Faith | The Journey

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Infraction Reaction

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32

Although it’s only September, I am able to share that Scrooge is alive and well. Actually, his name is not Scrooge. It’s John Devaney, a 64-year-old resident of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Of course, Mr. Devaney doesn’t walk around saying, “Bah, humbug, Christmas!” No, our present-day Scrooge makes his displeasure known by suing folks. Right now he has filed against Rhode Island’s Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, Bishop T. J. Tobin, Archbishop Carlo Vigano, and Pope Francis.

And if you are wondering what these supposed scallywags have done to Mr. Devaney, I can tell you his lawsuit accuses them of having violated his rights and denying him the “peaceful enjoyment of his property.” Indeed, Mr. Devaney claims the actions of these folks have been part of the reason he is divorced. Because of what they have done, he has been left irritable and argumentative.

And if you want to know exactly what these folks have done, I can share they have done nothing other than being remotely connected to St. Thomas More Catholic Parish and St. Peters by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. It is these churches that are responsible because they ring their bells.

That’s it. Those bonging bells are responsible for Mr. Devaney’s divorce.

Now I’ve had some fun here at the expense of Mr. Devaney, but the truth is most of us get irritable and argumentative because of little things which, quite often, aren’t sins. Me, I get upset when people leave their shopping carts in the middle of a parking space … or when they drive s-l-o-w-l-y in the fast lane … or when they come in during the last five minutes of a two-hour movie and ask, “What’s happened so far?” or ….

Wow! I didn’t know my list was that long.

Maybe yours is too.

So, what shall we do about our out-of-proportion-to-the-infraction reaction? I think the answer can be found in the life of Jesus. As I look at Jesus’ time on earth, I can plainly see Jesus always loved sinners. No matter what they did, He continued to care for them, reach out to them, call them to repentance of their sins, and offer them forgiveness and restoration.

Because Jesus loved them doesn’t mean He loved everything about them. Read the Gospels and you will find that Jesus wasn’t overly pleased with the Pharisees’ hypocrisy, with the crowd’s earthly demands, and with His own disciples’ lack of understanding. He loved those moneychangers, but He still upset their tables, didn’t He?

Now the church must always stand with the things of God, but search as I will, I find nothing in the Bible that condemns unreturned shopping carts, slow drivers, or folks who come late to movies. This is why we church people must work at putting aside all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice. In its place we are to substitute forgiveness and a tender heart.

It’s a big order, but it’s something we need to do because Jesus doesn’t want His followers to be crabby, cantankerous Scrooges.

Dear Lord, let me keep my eyes focused on repairing my shortcomings, failures and sins. When it comes to others, may I treat them as Jesus has dealt with me… with tenderness, love and mercy. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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Cutting Corners

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“These are the things that cannot be measured…the study of the Torah, the giving of the first fruits of the field to the poor…” – Mishnah 1 (from the first section of the Talmud)

Measurement is very important. Consider dosage. Get the dose wrong and the medicine turns into poison. Substitute two cups of salt for two cups of sugar and people who usually regard you warmly will say really mean things at your meal’s finale.

Price is also a big word. We love to show off our bargains. Ladies, someone says a kind word about your dress, and you may respond, self-diminuating, “I got it on sale.” Or we find a good restaurant, where the food is superb, the service even better, the ambiance sparkling, and when we tell other people about it, we rarely brag about how much we paid for it. We often say that we “got a deal.”

The Mishnah goes on to say that the people should give a Sabbath corner of their life to learning Torah and at least a 1/60th or the field’s first fruits or a corner to the poor. God gave the whole field to all and understood its gift as immeasurable. We measure because we are far afield. While measurement is important, it is often abused.

We could instead think outside the deal, beyond the bargain, beyond paying off the poor with a corner. Did God really want the poor to be paid off with a corner? No, the whole immeasurable field was created to belong to everyone. That great meal that we got for a bargain at $30.00 had a true value to our spirits three times that. Over-tipping comes to mind as a great response to immeasurability. You do get what you pay for – and if you pay in the coin of immeasurable gratitude you have already moved into heaven.

Dear Lord, when it is time for us to study Torah and to work our fields, may we do so as though they had no measure, no ending, no way to be divided or subtracted, only multiplied in worth. Let us refuse to cut corners, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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STOP THE SENSELESS VIOLENCE

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“O Lord God to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render punishment to the proud. Lord, how long will the wicked triumph?” – Psalm 94:1-3 (NKJV)

People of faith are quite varied in our responses as to how the United States should respond to the atrocities of chemical weapons unleashed on the people of Syria, allegedly under the direction of President Bashad al-Assad.

