AfterWords: Stories that Shape Our Lives - "On the Eighth Day...."

 

Genesis 1-2

Origin stories are important. We want to know where we come from. My own story—as far back as we know—starts in the Scottish Lowlands. My people were farmers (and horse thieves…but only English horses!). Knowing their journey from Scotland through Ireland and then to the New World in 1743, and then their migration from Pennsylvania down the Appalachians into north Georgia by the late 1800’s—this is helpful for me and forms my self-understanding. The origin story in the opening chapters of Genesis is even more important. In this story of Scripture, we find that our world and all of Creation are God’s handiwork. That God makes this universe on purpose confirms that the universe and every one of us has purpose. This is good news!

Also a part of this story is God’s taking rest. After creating the universe, our world, and us humans, God rests. Here, God sets the pattern for us—we work, and then we rest. Unfortunately, in the early ages of God’s people, the scholars and religious leaders decided what was work and what wasn’t. They took a one-size-fits-all approach to work and rest. Thankfully, in our Christian era, we now know that work is important and rest is important, but just as one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, one person’s work is another person’s rest. Rest is designed for renewal and re-creation, after the expenditure of our days at work. My work includes lots of screen time and human interaction; my day of rest includes escaping screens and people 😊. Your work may be solitary or physically taxing; your rest may include getting together with others and sitting in front of screen. I cannot tell you what your rest is, and you cannot tell me what my rest is. One of our tasks as followers of Jesus is to really determine and understand what is “rest” for us…and find that day of the week that we can rest…renew…and re-create our lives.

Finally, we may have wondered (or not) what happens on the eighth day—that day after the seventh day: Did God just keep resting, or what? When we read Scripture, we see that God goes back to work. The world is now made, so what is the work of God? After Noah’s flood, God remakes the world. God creates a new people through Abraham. And God begins the amazing work of redeeming our broken and tarnished world. In Isaiah, God says he is “doing something new” (Isa. 43:19); in Jeremiah, God points out that he is remolding our lives, reshaping our lives (Jer. 18:6). Paul declares that “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 2:5).

God continues to work in our world and in our lives. Where you are and who you are today is not where you will be or who you will be. God continues the good work of renewal, redemption, and re-creation in us and even through us. Thanks be to God!

Sunday, September 7, 2025
“On the Eighth Day….”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Simple Stories, Profound Truths—Lessons in Grace

 

Jonah 1:1-17

Like other stories we have looked at (David & Goliath, Daniel in the Lions’ Den), the story of Jonah is often read in our children’s Sunday School classes or shared as a Bible story in Vacation Bible School. We adults do not linger long over this story. Perhaps it seems too incredulous? A man swallowed by a fish? Yet, we find a profound truth in this ancient story.

Jonah runs from God’s call to preach in Nineveh, is caught in a storm on the sea, tossed into the sea and swallowed by a fish. He prays to God, is spit out on land, and goes to preach in Nineveh. The Ninevites repent and the city is spared, and Jonah is angry because they didn’t get what was coming to them. He pouts, sits outside the city frustrated. The story seems to have no clear conclusion and ends with God asking him if he really has any right to be angry. Too often, the story is presented as a  morality tale: Obey God or suffer the consequences. Is this really message of the story?

One of the reasons I think we do come back to this story again and again is that we find ourselves there in the person of Jonah—we sense a call from God, and we run away. We aren’t all called to preach a message of repentance to large, pagan cities. More often, we sense a nudge from God to do some act of kindness, and we turn our attention to other things. We sense a whisper from God’s Spirit, and we close our ears and do nothing. Whatever shape our “running away” takes from whatever “call” comes to us, too often we turn away from God’s invitation to join in God’s work of redemption, healing, and salvation.

A significant piece of this story is found when Jonah is on the ship headed to Tarshish. The storm comes upon the ship and everyone is in fear for their lives. Jonah is the one who is running from God, but his act of rebellion is affecting the people around him. Even though we often talk of faith as being “a personal thing,” this story from Scripture shows us, reminds us, that how we respond to God can and often does impact the people around us—family, friends, coworkers, classmates, neighbors.

Most of us at some time or another have run away from God, ignored God’s prompting in our lives. We have become Jonahs. And, like Jonah, the place to stop and begin our journey anew in the right direction is in prayer. Jonah prays, and God sets Jonah again on the right path. That act of prayer opens Jonah—and others—to what this story is really about: grace. Jonah experiences grace. The sailors on the ship experience grace. Nineveh experiences grace. This is how God is, and we see the very same thing in the Gospels when Peter turns away from Jesus. When he turns back, he finds grace.

This is the message of Jonah: No mater the storms of life, no matter how far we go, no matter anything, God’s grace—the unearnable, undeserved love and favor of God—awaits us when we turn our lives again to God and join God in the work of changing, saving, redeeming, healing, befriending the world around us. 

What have you been running from? What ‘nudge’ have you ignored? What whispers have you closed your ears to? Today, stop running, pray, and join God in the joyous, life-giving opportunities God has for you.

Sunday, August 31, 2025
“Lessons in Grace”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Discipline of Daniel

 

Daniel 6

For those who were in worship with us this past Sunday, all I can say is, “Wow!” Our children really stepped up as they led our worship service. Besides all of those who helped in service leadership and music, Anna and Julian shared from their hearts how God had been there for them just as God was there for Daniel when he was thrown into the lions’ den.

“Daniel in the Lions’ Den” is one of those stories that we often tell our children, a story we too often associate with Bible School or children’s Sunday School. However, God has a profound truth for all of us in this story. Daniel serves as an example for us. Daniel refuses to allow anything—even the threat of death—to keep him from his discipline of prayer. How easily are we swayed from our practice of spiritual disciplines?

When we join the United Methodist Church, we take our “church vows”: to pray, to be present, to give, to serve, and to tell our story of faith. We call them vows, but really these are spiritual disciplines—things we do that bring us closer to God, closer to one another, and closer to becoming who God wants us to be. How do we measure up beside Daniel in maintaining our disciplines?

Prayer? “I don’t have time today.” Too often, it an occasional ‘emergency parachute’ for difficult times. For Daniel, he would not begin his day without it—no matter the cost.

Presence? “If it’s convenient…” is some people’s attitude too often. We forget Christians around the world dream of the freedom to gather. We forget that men and women who have to work on Sundays long to be in worship this morning.

Giving? The evil one whispers, “You might not have enough. Wait! Don’t give yet—let’s see how things go.” But God promises to bless those who “bring the tithe” into the storehouse.

Serving—Using our Talents? “Hey…you show up…isn’t that enough?” Too many are reluctant to commit. Yet, God gives us talents and gifts that we might serve Him and others.

Story—Telling Others of God’s Love and Grace? Well, if we’re not doing the first four, we probably won’t have many stories of God’s love and grace. If the only story we have is the story of our coming to faith, then we’ve never grown out of being spiritual babies. We were “born again” as Jesus calls it in John 3, but we’re still in diapers. When we pray, show up, give, and serve, we gather story upon story of God’s love and grace and provision.

Daniel is for us an example of holding to the disciplines of faith no matter the cost. Daniel knew putting God first meant everything else in his life fell into order.

Sunday, August 24, 2025
“Discipline of Daniel”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Facing Giants

 

I Samuel 17:1-11; 32-50

We often associate the story of David & Goliath with children’s Sunday School or Vacation Bible School, but this is anything but a children’s story. The plot fills the stories of literature and film—the underdog overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I see this story in every John Grisham novel and in so many films, including my favorite: Star Wars.

Today’s giants are not 9’ tall with 30-pound spears. Rather, they’re regular people with 3-pound laptops; they’re ideas and ideologies; they’re economics and politics. They are any of those “rulers…authorities…powers of this dark world and…spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). Like Goliath, the giants of our lives shout us down, curse us, and do all they can to instill fear in our lives. They threaten to break apart all we’ve made.

One giant threatens our relationships, our friendships, our families. When our family and friends walk in directions we think wrong, this giant raises his head to break us apart. Decisions, inaction, politics, spending—all of these are weapons of this giant. And, we need the right smooth stones to bring to these situations. One stone to combat this giant is silence. A shocking fact for many is this: We don’t have to respond to people; we don’t have to share our opinion. This important to remember, as is Paul’s admonition in his letter to the Romans: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (12:18). A second stone we bring to this giant is “gentle speech.” We can respond without diving into a brawl.

