Reflection Archives 1

 

 


18 JULY 2021

THE HOUSE ON HIGHWAY 71

"No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come
will not be remembered by those who follow them." (Ecclesiastes 1:11)

Yesterday I visited the humble retirement home that had been occupied by my grandparents some sixty years ago. It is located on Highway 71 in the Danish farming village of Danevang, Texas. The town's immigrant farmers slowly, one by one, retired to this simple stretch of rural roadway, just down from the community's co-op cotton gin. I worked at a natural gas plant near there in the summer of 1965 and remember coming over to mow the yard each weekend. During those visits my grandmother would tell me stories of what life had been like back in Denmark, the troubles that caused them to immigrate to America in 1930, and how difficult it had been to raise five children on a small cotton farm during the great depression. At one time all they had to eat were bread and the figs from one large fig tree. She learned a thousand ways to prepare figs!

Today, the house stands empty with the once pristine garden now overgrown with weeds and untended grass. Its fresh white coat of paint has faded to a dull gray. A few Iris flowers stand defiantly alone in one corner. I reflectively walked around the property and peered through the partially covered windows. There had been some additions, but the original layout was still the same. I recalled Grandpa Thyssen rocking in his corner, smoking Prince Albert in his pipe, and listening to the shortwave radio that was broadcasting in Danish. The home's wood was now rotting and it was obvious that the structure had been neglected. It is good only to be torn down and replaced with something else. The walls and rooms will remain silent as to all they have seen and heard in the past. But they must be pleased with the dozens of "little people" who have been born and raised and lived good lives because of what led to The House on Highway 71 some sixty, no closer to one hundred, years ago.

Isn't life similar to that for all of us? Sixty years from now I will be long gone (from this world, although hopefully not from the next), as possibly will be my children. Their children will be recalling "Grandpa Thyssen" and telling stories of his life. I wonder what those stories will be. Living overseas? Requiring them to mow grass or pull weeds (against their will)? Serving as a hospital chaplain? Will they remember my spiritual life? What will have been passed down to them? What is important? Will the writer of Ecclesiastes be proven correct again? "…and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them…" I wonder. How about you?

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.org


 

15 JULY 2021

HAPPINESS AND JOY


Slightly edited by the Chaplain from a reflection by Rich Lewis on 9 July 2021in which he considers Nicholas Amato's book: Happiness & Joy: Can A Spiritual Life Have Both?

What Is The Difference Between Happiness and Joy?

Do we need to experience happiness before we can feel joy? How long do happiness and joy last? Happiness seems to have a short-term life. When we stop feeling happy, we pursue the next thing that we hope will once again make us happy.

Look at your own life. Remember the times when you were happy. How long did this happiness last? What did it depend upon? Happiness seems to be something we seek on the outside: a raise or promotion at work, an unexpected gift from a friend, a one-week vacation.

Now, think about the times when you were overcome with joy. Your body tingled with an excitement for life, the present moment was enough, it was perfect. You had a love for life that was not external but came from within. What did this inner joy depend upon? Did it have staying power, or did it drift away despite your best efforts to cling to it.

We begin to realize that there is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is short term. Joy is here, and it is now. Joy does not leave us. It is the ground on which we stand, walk, and move forward on in life. Where does this joy come from?

Where Does This Joy Come From?

Joy seems to surface during both relationship and connection. I have discovered that joy is in a friend that I can call when I need to talk, my spouse who I drink French press coffee with while we quietly watch our favorite TV show, when I walk and soak in the warm sun, the trees, the blue sky, the sounds of birds, the wave from a neighbor, while I sit at the table with my family, share a meal and we talk, laugh, and enjoy each other's company.

What does joy gift us with? Joy is powerful. Joy fills us with life, confidence, excitement, love, energy, power! Luke 2:10 tells us, "For Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people." Read this again! This joy is long-term, lasting, eternal! Joy grounds us, is always with us, sustains us, and provides us with life giving power.

