the Image of God within us, the description of becoming “more fully human but not perfect?” 

Yes. I find it difficult to describe the image of God within us in any other manner. We who are parents know that young children are taught to move from selfishness toward community. We teach them to share, to respect persons regardless of differences, to understand that items belonging to others may not be taken without permission, etc. Children yearn for inclusion, for acceptance, for affirmation of their uniqueness, etc. I want to suggest that it is parental guidance (and that of teachers, grandparents and family, neighbors, etc.) to bring forth the best that already lies within every human being. Is the “best that lies within” also the Image of God with which we are created? This can certainly be interpreted as the Image of God.

Historically the Church has described salvation as “saved from sin” and I have no quarrel with that concept. But I want to ask, “what are we saved FOR?” Obviously, we are saved for the mission that Jesus has sent us, namely, to love one another to the point that we feed the hungry, uplift the fallen, seek peace, and live harmoniously with one another in the Church and in the world. The very mission of the Church is to invite the Image of God within us to flourish. When the Image of God is allowed to flourish, we move toward becoming more fully human in the sense that God created us with the capacity as human beings to find joy and enrichment in living together, loving others as we love ourselves.

What if the role of Jesus Christ who intercedes for us and grants us eternal life is declaring before God that we have indeed honored the image of God within us, however imperfect that our lives may be? Indeed, our purpose as believers in Christ, is to bring the Kingdom of God to fulfillment on earth which, in other words, is to discover and expand the Image of God that lies within all of us. Jesus, who intercedes for us, also grants us the three things that would make the creature “like God”; namely, to live forever and become Righteous (without sin). So, yes, if God created us in His Image, then we are spiritual beings in search of becoming more fully human. There is absolutely no way that God intended for human beings to live unto self; God meant for humans to strive together for the common good of all; this is the Image of God within us. And by faith in Jesus Christ, we can live more fully human lives through which the Resurrected Jesus, then, will intercede for us and bestow upon us Everlasting Life, a new body that lives forever, and Righteousness (sinless).

As a minister I worked with people caught up in all kinds of chaos and pain and anguish, I (Ken) have wondered if the “Achilles heel” of the Church as we know it today lies in its inability to understand “creature-ness”, that is, human beings, as creatures with the Image of God, are not made to be “God” with all powers and characteristics of God.

St. Francis of Assisi wrote around the year 1225 these words:
“All creatures of our God and King Lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia! Alleluia!” He dared to call us “creatures!” And we creatures sing “Alleluia” because we have the Image of God within us that seeks to worship and praise God.

So, are we human beings on a quest to develop spirituality in our lives or are we imperfect spiritual beings on a journey to become more fully human? I submit to you that this question reveals both sides of the same coin, namely, that a Christian life includes both the quest for a deeper spirituality AND a journey to become more fully human yet never attaining perfection as human beings. We seek to develop a deeper spirituality because the Image of God within us is always reaching toward growth in the Christian life, AND we seek to become more fully human for the basic reason that we shrink in horror at the inhumanity that fills our airwaves, newscasts, social media, and sometimes our own eyes.

Early in my ministry I served a church for several years. In that town, each September, was a town festival, and a carnival came and provided all kinds of rides and events; arriving on Tuesday, setting up, and Wednesday through Saturday night, the carnival was crowded with people of all ages. The owners were an older couple, and he was a few years older than his wife. While in our town, he became suddenly ill, hospitalized, but he did not survive. Because the carnival had iron-clad contracts, they needed to move on, so it was imperative that they have a funeral before they left town and forwarded the body to the family cemetery in Florida. I met with the wife on Saturday morning and learned that they were Christians and seldom had a chance to worship as they were on the road most of the year. So, through the wee hours of Sunday morning, the carnival “broke down” and loaded up, ready to roll. At 9 AM, at the funeral home, I conducted a service before the worship service at my church at 10 AM. I stood up and looked across the sea of faces who made their living working with the carnival. Can you imagine that scene? Tattoos. Dyed hair. Unique clothing. Body piercings. Teary eyes. Attentive. Human beings seeking an Image around which they could center their lives. After the service their comments to me were sincere, kind, appreciative AND affirming that their beloved owner had taught them much about what it means to grow as a human being!

To be honest, they were. . . creatures with the Image of God within.

To be honest, they were. . . creatures with a desire to grow as human beings with the capacity to live in community together as they traveled.

Just like me…

…and you.

THE BLOG by Pastor Ken Rickett

Luke 6: 1-11
One Sabbath, as Jesus happened to be passing through the cornfields, his disciples began picking the ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some of the Pharisees remarked, “why are you doing what the Law forbids men to do on the Sabbath day?” Jesus answered them, saying, “Have you never read what David and his companions did when they were hungry? How he went into the house of God,
took the presentation loaves, ate some bread himself and gave some to his companions, even though the Law does not permit anyone except the priests to eat it?”
Then, he added, “The Son of Man is Master even of the Sabbath.”
On another Sabbath day when he went into a synagogue to teach, there was a man there whose right hand was wasted away. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath day, which would, of course, give them grounds for accusation. But he knew exactly what was going on in their minds, and said to the man with the wasted hand, “Stand up and come out in front.” And he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them (scribes and pharisees), “I am going to ask you a question. Does the Law command us to do good on Sabbath days or do harm–to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around, meeting all their eyes, and said to the man, “Now stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored as sound as the other one. But they were filled with insane fury and kept discussing with each other what they could do to Jesus. 

