Coffee Pot Gospel

Thursday, September 15, 2011

That Beautiful Tennessee Waltz (by Judy)

Recently we returned from a fabulous trip to Tennessee. We spent several days at a remote farm up in the hills near the Virginia border, and then fulfilled one of my greatest dreams – Nashville! I can’t remember when my desire to visit that storied city started – perhaps it was my love for the little appreciated movie “Nashville,” about finding light in the midst of darkness during a political campaign; no, it was the wonderful TV of the 60s with Johnny Cash, John Hartford, Glenn Campbell, the Smothers Brothers; no, it was because I just know I will be a wonderful banjo player once I start taking lessons; no, even further back, it was the harmonizing blend of bluegrass, gospel, and mountain music that sent chills down my teenage back.

Blend – the concept that defines Tennessee. It is a blend of the south and the mountains; its iconic drink is a blend of Jack Daniels and honey; its music blends different traditions into a distinct sound; and more than any place I have ever visited, it blends the secular world and faith. At a time when the phrase “separation of church and state” is in vogue, this beautiful place is a comfortable mix.

I first articulated this point in my head when I visited the Ryman Auditorium, the decades-long home of the Grand Ole Opry. People would arrive before the 7 pm start, picnics in hand. Soon the tantalizing smell of fried chicken and juicy fruit gum would fill the place, and paper fans would appear as the temperature rose. Performers spoke of being distracted by the waving to the point of nausea. Since the program in person and on the radio went for 5 hours, children would fall asleep on the pews of this former church, heads nestled in their mothers’ ample laps.

But it was the content of the program that caught my eye, caused me to think, and regret that in one more way, we have distanced ourselves from earlier times. Twanging guitars, fiddle bows flying, heart-stopping harmony, lonesome solos, the essence of country music – some in worship of a mighty God and his sacrificing Son, some lamenting the loss of a girlfriend, boyfriend, job or truck. Some about a philandering spouse, others about a great God and fallen man. Some admiring a trim waist, others in awesome wonder at God’s creation. God and man. Everyday life and approaching death. Betrayal and grace. And everywhere, love and Love. No separation - the perfect blend!

Monday, August 29, 2011

If I Could Put Time in a Bottle

...the one thing that I'd like to do, is to save every day as treasure and then, again, I would spend it with you..." Jim Croce

If you could put time in a bottle, how would you spend it? Cleaning? Learning? Playing? Working? Worshiping? Evangelizing? All of the above? What does the Bible have to say about time? Our God is the Potentate of Time. The Bible refers more than once to "time, times and half a time" to describe periods of evil that last three and a half years. Our God is the Ancient of Days. He is Coming Again. Though He is eternal and infinite, He stepped into time and became like one of us "for such a time as this."

I belong to a little prayer group. One of the prayers we pray most often is that we manage our time well. We each instinctively know we waste time. We don't spend it well. We need Divine help managing the little time we have on this earth.

Time is an elusive and challenging concept. We have a limited amount of it and should consider daily, even hourly, how we spend it. Every time we say, "Not now." to the things of God, it becomes more difficult to say "now." "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." II Corinthians 6:2. I've seen it written that "Tomorrow is the day when the idle man works, the thief becomes honest, the drunkard sober." God's call is not a call for tomorrow, but for today.

The digital clock is ticking. Time is running out. If you could put it in a bottle, how would you spend it? Psalm 95:7 says, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart."

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Letters from the Past (by Judy)

I recently received photocopies of two letters that stirred my heart. The first is a sweet letter from my grandfather to my father, written in the summer of 1923, when my father was five years old. It changed my memory of an elderly lawyer who enjoyed his comfortable reading chair to one who was playful, and loving, one who sent hugs and kisses in all shapes and sizes to his beloved, and their children.