Some feel strongly that the mass murder in Syria warrants some type of military retaliation, on the part of the U.S. and her allies, that would at least weaken the capacity for any future use of chemical weaponry against citizens. Others believe that anything short of a full commitment to a regime change in Syria will not make much of a difference. Still others contend that as horrendous as the tragedy in Syria is, the United States cannot afford to entangle itself in another foreign conflict, given the urgent problems we face at home with our staggering economy, unsustainable energy, educational dysfunctions and health care confrontations.

Whether the issue at hand is atrocity in Syria or genocide in Rwanda or slaughter in the Sudan, there is one moral principle that should guide all of our moral responses. It is the conviction that vengeance does not belong within the purview of human action. Vengeance is a designated function that God reserves exclusively for God’s self.

This certainly does not mean that people of faith are to take no responsibly for the execution of justice in the world. It does mean that whatever actions we take to combat and correct socio-political evil must always be tempered with a profound sense of humility and prayer – recognizing that we too are flawed agents operating in a much broader Providential process to deliver freedom and justice for all.

We must certainly win some victories on the way to God’s ultimate vengeance. But let us not use any moral victory or moral cause as a license to assume ultimate vindication. The vengeance of God is what keeps people of faith engaged but not arrogant – both in America and in Syria and all around the globe.

Dear God, Please help us to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you, our God, in and through Jesus. Amen.

PS: I have been at the VA most of the day and not sure what is happening at the Washington Navy Yard. However, it looks like several people have been kill and others wounded. May we, of all faiths, come together to pray that we are not going to be part of killing innocent people – no matter where they are from, what they believe, what uniform they wear, or language they speak. Let’s stop the SENSELESS VIOLENCE.

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Would You Look At That!

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7

At the gas station recently, a pickup truck pulled up next to me at the pumps. The man who emerged from the black Ford looked like a thrash-metal guitarist. He was bald and covered with tattoos. They climbed his arms and swarmed around his neck, face, and skull, which was also littered with piercings. His leather clothes were grimy. His hands were greasy and scarred. He looked like an ominous villain from some horror movie.

He looked at me and said, “Hello,” in a clear, articulate, tenor voice — and over the next five minutes we had an amazing conversation. Out of what looked like an angry face came kind words and the sort of small talk you would expect to have with a frail grandmother while waiting at the checkout line. Once we were both finished pumping gas, he said “nice to meet you” and “have a great day” before we parted. As I got back into the car I felt gratitude and shame: gratitude for having met this man who made me all the richer; and shame over the prejudices that almost prevented me from having a conversation with him.

The phrase “never judge a book by its cover” came to mind, but even more the words from 1 Samuel: “for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

So often we judge others on their appearances, but God judges the heart. May we learn to do the same.

Merciful Jesus — thank you for encountering us in surprising ways. Teach us not to judge, but to be open to your gracious, unexpected presence, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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Welcome The Stranger

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” – Matthew 10:40

A colleague tells the story of how years ago, out of great trust or great foolishness, I hopped a plane to Mexico on short notice to meet an author whose writing had affected me profoundly. The foolish part was that I had not made lodging arrangements and my Spanish was wanting. I did have a housing list, and was destined for a convent.

A long bus ride into the countryside later, I arrived not at a convent, but a monastery. Less than welcomed, I was offered a phone, and called each number on my housing list, getting nowhere until finally reaching an English-speaking woman.

Turned out I was far from any lodging, and the last bus to town long departed. “No taxi driver will come for you unaccompanied. The only way you’re going to get to town is for me to take a taxi to come get you,” she said, and directed me onto the road to wait.

Time passed. Darkness fell. Coyotes howled, sending chills as they mocked my foolishness. Finally, a taxi pulled up about 20 feet ahead of me; a young woman burst out, threw her arms around me, kissed me and whispered, “You’re my husband. I’ll explain later.”

In short, the taxista had attempted to take advantage of a woman alone. She was only able to discourage him by saying she was pregnant and needed to get to her husband.

In the end, this woman escorted me, a complete stranger, to a hotel, saw me safely registered and bid me farewell, asking nothing in return. This in spite of understanding the risks to her safety.

I have recently renewed my interest in ancestry.com and my search in discovering where my family is from. I am reminded that my family came to America by way of France, England, Scotland, Ireland. We came to America in the 1770’s. This was not our home, but we were welcomed and became Americans.

In my friend’s story we are reminded that if this lady can do what she did, what can we do to welcome the stranger to our church, our neighborhood, and across any border that might separate us?

Dear Lord, help me welcome the stranger, knowing that when I do, I welcome not only her, but you, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

PS: Thanks for the many Happy Birthday wishes.

