Randy and Roger

I have been blessed to have met thousands of people in my lifetime. Through my call as a pastor, my work as a consultant, my present position at the University of Dubuque and other channels my path has crossed the lives of many.

I have thousands of friendships.

What I find interesting about these friendships is that many of my closest friends have never met each other. I have always wondered what it would be like if I gathered all the people I consider to be friends and we met at a Disneyland for one day. We would have the place all to ourselves. Would my friends get along with each other? How would these most special people get along with one another with me being the initial common denominator.

I would love to introduce my friends to one another...

My iWitness...

One of my friends is Randy Shultz.
He and I are alike on so many fronts. We cry in movie theaters at moving scenes. We laugh out loud without really caring if anyone else is laughing. We both love our families. We love Jesus and we share similar questions about the Christian faith and life.
Randy met Jesus face to face on this day six years ago.

I have another friend... let's call him Roger (for privacy sake).
He and I are alike on so many fronts. We have cried together. We have laughed out loud. We have played tennis together on grass courts, clay courts and hard courts. We share a certain affinity of ogling over the legs of women professional tennis players. We love Jesus and we share similar questions about the Christian faith and life.
Roger is getting ready to meet Jesus face to face.
It won't be long now.

I've cried many crocodile tears over the last few days.

The heavenly scene will be just that... Heavenly when Roger meets Jesus.

Here is what I find fascinating...

Randy is going to meet Roger...

I won't have the pleasure of making the introduction but I have a feeling that they will enjoy each other's company. Randy has been there a few more years and might show Roger around. Perhaps they will sit and chat and laugh about who knows what.

What happens when two of my friends meet?

I guess I will have to wait a little while longer to find out.

Hey Roger....
Tell Randy I said, "Hey and that I miss him and that his family is as beautiful as ever!"
One more thing Roger...
Work on that forehand of yours! You better be ready to play when I arrive...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5.4)

Accident Rescue Team

The rain was dripping from the sky at a very consistent pace while the snow sat on the side of the highway over "the pass" like a tired hitchiker. Descending down the back slope on the western side of the Cascade mountain range an ominous scene appeared before my very eyes.

The guardrail on the other side of the road had a huge gape in it. Twisted metal darted down the hillside while what appreared to be the hood of an 18 wheeler straddled the maligned rail. Rescue vehicles were everywhere. Flashing lights bounced off the low ceiling gray sky. Further down the road another huge slash in the guardrail system exposed another breach.

There beside the highway stood a vehicle with these words on the side...
"Accident Rescue Team."

My iWitness...

Have you ever driven off the highway of life?
Have you ever found yourself in a ditch far from the blazened trail that everyone else has followed?
Have you ever crashed and burned?

Me too...

I have been amazed, bewildered and stunned how many times in the Christian community I have watched committed "Christians" drive by fellow believers who have crashed unceremoniously through the guardrail of life and proceed to shake their heads in disgust and then drive on with the pious prideful thought, "that will never happen to me. I am too good of a driver on the Christian highway to ever veer off of a dangerous cliff."

Why do people do that?
What if our first instinct was to form an "Accident Rescue Team" - a group of people committed to helping the accident victim get back on the road of life, fully restored and operational again?

I had a great "Accident Rescue Team" literally rescue me when I drove through the guardrail of Puritanical morality and ended up stranded down the cliff of abandonment. They bandaged me up. Helped me learn how to walk again. And the next thing I knew they were cheering me on as I got back in the driver's seat.

How about you?

Enjoy the drive today...
But slow down enough to see who just might be stranded on the other side of the guardrail and needs a hand to get back on the highway.
You will be glad you did...
I know I was.

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. ³ And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” ¹² And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2. 1-12)

Snow

It's snowing outside.
Not too hard.
Not too light.
But... just right.
The rocks on the hillside are neatly and nicely covered with a soft blanket of snow crystals keeping them company for the morning.
The stark contrast between the white snow resting on the dark green grass looks oxymoronic.
The rooftops look so clean and new with a fresh coat of snow painted upon them.
The windshield on my car has become obliquely opaque.
Did I mention it's snowing outside?

My iWitness...

Watching the snow gently descend from the sky fills my soul with peace.
The falling snow always reminds me of God's grace...
Gently covering my life...
Smoothing out the rough spots...
Quieting down the hustle and the bustle...
Beautifying that which had become ugly and sore...
Resting upon me but not weighing me down...
Adding a brilliant color to my pallet for the new day ahead...
I love the snow...for today
And like God's grace...
"For today" is all I need...
The Snow

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow... (Isaiah 1. 18)

Mike came Home...

The smile on his face was unmistakeable...
The gleam in his eye sparkled like a diamond from Jared's...
The pride in his core made his chest stand up straight...
The tenor of his voice was relaxed and bordered on gitty...
The anticipation of the story he was getting ready to tell overflowed from his posture when he leaned toward me...
It was straight out of the Bible...
He never thought it would happen...
But it did...
His wayward and prodigal son had come home...
For a week...
Seven days...
And it was good...
No... it was great!
I can't tell you how many years he has waited to experience the reality of the parable of the Prodigal Son firsthand...
When our eyes finally locked, his eyes darted over to his beautiful bride for a nanosecond and then back to mine as he uttered these three words that I thought I would never hear...
"Mike came Home..."

My iWitness...
What is it about someone "coming home" that grabs our attention and heart strings?

Have you ever gone astray?

Have you ever been the son or daughter that went astray, went sideways, rebelled and ran away?

Yeah... me too.

I am always intrigued to see what the response will be of those who are welcoming the strays back home.

Will their arms be crossed and face stern with a voice that booms, "It's about time..."?

Or will their arms be open wide with a face gleefully screaming, "Welcome home!!!"?

My friend's strong arms and loving heart were open wide to receive the son he loves with a full body bear hug.

I love reunions like that.
So does God...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² But the father said to his servants,‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ²³ And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. ²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate." (Luke 15. 20-24)

Like Sparrows

I had the privilege of preaching at the Grace Episcopal Church in St. Helena, California (heart of the Napa Valley) where my very good friend Father Mac serves as the Rector. As is always the common practice in the Episcopal Church, the Eucharist (The Lord's Supper) is served every week during worship. Today was no different.

Father Mac blessed and consecrated the elements of the bread and the wine and we were off and running. I was given the privilege of passing out the "wafers" to those who came forward to partake.

Men and women, boys and girls from ages 3 to 93 came forward one by one and...
knelt down on the padded steps...
placed their hands on the railing before them to balance themselves...
leaned on their elbows..
bowed their heads...
closed their eyes..
and then unfolded their hands to an open position to receive the wafer...
like sparrows...
waiting to be fed by their mother...
Softly, ever so softly I would place the wafer in their waiting palms and offer these words...
"The Bread of Heaven...
The Bread of Life..."

And they took the bread of life into their hands and ate the bread of heaven and nourished their souls...
like sparrows...

My iWitness...

I was moved to tears on more than one occasion at the scene set before me this day.
I was reminded of the great song...

His Eye is on The Sparrow...

1. Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
   Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
   When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
   
   • Refrain:
     I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
     For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
2. “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
   And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
   Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
3. Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
   When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
   I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
   His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Hear the good news this day...
His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10. 29-31)

Belly Buttons

I have the complete utter and hysterical joy of teaching fourth and fifth graders in Sunday School at my church about once or twice a month.
A few weeks ago we were going over the creation story.
"In the beginning God..." (what else do you need to know?)
We went over what God created on each day and how God just said, "Let there be..." and there it came! The power of God's word... Wow!
We went over the creation of Adam and Eve and we talked about ribs and whether or not men have fewer ribs than women because Eve was made out of Adam's rib.
We came to the end of our class time and I huddled the class together and said, "If you only remember one thing from today, remember this...Adam and Eve didn't have belly buttons!!"

They all huffed and laughed and their jaws dropped to the floors while their eyes bugged out. "What do you mean Mr. David that Adam and Eve didn't have belly buttons?"
With a big serious smile on my face I explained, "Since Adam and Eve were created from scratch they didn't have any umbilical cords."
One of the boys interrupted me with a very quizzical look on his face...
"If they didn't have umbilical cords, how... how did they talk?"

My iWitness...

This little boy learned real quick that there is a huge difference between umbilical cords and vocal cords.

Belly Buttons are great reminders that we were once connected in such a dependent way to a life source for about nine months to get our very lives up and running. Without umbilical cords we would never have come to be who we are today.

What would serve as the Belly Button for you as a vivid reminder that you are connected to the Life Source of the Universe?

Perhaps it is the cross that reminds you of God's love and the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made on your behalf so that you could have life and life eternal.

Perhaps it is the Lord's Table at the church you attend and you see the powerful ancient words inscribed on the side - "Do This In Remembrance of Me" that draws you to the Irresistible Inviter to the Banquet Table.

Perhaps it is the ever so familiar tune and words to great songs like "Amazing Grace" or "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" that ascends your mind and heart to the music stand of the Great Conductor.

Perhaps it is the rising or the setting of the sun each day that reminds you that you are connected to the  creative Creator.

Perhaps it is a thousand other things that remind you that you are not alone but that you are connected to the One who is above all, in all and is all.

So go ahead...
Take a peek...
Stare at your belly button and remember...
And give thanks to the God who gives us life and life abundantly!

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ²⁹ And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. ³⁰ And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹ And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." (Genesis 1. 26-31)

Trick or Treat

I am still stuck on the Halloween theme.
Maybe I should rephrase that... I am still stuck on the "Trick or Treat" theme.
Let's review...
The doorbell is rung.
The door is opened.
On one side of the door stands a costumed child enthusiastically proclaiming, "Trick or Treat!" while holding some sort of receptacle to receive a treat while you, the owner of the home stands on the other side of the door.

My iWitness...

A strange thought occurs to me...
Why are the costumed capers of small treats so satisfied with their take?

They come to my home where there is a huge banquet of food and treats not more than 30 feet away from the fornt door and yet not one of them ever asks, "Is there more?"

Not one of them ever inquires, "I have had a long night. May I come in and rest for awhile, maybe get to know you, kick my feet up and have a filet mignon?"

Never once has this occured!

The theme of the night is "Grab and Go!"

I can't help but think that we live out our lives in this manner with God.
We approach the Throne of Grace.
God stands there with a banquet table full of blessings, adventures and odysseys.
And yet...
All we ask for is a little "snack" size blessing and then we are off and running away to the next door down the street.

Why are we satisfied with such an approach in our relationship with the Giver of all Good things?

The more I think about this the more I think that I have been "tricked" and not "treated."
Not by God's doing... His door is open wide, inviting me in.
I have been tricked by my own doing because I am so easily and quickly satisfied with too little instead of too much.

I wonder if God feels the same...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10. 10)