I got to spend the first real time with my new nephews and nieces earlier this month when Heidi and I were in Colorado to celebrate her parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. Part of that celebration involved a few days camping in the mountains. One of the highlights of “camping” for the kids (10 between the ages 1-17) was fishing in the beautiful lake at Lutheran Valley Retreat. So each of the kids dads or uncles or grandpa took them fishing . . . or at very least took them to the lake to put a line in the water,to bait a hook, teach them how to cast, untangle a line, catch a weed, or a branch or a rock, on in one instance a cousin’s ear. Needless to say, everybody had a great time. Very few fish were caught. The days were a success, and for the most part . . . The kids went fishing . . . and the dads and granddad’s didn’t.

It reminded me of my childhood when each summer my parents would take us to Clearwater Lake in southern Missouri for a fishing vacation. We’d rent a small john boat. Attach the little five horse power motor, get up before dawn, hook on the oversized life jackets, and head out into the cool and fog-filled morning air for fishing. Three kids, two adults, a cooler, life jacket, poles, all in a 14 foot boat. The good news is, no one drowned. No capsizing. No lost kids. The fishing report: not many, but a lot of memories. It just occurred to me, not much has changed in those years . . . dad and mom didn’t get a lot of fishing done on those trips either but the kids had fun.

I realized again that both of those trips (and many more), separated by 40 years were not so much about fishing as they were about relationships and presence, about teaching and learning, about moments together and memories. They were about love.

I wonder if God our heavenly Father ever looks at us and feels like a dad on a fishing trip with his kids… heading out to fish but watching us get things all tangled up, hooking our brothers and sisters with an errant cast, losing costly lures, catching more weeds, trees or rocks than fish . . . not producing a lot but trying And I wonder if God smiles as he watches us trying to fish, realizing we’re much more worried about what we catch than he is . . . because after all . . . he’s like all those other dads . . . much more important than fishing, is the time he spends with us and we with him.

Taking kids fishing usually means not much fishing but a lot more important things instead. So, have you been fishing lately . . . either with a kid, or more importantly, with your heavenly Father?

peace,

dave

Glenda and Friend "Paint"

Last week, Heidi and I had the opportunity to meet up with our friends Mark and Glenda who had just returned from spending two months on a mission trip serving in Haiti. Living in oppressively hot makeshift tents, eating emergency rations, dealing with hurting, angry, frustrated and struggling people requires a sense of faith and purpose that only Jesus can give. And while Mark and Glenda have many interesting stories about their time in Haiti, one little mention by Glenda caught my attention.

As their time on the earthquake zone drew to a close, Glenda spent a day helping others paint a room in a Children’s Day Care center. As she told about that day, it occurred to me that almost every mission trip or servant event I’ve every participated in had at least some painting involved. For volunteers at a daycare in earthquake ravaged Haiti it was no different.

In a way, that volunteers would spend time painting in Haiti seems a bit strange. The magnitude of the devastation is all around, hundreds of thousands of people still need basic help, most of them still live in makeshift tents or camps. Painting doesn’t seem all that important, but maybe it is.

I imagine scrubbing the wall took off some of the grime, but not enough to make a difference. After that the first coat went on . . . probably some shade of white, cheap and watered down paint, donated in bulk ( that’s almost always how the paint for mission projects is). A second coat has things looking better, not good enough if it was one of our houses, but better. . . that is until Glenda begins to work her magic. You see, Glenda didn’t just go to the Daycare Center that day to paint a wall . . . she went to paint a colorful, eye-catching, children’s mural that depicted the Bible’s Fruit of the Spirit.

Glenda didn’t come just to cover some scuff marks or to hide years of neglect. Glenda’s job was to bring something new… color and life and hope, and Jesus. Glenda’s task was not to change a room but is was to bring a bit of joy and beauty into the lives of those so destroyed and broken by reality of their daily lives.

You see, every mission trip . . . in the name of Jesus (I should have added,) includes a paint job. Even Jesus’ mission to earth included painting . . . he was busy covering up old scars and stains, not with a bucket of cheap white paint but with his “holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.” Yes, even Jesus’ mission trip had a paint job.