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I Can Only Imagine

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as [God] knows me and I know[God]. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason [God] loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again . . . .” Many [said] . . . “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” from John 10:11-21

A rabbi told that a town with two Jews would need three synagogues: The one I go to; The one you go to; and one neither one of us would be caught dead in. Christians are much the same. But Jesus’ prophetic words assure us that someday, God’s people will ALL be one – within and across faith groups.

Jesus clearly does not have uniformity or immediacy in mind as he prophetically and with certainty says he WILL gather “other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I MUST bring them also. . . There WILL be one flock, one shepherd.” We don’t know how this will happen any more than we know how cancer, AIDS, or other scientific mysteries will be solved, but like each of these, God will use people like you and me in the process.

People in Jesus’ day were as divided about Jesus’ prophecy as we are today . . . mosques or no mosques; synagogues or no synagogues; churches or no churches; gay marriage or no gay marriage; ways to worship, receive communion, or baptize. And yet, we act as if God, knowledge, or love itself is something we can own, limit, control or divide. But the day will come when our blindness will be healed and all who seek to love God with all their heart, soul and mind and their neighbors as themselves will be one, even in the midst of difference.

Imagine the excitement of those whose eyes Jesus opened who began their day having never seen or expected to see a sunset, the twinkle in a child’s eye, or a shooting star, but went to bed having seen them all. Now imagine embracing Jesus’ promise as we celebrate who we are and what we believe today. Imagine expecting God to open our eyes to see beyond current limits of our languages, metaphors, and borders. Imagine the pure joy of having seen and revealed a new path to peace . . . and then closing our eyes at the last, having seen God’s creation power at work – making all things and people brand new, at any age. Imagine!

Gracious and loving God: Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, I want to see You, I want to love You and love all my neighbors as myself. We love You. Help us love You more, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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Empathy With Others

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7

As we in humility recognize our “poverty of spirit,” God in His mercy forgives and equips us. Having received mercy, we are expected to show it to others.

The biblical term merciful is related to the word for empathy, which means the ability to get right inside another person’s skin until we see things with his eyes, think things with his mind and feel things with his feelings. This is what Jesus did for us in His incarnation. Thus:

Blessed are those who empathize with others until they are able to see with the eyes of others, think with their thoughts and feel with their feelings.The one who does this will find others do the same for him or her and will know that God did this for them in Christ Jesus.

How do we see our non-Christian friends? Can we see Muslims, for example, as real people groping in the semi-darkness, under the mere glimmer of light that a crescent moon provides, thinking that is all the light there is?

As we see them, mercy would be an appropriate word to describe our feeling and attitude as well as actions toward them. Just as we would go to the aid of a blind man heading in the wrong direction, so mercy should similarly drive us to go after them and show those who are willing to listen, the way to more complete light.

If we are secure in the knowledge that Christ is the Sun of Righteousness, then we do not need to prove anything but patiently and gently show others the way.

A relatively young man decided to work for the Lord in China. His father was not a Christian and very strongly opposed him. The son decided to attend a series of Christian meetings in one of the areas where he was serving. His father opposed so strongly that they quarreled before he left for the meetings. Then the son suddenly died while he was at the meetings.

The Christians there prayed and showed much concern. They knew that the news of the death would be hard for the father, so they asked a doctor to be there just in case the father needed him. When the father arrived and saw the love of the Christians, he gave his life to the Lord.

We need to see others as Jesus sees them and empathize with them as though in their skin.

Dear Lord, help us grow closer to You so that we will act like you, forgiving others and being sympathetic, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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Troubled Spirits

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“And those who were afflicted with troubled spirits were healed.” – Luke 9:19

Healing was central to Jesus’ ministry, especially the healing of persons with “troubled” or “unclean” spirits—a First Century description of mental illness or emotional anguish. In fact, such healings outnumber all the physical healings (restoration of sight, curing of the lame, healing the deaf) put together. Two thousand years later, the church still has a central role in offering help and hope for people dealing with mental, emotional or spiritual illnesses.

I state that not only as a pastor, but as one concerned with all our service people coming back from war with PTSD. More people have committed suicide than who have lost their lives in combat. I am happy to say that the VA is more proactive about this than ever before… it has taken them a while… but they are very aware of the problems associated with war and that we bring the war home with us.

Throughout childhood and into adult life, I never heard the words “mental illness” or “suicide” spoken in church. It was only spoken in soft tones as people gather in corners of the room with their hands over their mouths. The silence was deafening. Because the church couldn’t talk about such things, it felt like God couldn’t either.

