Don't get the Walmart Jesus

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I woke up yesterday morning and we had a tree down. It snowed about 4" of heavy wet stuff and the trees were leafing out. There were lines down across the road, so we had a snow day yesterday. 

My home is in the country, so it is peaceful and quiet, well most of the time anyway, unless the kids and grandkids are here then all bets are off. Today the kids and grandkids aren't here, so it is very peaceful with the snow blanketing the ground and falling from the sky (where else would it fall from?). With the peace and quiet. I began to ruminate (I like the word ruminate; it is just fun to say.) on Sunday's sermon. Matt our pastor was talking about intrinsic value vs. attributed value. Intrinsic value (true value) never loses its worth, it is always worth more than what you paid for it. Attributed value, or market value can and often does lose its worth after you buy it. New cars are a great example of "attributed value". He went on to talk about buyer's remorse and wishing he had not bought certain things. While the things in his life that have intrinsic value, he has never regretted buying, getting, coming into relationship with. 

I probably would have gotten more out of the message if I wasn't cracking jokes about things like the "free" Lexus, or half the stuff I get at Walmart. Chaplains are weird ducks, just say-in. The person I was joking with was another chaplain. Evidently, we are not allowed to sit together anymore.

Anyway, I was ruminating on the sermon and having a real Bonhoeffer moment, he wrote The Cost of Discipleship, a book about the price you pay to follow Christ. While following Jesus is not free and doesn't feel like a bargain when you are going through a particularly difficult situation, a relationship with Jesus is an intrinsic value and never loses its worth.  

Don't get fooled into the Walmart Jesus were anything goes, and you don't have any spiritual growth. I am pretty sure you will have buyer's remorse in the end if you do.

We are in what we call "Passion week", the week in-between Palm Sunday and Easter. You know Easter, the holiday where we celebrate Christ's victory over death and the gift of everlasting life. We celebrate this amazing event by hiding eggs and having a bunny hop around (You just can't make this stuff up. We are a weird bunch). 

I can't tell you how many times God has asked me to do hard things. While I always end up doing what he asks (the story of my friend Joshua comes to mind) I, in most cases, throw a hissy fit because I don't want to. I say things, "It's too hard." or "It is too scary." just talking with you about this reminds me of the poem footprints in the sand, a poem that tells the story about two sets of footprints (when Jesus was walking with the person) and one set of footprints (where the person thought they were alone, and told Jesus so) Jesus responds, "The time you only saw one set of footprints was when I was carrying you." 

My poem is a little different. My poem has drag marks in the sand, where Christ was dragging me along.

When I do hard things that are Christ centered, not me centered, I always have spiritual growth. 

Intrinsic value.

Something to ruminate on.

Blessings,

Roger

We had "Y" Day last Friday.

 Good morning,

I pray the day find you well.

We had "Y" Day last Friday.

"Y" Day, what's that?

I am so glad you asked! 

"Y" Day is a day where we close down the entire association and bring all the staff together for a day of learning, fellowship, and fun. When I came in there were over 100 people milling around the lobby of the Clark YMCA. Being an introvert the last thing I wanted to do was to interact with 100+ people at 7am. The day did not start out as fun. 

I love people but not crowds.

Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor, our CEO, loves to start these events off with the standard "Y" check-in. 

I am not a fan of YMCA check-ins, especially the ones that have to do with "feelings" or "What are you working on currently?" At one of our association events Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor's check-in was, "Come to the front of the room, state your name, your title, and something you are currently working on for self-development." Most of the people in the room had gone and done their perfunctory duty. I went up and said, "Hi, I'm roger and my title is, "Village Idiot of the North Region" and what I am working on is to not be so self-deprecating! " I thought I was hilarious, Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor was not as amused.

It is good to get together as the whole "Y" family. It can become lonely and easy to forget that we are part of a bigger family. 

When I was a kid, I came into a relationship with Christ at the age of eight. My family was what one would call "spiritual but not religious." They weren't really sure what they believed in and did not go to church. I started going on my own, they didn't seem to mind. Probably because it was good to get me out of the house. By the time i was in high-school I was collecting my friends and taking them to church too.

What denomination was I? I am so glad you asked. I tell people that I was raised either Methoran or Lutherist, depending on your theological bent. I started in a Lutheran church but there was this Reverand Shoemaker in the Methodist church that really connected with me and my friends so we went to the Methodist church in high-school.