Have you been in the presence of someone who radiates joy? They are pleasant to be with. They attract people. People gravitate to them. They carry an inner peace and confidence whether their environment is calm or chaotic. We want what they have. How do we access this same inner joy? Where does it come from? It reminds me when I sat next to a someone at a one-day retreat. She radiated joy. She glowed. I could feel her inner peace, content-ment, and confidence. I wanted to sit, bathe, and bask in her presence as long as possible. I wanted what she had!

How Do We Obtain This Joy?

How do we obtain this joy? John 16:24 tells us, "Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." Is it really that simple? I believe it may be that simple! All we need to do is ask, and our joy will be complete.

Joy is the fruit of a connection and a relationship with the source of all joy. What is the source of all joy? The large Joy: God. Joy brings forth transformation and healing.

Joy is not pursued; it is a fruit of the Christian life (Galatians 5:22). Joy is a fruit of prayer. Prayer is my daily mainstay.

We prayerfully sit in silence because we love God. We come with no expectations, yet God graces us with inner joy as we let go of the barriers to this inner joy. What are these barriers? I hear people tell me they include fear, anxiety, loneliness, lack of confidence, worry. The paradox is when we open to God, we receive Joy!

As Nicholas Amato writes in his book: Happiness & Joy: Can A Spiritual Life Have Both? "Joy from a spiritual point of view then, is more than happiness, and happiness is more than pleasure. Pleasure is in the body. Happiness is in the mind and feelings, if you will, but joy is a deeper reality subsiding in the heart, the spirit, and the center of who we are." Joy is the very ground of our being! It is given to us from Being. We can open to the joy within, let it out, carry us forward, sustain us.

We can access this inner joy despite the outer chaos and stress. Joy is wordless. We can live from joy when we let go of our words and bask in this wonderful life with which God has graced us. When asked to describe our joy, we often are without words. It just is, and we know it.

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.org

 

5 JULY 2021

FAITH IN A TIME OF CRISIS

During times of crisis and disruption we often find ourselves in anguish and asking, "Why me?" We just don't understand why God would allow such a calamity to take place in our lives. I can only imagine what the survivors and families of those crushed by the recent condominium collapse in Florida are going through. They must surely be exclaiming, "Why me?"

Philip Yancy wrote a book entitled Disappointment with God in which he shares a number of tragic occurrences and how individuals reacted to them. He addresses the role of faith in such struggles. I once listened to a video in which Yancy says he has come to a definition of faith that seems to work in the moment when the crisis is coming down on us (literally coming down in the case of the condominium collapse). Yancy says that his definition of faith is, "believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse". We can't understand why when we are in the midst of the crisis. But we believe that someday we will understand.

In Hebrews 11:1 the Bible has our textbook definition of faith, i.e. "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Yancy's definition is close to Hebrews 11:1, but his version seems to me to come across a bit more powerfully when experienced within a crisis context.

What about faith during more normal times? NationsUnivesity's Mission Statement speaks to developing an "authentic faith". What does that mean? A recent Netflex movie tells the story of Mary Magdalene. It is certainly not a movie "by the book" but does present Jesus in a generally valid manner. In one scene Jesus contrasts the rules-based faith of the Jews with his version of the kingdom of God. He says that we are to have a tenacious faith that drives us to love God and our neighbor and to align every aspect of our lives with God. When we pursue life in that way we will discover an entry to the kingdom of God. And I suppose that is "authentic faith". We not only believe but we are driven to act on that belief.

My father was an airplane pilot. I often got to go flying with him. One day he took me along and at about 3,000 meters of altitude he unexpectedly turned off the engine! In shock I asked what he was doing. He replied that he was looking for a place to land in the unlikely event that the engine really did stop. Then he restarted the engine and we went on our way. I think this is similar to how we are to live our lives of faith. We may not be in a crisis today, but we can solidify our faith so that when the crisis does come (and it will come to each of us) we can confidently say, "I don't understand but I believe that someday I will understand."