Yet as this story from Luke affirms, Jesus didn’t turn away from people with “troubled spirits.” Instead he listened to their lives, showed God’s care, and offered hope and healing love. How can the church do the same? Perhaps we can start by breaking the silence. Offer adult forums and youth programs on issues like depression screening or suicide prevention. Lift up in prayer those dealing with mental illness, just as we do those whose illnesses are physical. Advocate for mental health care in our community.

Over and again, the Gospels tell of Jesus’ care for those afflicted in mind or spirit. As his followers, we’re called to do the same. Breaking the silence is a place to begin.

Dear God, give us the courage to care and the voice to speak that will help to break the silence, and through Jesus we all may be made whole. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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Eyes in The Night

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything. 1 John 3:19-20

See if you can get this one right.

What type of accident causes one million collisions that are responsible for 27,000 human injuries and $3.5 billion in damages?

Did you guess “texting”? Wrong! The correct answer is automobile accidents that involve deer. My sister-in-law is a great dear hunter with a vehicle.

Of course, there are other kinds of vehicle-animal accidents. A friend once had a parishioner who experienced nightmares because while driving he had come around a corner and saw hundreds of eyes staring at him. That was all he remembered before his car plowed into a herd of Black Angus cattle, which had broken down a fence and wandered onto the road.

Anybody who has been involved in such an accident wishes there was a way he could know, he could see, animals that were on or approaching the road.

If that describes you, I’ve got good news. Mercedes-Benz and Autoliv will soon offer Night View Assist Plus on their S-class automobiles. The system will identify people, cows, moose, deer, camels and wild boar. To make this option available the companies journeyed to five continents, catalogued thousands of animals and spent many millions of dollars.

I guess those are the hoops humanity has to jump through if we want to see that which once was hidden.

In contrast to our extremely limited vision, we have the Lord who knows everything because He sees everything. He knows the location of all the animals I mentioned and, along with that, He knows the position of every ant, bacteria, virus and mold spore. Because He knows these things, we shouldn’t be surprised He also knows everything about us.

And that fact, could be discomforting because it also means He knows our dark thoughts, our evil desires, our sinful longings, and our disobedient actions. He knows on our own we wandering humans will soon be mowed down by that which is lurking on or near the roads of our lives.

To prevent that tragedy God made a great — an unbelievable investment — to make us safe. His was an investment which cannot be measured in time or paltry dollars and cents. That’s because God’s investment was the life of His own Son.

Now because of the love of God and the grace of Jesus Christ we need no longer be afraid of collisions. They will come, but because of Jesus we are safe.

Dear Lord, we give thanks you have invested the life of your Son to keep us safe by the mercy and grace of Jesus. Through him we know that we are held safely in your loving arms no matter what is standing in the road around the next curve. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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What is 2 + 2?

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:8-9

A few years ago, I heard about an international company that was looking for a new director of marketing.

The position was a lucrative one and many applicants came forward to be interviewed. Eventually, the candidates were narrowed down to two finalists. Each of those men was brought in for a short and final visit. They were asked the same question: “What is two plus two?”

The first candidate thought a bit about his answer. He was wise enough to know that there had to be some kind of deeper purpose behind such a simple question. Eventually, he answered: “The answer to two plus two is four … or we could also say it is the number between 3 and 5.”

The man was thanked for his time and escorted out.

The second individual was invited in for his interview. The same question was asked of him: “What is two plus two?”

Without hesitation, the man replied with a question of his own. He asked, “Tell me what you want the answer to be, and I will make it so.”

That fellow, and not the first, was hired.

It occurs to me that in some respects that story is the story of our lives. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are all interviewing somebody whom we can spiritually follow: somebody into whose hands we can and will place our today and our futures.

There are two candidates. The Lord says, “Put yourself in My hands. I can tell you the difference between the low road and the high road. I can lead you to faith in Jess, who gave Himself so you might be forgiven and restored to my family. In Jesus your life can be blessed and your eternity will be assured.”

But there are many more candidates seeking our loyalty.

When we bring them in and ask why we should follow them, they say, “Tell me what you want the answer to be, and I will give it to you.”

Tragically, far too many people hire the easy road right then and there. That’s because these promises seem so good, so beneficial, so desirable. Only the passing of time shows they have been duped by the “father of lies” (see John 8:44).

This is why I encourage you to follow the Lord. Only He has shown the kind of love that can forgive your sins, redeem your soul, and grant you all you really need … not want … but need.

Dear Lord, the world’s seductions seem to promise satisfaction. May we be given eyes of faith that expose it falseness. Further, may we be granted the ability to trust in Jesus, who alone can give us what we need. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve