Friends | The Journey

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Worship Anywhere – Everywhere

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God’s praises, while the other prisoners listened.” – Acts 16:25

A friend tells about some years ago he was with a group from his church on a mission trip in Nicaragua. He said: “We were welcomed for dinner at the home of a member of the church we were visiting. After dinner our hosts got up and sang hymns – without hymnals or accompaniment – beautifully.”

He continues: “I was really enjoying this gift until it suddenly occurred to me what was coming next. They would, of course, invite us to stand and sing too. And what would that be, “Jesus Loves Me?” “Kum Ba Yah?” We weren’t very well prepared for such sharing because we had few hymns written on our hearts. We would look around and wonder if any of our group were choir members who could take over.”

Here, in today’s passage, Paul and Silas were singing and praying – worshipping – in, of all places, jail.

Sometimes I wonder if we’re too dependent on the idea that worship only takes place in a church building. That we have to have organs or pianos to worship. Or that we have to have hymnals to sing praise to God. Or (worst of all) that you can’t worship without a “bulletin.” (OMG!)

Suppose you had to do “take-out” worship? That you worshipped the living God wherever you were – in a jail cell, around a campfire, in a home, a hospital, or on the city street? Would you be ready? What hymns do you know by heart? What Scriptures are written upon your heart? Are you ready to pray? And, in the words of Peter, to “give an account of the hope that is in you?”

In truth, worship doesn’t happen because of a church building, instruments or bulletins (!). It happens because we trust God, because we want to seek God and need to praise God. It happens because our church has equipped us with the words and ways of worship to take with us wherever we go.

Do you have worship you can take anywhere?

Write your word across our hearts, O loving God, so that when our hearts break, your word will fall into our hearts and heal us, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

Filed under: Children, Church, Devotions, Faith, Families, Fathers, Friends, Worship | Tagged: Worship | 3 Comments »

The Gold Edged Bible

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”Acts 2:41

Eight men sat in a small dimly lit room in a rural Chinese village home. Seven were preachers and their eyes were glued to the Bible held by the eighth man. It was a leather-bound zippered Bible with gold-edged trim on the pages.

The western visitor suddenly became aware that the seven men were staring intently at his Bible. One of them generated enough courage to say, “What a beautiful Bible. May I look at it for a moment?”

“Of course,” he replied. The Bible was gently handed from person to person as though it was made of eggshells. They asked how much it cost. And their faces fell when they learned it was the equivalent of twenty dollars.

Then the visitor received an inspiration. He decided to make this a personal ministry project. The qualification for receiving one of these Chinese Bibles should be so high that these leaders would be inspired to greater achievement. Yet, at the same time ensure that he would not need to provide a great number.

He told them, “If a person is mightily used by God, then I will bring him one of these Bibles.”

“What do you mean mightily used of God?” the preachers queried eagerly.

Thinking fast he replied, “Those who have led at least 10,000 people to the Lord and discipled another 10,000.”

To his astonishment the preachers burst out laughing. They said, “Oh, this is too easy. There are five of us here who can now qualify for your zippered gold-edged Bible, and we know ten more.”

After his trip the visitor chuckled, “I’m bankrupt.” But more seriously he added, “I’ve been working in China with house church leaders for many years. But one thing never changes…I am literally taken by surprise during each visit at how fast the church is growing.”

Perhaps we need to take more seriously our responsibility in sharing the Good News. Can you imagine that being true of our church in America? Why not? If we will actually get serious and expect God to empower us to be that kind of leaders… nothing is impossible with God.

Thank you Lord that Your church is continuing to grow quickly in China. May that be a reality in my country as well, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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The Royal Baby

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

As I begin this devotion today, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, has arrived at the hospital, St. Mary’s, and is in labor. Soon there will be the event many people have been waiting for, the birth of the royal baby… the one who will be third in line to the throne of England. At this point we know not whether this baby will be Prince Noah or Princess Abby. But we do know that everyone is excited about this very special event.

You know what gets me is that this child has done nothing. It is just being born into a family, and that family happens to be royal. And that royalty makes this child special.

George W. Bush and I agreed with some things and disagreed with others. But, being the good Methodist he is, he cared about the children with his program called “No Child Left Behind.” Even though it didn’t work and was never funded, the concept was right on target. Every child should be special. No child should be left out or left behind.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the news reporters lined up outside the hospital when your child was born? When every child was born? Saying to every child “You Are Special! You Are Royalty! You Are A Child of The King!” And what if we treated each child as a child that would one day inherite the throne? Can you imagine how the world could be changed if we would treat each child as a prince and princess, and do all that we could to make sure that they were given all the advantages of being raised as a child of the King.

Guess what? Each child already is a child of the King of kings, and therefore each one should be treated as royalty.