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.org


 

29 JUNE 2021

STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT

My father once managed a small airport in Texas. I was only about seven years old at the time. Our humble house was on the airport property but surrounded by a corn field. And it was very dark at night. I can remember looking up at the night sky and being awestruck by the thousands of glimmering dots in the heavens. The milky way was clearly visible, stretching from one end of the horizon to the other. One day I learned that there was something called a "big dipper" up there. I had been "star gazing" for some time but had never seen a "big dipper". Once someone pointed out the four stars making up the square dipper and a few others that comprised the ladle I could suddenly "see" what had been there all along.

Isn't that the way a lot of life is? We live in the same environment day after day but never "see" things that are right under our noses. It requires someone or some experience for us to begin to perceive what is there. It is all about perception. The gospel is a little like that. I am reminded of Romans 10:15. "How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" Are there some parts of your spiritual life that you failed to see but all of a sudden "popped out" in your awareness?

I like this illustration from Carl McColman. It suggests that we cannot "place God in our hearts" because He is already there. Always has been. We just haven't perceived the divine presence!



One of my favorite songs is a Jewish folk tune that looks up to the stars and sings that they represent those who have gone before us. Now, by the twinkling of their light they can guide us in the darkest night. If we will but look up. What have we learned from the stories that have been handed down from generation to generation? I can only imagine families sitting under the stars in the days of the Old Testament and recalling the adventures, victories and failures of their ancestors. And today, we can reflect on the lives of so many who have sought to live their lives in the way Jesus lived. Yes, they are all stars that we can view and be guided by, stars that show us things that were there all along but which we simply never "saw".

An old English nursery rhyme says:

Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight;
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

What do you wish for tonight? Perhaps it is to "see" more of what Jesus came to show us, what has been there from the beginning (1 John 1:1). And once we see it, we will be unable to resist responding to it.

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.org


21 JUNE 2021

IDENTITY AND SELF WORTH

Over the years I have been impressed with some people's ability to "reframe" how one thinks about something. For example, rather than seeing a problem, one can choose to see a challenge. Instead of focusing on "This is just too hard!", try "…but I can do hard things." The essential idea behind reframing is that the "frame" through which a person views a situation determines their point of view. When that frame is shifted, the meaning changes and thinking and behavior often change along with it. Imagine looking through a camera lens. The picture seen through the lens can be changed to a view that is closer or further away. By slightly changing what is seen in the camera, the picture is both viewed and experienced differently.

A friend of mine recently posted a reframing of how we think about our identity and self-worth as Christ-followers. He suggests that too often we have tended to teach and think starting with an identity of sinfulness and the consequences thereof. "Poor me, I'm just a no-good sinner." He suggests that another way to approach this is to first come from the perspective that, "I am a child of God, made in God's image. By love, for love, and to love." Perhaps that's really where the story of identity and self-worth begins in the Christian faith. God loves us. We are sons and daughters of God. We carry the divine DNA.

My friend suggests that we stop telling the story beginning with Genesis chapter 3. Rather, let our story begin in Genesis chapter 1where it repeatedly proclaims, "It is good!" Then when we find ourselves in a position of sin (and we all do from time to time), we can be reminded of who we "really" are. You see, Jesus came to reframe our relationship with His father. And with that new frame comes a new relationship and with that new relationship a positive change in behavior. Yes, God loves us. He always did.

None of the above detracts from the atoning mission of Jesus and seeking to live our lives like Jesus lived. "Greater love has no man than this…" Perhaps we could start with I John 1:1-2:2.

It seems to me that this "reframing" might be a healthy way to recognize our self-worth and to get a stable sense of our own identity in Christ. What do you think?

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.org

Source: Based on and edited from a Facebook posting by Dr. Lance Bolay, Director of Mission Impact, Samaritan Counseling Center of East Texas, Tyler



14 JUNE 2021

HEROES OF FAITH

Hebrews 11 is known as the roll call of the faithful. It lists all the heroes of the Old Testament and explains how they persevered, even when they could not see how God's promises would possibly be fulfilled. Noah, a flood and an ark, Moses hearing promises from a burning bush, Abraham leaving his homeland, Rahab playing her part, etc. It struck me this weekend that one heroin who has not been on the list is the mother of Jesus, Mary. The angel appeared to her and she complied with the instructions she was given, against all human understanding. Then she pondered in her heart the things that Jesus said and did while he was growing up. And finally, she was at the foot of the cross as he died - still not understanding what God had put in motion but believing that God had indeed brought it all about. It seems to me that Mary could be listed right alongside of Noah, Moses, Abraham and those others who pursued their path with nothing but faith to lead them on.

I am also reminded of my own mother and who prayed for me as a young man, even when I was seemingly going off track. I recall the last visit to my grandmother in her nursing home as her mind was fading. The last thing she said was, "I'm praying for you, Allen." I recall Howard and Bettye in more recent years who took me under their wings and encouraged me even when I made some decisions they considered unwise. And Virgil, the chaplain who trusted in God's ability to use me to minister to others even though I had little in the way of formal training. And there are others.

Yes, we have those in our lives who had faith in God's plan and encouraged us even when it was not clear what the future would hold. They are my heroes. I am thankful for each of them. Are you?

Blessings and peace,


 

8 JUNE 2021

This week's Reflection was written by Method Moyo in Zimbabwe and originally shared on FaceBook. It has been slightly edited by the Chaplain. Moyo reminds us of a Christian's need to remove the excess baggage he or she is carrying around in their life. Good words, words to act on!

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu


REMOVE THE EXCESS BAGGAGE

When a person is boarding an airplane, the requirement is that you carry no more than the recommended weight. I have never been into a plane myself, but I have heard some of my friends who usually fly saying so. This is because a plane cannot fly if it is overloaded, lest it crash. The concept is the same in our Christian journey and even in life generally. And no one wants to crash!

Yesterday I listened attentively to a sermon at our church where the preacher talked about removing some weights in a Christian race. Our Christian journey is like a race, and we cannot complete the race if we have excess baggage. Sometimes the weight we are carrying limits us from being what we want to become and what God wants us to become. For us to be in the race, the requirements are clear, REMOVE THE EXCESS BAGGAGE!

Sins are one form of baggage in our race. Most of us sin each and every day. Some are thieves, some are fornicators, some are adulterers, some are killers, some are robbers, some are gossipers and so forth. The truth is that each of these is excess weight in our Christian journey. They need to be removed! Leave them behind at the embarkation point. Even many church leaders some-times carry heavy loads that hinder their Christian journey.

Sometimes our jobs are a baggage that hinders us from being committed Christians. You find a job that requires one to be at work even during the day or time of worship. Then there is no time to meet with other believers. What do we value the most?

If we are to grow spiritually, there are some things that we have to do away with. God sometimes cannot bless us because we are carrying too much weight. God wants us to throw away that excess baggage in order for him to walk with us.

Are you ready to throw away the excess weight in your life?


Source: Original by Method Moyo.


 

2 JUNE 2021

PEOPLE CROSS YOUR LIFE

This week I am mourning the loss of my friend, mentor and "chosen sister", NationsUniversity's Marty Lynn. As Raymond Key writes in his guest article below, she was important to me, crossed my life, and touched it with love.

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu

People important to you cross your life, touch it with love, and carelessness, and then move on. There are other people who leave you, and you breathe a sigh of relief. You wonder why you ever came in contact with them. There are people who leave you and you breathe a sigh of remorse and wonder why they had to go away and leave such a gaping hole.

Children leave parents, friends leave friends, acquaintances move on. People change homes. People grow apart. Enemies hate and move on. Friends love and move on. You can think of the many who have moved through your hazy memory. You look on those present - and wonder.

I think that God has a master plan for lives. He moves people in and out of each other's lives, and each leaves his mark on the other. You find that you are made up of bits and pieces of all who ever touched your life; and you are more because of them. You would be less if they had not touched you.

Pray to God that you can accept the bits and pieces in humility and wonder, and never question, and never regret.

Note: This was first published in an article by a publication called "Bits and Pieces."


MAY 23, 2021

A Faith To Die For

I have spent the past week on the shore of a peaceful lake in East Texas where I pondered the subject of belief and why we believe what we believe when we believe it. The bottom line is that I found myself believing less but more firmly.

What one believes is important because personal behavior is directly associated with it. For example:

Action is driven by emotions.
Emotions are driven by perceptions.
Perceptions are driven by beliefs.
And the human mind can believe anything!

Yes, the human mind can believe anything! This is especially true in matters of spirituality where there is less in the way of tangible evidence upon which to base one's convictions. So, I ask this week, "Where does your belief meet your behavior?"

At a Christian baptism the individual is asked, "Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?" Other religious traditions require similar statements of faith. For example, in Islam, the new believer is required to affirm that, "There is only one God and Mohammed is His prophet." The Jewish people believe they are challenged and blessed by God. Love of one's neighbor is the great principle of social life and the founding inspiration of the Jewish community. Agnostics believe the existence of a god, or even ultimate reality, is unknown and may be impossible to know. And so it goes. I find myself asking why I believe what I believe when so many others have come to different positions.

It seems that belief does not imply or require a full understanding. That is where the concept of faith comes in. If we fully knew then it would not be faith, for as the New Testament says, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) Phillip Yancy has defined faith as, "believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse." Yancy suggests that we will understand someday, but not today. Even so, is what we believe worth dying for? The early Christians and martyrs believed it is.

But my real challenge this week was to explore WHY we believe what we believe when we believe it. What is your current spiritual belief based on? Has it changed since you "first believed?" Why do you believe what you believe now? Some possibilities (and I have experienced most of them) that came to mind as I sat on the shore of that peaceful lake were:

1. Children usually adopt the religion of their parents, those whom they trust the most.
2. One's beliefs often reflect the norms of the society (or tribe) they live in. Peer pressure is real.
3. Emotional attachments (like falling in love) frequently result in adjustments to one's earlier beliefs.
4. Life experiences inevitably influence one's beliefs. One might conclude that, "If that's what God is like I don't want anything to do with Him!" Or vice versa.
5. Sometimes one is driven to formally evaluate the evidence from a technical perspective and then make logical, considered conclusions about what to believe.
6. And, of course most religions have their sacred scriptures each of which, properly interpreted, claim to present the "truth".

Christian children are taught the song, "Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so." Thus programmed, their beliefs are subsequently influenced by teachings found in the Bible. As an adult, Bible believing Christians often profess something like, "The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it." But the real question might need to be, "I understand you are a Bible believer, but are you a Jesus follower?"

So, as a Christian do you believe what you believe because of one of these reasons, or perhaps because of some other reason? Have you chosen your belief, or had it handed down to you?

Jesus and the New Testament have a lot to say about belief. Here is a sampling:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

"I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." (John 12:46)

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36)

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. (I Thessalonians 4:14)

Believers in the first century often came to faith because of personal experience. They saw Jesus perform miracles. They heard Jesus' teachings in person. They saw the joyful faith of their families and other disciples, even as they were put to death because of their belief. They experienced the loving behavior of Jesus and his disciples and other followers. And they correlated what they saw with what the Old Testament had foretold. Today, we seldom have such a firsthand experience. However, we do have the written accounts (assuming one accepts them as authentic) of those who did. The apostle John quoted Jesus as saying, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

In today's world many have been led to faith by observing the love of those who believe, the consistency of the Scriptures, and an attractive purity of life in the lives of believers. As the religious philosopher Elton Trueblood wrote many years ago, these factors can combine to provide today's believer with a solid "place to stand" when the storms of life swoop in.

Hopefully, my personal faith-enhanced belief will produce perceptions that result in positive emotions and behaviors that are consistent with the love that Jesus exhibited and died for.

The Christian acknowledges the death of Jesus, proclaims His resurrection and looks forward with faith to His coming again. And his or hers seeks to become a life of love that is modeled after the One who died for all. This I believe. I also believe that the Holy Spirit has a lot to say, if we will but be quiet enough to listen. As one noted theologian said, "I find myself believing fewer things but believing them ever more strongly".

What do you believe and why? Think on that this coming week.


Blessings and peace,
Chaplain Allen

Note: This "reflection" is that of the author's, alone. It does not necessarily match the views of any organization he may be associated with.



16 May 2021

WHERE DO YOU BELONG?

"Where do you belong?" Those words appeared on my Facebook page. They have haunted me ever since.

There are so many aspects to this. Do I belong in this community? Do I belong in this profession? Do I belong in this form of recreation? Are there parts of my life that habitually keep me stuck in ways of thinking or acting that I certainly do not belong in? Do I recognize the pain that this "stuckness" is causing? Or have I just become accustomed to it and falsely accept that it is "normal?"

Here is an example. I am stuck with being ten pounds (4.5 Kilos) heavier than I was last year. That is fifteen pounds heavier than my ideal weight. Do I have the motivation to change this? And yes, to change would be painful. No more chips. Just eat vegetables. Cut my intake in half. Exercise seriously. Feel the pain! Do it until the change comes. If I do not act soon, the long term pain will certainly be painful, if not deadly. If I don't take care of myself today I will most certainly have to deal with the disfunction later.

So, where are you stuck? Where do you belong?

On an even more important level we belong in the body of Christ. We belong with people who live as Jesus lived and are prepared to die as Jesus died. We belong under the control of the Holy Spirit. We belong with God, both now and for eternity! How painful might it be for us to move closer toward those realities? What would we have to give up? What new habits might we need to form? What will be the pain of not changing, and what will be the joy of making the shift? Oh, and of course in this case God is prepared to take full responsibility for the life that is wholly yielded to Him.

I once read a book entitled, "The Ordeal of Change". That title certainly says a lot about what change is like. It is easy to stay falsely comfortable, mired in the mud of a rut driven life. But if we accept the ordeal of change that will occur as we climb out of the mud and the rut, then in the end what could be more delightful?

Would you take some time this week to consider where in your life you are stuck and what needs to happen to move from that position to one that will bring true joy over the long run? May you be blessed in the process.

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu


11 MAY 2021

THE LAMB OF GOD

This week's Reflection was originally written by long-time friend Raymond Key. It is as relevant today as it was when he first presented it in 2003.

When my wife and I were in Afghanistan during the late 1960's and early 1970's that country was ruled by a King who used the "LION" as the symbol of his power and sovereignty.
His palace guard actually carried a flag with a lion pictured on it.
Before World War II the emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, used a lion as his
symbol. Archeologists have said that the gates of mighty Babylon and Assyria, of
Bible times were adorned with huge lions. Other kingdoms also have used the lion
as their symbol. So far as I know, however, no ruler has ever adopted a lamb to be his
symbol of sovereignty, for in the eyes of the world it has been seen as a sign of
weakness. A lamb would have implied meekness and gentleness. In the ancient
Semitic world of both Jews and Arabs, the lamb was the symbol of sacrifice,
because it represented purity as well as gentleness.

When John the Baptist began his preaching to prepare the way for the coming Messiah
King, he cried out to the people, "Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world." I doubt if his disciples understood what he was saying when he
spoke those words about Jesus. How could Jesus be the Lamb of God? What did their
teacher mean? As they learned more about Jesus, they would learn that He had many titles
which told more fully of His identity and nature. "Immanuel" which means "God with us."
"Son of Man, "Son of God;" "Prince of Peace," "Savior," "Lord of Lords," and others. But
the one most suggestive about His sacrificial work was "Lamb of God."

When the Israelites of Jesus' day heard about a sacrificial lamb, they could remember many
things. There was the lamb whose sacrifice gave Isaac's life back to him. Their annual
"Passover" feast reminded them of a time that the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the door
frame of their homes spared the life of all the first-born within those homes. It was the
sacrificed lamb that brought them deliverance from slavery in Egypt.

In one of the most paradoxical parts of John's vision on the Isle of Patmos is in chapters 4
and 5 of the Book of Revelation John is told, "Look (or behold) the Lion of Judah has
conquered." But when he looks for a lion, he sees a lamb instead ---a lamb which appears
to have been slaughtered! Both of these descriptions are metaphors defining Jesus Christ.
They are connected with the ancient prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 53. When the lion was
spoken of as the one who had conquered, it was the sacrificed lamb that was the actual
means in the conquest. For in that very act of sacrifice there was the real victory. And in
John's vision, the angelic hosts are heard singing that the Lamb who was slain is worthy
to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor and glory. In Jesus' sacrifice of himself
there was the greatest of all victories -- victory over sin -- victory over Satan -- and victory
over the power of the grave.

When Jesus and his disciples ate together their last Passover meal, they remembered the
time of Israelite deliverance from Egyptian bondage. It was at the time of that remembrance
when Jesus gave them bread saying, "This is my body," and a cup, saying "This is my blood."
And He instructed each one to eat and drink of it.

In I Corinthians, chapter ll, Paul wrote, "Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are telling the message of the Lord's death, that He died for you." It is through His death that our life has come. It is out of the sacrifice of the Lamb that the lion has risen and conquered. This is the message of the Cross - the center of the Gospel of Jesus.

Don't you find it wonderful that He called for followers, and accepted them from all kinds of
backgrounds, with their limited knowledge, their limited faith, and with their many flaws. And
He made them His disciples. And isn't it wonderful that He called them His lambs.

This "mystery of faith" speaks to us of all this. It tells us of a sacrifice, and of a victory, of a relationship and of a future with Him when He comes again. He is God's Lamb who has conquered. We are His lambs and through His sacrificed life, we too shall conquer.


Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu


3 MAY 2021

LEAVIN' THIS OLD HOUSE

My wife and I have spent this week in Alabama, cleaning out my brother-in-law's house. He is in hospital and, as he can no longer care for himself, will be moving to a long-term care facility. This sort of activity usually occurs after someone passes. But in this instance, it is in prepara-tion for his passing. And he is admittedly "ready to go", although God will have the final word as to the timing.

It is sobering to be stuffing trash bags with a loved one's lifetime of accumulated "stuff". Friends who have cared for him in recent years are coming later today to select items they might like to have. We have our vehicle loaded with other treasures that will return home with us. The rest will go to charity or the trash dump. It is sobering indeed!

Stored in two very old "lawyer's bookcases" is a large collection of antique books that we went through last evening. Hiding among the collection was a six-volume set of Tennyson's poems that was published in the late 1800's. The first poem my wife came across as she randomly opened Volume 1 simply leaped off the page. It speaks of an old house that has served its purpose, needs a huge amount of maintenance, and will in due course be torn down and forgotten. This poem could have been written with us in mind!

Kenneth's windows are cracked and water barely trickles through the old kitchen faucet. Cobwebs adorn every room, including one particularly impressive arrangement that streams from the bed's headboard to an adjacent bedside lamp. In a large storage room are largely forgotten items, including memories from his parents and grandparents. A nearly new fly-fishing set sits unused in a corner, as are several tool chests that were part of the family's trucking business. No longer are laughter and joy reverberating off the old house's walls. All is silent as the prior occupant prepares to move on to his "mansion in the sky".

Each of us will eventually face a similar scenario. Our worldly possessions and life-long memories will fade as we transition to a new path, a path that Christians believe will be wonderful, one that Jesus is preparing for those who love him and walk like he walked, a new creation in a new dimension. When that time comes, our "ole house" will be but a memory as we stroll among those who have gone before us and now share a new life in Christ.

May we be worthy of the path that has been prepared for each of us. And may God bless those who come to clean out our lifetime of memories.

Blessings and peace,
Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu


25 APRIL 2021

JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW

"Jesus loves me this I know…" is the first line of a children's song that many of us were taught at a very early age. It goes on with, "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so..."

I have pondered this week about how often the child is molded to unquestioningly assume that something is true "because the Bible tells me so." In due course the child will become more mature and may well ask the question, "Says who?" How many adults are out there living good Christian lives but have never wrestled with the question of, "Is the Bible a believable source for truth?" When we do come face to face with the question, then there is often a crisis of faith.

In today's world evangelists often preach salvation based on the assumption that "the Bible tells me so." It has been said, "The Bible says it. I believe it. And that settles it." Is this a relevant truth in today's postmodern culture? I would venture to say that the bulk of today's younger generation (at least in the West) have little knowledge of the content of the Bible, much less a faith that is based on a text that is inspired by God (if they even believe there is a God) and an authoritative source for faith, morals, and living life.

That said, there may be a need to focus more and more on why we believe the Bible is God's inspired word. On what basis am I compelled to live and die as Jesus lived and died? Can you answer the question, "Do you believe because the Bible tells me so?" If so, on what basis is that belief founded? Think about it.

Blessings and peace,


13 APRIL 2021

SEEING BUT NOT PERCEIVING

Hearing aids have been a great help to my wife, Judy, whose ears have deteriorated over the past few years. Last evening, she came to bed with the hearing aids on. When she woke up, one of the devices was missing. The other was placed neatly on her bedside table. What could have happened to the other one? She searched and searched and eventually told me about the situation. Then I searched as well. We removed every shred of bedding, shook it all out, looked under and all around the bed with flashlights (torches). The hearing aid was nowhere to be found. How could it have disappeared? I gave up with a shrug of my shoulders saying, "I guess it will show up someday".

Judy was more tenacious than I. Later, I came in after working in the garden and she had this mysterious smile on her face as she led me to the bedroom and told me to look behind the bedside table. I looked but still could not find the hearing aid. At last, I saw it…hanging ever so neatly, about 6 cm above the floor, across a loop in the electric lamp cord! You see, we had been looking for it on the floor, not suspended above the floor. In doing so we looked right through it, seeing it but not perceiving its presence.

It must have been a little like that for the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13ff). The text reads, "That very day two of them were going up to a village…Jesus himself drew near to them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him" (Luke 24:1;16). …Later that evening, "…he took bread and blessed, and he broke it and gave it to them. And then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him" (Luke 24:30-33). The disciples had seen and been with Jesus all day, but they failed to perceive who He was.

What do we see but fail to perceive? Is Jesus there in the form of the homeless person standing on a street corner? Is He there at the food pantry? Is He there when our leaders are forced to make tough decisions? Is there anywhere He is not? I suspect that perhaps there are more places and situations He is than those He is not. But we fail to recognize His presence in what is really happening.

Where has Jesus come along side you this week, but you failed to perceive His presence? What might you have done differently if you had been aware of whose presence you were in? How can we sharpen our mental eyesight? Food for thought.

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@naionsu.edu


5 April 2021

WHO AM I?

Some years ago, I spent a full year going to a one-hour weekly session with a profes-sional counselor. He was Jewish and very knowledgeable of the Buddhist, Native American and other religious paths, in addition to Christianity. I used him, not for spiritual guidance, but for more general psychotherapeutic purposes. It was an interesting year! There was one question he asked me in almost every session. Who are you? I struggled with that over and over again and never did get to an answer that he was satisfied with. Of course, his objective was to make me think. The answer really didn't matter to him.

Some years later I came across a tape of Henri Nouwen speaking on the same subject. He was asking his audience, "Who are you?" And he had an answer that has stuck with me ever since. I am a child of God, God's "beloved". And nothing in the world will ever change that reality. There is nothing that can happen to me and nothing I can do to deter my father's love. Wow! Did that make an impression as I was driving through the streets of my city listening to that tape of Nouwen's talk.

Nouwen of course went into this deeper than I will in this Reflection. The gist of it was that we have two choices. First, we can choose to define ourselves by what the world says of us. Secondly, we can identify ourselves with what scripture says on the subject.

If we define ourselves as what the world says we are, then we are forever bouncing up and down. If I have a good job and family, I am "up". But if I get fired from my job or my wife leaves me then I am "down". Worldly perceptions of who I am will never be satisfying. On the other hand, if I am a child of God then nothing in this world can change who I am or the value of who I am.

So, wherever we find ourselves in the "world" this week, may we focus on who we really are and in the midst of daily life, rejoice!

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu

 

 

Note: The writings herein reflect the views of the Chaplain alone and are based on his understanding of the Bible and how God works with his people.

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