Mark and Glenda went to Haiti n the name of Jesus . . . to bring a bit of his hope and beauty, some of Jesus’ joy and new life. That involved covering over and creating something new . . . a little bit with paint but in so many other ways too. And so it is with every service done in Jesus name . . . it requires a little paint . . . not just to cover over the scars and stains but to bring something new and filled with hope that only Jesus can give.

Every follower of Jesus is living a mission trip. Jesus has sent us on a mission to point people to him. Every mission trip includes a paint brush among its supplies. That is why LifeSpace is so exciting. There has been a lot of painting going on there over the last few weeks. The colors look great, but I imagine a lot more painting needs to be done . . . not on the walls or doors . . . but on the lives of people who will stop by and find out what this space is really all about.

Where is your paint brush needed this week?

peace,

dave

And except for the promise of fireworks following the game, there seemed to be little reason to stay for the bottom of the ninth. With the score 8-3 in favor of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, it look like the home team was going to take a thrashing. That is until Saturday evening’s bottom of the ninth inning rally by the Memphis Redbirds.

A hit, a walk, a home run, another hit, and error, a few more walks, a line drive to right field and suddenly it 8-7 with two men out and the bases loaded. Daniel Descalso’s sharp hit into the corner drove home two runs for an incredible ninth inning come from-behind-victory for the Redbirds. It wasn’t an awesome ballgame but it certainly was a great inning of baseball.

The walk-off victory made me think, wouldn’t it be great if every “not so exciting game” turned into a last inning victory for my team. I’m not talking just about ball teams, I’m talking about life. After all, isn’t much of life, a lot of endeavors, many of our efforts, a lot like a not-too-interesting, trailing all the way, baseball game. There are a lot of times in life when it seems we can never get ahead, are unable to string together any hits, trailing and defeated going into the last innings.

I wish I could say that every one of those “ballgames of life” was rescued from the loss column by a last minute comeback. It would make a better article . . . but we all know it doesn’t happen that way. Life isn’t all victories. There are a lot of loses. But that doesn’t mean we have to rejoice in losses or settle for defeat.

The Redbirds could have thrown in the towel, given up in the heat, surrendered the game, but they didn’t. They kept playing, kept trying, kept persevering and they won a victory. They won’t win every one but it was the ninth such come from behind victory this year for the team. Apparently they don’t like losing.

I don’t like defeat either and so I try to persevere. That means plugging on even while I know that short term wins are never guaranteed and that there will be failure. But what keeps me going is the knowledge of eventual victory. Perseverance rests in the hope of final victory, eternal victory. Only Jesus can give that. His promise is for victory: “Remain faithful (steadfast, sure, steady) until death and I will give you a crown of life.” Romans 2:10.

No, I can’t guarantee a come from behind victory for every earthly battle . . . but maybe , that is not true. Perhaps I’m wrong. Maybe I should say, in spite of the result of any earthly “game” there remains the promise of a walk off victory . . . with Jesus. For followers of Jesus come from behind victories are not the exception but that rule . . . “thanks to God our Father for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Peace,

Dave

My forgetfulness made me wonder about God.  Do you ever feel like he’s misplaced you?  Lost you for a moment, was going to do something with you but set you aside to deal with something else?  Even King David sometimes felt far from God:  “God, you are my God. I search for you. I thirst for you like someone in a dry, empty land where there is no water. ” Psalms 63:1.

We’re often forgetful of God, so it’s easy to understand why we think God might be forgetful of us.  .  We lose things, misplace things, set people aside.  We even forget the promises of God, including his promise to never forget us, misplace us, lose us.

Listen to how forceful he is in reminding those who trust and believe in him:  “Pay attention. . . . I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you.”  Isaiah 44:21 What good news.  I’m forgetful.  God isn’t.  I misplace things.  God doesn’t.  I get distracted, God never does.  His love, care and promises are constant and sure.  In the middle of busy lives . . . that’s good news.  I hope it is for you too.

peace,

dave

The Lutheran Youth Gathering happens every three years and will draw about 25,000 young people to the city for worship, learning, service and play.  Brenda, Heidi and myself have been serving and leading at these gatherings for more than 20 years so its become an important way for us to be involved in something we love.  This year I’m working with the Servant event teams — 4000 young people each day will go into the city to make a difference in work projects.