Grace and Peace

Steve

Filed under: Children, Church, Devotions, Faith, Families, Friends | 1 Comment »

Good At Grieving

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“They shall call the farmers to mourning, and those skilled in lamentation to wailing…” – Amos 5:16

“I’m getting good at this,” a parishioner said. “I don’t want to be good at this.” Someone shared with me that over the past year, two close family members and a friend had died unexpectedly, and we were planning yet another funeral. Funerals are not the kind of thing that most people, with the possible exception of morticians and ministers, want to get good at.

We may not have professional mourners for hire as they did in Amos’ day, but there are people who’ve been through so much grief that their amateur status is definitely in question. What I notice more often than not, at least in the church, is that the saints who have become skilled at lamentation also tend to have become skilled at other things: gentleness, generosity, commiseration, comforting. They’re the ones who have that special look in their eyes where they let you know they feel bad for you without pitying you. They’re the ones who can hug you without creeping you out, even if you normally dislike hugs from strangers. They’re the ones who can say things that would sound like platitudes coming from anybody else.

It’s not the kind of thing anybody wants to be good at, but thank God for the people who are.

Dear God who grieves every death and who mourns the fall of every sparrow, you knew this pain before any of us felt it. Don’t give us the opportunity to become TOO good at lamentation, but grant that every grief we bear might show us how to help others bear theirs, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

PS: We had a scheduled time with TWC for tomorrow morning to fix the DVR box. Guess what???? They came by a day early!!!!!!!!!!!

Filed under: Church, Devotions, Faith, Families, Friends | Tagged: grief | 1 Comment »

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, ‘Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.’ But she said to her, ‘Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?’ Rachel said, ‘Then he may lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.'” Excerpt from Genesis 29:31—30:24

Have you ever noticed that what people really want is respect? The mandrake of respect. They can put up with poverty, but can’t live without respect. They can put up with not being recognized for their labor, but not live a minute without respect. When Rachel and Leah squabble about adultery, they are saying something more than they no longer like each other. One is saying to the other. Enough. “R E S P E C T, find out what it means to me,” as only Aretha Franklin can sing it.

Everybody has a breaking point. Your spouse can leave the towel on the floor 99 times and the 100th time you declare the most intimate of catastrophes. Your child can throw 15 tantrums on Wednesday only to be screamed at for the first one on Thursday. Everybody has a mandrake. The shrinks like to call these things triggers. Don’t you love gun metaphors?

War will stop if we learn how to give respect. Street crime will decrease if young men find someone who understands that they don’t really like school and that they need a little respect. And as St. Francis fully understood, you need to notice to be noticed, love to be loved – and respect to be respected. Respect is the avant-garde of issues, the early soldier on the field. It is not the rear guard of matters. Take my husband, but for God’s sake at least leave me a mandrake.

(mandrake: a Mediterranean plant of the nightshade family, with white or purple flowers and large yellow berries. It has a forked fleshy root that supposedly resembles the human form and was formerly widely used in medicine and magic, allegedly shrieking when pulled from the ground.)

Dear Lord, whatever happens between us and our friends and family, let it issue in respect, first given, and then received. We know you will take it from there, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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We Need the Freshness of God’s Breath

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“After forty days, Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made.” – Genesis 8:6

I can only imagine how exhilarating that moment must have been. Noah has been cooped up in a big boat with a lot of smelly animals (and people) for a very long time. It’s raining cats and dogs outside, while the camels and geese and mongooses et al. are assaulting Noah’s five senses in ways that only a pig farmer from the down east could appreciate.

Suddenly the rain stops and Noah bolts through the pens and roped-up animals, avoiding bites and scratches as best he can, and finds his way to a small portal (the first vehicle’s sun roof) where he sticks his head out, basks in the sunlight, eyes closed, chin raised, breathing deeply the fresh air. This is a moment that erases the boundaries between the physical and spiritual. God’s ruach, God’s breath, is present with Noah like never before.

As I write this I remember when Steve Tucker installed new windows in our Greensboro home. The old windows were either falling apart (in the attic) or stuck due to occasional paint jobs through the years. With my allergies, I am not one who loves to throw open the windows and breathe that fresh air. I use to be before I got all weird. Shirley loves to open those windows and let in all that yellow stuff, along with the fresh air. I like to breathe air that has already been “conditioned” by a large machine that resides in the back yard and is connected to the house by the large pipes called ducts.

Now, I would love to take that deep, deep breath of God if I were on or in a running mountain stream in early Spring or Fall, and reclaim my status as a child of nature and as a child of God. In that climate I would experience the freshness of God.

I am afraid that there are too many people like me in this world – people who allow the allergies of our lives keep the windows closed tightly on God’s freshness. I read the newspaper, listen to the never-ending new and opinion programs. In all of them the story is told of how stale the air in our world has grown. Look at how we see each other, treat each other, and push forward only our own agenda, whether it has anything to do with God or not.