The “3 Practice Circle” teaches us to approach divisive conversations with disarming words and a desire to listen. Rather than roar back with fighting words, we use this simple phrase: “I’d be curious to know….” No one is threatened by mere curiosity. “I’d be curious to know what led you to this idea.” Then, we listen. We allow the other person to explain. And, we don’t respond—we don’t fire back with all the flaws we see in their explanation. Instead, we say, “Thank you for explaining—I understand you better.” We’re not agreeing. We’re not saying they’re right. We are saying in effect, ‘I heard you.’ And that is something we all crave—to be heard.

Financial uncertainties give space for another giant to plan worry and fear in our lives. This giant sees the taxes, tariffs, and rising costs-of-living and yells, “You don’t have enough!” We respond to this giant with the stone of trust—the very trust in God that has brought us to this moment, to this day. God has brought us this far, and God will carry us forward. We also have the stone of frugality—if we choose to pick it up. We chose to live simply and live through difficult times. Paul in his letter to the Philippian church says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (4:11-13)

We face so many different giants today: Threats and taunts from illness, relationships, job situations, and more. We face these giants by gathering the smooth stones we find in Scripture.  With these stones and with God by our sides, we too will fell the giants before us and live a life of victory. 

Sunday, August 17, 2025
“Facing Giants”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: "Christians & Politics"

 

Matthew 22:15-21

In 32 years of Christian ministry, I have never overtly touched the theme of politics in the pulpit. This past Sunday, that changed. We see so much division and disruption in our society today because of politics, I decided it was time. But, what to say? Where to start? I would never dream of using my place of leadership to turn our pulpit into a partisan megaphone…dividing things further. So, what to do? I decided to start with Jesus.

Where does Jesus stand on politics? He says very little to or about the political powers of his day. In today’s reading, he does recognize both the realities and separateness of earthly powers and God’s kingdom: Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. He says little else about/to the political reality of his time. However, his selection of disciples reveals something important. In Matthew 10, we find Galileans (sort of outsiders), a tax collector (working for the Romans), and a Zealot (one passionate for the Jewish faith and culture). In Jesus’ band of disciples, we find people from all political walks of life…much as we find in our congregations (at least in our larger, urban congregations). Since Jesus chose who he wanted, this reveals a lot about Jesus’ response to the political landscape.

Where do we Christians often go wrong in this endeavor of politics? If we have followed Jesus, if we have read the Gospels, we know that Jesus was fiercely dedicated to the Kingdom of God, the Reign of God. We see what this kingdom-life looks like in Jesus and his teachings. In Luke 4, Kingdom work includes proclaiming good news to the poor, declaring freedom to the prisoners, declaring recovery of sight to the blind, and setting the oppressed free. In Matthew 24, Kingdom work means feeding the hungry, giving the thirsty something to drink, welcoming the stranger, clothing those without clothes, taking care of the sick, and visiting the prisoners. This is what Jesus focuses on in his ministry and calls us to focus on. No follower of Jesus would dispute this. We go wrong, however, when we expect the government to embrace this work and bring it into reality. If they do, great! But, we should not expect a mere temporal country to embrace the universal, eternal work of God. Countries and governments are about self-perpetuation, not about the Kingdom of God.

So, how do we live as faithful Christians in the 21^st political mess we have? First, we can follow the example of Jesus who says little to or about political realities, we embrace and take up Kingdom-work in our daily lives, and we let go of expectations of government to do the work we’re called to. With the freedom of speech we enjoy in the US, we should use our voices—gently and persistently—to nudge our nation, our government, and our politicians towards Kingdom values. But, let’s not get lost in the political muck, putting our trust in governments and politicians instead of putting our trust in God. And, let's not allow politics to divide us and rob us of the peace and joy God offers us.

Let's trust the goodness of God. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus. Let’s do the work of the Kingdom…today, now, where we are. Amen.

Sunday, August 10, 2025
“Christians & Politics”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Seven Deadly Sins / Life-Giving Virtues: Pride

 

Philippians 2:1-8

When our Christian ancestors left the cities and headed into the deserts in the 3rd and 4th Centuries AD, they truly thought they were fleeing the sins that weighed them down. But, when they got to their destinations and began building their new communities, they found that their sins had come with them. The deadliest of sins, pride, snuck up on them as they patted themselves on the back for making their escape, for being better and holier for having made their journey.