One day I was sitting in church listening to the sermon and there were these two adults that had been fighting all summer long. All summer they would tell anybody who would listen how bad the other person was. Then every Sunday they would sit next to each other in church as if they were the best of friends. I finally couldn't take it any longer and I asked Reverand Shoemaker, "How can they do that?" he said, "Church is a hospital for unhealthy people." I didn't like the answer. I thought it was flippant. so I stopped going to church. I said, "It is just you and me God. I am done with "man's" church!" 

When I went off to college it didn't take long for me to start to slip and go down roads that I knew God wouldn't like me to go. I went anyway.

A few years went by.

I didn't know who I was anymore. I didn't like me very much. I wanted to come back, but I was ashamed that I had run out on God. I sat in this shame for a couple of years. Then God just grabbed me and threw me back into church and fellowship.

Why am I telling you all of this? It is because a life with God, though may be a personal relationship, is never meant to be lived alone. we need the church, we need to fellowship with each other. It helps us in times of weakness.

Just as I need to get together with my  "Y" family. I need to get together with my church family too.

While I am not a fan of "check-ins" I know they ae vitally important. Thank you Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor for the check-ins. If as a "Y" family we can't keep each other accountable and see how an action over here affects an outcome over there, then we are just missing the point altogether. We need this in our walk with Christ too. 

Sooo, how are you doing with your walk with God?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger 

Evidently yesterday was, "No Housework Day."

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

Evidently yesterday was, "No Housework Day."

It is a good thing I didn't do any housework. I would have been upset if I had missed that day!!

My wife didn't know about it either, so she is more upset than I am, she did do housework yesterday. 

God is a funny duck! As I read the April 7 "No Housework Day" sign He said, "Remember that church board meeting you had almost thirty years ago." 

This is why you can't hide anything from God, He has an amazing memory.

 I said, "The one where the elder was upset because a person came into our church wearing shorts (it was his first time in a church)?" 

God said, "Yes, that's the one. I was very entertained."

 I responded, "I am glad you were, I was a little angry." 

He said, "I know, that made it even funnier." 

"I suppose you want me to talk about it in my bread", said I. 

God said, "That is why I reminded you." 

I said, "Ok." So here goes. 

I long time ago, in a land far far away, I was pastoring a church (Maybe it was more like pestering a church). And as many of you know, (it is ok if you don't, why would you if you haven't been in church) we have meetings. So. once a month the "Elder" team meets with the pastors and we would discuss church business. I have always said, "If you want to watch a bunch of Christians not act very Christian-like, go to an Elder meeting." During the meeting the topic of "dress code" was brought up (not by me) and the fact that this "new" person had the audacity to show up in shorts, it was summer by the way, the elder went on to say, "If I were to meet the president of the United States I would put on the best clothes that I had so I could make the best first impression that I can." 

I just looked at him in disbelief.  

He went on to say, "I want to make a motion (Roberts rules of order were alive and well in church meetings) that shorts are not allowed in church!"

Again, I just stared at him.

Then he said, "Pastor don't you agree?"

God said, "This is the best part!" 

I responded, "No, no I do not agree! you see, if I was to meet the president of the United States I too would put on my best clothes, so I could also make a best first impression. But, God already knows me! He sees me in church, and in the world. He sees me in the bathroom when I am pooping (Yes, I actually said pooping. Of course I was much young and not nearly as mature as I am now, so you won't here me say pooping now. I don't talk about poop or pooping anymore so do expect to hear pooping again., ok I done now)! He sees me naked in the shower! God does not ask me to dress up on the outside to come to Him. He continually nudges me to cleanup my insides so I can be more like him. If someone seeking Christ comes into our church wearing shorts, then good, at least they are with us." 

I have never forgotten this. When I get tired and a little "judgy" it reminds me that I have more house cleaning to do. Cleaning my spiritual house is never ending and not all that easy at least for me. 

How are you doing with your spiritual housecleaning?

Something to ponder

Blessings,

Roger

Postscript-No we did not confirm a dress code for our church.

I have never been a big fan of mirrors

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I have never been a big fan of mirrors, and quite frankly I don't think mirrors have been a big fan of me! Mirrors have never placed me in a good light. When I look into a mirror one of two things usually happen.

1. The mirror looks somewhere else.
2. The mirror exposes all of my flaws.

It is hard to have a big ego when you have a mirror in your house. Just when you start thinking you are all that and a bag of chips, you look in the mirror and see yourself and say, "Who am I kidding. I am no better than anyone else." 