In this day and age data bombards us daily through media (print, online, corporation boards, advertising, policy-making, etc.) and the question is NOT “Is this data true?” but rather “In what context do I (we) place this data?”

Examples abound as to the wisdom of knowing the context of any information that we hear and repeat to other people. Failure to place data in context not only lays the foundation for poor decisions but also hinders the development of vision merely for the sake of maintaining tradition and custom.

For example, from 1500-1800 English nobility lived about 71 years, quite an astonishing piece of data until you learn that the average lifespan of the English people during those same years was 33-40 years! Why? Nobility had more nutritious food, little contact with commoners, and often more sanitary everyday life. Did you know that the early English colonies in Virginia in the 1600s had a life expectancy at birth of 25 years? And in the 1600s in England, 40% of those born in that century died before reaching adulthood?

What was the lifespan of Americans when the United States constitution was written in 1789? Take a guess! Try 30-something! Then put that data into this context: In 1860, before the Civil War began, the average lifespan at birth was 39.4 years and dropped to 35 at the end of the war. It was 1911 before a person, at birth, could expect to live 50 years; and 1938 before a baby could expect to live to 60 years. In 1969, for the first time, newborns could expect to live 70 years! From 1900 to 2000 life expectancy rose over 30 years and 25 of those 30 years are directly the result of advances in public health care. Our country’s forefathers could not, in their wildest imaginations, see a time when 10 of the 100 Senators would be 76 to 88 years old. These same 10 Senators have served in the Senate for a combined total of 270 years (Our country, from 1776 til today, is only 245 years old!)! The average age of U. S. Senators is 64.5 years, but 79 of the 100 Senators are over 65. I’m not necessarily arguing for “change”, I am arguing that context tells a story that adds insight that may be used for evaluation. 

We need CONTEXT! 

As a retired minister, I valued context in preaching, and it has been a joy to be a part of a congregation in which the context of scripture is explained in sermons (Thanks, Rick!). 

Take the Sabbath as portrayed in the New Testament. In Luke 6:1-11, Jesus is twice confronted over actions that he took on the Sabbath. In one instance, Jesus and his disciples were traveling on a Sabbath day when they passed a cornfield. Being hungry, they took some corn, rubbed it in their hands, and ate it. Some Pharisees confront Jesus about gathering and eating corn on the Sabbath as such “work” was forbidden in the Law. Jesus’ response is crucial to interpreting this text: “The Son of Man is Master even of the Sabbath!” The other instance is the story of Jesus’ healing of a man’s atrophied hand on the Sabbath, and in anticipation of controversy, Jesus asked before he healed the man’s hand if the Law commands us to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm–which angered the Pharisees to the point that they wondered what they could do to stop Jesus. Healing was “doing work” which was “against the law.”

Don’t misjudge the context of this scripture in Luke!

The fourth of the ten commandments reads, “Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy.” These two incidents in the previous paragraph are not about the Sabbath; they are about the word “holy.” Over the centuries as the Law developed, there was little question that “God rested on the 7th day” but the intent of the Law was to insure that the Sabbath was kept “holy.” Under the Law, to keep the Sabbath holy, then absolutely all work must cease except for essentials such as feeding or milking animals. Thus, all food to be eaten on the Sabbath must be prepared in advance of the Sabbath which began at 6 PM on Friday night and ended at 6 PM on Saturday evening. In the first instance in which Jesus and his disciples gathered and ate corn, they became “lawbreakers” in a way that failed to keep Sabbath “holy” and thus they failed to “rest.”

In the second instance, due to the fact that the Holy and Sovereign God rested on the seventh day, the Law declared that any healing was “work”, not rest, and therefore unholy.

It is necessary to put the word “Holy” in context. Holiness is a characteristic or attribute of God alone, not humanity. There is nothing that humanity can do to become “holy” and the New Testament makes clear that salvation from a Holy God is by grace and not by works. The prophet Isaiah declares that Yahweh alone is the Holy One of Israel. Holiness is the one characteristic by which God says, “I am God and not human.” Now we have a problem: how do we understand the 4th commandment “to keep it (the Sabbath) holy?” The answer is simple: “to keep the Sabbath holy” is to acknowledge that God alone is the Holy One and therefore worthy of worship and adoration and glory.