The second letter was farther back in time – from my great-uncle to his sister, my great-grandmother, written from Cape Fear, NC in the waning months of the American Civil War. He paints a picture of the war that is familiar through historical accounts, photos and records. However, this one is very personal, for it is my family. He offers an explanation for his lack of communication, and then speaks of his shipmates, of an Austrian rifle that he captured from a “Reb,” and his longing for a proper Christmas mince pie, or even the usual salt pork, instead of the fare issued when they couldn’t even build a fire.

Through these precious letters I gained an insight into people from the mists of time, men and women who took on personality, with longings, passions, humor, justifications for actions, and wry observations – people who shared what they were seeing and feeling, both with the recipients of their letters, and with me today.

And that, dear readers, is what the Bible offers. Of course it is built around theology, but above all, it is about people – some who, through reading their stories, become more familiar than neighbors and acquaintances. I never knew until I starting reading, sometimes systematically, sometimes randomly. For decades the Bible gathered dust on my shelf, and now it is my favorite collection of letters and historical commentary, wry observations, justifications, humor, and love – 64 books on one subject- God and His personal relationship with us. As the school year starts, so do Bible studies in churches and communities around the world. I will be joining my BSF comrades in the book of Acts. I pray you may dwell somewhere with those beloved saints in the mist too!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

A Summer Evening 2011 (by Judy)

The following is inspired in part by today’s sermon at my church. My pastor, Alistair Begg, has a wonderful way of incorporating daily events into the Gospel message. If you don’t know his preaching, you can google Truth for Life, for he is on the radio around the country – or if you are ever in northeast Ohio, come visit us at Parkside Church.

Last night we went to a Cleveland Indians game at the invitation of friends. Though my husband was very excited, I was more looking forward to a lovely summer evening outside, the good company, and even a taste of hot dog and peanuts in the shell. Though I thought I knew baseball, it was very clear that I was an outsider. I had no idea who the players were, I didn’t understand the scoreboard graphics, and I even was confused by the language – especially the phrase “a walk-off home run” referring to a hit by a player on the home team in the bottom of the ninth which puts the team ahead, and the game is over – everyone walks off.

As I kept asking questions, I began to feel distinctly like an outsider – “you are not part of the group; if you were, you would know what is going on; you don’t speak our language and you don’t understand what we are excited about.” I am exaggerating a bit, for my husband is very kind – but my mind wandered to the nasty situation in Washington, and our tendency to generalize about people and draw unkind and stereotypical conclusions. Surely you know what I mean, dear readers. May guess is that you have fallen into that trap recently, just as I have.

I am not going to refer to the Bible in this blog entry, but rather to a recent column by a New York Times columnist. His name is Nicholas Kristof, and he is well known as a humanitarian, not a church-goer. It is an excellent read – a tribute to one of the sweetest and brightest theologians of our generation – and also a reminder that evangelicals, and everyone else with thought-out opinions, deserves respect, not a dismissal. Here goes – I hope the link works from this blog. And I am going to mention a Bible story after all – the parable of the Good Samaritan. Also worth a read - it is about a man who crosses the road (aisle) to offer a hand of compassion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/opinion/sunday/kristof-evangelicals-without-blowhards.html?scp=2&sq=kristof&st=cse

Monday, July 18, 2011

Seek and Ye Shall Find by Carolyn

Tis not too late to seek a newer world

Push off, and sitting well in order smite

The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho;

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Tennyson wrote these words long ago. My favorite line is probaby the most oft quoted line, "To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield." It reminds me of another oft quoted line of Scripture, Jeremiah 29:13. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 'I will be found by you.' declares the Lord."

As Judy, my boon companion and I are about to dock at the shores of retirment; she from a career that lasted over 40 years and my husband from his, we are wondering what directions await. Where will the Lord lead us? Will He lead us down separate paths or the same path? Or, will He lead us down both? We don't know but we are sure of the Lord's promise in nearby Jeremiah 29:11. "'I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" We eagerly and faithfully embrace the future!

But there is more on my mind today than just this. Perhaps some of you are like I am, and from time to time find yourselves fretting about family, friends, associates and people of all kinds who haven't yet "sought" the Lord. There is still time to seek Him while He may be found. Even the hardest of hearts can be softened by Him because "Nothing is too hard for the Lord." He stands at the door of every heart and knocks. To find Him all we need to do open the door. For those who have already done so there is much to learn! For those who have not yet opened the door, a new world awaits! There is another way that leads to the same conclusion. We can knock on His door until He is found by us!

We should not "yield" but rather "push off", sailing "beyond the sunset", remembering, "tho' much is taken, much abides" and "tho made weak by time and fate but strong in will, to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield" until He is found by us!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

All Roads Lead to Rome (by Judy)

I have just returned from the most wonderful trip I have ever taken, to Italy - quite a statement coming from a 66 year old who has been a consistent voyager since my 10th birthday when my present was a flight from Philadelphia to Washington, DC for lunch! My main reason for saying this is not the comfort of our accommodations, though they were exceptional; not the views and surroundings, though breathtaking; not the local foods and wines, though my waistline reveals the abundance and quality again; not the people, fun as they were. It was something different – the feeling of the presence of Jesus every step of the way.

Our first stop in Italy was in the hills of Umbria, where our house was surrounded by vineyards. It was there that I truly connected with the analogy that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, often in need of pruning. Jack and I watched the farmer traverse the rows and rows in his vineyard day after day from sun-up to mid-afternoon, cutting recalcitrant branches, insuring that all the plant's energy and effort goes into the grapes and not in the wayward tendrils. We also noticed that though his vineyard paths were clear, weeded, trimmed and neat, a neighboring vineyard was a tangle along the ground, with weeds choking the vines, sapping their strength and vitality. The lessons that I can apply to my with my Christian walk are clear and I felt very close to the One making the analogy.

Then we traveled to Rome, a city filled to overflowing with activity, vibrance, art, architecture, and humanity. No wonder Paul was so committed to getting there, surviving a shipwreck, rebellious followers, illness and snakes. This is a city of cobblestone streets, convoluted rabbit-warren neighborhoods, piazzas with churches every block, frescoes and statues by famous Italian artists blurring the senses - smells, sounds and sights so close to when Paul sat in his small garret, housebound, writing letters to the struggling churches across the Mediterranean lands. I could close my eyes and feel that I was actually there - a concept not so obscure as we admit our limited human attempts to force a linear view of time - when we know that only God is the Potentate of Time, yesterday, today and forever.

At every piazza, both in Rome and in the hilltop villages of Umbria, there are faucets springing from the ground - not the beautiful fountains we see on post cards, but rather humble pipes, bringing cold, fresh water to passersby. I do not understand how they work, for there are no spigots, turning them off and on. They run continuously, simply offering water from a faraway spring, living water, for sustenance and to wash off dirt. Jesus made the same offer to the woman at the well - the offer of Himself - "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Isaiah said, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost." In Rome, I began to understand and even more, to want to share this trip with others.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

When Things are Not as They Appear to Be

There are two references in the New Testament, maybe more, where God indicates things are not what they appear to be. In referring to Abraham, Paul says in Romans 4:19-23, "He is our father in the sight of God, in whom He believed-the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' Withhout weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was 100 years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.

Again, Paul in 1Corinthians 1:26-28, says this. "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are..."

The point is that sometimes in the absence of obvious, external support, or when that support points in the completely opposite direction, we are called to belief anyway. When in our eyes and for all intents and purposes the situation looks bad, it may not be what it appears to be. On the contrary, it may be the exact oppposite.

This does not mean faith is irrational or that we shouldn't trust our abilities to discern what is but it does mean that faith stands with God and His word, even when doing so appears silly from our own human perspective.

"God has the power to do what He had promised." Faith can have this assurance because it is directed neither to ourselves or to the circumstances, but to God. So, when circumstances look bleak and grim remember it could be that God is "... calling things that are not to nullify the things that are," or " ...calling things that are not as though they were."

I need to think about that!