Now let's get one thing straight. I am not talking about:

•  "Bad body image", which I must be quite fond of having since I live in that world everyday and do nothing about it. And in not doing anything about it, I am not saying I just need to work harder in the weight-room. I am saying, getting that tape out of my head that the enemy keeps playing saying, "you are ugly, unlovable, unwanted...Many of you know that tape. 
• "Low self-worth", Another tape that can play if I am not careful. 

What the mirror is good at reminding me of is the fact that I am not perfect. Just when I start thinking I am better than someone else and start to get "Judgy," the mirror reminds that God has forgiven me, so I need to forgive others. God has accepted me, so I need to accept others. Oscar Romero of El Salvador said it best when he said:

How easy it is to denounce structural injustice, institutionalized violence, social sin. And it is true, this sin is everywhere, but where are the roots of social sin? In the heart of every human being. Present-day society is a sort of anonymous world in which no one is willing to admit guilt and everyone is responsible.

Because of this, salvation begins with the human person, with human dignity, with saving every person from sin. Individually there are among us here no two sinners alike. Each one has committed his or her own shameful deeds, and yet we want to cast our guilt on the other and hide our own sin. I must take off my mask; I, too, am one of them, and I need to beg God’s pardon because I have offended God and society. This is the call of Christ.

How beautiful the expression of that woman upon finding herself pardoned and understood: ‘No one, Sir. No one has condemned me.’ Then neither do I, I who could give that truly condemning word, neither do I condemn; but be careful, brothers and sisters, since God has forgiven us so many times, let us take advantage of that friendship with the Lord which we have recovered and let us live it with gratitude.

Oscar Romero of El Salvador[1]

The mirror reminds that when the Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." that includes me. So often I can catch myself reading or hearing things that I want to apply to everyone else but not me. But my mirror won't allow me to do that. 

So often I see or hear something and want to get all "Judgy" about it, and the mirror says, "Do not judge so that you may not be judged." 

My mirror can really get my goat! Actually, my mirror says these things in a very loving way. it is me that acts like a spoiled kid throwing a fit when I am reminded. 

It is almost like God is talking to me and I am just being a brat. Hmm.......

I am reminded of an old song, sang in the church back in the days of florist Friers (another story I will have to tell one day), it went like this:

Old MacDonald had a sin E-I-E-I-O

Here a sin

There a sin

Everywhere a sin, sin

Old MacDonald had a sin E-I-E-I-O

With a sin, sin here

And a sin, sin, there

Here a sin,

There a sin,

Everywhere a sin, sin

Old Macdonald had a sin, E-I-E-I-O

Actually, they didn't sing it; the song just popped into my head as I was talking with you about grace and "judgyness". 

I will try to take my mirrors observations more seriously, and not get so emotional when I see something that I need to work on.

Am I the only one with a mirror that talks to me, or do others have one too?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger

---

[1]Northumbria Community, Celtic Daily Prayer, (San Francisco: HarperCollins Publishing Company, 2002), 329-30.  

Then I got to thinking about looking under rocks.

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

Did you know that April 15 was Geologist Day? It was on the white board in the lobby of our "Y". That got me to thinking, "Do you know what Geologists say at a concert? Rock-on!!" I thought of that all by myself! When I told it to my "Y" family the consensus was, they wished I hadn't thought of it. Then I got to thinking about what geologists do. When I thought about what geologists do, one of the things that naturally happens is, they pick up rocks. When I thought about what happens when you pick up a rock, the natural thing that happens is you look at where the rock was. So, by default, you look under a rock. 

Then I got to thinking about looking under rocks. 

While I was pondering looking under rocks and imagining what that looks like. God interrupted my daydreaming and asked (As if He didn't know), "What are you doing?" I replied, "Looking under rocks in my mind." When I said this, I immediately remembered a Steve Martin joke, it went like this; a person walked up and said, "Steve what are you doing?" Steve responses, "Why I am juggling in my mind....Oops, dropped one." God just smiled. He said, "Why are you imagining looking under rocks? You actually look under rocks every day. One of you favorite hobbies that I like to watch you do is look under theological, and worldview rocks, and see the hidden theology and worldview beneath them." 

I do like to look under theological/worldview rocks. It is always fascinating and often weird when I do. I am always entertained by them, often disappointed, but knowing them helps me, help others that have been hurt by these "hidden worldviews." Most people do not even realize they exist, but they do.

Take Christianity, my worldview, for instance; with-in this worldview there can be:

• Individualism
• Consumerism
• Nationalism
• Moral Relativism 
• Scientific naturalism

I have even added some others:

• Politicism
• Tribalism

Did I mention I like looking under rocks?

Lets take individualism for a ride. Individualism is the classic, "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps." Which taken to its conclusion says, "You don't need God for salvation, you can do it yourself." 