One day when I was at the seminary, a professor asked if he could join us at our table. We were pleased to have that time with him as he was a noted author, theologian and teacher. As we finished our meal, he asked us, “Tell me, are we saved by a Holy and Righteous God or by a Loving and Merciful God?” What a question! Most of us said “Loving and Merciful God.” As the professor got ready to leave and go to his next class, he said to us, “Let me remind you that only a Holy and Righteous God can choose to be Loving and Merciful toward all humanity.” Catch the implication? In worship we acknowledge a Holy and Righteous God who revealed in Jesus Christ a Loving and Merciful God. AHA! To keep the Sabbath holy means that we recognize that God alone is Holy and worthy of worship. Failure to “remember the Sabbath” in the framework that God alone is Holy and worthy of worship is to fail to acknowledge God at all. God “rested” on the 7th day, but for us human beings, to keep the Sabbath holy is not found in avoiding work, but rather it is found in the nature of worship; namely, we can “rest” only when we acknowledge that we belong to a Holy and Righteous God. But nothing we do, whether it is done on the Sabbath or not, can impart Holiness to ourselves.

Put these Sabbath stories in context! Luke, in telling these two stories about Jesus and the Sabbath, is not about avoiding work in order to become holy ourselves; it is about acknowledging the Holiness of God, the only true basis for worship. When Jesus and his disciples gathered and ate corn on the Sabbath, it was a worshipful recognition that a Holy and Righteous God provides for us all. Did not Jesus inform the Pharisees that even “the Son of Man was Master of the Sabbath?”– a statement that acknowledges that the fullness of God, including Holiness, was placed in himself.

When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, it was a worshipful recognition that a Holy and Righteous God will and can act for the welfare of humankind. Did not Jesus, in whom the fullness of God dwells, say “come unto me, and I will give you rest?” Only a Holy Supreme Being can give “rest” that comes only when we recognize that we utterly and completely belong to the Holy One, Creator and Sustainer of us all. At some point, in a society of 4 day workweeks and jobs that must be done on Sunday, we need to put scripture about the Sabbath in context, and I DON’T mean a NEW context. It is time to let go of all kinds of guilt created by our lack of context for understanding the Sabbath. The context in which these two stories by Luke is the same context that has been there for centuries before Luke wrote these stories. Not even Jesus was able to break through to reset the proper context of keeping the Sabbath holy. It is high time for us to put these stories in proper context. We keep the Sabbath holy by acknowledging that the Creator God was Holy. AND THAT IS OUR REST.

Context reveals meaning.

Put it (scripture) in context, please!

It was just a few days before my 20th birthday when I found myself standing with the University Chorale of Eastern Washington University on a warm spring day, getting ready to sing. We stood outside on a large platform, the Spokane River at our backs, and the skyline of downtown in our view. We were in Riverfront Park, the property that some 4 years before had been the site of the 1974 World’s Fair.

Today, it was being dedicated as a public park. We were singing, the Governor was present, along with other local elected officials, thousands of people, and special guest, the President of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

President Carter was a candidate in the first election in which I had ever voted. Seeing him also continued my then unbroken record of seeing every president who served in my lifetime up to that time, except for President Eisenhower.

We, the chorale of some 100, had arrived hours earlier and were told to stand in our places on the risers, just behind the podium and seats reserved for speakers and honored guests. We would get a good view of our President…but the waiting was difficult for us youngsters. When we looked out, beyond the park, across the freeway, to the buildings in the downtown area, we could see a large police and military presence; sharp shooters on rooftops, helicopters continuing to circle the crowd below, and the Secret Service (obvious in their attempt to be unobvious) milling about.

We sang, I don’t remember what, and then the familiar strains of “Hail to the Chief” played and there he was…taller than I expected, that toothy smile flashing brightly for blocks, and energetically chatting with all on the platform.

He spoke (after many others) and officially dedicated the park. Then, on his way off the platform he, and his entourage, walked over to our director, shook his hand, looked up at us on the risers, waved, and thanked us for our time and music…saying, “it’s like I had backup singers!”. Then he was gone.

Interestingly, it was only after the event that we were told the reason we had to arrive before anyone else on the platform. It seems we were “the rear shield” since there was not a back on the large platform, and no other way to protect the President and the other people of note, from behind.

We were not only the Presidents backup singers but we also, literally, “had his back”.

This memory from college years came to me as I watched President Carter’s memorial service in the National Cathedral, and I thought of the implications of being a backup singer and bodyguard to the leader of our country.

I hope to be the type of American citizen who always wants my leaders to succeed, whether I voted for them or not. A backup singer supports the lead singer by:
   1. raising the energy level,
     2. supporting the melody with harmony, and
     3. providing a way for the lead singer to gain momentum…playing off of the other singers onstage.

“Having one’s back” would mean that, like the chorale behind the President, we (or I) would make sure the “leader” is protected from the back so that they can always move forward without looking behind them.

During these couple of weeks as I say good-bye to our longest-living President, and another takes the oath for a second time, these “backup” lessons are not lost on me. My responsibility, not as an American Citizen but as a Citizen of the Kingdom of God, is to be an encourager and protector for ALL my community and national leaders…it’s what my King demands of me.