While there is a form of pride that is not a sin—that pride we take in a job well done, that pride in our children for their accomplishments—there is a pride that sets us above everyone else…and has us look down on those who have not become what we have, who don’t have the things we have. This is the pride of self-love. And, this kind of pride is deadly—robbing us of life-giving relationships and damaging our relationship with God.

Jesus shows us this pride in his parable of the pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. The pharisee boasts of his holiness in prayer; the tax collector recognizes his utter lack before God. Jesus lifts up the tax collector as the hero in the story, as the one we’re to emulate.

Pride grows out the false perception that who we are and what we have is all our own doing. We think we are self-made men and women. Just a moment of thought and reflection reveals that we did not chose our own genetics; we did not give life to ourselves; we did not teach ourselves to read, write, and do simple arithmetic; we have not inspired ourselves. Tens if not hundreds of people have contributed to our lives. Yes, we may have made the best of what we have, but we are not the source of what we have.

When we watch the many music, TV, and movie awards shows (Academy Awards, CMT, etc.), the one commonality we find in the acceptance speeches of these great, creative, often-wealthy, amazing people is how many people they give thanks to confirming that who they are and what they’ve done comes from many people in their lives. Even they show us that we are not of our own making.

Scripture makes it very clear—there is no room for pride in the life of Christians. Not only are we able to come to the conclusions that logic offers above, but we also have the Scriptures that remind us we are ultimately made by God, created by God. We cannot be a people of pride—self-love—nor can we be a people of the opposite: self-loathing. We are not 'everything,' and we are not 'nothing.' We are completely loved and valuable to God. So, we let go of pride by embracing the middle way of humility—Christian humility. That is, we recognize who we are before God…who each and every human being is before God—created by God, loved by God, valued by God.

Sunday, July 27, 2025
“Seven Deadly Sins Life-Giving Virtues”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Seven Deadly Sins...Life-Giving Virtues: Envy

 

James 3:13-18

“Oh, how I wish I had what he has!” “If only I could enjoy that kind of vacation….” “My life would be so much better if I had a spouse like that.” “I wish I could look like that!” Envy is born out of seeing what someone else has and wishing we had it…wishing it were ours and not theirs. “Envy is resentment or sadness at another’s good fortune or excellence, …is more than simple jealousy because it includes the belief that another’s excellence or blessings lessens one’s own….” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/envy)

Psychological and medical studies reveal that envy leads to anxiety, insomnia, depression, cancer, and cardiovascular disease—all from feeling like our lives are lacking compared to others. On television, in movies, and on social media, we see people living amazing lives, eating exotic foods, enjoying obviously fulfilling relationships with the most attractive, fun, or clever people. We make hundreds if not thousands of comparisons every day…and we find our lives wanting.

Interestingly, “envy” comes from the Latin “Invidia” which means “not-sight.” While we are seeing and comparing ourselves to what we see on screens and in neighbors’ yards and in the work place, there is so much that we do not see. You and I know people who look amazing on Facebook, who look happy and “put together.” But the reality behind the image is brokenness, pain, loss, anger, and a host of other things. We would do well to stop ourselves when we see someone who seems to have what we want and remember there is much we do not see.

In Mark 7, Jesus calls envy “evil,” and in I Cor. 13, Paul points out that envy has no place in the life of Christian love. Our Christian ancestors were very right to include this among the deadly sins—this sin of envy breaks relationships and robs us of life. So what do we do? As we have seen all through this study of deadly sins, we know that envy is best replaced than merely erased.

In Philippians 4:5-7, Paul calls us to reject anxiety (a direct effect of envy) and embrace a life of “thanksgiving,” of gratitude. Rather than compare ourselves to others, we become grateful for what we have. We recognize that we will always have those around who have more and better and newer…and we must realize that we will always have those around us who have less and older. Instead of comparing, imagine being content, realizing that we are blessed in what we do have. Let us learn to be a thankful people and let go of being an envious people. Paul reminds us, “…godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Tim. 6:6-7).

Sunday, July 20, 2025
“Seven Deadly Sins Life-Giving Virtues”
Watch/Listen: HERE

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[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/envy