Please keep the gathering and these young people in your prayers this weeks as they join to celebrate and live out their faith.

As they gathered in giant cathedral’s made of stone, the ceilings high above were often painted with a scene of heaven.  It was that towering architectural feature which added to the inspiration of music and singing, preaching and prayers.  Frequently in those beautifully painted ceilings were a number of expertly disguised small trap doors.

During the Pentecost celebration, the trap doors were reached when a few brave and hardy souls were recruited to scale the rooftop.  At just the appropriate moment during in the reading of Holy Spirit story from the Bible, the trap doors would come open and live doves would be released through these holes.

Those doves were living symbols of the Holy Spirit and they would descend toward the people below.  The choir would break into the whooshing and drumming sound of a holy windstorm, and finally, as the doves were flying and winds were rushing, the ceiling holes would once again be used as bushels upon bushels of red rose petals showered down upon the congregation.  The red, flickering bits of flowers symbolized the tongues of flame falling upon all that waited below in faith.  The special name for those holes cut in the heavenly ceilings of the cathedral . . . they were called “Holy Spirit Holes.”

It seems to me that the Holy Spirit is still opening up “holes” all around us where he can pour himself into to do his work of connecting and keeping people in Jesus.  We see those holes in the lives of the people around us.  Those holes are evident in the communities in which we live.  Holy Spirit holes are evident among our family, co-workers, neighbors, classmates and friends.  That is why I’m so excited about the holes God is opening up at CrossRoad.

We also talked about that this morning:  the Holy Spirit holes that God is opening at CrossRoad, LifeSpace and Amazing Grace.  If you weren’t able to be with us this morning I hope you’ll take some time to listen to the message here and review the notes for our outline and plan which I shared here.  They give a lot of important information about the mission of CrossRoad as we look ahead..

Jesus is waiting to do amazing things . . . can’t you see all the holes?

Have a great week!

Peace,

Dave

Everyone agrees.  He missed the call.  The ump blew it.  He was just wrong.  Back on June 2nd, in a game between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers, in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs, first base umpire Jim Joyce missed the call.

There is nothing that unusual about that.  Umpires miss a lot of calls, but this one was a bit more significant.  When the ump missed this call, the pitcher on the mound (Armando Galarraga) was  one out away from pitching a perfect game.  Twenty six batters had been gotten out.  Not one had reached first base, until the ump blew the call.

For the last three weeks I’ve been trying to figure out the life lesson in one of the most famous blown calls of all time . . . there are probably a lot of them . . . but all I come up with tonight is, “Life’s Not Fair.”

Armando Galarraga  was robbed of the recognition and reward of a perfect game, all because someone goofed.  And everyone around him responded.  His manager rushed to argue the call.  His teammates complained bitterly.  The Detroit fans sent the umpire off to a chorus of boos.  The national press pointed out the gravity of the mistake.

Only one person said nothing.  Of the pitcher, this is what umpire Jim Joyce said:  “I don’t blame them a bit for anything that was said. I would’ve said it myself if I had been Galarraga. I would’ve been the first person in my face, and he never said a word to me.”

That one line in the story made me think of Jesus.  He too was robbed of a perfect life.  He too suffered the consequences of others sins.  He also would carry the burden of others mistakes . . . ours . . . and yet he remained silent.  Jesus could rightly say, “It’s not fair.”    Some stood near but Jesus said not a word.  Listen:

“He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.” Isaiah 53:7

It’s a long stretch to compare a missed call in a baseball game to the suffering and pain which Jesus suffered on behalf of others, for their mistakes.  And yet, it is in the injustice that Jesus experienced on the cross that we truly have the reward of forgiveness and new life.

When we read a story like the one of the perfect game’s blown call, it’s easy to put ourselves in the role of the one mistreated, aggrieved and taken advantage of . . . but maybe that isn’t us at all.  What happens when we recognize that we’re not the player who got the short end of the stick, but instead we are like the umpire that missed one (actually a lot) of calls?