It is time for all of us to open our windows today, both of home and soul. Take a long, deep breath. Look through the SON roof and see the Dry land is on your horizon. God can and will change this world through us if we breathe in God’s freshness and then share it with others we breathe out to the world around us.

Dear God of rain and dry land, may your wind lead us home, may your breath fill our lungs with pleasant odors, and may your spirit offer us a new and hopeful future, may your love make us know we are one, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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Hope Flew Out The Window

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

Today on CNN Trayvon Martin’s father said that “this jury did not consider this case from his son’s perspective”. He is right. However, what he did not say was that they really could not do that. They could only understand it from their life’s understanding and perspective of the facts presented to them. Let me use some of Ron Hall’s book “What Difference Do It Make?” to help us in this explanation.

Ron’s book is about a man named Denver Moore, a black friend, who tells the story of his life. Some of these moments are very revealing about the separation between all of us. Denver says: “I was born in Red River Parish, Louisiana, in 1937, a time when whites was whites and blacks was colored. Officially, there wadn’t no slavery, but that didn’t mean there wadn’t no slaves.

We was sharecroppin on a plantation down near Coushatta. When you is croppin, here is how it works. The man that own the plantation give you everything you need to make a cotton crop, ‘cept he give it to you on credit. Then you plant and plow and chop cotton till pickin time. When you bring in that cotton, you s’posed to split that crop down the middle, or maybe 60/40, and the man take his share and you take yours. ‘Cept somehow it never did work out that way ’cause by the time you pay the man back for all he done loaned you on credit, ain’t nothin left outta your share a’ the crop. In fact, most a’ the time, you in the hole, so you got to work another season on the plantation to pay back what you owe.

I worked like that all the way till the 1960’s, all without no paycheck. Then one day when I was grown, I realized I wadn’t never gon’ get ahead. I wad’t never gon be able to pay the man back what I owed. “

This is the first part I want to share with you tonight. Can you imagine that you will have to work very hard all your life and never break even, never get ahead. No one is going to listen, really listen, nor give you a chance. He said, “No body is going to give you a job that paid enough for you to get a place to stay when you done told them you use to be a slave on a plantation. They would throw you a dollar every now and then, and say “Here’s a dollar. Good luck and God bless.” What he is saying is summed up in his next words: “Hope flew out the window. For most of us there came a time when nobody was willin to take us in. Nobody was willin to help in no kinda way. All the doors was slammed in our faces, and the next thing you know, we just sittin on the curb with every-body passing us by, won’t even look at us. And once that happens, people rather come up and pet a stray dog than even say hello.

Even when you see those homeless folks on the street that look real cheerful and happy, that’s just a mask. Underneath is a swamp of misery, but they put on that mask so they can get through the day”.

I read some of Denver’s story and I began to realize that what was missing was hope of things ever changing or people ever caring. Tonight let me leave you with this thought: spend time pondering how you think your life would be if you were in Denver’s shoes: No job, no hope of ever getting a job. Nobody willing to help you out of the pit you are in. Imagine how your life would be right now if you were Denver. It is easy to see that we don’t understand.

Grace and Peace

Steve

Send your responses and let’s see how it affects us.

Filed under: Devotions, Faith, Families, Friends, Predjuice | Leave a comment »

Ignored By Friends

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

1557530_10152008561211475_1722441230_n Today the associate at Myers Park preached on the parable of the Good Samaritan (which is the Lectionary text for today). In his sermon he talked about being ignored by the religious of the day and the one who really cared was the one who made the movement toward the person in need and actually bound up his wounds and brought him to an Inn. The one who really cared was not the religious but the one who was hated by the religious.

Today at lunch at Jay’s Deli (Friendly Shopping Center) Shirley and I were seated beside a group (that was already seated) of people from an un-named UMC (in Greensboro) among whom were one associate pastor from that church and her pastor husband who is in extension ministry (both of whom I went to school with at Duke and worked with on many occasions). One was almost facing me. I tried and tried and tried to catch their eye to say hello, but they kept averting their eyes from me. I even caught them a couple of times looking at me only to quickly look away as I looked at them. Admittedly, Shirley and I were wearing shorts and I was wearing my Mary Philbin tee-shirt, but they could have at least recognized someone they’ve known through three of the four years in seminary, and several years of working together in the same district.

Have you ever felt invisible around people you know and who know you? Have you ever felt like you must have leprosy – were wearing plaids and stripes together – or maybe you smelled like you had just crawled out of a dumpster? Today I felt bad because my friends purposely ignored me. They had to try hard to avoid seeing me. What’s more, I felt bad about that United Methodist Church. If this is how the leaders of that church treat colleagues they have known for 30 years, how will they treat the visitor who comes among them… and what would be their real motivation? I really do have problems with people who think they are better than me, who will not recognize me around their friends – but see me only when I have something to offer them.

I think about Robert and Melanie Niblock as the opposite of my colleagues. Robert is the CEO of Lowe’s Home Improvement and a member of the church I have just finished serving for four years. They are rich by worldly standards, but they are even richer by the standards of Jesus. They are smart, humble, compassionate, friendly, caring, hard-working, and their two sons (even though they go to UNC) are two of the nicest young men I have ever met. All of them will say hello when they see you out in the world… no matter who you or they are with. Robert and Melanie are real people who allow Jesus to live through them every day of the week… and so do the rest of the people in that church. I thank God for that church.

If you are ever in Winston-Salem I recommend you go and visit a church that really cares about you… even if you are a Samaritan… Pine Grove UMC on Jonestown Road. You will feel at home the first time you enter the door… for they will consider that you are family.

Grace and Peace

Steve

PS: I will be looking for a church to attend in Greensboro… but we know one it will not be.

Filed under: Church, Devotions, Faith, Friends, Visitors | 4 Comments »

Radical Hospitality

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

When tourists pick a destination to visit, the most popular country in the world is not the World of Disney but France. Last year alone the city of Paris welcomed more than 29 million visitors. Of course, there are those who say that the word “welcomed” is a stretch. They say it is a stretch because, at least in some places, the French have a reputation for being rude, standoffish and even surly.

Recognizing they have a very good possibility of losing the tourist trade to friendlier cities like London, Greensboro or Winston-Salem, the Paris Chamber of Commerce has put out a booklet, Do You Speak Touriste? The booklet, which is to be distributed to waiters, taxi drivers, and sales staff, gives advice on how they, as individuals, can improve the city’s image.

The booklet gives some very down-to-earth, practical advice. For example, it says, “The British like to be called by their first names, while Italians should be shaken by the hand, and Americans reassured on prices.”

With one in ten jobs in Paris dependent on the tourist dollar (or yen, lira, pound or mark), it is important the Parisians get this tourist thing right.

I wonder if anybody has ever thought about writing a similar book for Christian congregations. We could call it, Do You Speak Visitor? Every year our churches have many guests who have been brought to that point in their lives when they long for a relationship with Jesus. Sadly, many of these people come away thinking we are unfriendly, uncaring and cliquish.

There are two problems with that conclusion. First, many times the spiritual vitality and wellbeing of these visitors are dependent on how they perceive the church. The big problem is that when they think we are indifferent to them, they assume Jesus, who gave His life so they might have life, feels the same way.

You and I know nothing could be further from the truth.

Because God wants people to acknowledge His Son as their Savior, He has, in Scripture, given us many practical pieces of advice on how we are to deal with people we may consider outsiders. Repeatedly, Jesus told us to do unto others as we want them to do to us. He said we were to follow Him and be a servant to others.

And St. Paul, writing to the church in Philippi, said we were to count others as being more important than ourselves. That, along with a sincere smile and a pleasant, “Good morning,” will do much to advance the receptivity of God’s grace in the hearts of those visiting our churches.

Dear Lord, even as there is joy in heaven over a sinner who repents, may there be joy in our churches over a soul that comes through our church doors to begin or continue as journey with Jesus. Grant that we be people who practice Radical Hospitality with all those around us, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve

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Jesus, My BFF

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Dr. Steve Martin

Steve & Shirley

“Do not put your trust in princes; in mortals, in whom there is not help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth, on that very day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever.” – Psalm 146:3-6

I have a best friend for most every occasion. One for gossip (not that I ever gossip) and a different one for wisdom (particularly church wisdom); one for drinking wine (Shirley wants me to let you know this person is her) and another for drinking coffee (this has been a group of coffee friends); one who lives far away, and one who lives at the other side of town. And one who sleeps in my bed!

It is very convenient having multiple best friends, because you know what? Humans are wonderful, and also unreliable. They have bad moods, they get busy and distracted, and none of this means they don’t love you.

Most importantly: no one human can fulfill every single need of another human—even the person who shares your bed can’t do that. So, God willing, we get multiple besties, for different life-stages, celebrations and problems.

People who work at churches, here is an especially important caveat for us to remember: every single person you know will probably let you down or disappoint you at some point. Our work is to keep a soft heart, and clear head, in our dealings with every frail and blessed human being, including ourselves.

The good news is this: God keeps faith forever. So when a moment arrives when it seems like everybody’s mad at you (deservedly or not), or has checked out on you (it happens!), God has always been, and remains, our BFF.

If you need help remembering this, recall that little old children’s song “Jesus Loves Me” to remind you that Jesus is ALWAYS there.

Dear God, for the moments when I feel I’m walking alone without a friend, help me start the conversation with the One who lives within me. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Steve