But, like all Spiritual Truths, the implications go beyond simply supporting a temporary President in a temporary country…this Truth also applies to those in my circle: family, friends, congregation, and enemies. My daily life should contain some backup singing, treating those closest to me as the “lead singer” while I, as the “backup singer” feed them energy, support their “melodies” with my “harmonies” (not singing the same line, but supporting lines of the same song), while encouraging them on to their finest performances. ALL THIS while “having their backs”: making sure that they are protected from what lies behind them, so they don’t have to look back, and can always look ahead.

I think this is in line with what PAUL teaches us about treating each other as if they were more significant than we are (PHILIPPIANS 2:3 – “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”)…also, what he teaches about our gifts and talents being each being unique but working together to achieve one goal (I CORINTHIANS 12:4 – “Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord.”).

We are called to love (agape) our neighbors, our friends, and our enemies. I believe no matter who the leader may be, they fall into one of those 3 categories of people we are called to love. I believe no matter who enters our circle, THEY ALSO fall into one of those 3 categories of people we are called to love.

We are to be “backup singers” and to “have the back” of practically everyone we encounter…and some that we may never meet. I hope to be the kind of “backup singer” that behaves according to these words, from the 1800s, often quoted by President Carter:

“Do all the good you can,
In all the ways you can,
For all the people you can,
Just as long as you can.”

THE BLOG by Rev. Ken Rickett

Romans 8: 34-35, 37-39 Who is he that condemns? It is Christ who died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No! In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels , nor principalities, nor powers, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Think of your parents, or your children or grandchildren. Think of your siblings and cousins and close friends. Choose any of them (or all of them) and ask yourself, “what are (his/her name) favorite things?” Write them down. Now ask each one of them, “what are your favorite things?” After you hear the answers, did you know them as well as you thought you did?

What are MY favorite things? I am fairly new in town, so most of you may not be able to name many of my favorite things. Yet, knowing my favorite things allows you to know more about me. Here’s a list:

My favorite holiday: Thanksgiving
My favorite hobbies: Genealogy & yard/gardening
My favorite flower: Poinsettia
My favorite pie: Peach Cobbler
My favorite cake: Red Velvet (made from scratch with beets)
My favorite vegetable(s): Sweet Corn, Okra, white sweet potato
My favorite poets: Joyce Kilmer and Robert Frost
My favorite TV programs: College football
My favorite professional football team: The Indianapolis Colts
My favorite season: Winter
My favorite treat: Ice Cream
My favorite snack: Chocolate!
My favorite wintertime activity: jigsaw puzzles of 1000 or more pieces
My favorite season of life: retirement!
My favorite wife: Della, certainly, 49 years!
My favorite hymn lyrics: In the Bulb There Is A Flower (p 638 in Chalice Hymnal)
My favorite book: The Bible, of course!

Some items are missing from the list above. My favorite movie, for example, is difficult to name because I do not understand voices in movies without closed captioning; hence, I do not go see them. My favorite memory from childhood, or during college/seminary days, or when my children were growing up is just too difficult to limit to one or two of them! I did not name my favorite author for a couple of reasons: one, several of them are theologians whose writings shaped my thinking and my preaching; and two, I enjoy biographies and genealogies and history which are written by many different people.

And there are some favorite things that I will never separate by name: favorite child or grandchild because the nature of love is indiscriminate. Of course, there are different traits that I admire about each of them. Yes, I see their strengths and weaknesses and they see mine. Should any of them personally say that I have a “favorite” child or grandchild, I can only acknowledge that perception in spite of my efforts to show no partiality. The truth is that our offspring (and grandchildren, etc.) may be quite different in temperament, personality, giftedness, and whimsy. But when all is said and done, there is a huge difference between “my favorite things” and “love for each member of one’s own family.”

I have just one more favorite, and I will call it my favorite marvel. What is it that amazes me and fascinates me and surrounds me and causes me to marvel? I marvel at God’s Love revealed in Jesus Christ. William Barclay reminds us that one of the earliest creeds of Christianity says “He (Jesus) was crucified, dead and buried; the third day he arose from the dead, and sitteth at the right hand of God, from which he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.’ While the Apostle Paul would certainly acknowledge that Jesus “shall judge the quick and the dead” and Jesus would undoubtedly have that right and power, that is not what Paul says. The Apostle Paul declares that “Christ is at the right hand of God to “intercede for us.” Instead of being at God’s right hand to judge, Jesus is there to intercede for us, to be our Advocate and to help us. He is there to state the case for us.

What a magnificent view of the love of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ! For us the Risen Christ steps in to turn away the judgment! What a triumphant view of the Christian’s present and future condition! Dr. J. Winston Pearce (my great-uncle, pastor, seminary professor of Preaching, author) reminds us that Paul talks about separation!

“Who,” he asks, “shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ (meaning himself)?” Then he gives a long list of things that often cause separation, namely, trouble, pain, persecution, lack of clothes, danger and peril, the threat of deadly weapons, etc. Paul is convinced beyond a doubt; no principalities nor powers that be, things that may come as well as things present, no height nor depth nor any other living creature can come between us and the love of Christ for us. None of these things shall separate us from the love of Christ! Paul doesn’t stop there; rather, he issues another stunning statement about those who are in Christ, “we are more than conquerors!” And so it is! For Christ shall be at the right hand of God to intercede for us! And we shall, by the love of Christ that intercedes for us, claim an overwhelming victory-eternal life.

I have on my bookshelf a novel by Margaret Craven entitled “I Heard the Owl Call My Name” (New York: Doubleday, 1973) in which she tells the story of a young seminary graduate named Mark, just ordained, who is ready for his first assignment. The day before he was to meet with the Bishop, the Bishop had received word that, unknown to the young minister, a disease would likely take his life within three years. The bishop decided he would not tell Mark just yet, but rather he would send him to one of his toughest parishes–that of a remote Indian tribe deep into the forests of Canada. Mark, full of energy, but also full of love, quickly endeared himself to the people. He listened to their stories; he respected their customs and traditions which were vital to them in the midst of their growing Christian faith. Mark learned to hunt and to fish with the best of them. He became a trusted friend, a confidante. One tribal tradition was simply that before one died, he or she would hear the owl call their name, sometimes several days or weeks ahead. Then one day Mark himself heard the owl call his name.

He spoke to Marta, an older beloved Indian lady, who was preparing him a meal. He told her, “A strange thing happened tonight. On the banks of the river a while ago I heard the owl call my name.” She did not try to convince him otherwise. She lifted her sweet, kind face, with its wrinkles, and said, “Yes, my son.” Words of endearment. Mark did not know how to tell the village that he had heard the owl call his name and must leave soon. But Marta had passed the word around. Keetah, the female leader of the tribe saw Mark alone the next day, and she came to him and said, “I have come to speak for our people,” she said, “and there is something we wish you to do for us.” Mark replied, “Of course, anything I am able to do, I will.” She said, “Stay with us. We have written to the bishop and asked that you remain among us because this is your village, and we are your family…” And so it was. He lived among them, loved as one of them. And after his burial in the little churchyard Marta lifted some words of advice to Mark’s Spirit: “Walk straight on, my son. Do not look back. Do not turn your head. You are going to the land of our Lord.” Just as Keetah interceded on behalf of the village and asked Mark to spend his days with them, there was no doubt with Marta, Mark’s dear friend, that . . . Christ would intercede for Mark who would walk straight on…!

My favorite marvel: Christ’s love for us! Years ago, when I was in middle school, the youth choir at my home church learned and sang a song entitled “Love of God” (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.) I have written a few verses because it catches my deep sense of marvel!

The Love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the Love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky

O Love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angels’ song

I began playing the piano regularly, around 62 years ago this year.  Not only is that number astounding to me, as is looking in the mirror these days, but I’m thinking about how the piano (and music in general) became such a natural part of my personality – and how that all began.  I’m starting to take some memories from the back of the “filing cabinet” of my mind…and I thought today about my first “RECITAL”.

Probably one of the most colorful figures to enter my world (and this is saying a lot) was my first piano teacher.  She was larger than life, a chronic smoker with the voice and cough to prove it, fingers crippled with arthritis (though she could still play amazingly well) and everything in her house was pink.  At Christmas she had an aluminum tree with pink ornaments, and a rotating color wheel on the floor…going to my piano lessons during Christmas was like a trip to Vegas.

After about a year of lessons, or a little less, she introduced me to a new word, “recital”.  She explained what it was and chose a piece for me to play.  I still have the sheet music. It is framed and sitting beside my piano, to this day.  The piece was prophetically titled, “IN CHURCH” (by June Weybright), and it was published the year I was born. 

We worked hard on it, she coached me on every “nuance” and reminded me that simply playing every note correctly was not enough – I needed to convey feeling and emotion that my little brain had yet to experience. 

Then one day, knowing this was my first recital (and I was undoubtedly her favorite student), she packed me in her Eisenhower-era car and took me to the venue where the recital would take place; appropriately, a church. 

It didn’t look like the church I went to, it was a bit fancier, as I remember, and larger.  Maybe a little intimidating.  There were dark open beams in the ceiling, there where stained-glass windows with pictures of Bible stories.  There was brass and there were candles everywhere…I had never actually been in a place like it before. She showed me where I would sit, prior to playing.  She led me along the path to the piano and told me to take my time getting comfortable on the bench, then take a deep, slow, breath, and place my fingers to begin.  She taught me how to bow, one hand on the piano, facing the audience.  Then she stood there and asked me to play the piece.  I did. 

Then she said, “I’m going to ask you to play it again.  But this time I’m going to the back of the room to make sure I can hear you.”

She moved to the back of the sanctuary and asked me to play it again.  She clapped when I was finished and reminded me to stand and bow.

Then she asked me to play it again.  This time, she warned, she was going to try to distract me, but no matter what she did, or what sounds I heard, I was to continue to play – “Imagine it’s just you and the piano alone in the church”, she said.  I sat down, took my deep breath, placed my fingers on the keys, and started playing.

Suddenly, a cacophony of hideous sounds came out of her mouth.  Having a smoker’s voice, and a loud one, the sounds were almost inhuman.  Had the movie been made at that point (and had I been allowed to see it) I would’ve compared the sounds to the voice of the demon in little Regan’s body – in the film “THE EXORIST”.  I concentrated as she screamed, I closed my eyes and played as she pounded on the back of the pews in back and stomped her feet.  I endured, shutting it all out.  And in the end, she applauded (and whistled) and I bowed…and then we both burst out laughing.

I had never seen an adult of her variety behave like that, in all my short years of life to that point.  It was incredible.  But she reiterated, “There will be many people here.  Some will be here to hear you specifically; some won’t want to be here.  Some people may be here for THEIR first recital. You will hear all sorts of sounds: people coughing, shuffling, children, babies crying, people whispering…you just listen for the music and play like you’re the only one in the room.”

It’s a lesson I’ve held on to through a lifetime of recitals, concerts, performances, and public speaking events.  And it is a lesson I’ve applied to life. 

Some people will always be present to cheer you on. 

Some will be there to hope you fail. 

Some don’t want to be there.

Some have no idea where they are. 

But you: set your course.  Look to the goal.
Take it all in, but don’t let it distract you from your purpose. 

The Bible says it this way: “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne. HEBREWS 12:1-2 

What is “your recital” piece? What is your purpose and goal? This is the perfect time of year to figure out who you are and why. Once you do, once you know who you are and what your purpose is in this time and place. And once God puts His hand on your shoulder, smiles, and “leads you to the piano”, get comfortable, take a deep breath, put your fingers on the keys… 

…and play your song.

I am, as I do every Christmas season, reading my favorite Christmas book, Charles Dickens’ “A CHRISTMAS CAROL”.  Through the years I’ve had several copies of this story, one is in a collection of Dickens’ classics, one is in a collection of other Christmas stories, one is on my iPad (backlit with big letters…yeah!), and one (the one I’m reading THIS year) is a beautiful limited-edition leatherbound volume with the 1915 illustrations from English illustrator Arthur Rackham.

No matter what the setting or context, this story continues to amaze and inspire me.  And next December (2025) THE ALLEY THEATRE will present the production of my script and music once more!

Now, unfortunately, I’m feeling a bit more like Scrooge this season, than I am Cratchit.  The grinding busy-ness of the season, being kind in the face of a few downright mean, or foolish, people, the aging of my body (which does NOT enjoy the cold), and who knows what kind of weather will be threatening our beautiful week of CHRISTMAS EVE and CHRISTMAS DAY at Central…bah! Humbug! And yet, no matter what kind of season I’m having, Dickens uses his words to reach into my heart and soul to communicate the best of all messages to the “child still hiding inside” this old shell of mine.

The great question of the story for me is how can Scrooge, with all the resources his world can offer, completely miss the SPIRIT of Christmas (while literally being surrounded by “the Spirits” of Christmas – while Tim Cratchit, sick, poor and facing a certain and early death, seems to not only understand, but “embodies” the “Spirit” – the “JOY”?   

And what is that “JOY of Christmas”?

In the story, maybe it’s easier to see what the “JOY of Christmas” is NOT.  When watching Scrooge, one realizes JOY does not come from wealth, or power.  Scrooge has an abundance of both and neither has given him JOY.  You can also see that “memories of Christmas”, though fond and perhaps filled with warmth, love and kindness, are more often a reminder that Christmastime now does not fulfill the memories of what it used to be.  For Scrooge, his past memories of Christmas only filled him with despair at all he had lost or cast aside.

So, what is “The JOY of Christmas”?  At its core, it is the knowledge that our Great God cared enough to love us, and connect to us, through such elaborate and sacrificial means as placing His own Son in this “God-forsaken” world. His Son then “put on our skin”, felt our pain, walked our path – so that we would see God for who He truly is, and trust Him, and follow Him.  We no longer need to fear the grave, we no longer are victims of our circumstance, we are no longer prisoners of our past, our present, or our future.

Tim Cratchit “embodies” that idea: Despite our circumstances, Christmas and its JOY transcends everything.  “Life” is not totally defined by this time and place but lives beyond this time and place. “Life” is not defined solely by heartbeat and breath.  And JOY is greater than the sum of our surroundings, our memories, and our hopes.  

What finally makes Scrooge happy, what fills him with a JOY that sets him dancing?  GIVING, not just his money, but his time, his presence, his heart.  Because Christmas JOY is “outside” of ourselves, we find the physical manifestation of that JOY is also outside of ourselves.

Isn’t that just like God?  We must GIVE to GAIN.  The percentages will always remain the same, in the Kingdom of God; the more JOY you give, the more JOY you receive, whether it’s smiles, time, talent, cash or love.

