I guess I just have to get this off my chest… and see how many people de-friend me or drop my blog. For complete openness, yes I received my masters at Duke. And yes, I have always wanted to go to Duke, but not so much for basketball (certainly not football in those days) but for the academic integrity of the school. Our standards are high. Our academic credentials are unquestionable. Education before sports. If you don’t earn it, you don’t get it. There have been many athletes over the years we could not get to come to Duke because our academic standards were higher than they could reach. I am proud of my school, and I am a better person for being part of the Duke family.

I remember what my dad use to always say to my brother and me… especially me… when we would leave the house: “Remember, you are Martins. Act like one.” We knew exactly what he meant… “There is a certain high standard you live by and are identified with. Folks expect you to act honorably. Your actions out there represent all of our family. Do not do anything to bring dishonor on your family.”

Last Friday (Oct 13, 2017) the NCAA announced they could not find anything wrong with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offering students and athletes a course that required no attendance, no tests, only papers. Nothing is wrong with that if you don’t expect much from your students. But here is the difference: For 18 years these courses were offered and secretaries, teachers, tutors did the work for athletes in order to make sure these questionable students remained eligible to play whatever sport UNC offered. The NCAA stated that since these classes were open to all students (even though many students did not know about these courses) they were not in violations of NCAA rules and therefore no sanctions would be applied.

Well the UNC led NCAA may not have found this against the rules… but it would have been before they changed the rules in 2014.

Listen folks, we have to admit that UNC has some very good lawyers who are able to advise the school on how to get around the rules to keep students in danger of failing  eligible to play sports. And it worked this time… they got around 18 years of fraudulent classes designed to allow failing students to get A’s added to their transcripts and therefore remain eligible to play. What made this un-chargeable by the NCAA is that UNC approved these classes as proper classes.

What really bothers me is that I can no longer point to UNC as a school of integrity and honor…. someone in charge (the President, Chancellor, Provost, Trustees) knew about it and approved it, while other department heads, professors, staff and students knew about it but kept quiet. As students and alums of UNC your faculty has taken from you something of vital importance. No it is not your diploma or the prestige of that degree. They have taken from you the ability to truthfully say: “My school, UNC, is a university of integrity and honor. Forever there will be an * by UNC, and that * will signify lack of academic integrity. They robbed all students of academic integrity… and only they can restore it by stepping up, admitting they put sports money before academic integrity and they will accept whatever sanctions that should apply for what the NCAA called the worst infraction ever.

To all my UNC friends, I know you would not and did not take classes like that. I don’t know of anyone who did. I am sorry your school thought so little of their students that they would put you in this awkward situation. 

A PS needs to be added: If this were Duke, I would be writing the very same article except my heart would be broken in a million pieces. 

Grace and Peace
Steve

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“… first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Matthew 7:5b

Their city houses were only a few feet apart. Although Ardith hadn’t met her new neighbor, she already knew a lot about her. That’s because their houses were situated in such a way that Ardith could look into her neighbor’s house through a multitude of windows.

Yes, Ardith knew a lot about her neighbor. Ardith knew when her neighbor got up, and Ardith knew her neighbor sewed every day in the late afternoon. Ardith also knew her neighbor wasn’t very clean. That fact was obvious because her neighbor’s windows were so dirty the images Ardith saw were quite fuzzy.

One sunny day Ardith decided to set an example and do some housecleaning of her own. Part of those duties included washing her own windows. After the work was done, Ardith sat down by her dining room window to rest and admire her work.

To Ardith’s amazement, she could distinctly see her neighbor sitting by her window, sewing. Commenting on the clarity of what she was seeing, Ardith said to herself, “Well, I’m pleased, my neighbor has finally washed her windows!” I don’t need to tell you that it was Ardith, not her neighbor, who had the dirty windows.

That’s a story which is, for the most part, made up … for the most part. Indeed, it is more true than we would like. That’s because most of us, in one area or another, could be Ardith. All of us have times when we think somebody else has dirty windows or dirty family laundry, and we jump to some pretty quick conclusions about them.

Such jumping usually is a big mistake. It’s almost always a mistake when we have the very sin or shortcoming about which we judge others. This is just one more reason why we need the Savior and one more reason why our daily prayer ought to be “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” Thankfully, because God is merciful and because Jesus has offered Himself in our stead, there is forgiveness and the opportunity to change. God grant that we do change and look twice to see whose windows are really dirty.

Heavenly Father, help us give our neighbor the benefit of the doubt. May we always make sure there is no log in our eye while we are pointing out the speck in the eyes of others. In the Name of Jesus, our Savior, we pray it. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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I have not concealed thy loving kindness and truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.” (KJV)
Excerpt from Psalm 40:10b-11

One Sunday, an irate woman announced to some members of the congregation that she would be leaving our church and changing her membership. When she was asked why, she responded: “Because the Pastor here does not preach enough about sin and judgment.”

Maybe this woman was missing the good ‘ole days when people came to church to have right and wrong clearly delineated for them. Many believe that the world was a better place when sin was sin and right was right and only those who entered into the kingdom through the straight and narrow gate would be saved. Everyone else (and this would include the vast majority of the world’s population) would be condemned. Eternally.

I remember those good ole days. But I don’t remember them as being quite so good. I remember that there was much confusion between eternal truth and temporal church tradition, partly because no one was allowed to question the Bible and there was no real Bible study – only prescribed Bible commentary. I remember people proclaiming things in church that they did not practice outside of church. And I remember people who did not meet the standards of religious ethical behavior being ostracized, publicly humiliated and spiritually damaged.

I could not really argue with the woman who left our church because she did not hear enough about sin and judgment. The truth is, that like the Psalmist, I can only give to others that which I have received from God. The Psalmist draws a direct correlation between the loving kindness and truth that he has proclaimed to his congregation, and the loving kindness and truth that he has received from God. To be sure, there is acknowledgment of sin and sin’s consequences in telling the truth, but the essence of the Psalmist’s message was the loving kindness of God. That loving kindness opens the door to true confession without coercion, making us truly thankful for mercy instead of judgment. Others may feel compelled to expound upon sin and judgment. I’ll just stick with loving kindness and truth. That’s what I’ve received and that’s what I need.

Dear God, we thank you for giving us not what we deserve, but what we need. Now help us to take that which you have given and give it to others.  Amen.

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“But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female.’  ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
Mark 10:6-9

Michael Hargrove tells about a scene at an airport that literally changed his life. He was picking up a friend. He noticed a man coming toward him carrying two light bags. The man stopped right next to Hargrove to greet his family. The man motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They hugged and Hargrove heard the father say, “It’s so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!” “Me, too, Dad!” said the son. The oldest son (maybe nine or ten) was next. “You’re already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!” Then he turned to their little girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half). He kissed her and held her close. He handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, “I’ve saved the best for last!” and preceded to give his wife a long, passionate kiss. “I love you so much!” He said to his wife softly.

Hargrove interrupted this idyllic scene to ask, “Wow! How long have you two been married?”

“Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those,” the man replied, as he gazed into his wife’s face.

“Well then, how long have you been away?”

The man turned around and said, “Two whole days!” Hargrove was stunned. “I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!”

The man stopped smiling and said, “Don’t hope, friend . . . decide!”

And that’s it, isn’t it? For most of us it comes down to a decision. “Till death us do part.” It doesn’t happen in every relationship, but that is still the ideal that Jesus gives us.

Lee and Wendy Perkins had buried two spouses. However, when they met and decided to marry, they said they were going to make this marriage work no matter what. It was a happy third marriage for them both… it was a marriage that lasted 42 years.

When we step before the altar to wed what have we decided… to make it work at all cost? Or to see how long this will last? Let me suggest to decide together that you will make it work… which means give and take on both sides as you grow and move together to become one.

Don’t just hope it will work. Decide it will work. And then stick to it.

Dear Lord, I thank you for my marriage of 52 years. I thank you for all the good times and even the difficult times. I thank you for the love, wisdom, and understanding of my wife. I thank you for the blessings of all these happy years together. Lord, it has been a hoot. You really know how to pick ’em. In and through Jesus. Amen.

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After Adam and Eve disobeyed God for the first time—and sin entered the world—it didn’t take long for them to begin looking out for number one. Enter self-interest: They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
(Genesis 3:8)

Adam didn’t assist Eve. She really wasn’t concerned about him either. Both got busy and whipped up a self-made cover-up. And (can you believe it?) they attempted to hide from God. Of course, you can believe it! To this day it’s humankind’s favorite game . . . even though we lose every time we play it.

Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” (3:9-10)  

As God probed deeper, Adam and Eve became increasingly more defensive. They hurled accusations at each other and then at God.

The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me. . .” (3:12).

The woman said, “The serpent . . .” (3:13).

The pattern hasn’t changed, has it? Since the original scene, the history of humanity is smeared with ugly marks of selfishness. Unwilling to be authentic, we hide, we deny, we lie, we run, we escape. Anything but the whole truth! We ridicule, we dominate, we criticize. We cut a person to ribbons with our words. And then we develop ways to keep from admitting it. Here are a few:

“I’m not dogmatic; I’m just sure of myself.”

“I’m not judging; I’m discerning.”

“I’m not argumentative; I’m simply trying to prove a point.”

“I’m not stubborn, just confident!”

All this comes pouring out of our mouths with hardly a second thought. And in case you live under the delusion that we are mild-mannered and gracious in getting our way, watch what happens in heavy traffic . . . or at the checkout stand in the local grocery store. I mean, we go for the jugular! All to the tune of self-interest. Indeed, this should not be. 

Gracious God, help me to be the real, authentic person you created me to be. Amen.

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Many of you know that I have published eight books on spiritual and nutritional topics, one on my life as a US Marine, with the latest one being a novel entitled Kill Potus. I have had a very difficult time getting my friends to buy and/or review this book… don’t know why. I think some are frightened by the title, thinking that it is about killing the current president… not the case… it is about saving a president and the American way of life. Some just aren’t interested in that type of story. And there must be a host of other reasons why this book stays on the shelves. I do know that you have to put in either the title or my full name in order to find it on Amazon.

I have been feeling quite badly about this situation, and then I read a good article, by an author that expressed my feelings rather well. The article is entitled: “But What If They Hate My Book?” Here is some of what she wrote: “I have written 16 books and I am pretty much convinced that each book will be hated, or (at the very least) someone will find some glaring flaw that I missed. When I was first published, some 17 years ago now, I recall having nightmares that people hated my first book so much that they were chasing me down the street, throwing copies of my book at me. No joke. The fear is real and often it can be so paralytic that it keeps us from reaching our higher goals. And, I imagine, it has resulted in a lot of great books remaining unpublished.”

I am having that dream a lot. I’ve even dreamed that the Secret Service (because of the title alone) has been following me, tapping my phone and monitoring my emails and Facebook posts. Friends are saying: “Hey, I reviewed your book… it was very good” and yet Amazon reports no reviews given. Even the IngramSpark catalogue to some 30,000 vendors will not add my book until the January issue.

The big problem is that I have postponed writing any more. I go in and just sit at my desk with no motivation whatsoever to write again. I have another book in mind but I have not been able to write any of it. My wife says: “Don’t write anything about the world today, write a happy book. I would love to write a “Happy Book” but right now I am not at all happy.

James Patterson says: “If you can’t handle rejection, don’t become a writer.” I should be able to handle rejection after 40 years in the ministry… but I guess I still have a problem with it.

Finally, my article writer continues the conversation with someone like me: “What if they hate it?” I asked. Her response is: “They might. And they may also love it? That is the risk of putting it out there.” I am still working through this and I hope I get through it in time to write another book.

Thanks for listening today.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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It’s Columbus Day in America. Sort of. While still a Federal holiday, less than half the states observe Columbus day. And in some states and in many cities today is observed as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Where Native Americans still have a fairly visible presence Columbus Day can be a bit awkward.

Contrary to what you may have thought, Columbus did not arrive on the shores of an empty wilderness, but on the shores of a world more populous than Europe. Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) was larger than any European city. But armed with guns, steel, and germs, and driven by the conquistador’s lust for gold and slaves, the population of the Americas was decimated. Columbus discovered America like that asteroid discovered the dinosaurs.

When Columbus first encountered the inhabitants of the “new” world, he wrote this in his log book:

“They do not bear arms, and do not know them. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane. They would make fine slaves. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Well isn’t that nice. Columbus’ initial impulse upon encountering the indigenous other was to think, “Hey, these people would make good slaves!” Columbus was barely off the boat before the native inhabitants were being captured and sold into slavery. Columbus wrote, “Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold.” Apparently Columbus was a religious man…proposing slave trade in the name of the Trinity!

In Hispaniola the Arawak people were either sold into slavery or forced to supply a certain quantity of gold every three months. Those who failed to meet the quota had their hands cut off. That’s when the mass suicides began.

Modern scholarship places the population of Hispaniola in 1492 at no less than four million people. By 1520 it had fallen to 20,000. Do the math! The Niña, Pinta, and Santa María had brought Death to the Americas.

Bartolomé de las Casas, a young Spanish priest with the Columbus expedition, was appalled by the barbaric cruelty of his fellow “Christians” and spent the rest of his life documenting the abuses. Regarding the practice of forcing native men to work in the mines while the women worked in the cassava fields, La Casas writes,

“Thus the husbands and wives were together only once every eight or ten months and when they met they were so exhausted and depressed on both sides they ceased to procreate. As for the newly born, they died early because their mothers, overworked and famished, had no milk to nurse them, and for this reason, while I was in Cuba, seven thousand children died in three months. Some mothers even drowned their babies from sheer desperation. In this way, husbands died in the mines, wives died at work, and children died from lack of milk. In a short time this land which was so great, so powerful and fertile, was depopulated. My eyes have seen these acts so foreign to human nature, and I now tremble as I write.”

Do we tremble as we read? As you may have guessed I’m not so keen on making Columbus the object of any kind of holiday (holy day).

So what do we do?
For a start…
Maybe walk softly.
Listen to Indigenous people.
Feel more than a little conflicted.
Find a better hero than Christopher Columbus.

Columbus.

In the end he did not live up to his name “Christ-bearer.”
Maybe you could replace Christopher Columbus with Francis Xavier—
If you like your heroes adventurous and well-traveled.

Would it be too much to ask that European-Americans learn to lament the sins that made our “greatness” possible? At least realize that we are all so deeply implicated in systemic sin that there are no quick fixes and there is no easy answer to the question of what justice looks like. We are all so deeply implicated that we should be quick to ask for mercy and slow to condemn anyone. One more thing…

The next time you hear someone espouse Manifest Destiny,
Know for certain that you have heard a mighty and manifest lie.

This piece gives me food for thought as many of my ancestors came from Europe but my paternal grandmother’s ancestors were here to greet them.

Sadly, the history taught in schools is written by the victors who slant it to try to make themselves look good and their victims appear as violent savages, less than human. Later generations believe their propaganda and honor them with statues, name holidays after them, etc. This has for centuries served not only to fool the masses, but also to try to instill fear and remind those they abused of the atrocities in order to “keep them in their place.” 

We all need to stop idolizing those who commit atrocities, give a voice to the victims, and teach our children to love, honor, and respect all others not just those who happen to look and think like them.

Here’s some provactive verse from Native American poet John Trudell.

To God
John Trudell

We hope you don’t mind. but we would
Like to talk to you. there are some
Things we need to straighten out. it’s
About these Christians. they claim to
Be from your nation. but man you
Should see the things they do. all the
Time blaming it on you

Manifest Destiny genocide. maximized
Profit sterilization raping the
Earth. lying. taking more than they
Need in all the forms of the greed
We ask them why say it’s gods
Will. damn god. they make it so hard
Remember Jesus. tell them not to kill
Him. rather they should listen
Stop abusing his name and yours

We do not mean to be disrespectful
But you know how it is. our people
Have their own ways. we never even
Heard of you until not long ago. your
Representatives spoke magnificent things
Of you which we were willing to believe
But from the way they acted
We know you and we were being deceived

We do not mean you or your Christian
Children any bad. but you all came to
Take all we had. we have not seen you
But we have heard so much. it is time
For you to decide what life is worth
We already remember

But maybe you forgot

Grace and Peace
Steve

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On the thirteenth of October, 2017 our grandson, Noah, will be turning 16 years old. We can’t talk about it without tears in our eyes. He has been such a very special blessing in our lives. From about eight weeks old we have had the pleasure of keeping him… so, for almost 16 years we have kept this little guy almost every weekday.

We were awed as he went through the Thomas the Train stage when he (not yet able to read) could name every train car in the series. We went through the dinosaur stage when he could correctly pronounce and name all the different dinosaurs… and would correct you when you mispronounced them.

We were there for his baptism and confirmation… a great meaning and significance for me to officiate. He has been a faithful church member all his life… faithful, active, involved, learning and growing in the likeness of Christ. We are so proud of him. He has been given a gift his father nor I had… he grew up in the same community, made some really good friends, felt the love and acceptance of a community of faith in this place. Thank you PGUMC for loving our family, especially our grandchildren.

We were there when he came home from school with all A’s… receiving his first B in the seventh grade… a member of the Junior Beta Club, honors student in high school.

We were there when he tried T-Ball. He was so small the batting helmet would spin around on his head… ending up facing backward. He was so funny doing that, and looking for four-leaf clovers in the outfield or piling up dirt on second base. When he started soccer, the first seasons of that included chasing some little girl around in circles during the match… not all that concerned about scoring or soccer techniques.

One of the special characteristics for me was when he would offer these special little sayings which we turned into a Lenten study and then into a book; “The Sayings of Noah.” He was so creative, so inquisitive, so happy. Wow, we were blessed. One the special gifts Noah gives us, his grandparents, is that he will call us sometimes at night, not asking for anything, but just wanting to talk with us. I can’t begin to tell you how special that is… a fifteen year old calls his old grandparents at night… when he could be doing anything else… he shares a few specail moments with us. Yes, we are blessed.

Michael Weatherly tells what his grandfather use to say about him: “If you live to 26 you will find there is a good man in there.” I look into the heart of this young man and I know there IS a good man in there… just waiting to get out.

Soon this young man will be out there in the world preparing to graduate from high school and enter college. The whole world is out there before him waiting for him to make use of the love and support that has lifted him up all these years… family, friends, church, school, community.

For us, we are excited for him… but our heads are still spinning from the years flying by so quickly. It seems that only yesterday he was saying: “PaPaw, come see what I built. A big, big church.” Treasure your time with your kids and your grandkids. It is precious time – sacred time you can’t replace.

Happy birthday… 16th Birthday… young man. We love you, support you, honor you, admire you… pray with you… and we will always provide a safe place for you to land.

MaMaw and PaPaw

I grew up having these words being read to me on a regular basis. It is an “If” we should all make a part of our conversation and fabric of our living.

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“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land… Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died….”
Excerpt from Deuteronomy 34:1-7

An old story imagines what happened after Moses died. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are sitting in the afterlife, when they look up and see Moses in the distance. He’s headed their way at a dead run, his long white beard flowing behind him, his robes hiked up, and his skinny old man legs flashing in the breeze. He skids to a stop in front of them, and as soon as he catches his breath, he blurts out, “I have seen it!  I have seen the Promised Land! The oath that the Holy One swore to you; He has fulfilled it!”  Their faces light up and they begin to praise God.

It’s such a great image: Moses like a little kid running up to his parents, bursting with news, and the Patriarchs, having lived, and labored, and waited long for God’s promise, hearing that it has finally been fulfilled.

Here’s an even better story: Moses has taken his place next to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They look up, and there, sprinting toward them in the distance, bursting with news about God’s faithful action on earth is…you. And you run up to them, and you catch your breath, and you open your mouth, and say…

Well, I’ll let you decide what you’ll say…

Faithful God, help me to keep my eyes open for the fulfillment of the promises you made to the ancestors. Let me never miss a single one of your blessings, and give me the grace to never stop telling people about them, in and through Jesus.  Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

This morning we were trying to keep in touch with our grandchildren as we watched them play soccer. Both have been playing soccer for some time now. Noah’s game was a nail biter as they won 3 to 2 in the very last seconds of the game. By the way, this is the first game they have won all season. Noah said they won because we were there. We proudly accepted his accolades. Abby, on the other hand did not receive the same lucky presence from her grandparents. I guess the rabbit’s foot got a little worn out between games. Abby’s team wins when we are not there and loses when we are… kinda makes you wonder?

Near the end of Abby’s game they are losing 5 to 2. On the sideline, sitting side by side, are four of her teammates, three little girls and one little boy, chanting as if cheerleaders in a low voice: “The game is almost over and we are going to lose.” Over and over and over they repeated this chant while their coach stood right next to them. He must really be focused or perhaps he was thinking the same thing. When the game finally ended this little squad cheered “Yeeeeaaaaaaaaaa”. I was with them… it was quite hot out there and I was ready to find some cool air.

It is fun to watch kids, young kids, play sports of any kind. Most of them have a completely different agenda. Some are more concerned with how they look in their uniform… this is usually the girls. Others run a little and walk a little… you know, not completely in the game. Then there are those kids that are very good and very aware of the game. They are the ones who are giving everything they have no matter what the score… winning or losing they are giving their best.

I have been all of those (except wondering how my uniform looked) over the years. When I first started playing sports, basketball in a Grey Y league in the fourth grade, I tried my best even though I didn’t know what I was doing. Over the years as I learned more about the sport I gave more of myself.

One of the things I learned in sports, something this little band of cheerleaders have yet to learn, is that no matter what, you do not give up. You continue to play, continue to hustle no matter what the score. It is called play till you hear the whistle.

That is also something we need to learn in our faith. Some of us just stand around with out heads and hearts not completely in the game. Others of us wonder how good we look in our faith. Still others fight all the way through to the end.

When we stop fighting we are giving up hope that things will ever be any different. We feel like we have already lost the game and there is no sense in putting anymore into a losing proposition.

Jesus turns to his disciples saying are you going to leave me too? Are you going to give up, quit giving your best? And they answer: “To whom can we go? You are the One who has the Word of life.” What are you chanting in your little group… the game is over… or let’s go team… Jesus is on our side. Your answer makes a world of difference.

Dear Lord, thank you for allowing us to enjoy our grandchildren playing sports and giving their best, as they see it. Help us to live a life before them that encourages them to give their very best and never, ever give up… especially when it comes to faith. In and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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