What happens when we remember it’s not us who can shout, “life’s not fair?”  It’s Jesus.  Jesus is the fair one, the just one, the right one.  Jesus is the one who threw the perfect game and  who never misses any calls . . . and Jesus is the only one who is able and willing to do it for us when we do.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
1 John 1:9

“Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd.”

Peter saw an open door and he walked through it.  He had just come off of Jesus using him to work a miracle.  A  man born lame  was now able to walk through faith in Jesus.  An inquiring crowd gathered to see what was happening . . . and Peter saw an opportunity . . .  and he took it.

Those gathered were curious about what was going on and what had happened.  After all, its not every day that you see the man who had spent most of his life begging, because of useless legs, up and dancing in front of you. Seeing a crowd, Peter seizes the day.  Peter runs through the gap.  Peter grabs the ring . . . . He stands up and tells them about Jesus.

To paraphrase, it went like this:  “Why are you standing around with your mouths open?  You should be at all surprised to see this man up and walking.  After all . . . the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob . . . the true God who was on earth walking among you.  The one you know as Jesus did it.  The same God who dried the waters of the Red Sea for your ancestors is the God who just made this man walk . . .  his name is Jesus.”

Peter just saw an opportunity to tell what he knew to be true.  He just shared his story.  He just told about JEsus and Jesus did all the rest.

I wonder how many opportunites God is going to give me today.  Jesus, give me the eyes to see them adn the courage to seitze them.

Pray today:  Dear Jesus, help me to see the opportunites all around to share a little bit about you.  give me the courage and the faith to take them.  Amen.

The wife and children of Keli McGregor understood the significance of having a husband and father who cared about just that and was completely sold out and committed to Jesus.  Keli McGregor, was president of Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies.  In April, at age 48, he died of natural causes in a Salt Lake City hotel room.

But even though he was well known in the Denver area, a man of position and means . . . those weren’t the things for which he wanted to be known.  The funeral service his family arranged was a demonstration of that.  You can read the entire story here.

Held Coors Field, the home of the Rockies on a beautiful April afternoon before a Rockies game, McGregor’s service became a celebration of what Jesus had done in his life and how Jesus lived through him to others.  His pastor, Peter Morin, said this of him:  Keli once told me, “You know, Peter, there are 29 losers every year in baseball. Don’t get me wrong–I want to win. But if all you’re about is winning, it’s not really worth it. It has to be about things that last.”

But even that wasn’t the most powerful testimony of the day.  That came from his 16 year old daughter Taylor.  As she concluded the service as balloons in the Rockies colors were released. “I ask that you all watch the balloons this afternoon, flying into the Colorado sky,” she said. “And as you watch them rise, know that you’re watching the spirit of my daddy rise to the kingdom of the man that he loved most, our savior, Jesus Christ.”

Men, and women of God . . . this Father’s Day is certainly a good day to say thank you to good and faithful fathers . . . but maybe more importantly, it’s a good day to ask what will I be remembered for one day . . . things eternal, or simply things which fade away?

Maybe its because I’ve been thinking a lot about networks for the last week all of those images come to mind.  Here’s one dictionary definition of a network:  “An extended group of people with similar interests or concerns who interact and remain in informal contact for mutual assistance or support.”

“Similar interests or concerns; informal contacts, mutual assistance and support:”  Those are the elements of a network that really intrigue me.  So, now is the perfect time to ask the questions:  what’s the big deal about networks?

God can use networks too.  In fact, God often uses networks . . . the twelve tribes of Israel were “an extended group of people with similar interests or concerns who interact and remain in informal contact for mutual assistance or support. “  Many of the letters Paul wrote were written to networks of small house churches.

I’ve been thinking about networks because I think God is beginning to form a new network of churches and mission partners in the Memphis area .  I don’t have a lot of details to share yet . . .  they will be coming soon.  But for right now, I would ask you fervently to pray that if it is God ‘s will, He develop a new network of  mission focused people, churches and ministries that communicate with one another and support and encourage each other in the challenging work we have been given . . . to connect people to Jesus so lives are transformed now and forever.

Pray for God’s network.