“I have come that you might have life…and have it more abundantly”! JOHN 10:10 

“God bless us, everyone.” TINY TIM

Ahhh, Christmas Parties; one of the best things about the season, and after a “year of drought” they are somewhat back!  Any excuse to get together with friends simply to…” get together”.  Alright, there’s the food and drink, and that’s nice too, but really, how often do we take the time simply to BE with our friends?  Not often enough, it seems.

I always look forward to a few get-togethers during the season; various hosts and various types of parties and dinners, and various “gigs”.  In each case, through the years, I was invited and accepted the invitation.  It was simple.  I didn’t have to fill out a form, join a club, recite an incantation, it was simply an invitation from a friend.  Some parties I’ve attended have been popular and sometimes people have worked hard at getting invitations.  Some parties have been quiet, improvised, and spontaneous, some elaborate and well-planned months in advance.  But in all cases the people who attended were asked by the host and accepted the invitation.  They were invited because the host wanted them there.  They were invited because they were family. They attended because they accepted the invitation.

The chaos and tension between denominations and between believers is often about the discussion as to who is a part of the Kingdom of God, and who, exactly, will “go to heaven”.  It is often a contentious debate which requires PERSON A to do what they are commanded NOT to do (according to the scripture), and that is to pronounce judgment about PERSON B’s heart and behavior.  It is, for some, the bottom-line discussion which separates the sacred from the profane.  If PERSON A feels that PERSON B doesn’t fulfill the requirements (as PERSON A sees it) it doesn’t matter how good and fine PERSON B is, they are obviously NOT “going to Heaven” so do not deserve the love of other self-identified Christians.

Now, I’m not talking about harmful and destructive behavior, I’m talking about theological differences, or people “seeing God from a different angle”.  I’m talking about people who read the same Bible but come to different conclusions than another.  To pass judgment on those types of things requires a knowledge that no human has: the ability to read hearts.  All of this requires an authority that is not given to humans: the authority to judge, which is God’s place alone.

And yet it is so simple.  Who is a part of the Kingdom?  Who will be allowed to walk on the streets of gold?  God’s friends, who are given the invitation and accept.  It requires one to be a friend of God, not necessarily a friend of yours or mine.  It requires one to accept the invitation, given by God, not necessarily given by you or me.

It does NOT require one to decide about attending, based on who else will be there.

There IS going to be a party.  WHO will be there?  Those who are friends of God, those who have been invited by God…those who have accepted the invitation.  This season, let us assume that ALL have been invited; sinners, seekers, and saints…and treat them accordingly.  

After all, there are probably some guests at “the party” who may be surprised to see that YOU are attending as well. 

My parents always said they knew I’d eventually work in the theatre.  They knew from the moment they got in the car with me after my first “theatre experience”, because I wouldn’t stop talking about it, and talking about it, and talking about it.

My Dad had been discharged from the Army and we were returning to Washington State, from Frankfurt Germany.  We had flown (via military plane) to New York, where we picked up our VW Beetle to drive across the country back to our home in Richland, Washington.  On the way, we stopped and saw family and friends. One family, Army friends who had also been recently discharged from Frankfurt, had moved back to Kansas City, where they were from and where we visited.  One magical night they took us to STARLIGHT THEATRE, a musical Amphitheatre, still active (since 1950).  It was there I saw my first ever theatre performance, it was a live presentation of THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW.  I was hooked.

That moment sealed my fate.  It was everything: lights, set, costumes, music, dancing, laughter.  And I talked and talked about it.  Dad built me a small theatre stage where I could design sets and set my “action figures” in various roles…he thought that would shut me up, it didn’t.  Any time I heard about a theatre event, anywhere, any time, I forced my parents to take me.  And I never stopped telling everyone about it.

I couldn’t help it.  That experience was life-changing, formative.  No one had to ask me about it, I would gladly start the conversation.  It drove my parents insane.

The tables were turned however, when I made my professional opera debut.  Opera was, to my parents, the ultimate art form, we listened and watched opera on TV all my life.  When I made my debut with Seattle Opera it was, for my folks, the same as if some other parent were to see their child pitch for the majors the first time.  And my parents couldn’t stop talking about it – it drove me insane.

When I think about that moment in Kansas City, it reminds me of the Bethlehem hills shepherds.  First, they saw the greatest show on earth: an angel choir and soloist – prepared and performing solely for THEM. Then they saw the “star” of the show, the Baby Himself.  The scripture says they couldn’t help but tell everyone about the event.  It was life-changing, it was formative.  No one had to ask them about it, they willingly volunteered the information because the experience filled them so much that the words poured out.

I’m a believer that one can’t “go and tell” unless they have “come and seen”.

I believe if God has truly changed you, if you have witnessed a miracle, if you have suddenly turned around and started going in the direction of life – you can’t help but talk about it.  Likewise, if you’re not talking about it, you’ve either never really experienced it, or have forgotten.

Experiences, like meeting Jesus for oneself and suddenly experiencing things through HIS eyes, ears, heart, and mind, are life-changing, formative and so fulfilling that one cannot help to pour out the words.  One cannot help but live gratefully because of the miracle that touches anyone who “comes and sees, goes and tells”.

LUKE 2:15-20
When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough.   After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.   But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.   The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.

MATTHEW 28:5-7 5
The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples. ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”

I have tried, this November, to intentionally state one person, thing or concept I am thankful for…every day.  I have to say, when I first decided to do it I wondered if I could keep it going through the entire month…I mean, could I find something to be thankful for each day without repeating myself.

Now we are almost to the end of the month, and I am astounded at what this “practice” has done to me.

I use the word “practice” because I’m an actor and a musician, for me that word has a significant meaning.  Practice, like exercise, strengthens certain parts of body, plants (through repetition) a habit that becomes natural…and changes who you are.  That’s what GRATITUDE does.

When analyzing exactly what GRATITUDE and saying “thank you” is, I find that it isn’t a weakness…it’s a strength.  It is power.  Being thankful:

1) releases us from the false need of
having to take care of everything ourselves

2) it acknowledges our ignorance of what will happen next

3) it acknowledges the fact
that every moment is an undeserved gift

4) it connects us to each other
(as we are dependent on each other)

Sometimes, to define or teach a concept, I need to find the opposite concept and define it…and so, believing that the opposite of GRATITUDE is INGRATITUDE I suddenly realized that isn’t true.  If GRATITUDE acknowledges our dependence on God and others for everything in our lives, then the opposite isn’t INGRATITUDE, it’s ENTITLEMENT.

Where GRATITUDE releases us from the false need of having to take care of everything ourselves, ENTITLEMENT creates the illusion that we are responsible for everything.  Where GRATITUDE acknowledges our ignorance of future events, ENTITLEMENT tells us that we are in control, or should be.  If GRATITUDE tells us each moment is a gift, undeserved, then ENTITLEMENT tells us that the world and God owe us.  Where GRATITUDE connects us to each other, by showing our need to give and receive…ENTITLEMENT separates us from each other.

I’ve found that for myself, and what I observe in others: people who “practice” GRATITUDE are generally happy, satisfied, content and joyful.  Whereas, when one sees unhappy, dissatisfied, discontent and angry people (or when we see those qualities in ourselves) it isn’t surprising to find they (or we) are practicing ENTITLEMENT.

The older I get, the more I realize I can only control so much.  The more years I live, the more I realize that I am only as strong as those around me…I owe a debt to those people, and my God, who have given me so much.

Today I am thankful.  And I leave you with my own creed…one that I believe Jesus sings to me each day:

Every moment has its time.
Every person has their place.
Don’t brush aside either,
Or you may also brush aside
God’s wish for you to either ENJOY or BE a miracle.

Today, as I attempt to GIVE THANKS (as a child I always wondered why it wasn’t called, “GIVE THANKS-ING”) I realize how much of it can I really be thankful for.

“Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I THESSALONIANS 5:13

I hear this quote often, from BELIEVERS & FOLLOWERS, and others.  It’s used when facing adversity and sadness, sometimes, mistakenly.   NOT because it isn’t right to thank God in all situations, but many people misinterpret what this scripture is saying and carry it beyond its meaning.

It’s almost the same as saying, “there’s a reason for everything”, which is also a little misleading.  Saying that “there’s a reason for everything” makes one think that there must be a “master plan” behind every horrible thing that happens to people…which is not quite accurate.  What is more accurate is, “God makes REASON out of chaos”, so “despite everything, God can turn the bad to good.” GOOD can come from BAD SITUATIONS, as we have all experienced.  When that happens, THAT is God working. 

Secondly, “giving thanks IN everything” is not the same as “giving thanks FOR everything.”  What Paul is saying here, in his letter back to the church at Thessalonica, is that DESPITE all the turmoil, poverty and evil that happens around us, and happens to us, we still have reason to give our thanks in all situations.  We have reason to “sit in the seat of GRATITUDE and not ENTITLEMENT “.  In other words, we live as if we know the end of the story…because we do. (“Everything will be alright in the end, if it’s not alright, it’s not the end.”)

The ”upcoming” Thanksgiving Week is always the week I pop in the “WHITE CHRISTMAS” movie, while decorating.  There’s a great Irving Berlin song in the film (he wrote all the music for the film) called, “Count Your Blessings”.  It has the line, “…when I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings…”  What a great message.

For many, this holiday is joyous and a favorite of mine.  For many, the holidays bring the sad reminder that they don’t have family or friends, like they used to, to share the holidays with…some will not have a “feast”.  The best thing we can do is “give thanks” in and during all times, and all seasons, the good and the bad…because WE KNOW THE END OF THE STORY, when all things are set right.  And if times are bad, remember that God takes bad times and turns them to gold…” for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”  He makes “reason” out of the “unreasonable” and turns hunger to feasting.  He takes the orphan and adopts them into His own family.

These weeks, among many other things, I am thankful for your presence, your kind words, your friendship and your love.