How about Consumerism? Consumerism is the classic throwaway society, When you don't need it, chuck-it. "I don't like the music in church, I will go to a new one." or "The message didn't move me, I will find one that does." Treating church as if they went to a show, consumerism.

Nationalism-"If the United States ceased to exist God's plan would be derailed."

And then there is Moral Relativism! The old, "truth is relative" argument. Speeding driver, "Pardon me officer, why are you giving me a ticket?" Officer, "You were doing 70 in a 55 mile/hour zone. Didn't you see the speed limit sign?" Speeding driver, "Oh yes, I saw it, but that doesn't apply to me. Your truth is not my truth and my truth trumps (pardon the pun) your truth every time. 

And then we have Scientific Naturalism. Scientific Naturalism states that the world is a closed system and does not leave room for an outside entity (God) to interact with it.  While this is a worldview that Christians do not adhere to, their reaction to it can be to reject "all science", as Wilkens and Sanford state in their book Hidden Worldviews, 

"Many Christians correctly recognize that naturalism does not find belief in God as simply a benign belief but as a dangerous alternative to rational scientific techniques. As a result, Christians often incorrectly react by rejecting science itself (sometimes with a rejection of rationality thrown in for good measure) rather than naturalism."[1]

Now we have Politicism and Tribalism. Politicism states that if you do not belong to the same political party as I do, or vote differently, you are evil; or that a particular political party is God's favorite. Those in the other party are not Christian. Tribalism, is simply if you do not talk, act, dress, go to a certain church...you are evil and not a Christian. 

I may be the village idiot of the North Region, but I don't think that there is room for any of these "Hidden Worldviews" in our main worldview. 

Here is where it gets really tricky.

We all fall into these hidden worldviews, no matter how diligently we strive not to. I catch myself often.

This got me to pondering once again. 

Am I the only one who trips and falls, or are their others out there? 

I haven't run into too many people that don't like Jesus, so what keeps them from drawing near? Hmmm...I hope it isn't me. 

It is funny what you will find when you look under a rock.

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger

---

[1]Steve Wilkens, & Mark L. Sanford, Hidden Worldviews. (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2009), 105. 

---

My watch rang and Jess was calling.

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

My watch rang and Jess was calling. 

Yes, I have a Dick Tracy watch. For those of you too young to remember Dick Tracy; Dick Tracy was a cartoon when I was a kid about a million years ago. He had really cool hi-tech gadgets and one of them was a wrist-watch phone (which by the way, was later parodied in the sitcom Get Smart where Don Adams (Maxwell Smart) had a shoe phone. 

Anyway, my watch rang and Jess was calling. 

The Kids went to Leavenworth, Washington this past weekend, leaving Laurie and I with the grandkids and Ruby, their Husky.

Laurie picked up the kids after school and when I got home the party and pranks started. They played an April fools joke on me right away, Laurie pretended to have forgotten to pick up the kids and they hid, jumping out to scare me, oh my. We then had dinner, made a fire in the fire pit, and roasted smores and blew bubbles. We finished the evening reading C.S Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe until they fell asleep. Laurie and I talked how we were going to wear the kids out the next day with our adventures. 

We got up early the next day because we had big plans. We had breakfast, got into our adventure clothes and jumped into the car. The kids had no idea where we were going, but when we got there they were sure excited. We went to Hood River, and to a climbing club. the climbing club was located in an old church. Laurie's grandfather had pastored that church in the late 1920's and early 30's. We went in had a blast. The kids climbed and bouldered for 3-hours. Laurie and the kids slept on the way home as I drove along. When we got home we started another fire, ate dinner and had smores. Everyone had a great time and all were really tired. Laurie started a bath for the kids and I sat down on the couch, trying not to fall asleep.

That was when my watch rang.  

I got up and grabbed my cell phone, (I don't like talking to my watch, it's just weird) said, "Hello." Jess told me that Muriel was in the ICU and to call her daughter Sandi, so I did. Sandi told me that they were going to take her mom off life-support (I didn't know she was even in the hospital) and could I come down now? 

I looked at Laurie (who had come into the living room) and she mouthed, "Can you even drive right now?" I was really tired. 

I paused for a moment, contemplating not going, and that is when God reminded me of our You can scream, cry, and yell, but you can't hit the chaplain daily bread.  You  know the one where I said, "Do you have anyone in your life that you can be an instrument of God's love?" And I said I will be there in about an hour (She was OHSU and I was in Washington).

I wasn't in "chaplain attire" but I didn't have time to change. 

As I drove to the hospital I said a prayer, actually I was just talking to God. I said, "Please give me the right words to say, please give the right actions and if you would please, keep me out of the ditch."

When I got to Muriel's room and met with Sandi, and her son, they were in distress, as anyone would be, and quite at a loss as to what to do. I talked to Muriel (She couldn't talk but her eyes opened a bit), I prayed over her. After I had finished, the nurse and the doctor came in and turned off the life support. I talked with Sandi about how the last thing to go is the hearing so she should continue to talk with her mom. 

We talked about Muriel, told some stories, had a few laughs, and yes, shed some tears and hugs. 

I stayed with the family until after 11pm and then drove home. God was good to me, He gave me the words to say, the actions to perform, and yes, He kept me out of the ditch.

Muriel is in heaven now. 

I am glad that I didn't just say that I was too tired to go. I am glad that my myopic self-centeredness didn't get the best of me. I am glad that God was able to use me to bring comfort to a family in distress. 

Most of all I am glad that I got one last conversation in with my friend Muriel. 

I will continue to be in relationship with Sandi and her son. I will do my best to walk with them through their grief, their loss. 

Enjoy those around you, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Blessings,

Roger

  

You can scream, cry, and yell, but you can't hit the chaplain

Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

One thing that I have noticed in my life's travels is, left to their own devices people tend to be self-centered and myopic. What I mean is, unless there has been some intervention by God, either mystically, or Him using part of His creation, people tend to be turned inward. 

Creation, what do I mean by that? I am so glad you asked.

God can use nature (remember He created nature) to transform someone. People fall in love with hiking, or water sports, animals...and they start thinking in terms of, "What is best for...and are my actions helping or hurting...?

God can use people (He created people too) to transform someone. People may go to a therapist, counselor, pastor, friend...and realize that they are part of something bigger and start thinking outwardly.

Oh, here is one for all those primordial ooze advocates out there. Have you ever thought that God created primordial ooze and thus created all biological life through that? Hmmm...something for you to ponder, just say-in. 

Not everyone has been transformed yet. We have lots of work to do.

The "Its all about me" mentality runs rampant through these individuals. 

I got to the "Y" this morning and was doing my walk through. I walk through the "Y" multiple times during the day checking on staff, volunteers, and members. I was doing my morning walk through and got to the Youth Department office. Padme (our Youth Director), Anna (our Youth Coordinator), and her daughter Aurora were there. No, those aren't their real names, you know the drill.

Anna was busy yelling at her computer screen. Padme was busy yelling No, No, No while at the same time texting a staff. and Aurora was busy playing music on a drum! Very relaxing environment if I say so myself. 

Anna was yelling at her screen because someone wanted financial assistance (We call this Access in the "Y"), but didn't want, or think, we needed any supporting documents. The, "I want this service but I don't want to do anything to help you give it to me" mentality was happening.

Padme was actually multi-tasking (something she seems to be very good at). Padme was yelling No, No, No, because a parent had signed their child up for two different sports with two different organizations at the same time. This parent had signed their child up for both city league soccer and YMCA basketball. Then sent Padme an email with the soccer schedule attached and said, "Here is my child's soccer schedule, would you please schedule all her practices and games around that!" All the while Padme was texting a staff about a schedule change for afterschool enrichment. 

Did I mention that people are self-centered and myopic?

Both Padme and Anna explained their plight to me, so I knew I had to do my chaplain thing. I did the only thing a good chaplain would do in this moment, I sang a song while Aurora played the drums! I thought this would help, evidently it didn't. 

I talked with them about the hardest people to work with, and to love, are the ones that need it the most. And that God often uses people to show them a bit of Him and transform their lives. I went on to say that maybe God was using them in the moment.

I also reminded them of the sign I have in my office. It reads, "You can scream, cry, and yell, but you can't hit the chaplain." Mostly because Padme threw a dodgeball at me. Did I mention that Padme played softball in college? Yep, she was an all-American pitcher so yes, it hurts when she hits you with a dodgeball. and yes, she doesn't miss!

After I left their office, that still soft voice said, "Well done, thank you for reminding people that I need them, as part of my creation, to help show a bit of Me. Also, have you looked for places in your life where you could be more outward facing?" 

I said, "Thank you, I will continue to work on this. Thank you for being part of my life."

That is when God gently and lovingly rebuked me. He said, "I am not part of your life. I am your life."

God touched my heart. He made me cry.

So I am wondering, "Do you have anyone in your life that you can be an instrument of God's love?"

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger