A Christ-follower with a limp: June 2018

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Pitching Kindness

“Kindness is love in action.”

Recently, Hailey Dawson, an 8-year-old from Henderson, Nevada who was born without three fingers on her throwing hand, threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Colorado Rockies’ series finale against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field. It was the 9^th major-league ballpark in which Hailey, whose missing fingers and underdeveloped thumb and pinky finger are from a condition called Poland syndrome, threw out the first pitch. She did so with the help of a custom designed prosthetic hand. “I don’t get nervous,” she said pregame in the dugout, dabbing occasionally on her purple prosthetic. “I just focus on the catcher.” Hailey began her pregame journey at a Baltimore game on Aug. 17, 2015, throwing out the first pitch to her favorite player, Manny Machado. Her ultimate goal is to toss out the first pitch at all 30 major-league ballparks. Team after team has invited her to do that, including my three favorites: the Atlanta Braves, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Detroit Tigers.

Okay, I’m a softie! I absolutely love stories like this! Are you like me? I grow very weary of negative, mean, critical or sad news. No, I’m not a Pollyanna. I just don’t want to fill my mind and continually think about the negative junk of this world. Personally, I think it’s a violation of Philippians 4:8. If a believer is to have a different worldview doesn’t that first begin in my inner world, what I think about it and fill my mind with?

What though stories like this do for me – is that they encourage me to seek to be more kind. Too often I find that selfishness, harshness…even meanness come too easy. I have to work at kindness. In fact, I know that I am only kind because of God’s grace. Praise the Lord! He’s been working on me for nearly five decades!

Yet, when you think about it, kindness is so easy and requires so little effort. Almost 55 years later, I remember a man from my neighborhood, Mr. Clonts – he was the oldest guy in our neighborhood. His children were all grown and I’m sure that he had grandchildren. He lived three houses down from mine but we’d ride our bikes to his house and he’d grease the chain and tighten up the seat and handlebars. Why? Kindness!

It takes so little effort to be unkind or kind. Another word for it might be thoughtfulness. As I read the Gospels, I think Jesus was the model of kindness and thoughtfulness. You find that He often was the one who gave time to those others ignored and even avoided, like the woman at the well (John 4), or Zaccheaus (Luke 19), or even little children (Matthew 19).

It’s little things as seemingly insignificant as greeting your spouse and your children in the morning. It’s smiling instead of frowning. It’s letting someone turn in front of you. It’s greeting the cashier at the gas station, noticing their name and asking how their day is going. It’s saying please and thank you. It’s calling up someone you know that tends to be lonely, like an elderly person or a widow or widower, even a recent divorcee. It’s holding a door open for someone. It’s really listening to your spouse and children. It’s raising your voice only when it is absolutely necessary. It’s ignoring most little mistakes and inconveniences. (In those situations when my order is wrong or delayed, I’ll often say – “If that’s the worst thing that happens to me today, then I’ve had a good day!” And I have!)

Because I know that my heart can easily go to the dark side of selfishness, negativity, criticism and pettiness – I seek to surround myself with kind and gracious friends. I want to be a godly positive influence on them and I want them to be a godly positive one on me. It really is true – birds of a feather flock together. If most of your friends tend to be neg-aholics, maybe you’re part of the problem.

I’ve never regretted being too kind. Have you? The world doesn’t just need more random acts of kindness. It needs those who have been treated so kindly by a gracious God to determine to be kind to others as they have been shown kindness.

Stored in a safe place at the Library of Congress is a small blue box. The label reads: “Contents of the President’s pockets on the night of April 14, 1865.” It’s from that terrible night when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The box contains five things: (1) A handkerchief embroidered “A. Lincoln”; (2) A country boy’s pen knife; (3) A spectacles case repaired with string; (4) A purse containing a $5 bill—in Confederate money! (5) Some old and worn newspaper clippings.

The clippings mention the great deeds of Abraham Lincoln. One of them reports a speech by John Bright, a British statesman, saying that Abraham Lincoln is one of the greatest men of all time. It’s not news for us who live over a century later. We all know that Lincoln was a great man, but in 1865, the jury was still out. The nation was divided and Lincoln had fierce critics on both sides as he made decisions that he hoped would restore the Union. Remember, Lincoln hadn’t read the history books on himself!

There’s something poignantly pathetic about picturing this lonely figure in the Oval Office reaching into his pocket and spreading out these newspaper clippings as he read and re-read the encouraging words of a man who believed that Lincoln was a great man. It gave him the courage and strength to go on. Kindness of a writer across the ocean deeply touched his soul. It was an act of kindness that he took to his untimely grave.

Kindness is a wonderful habit. Are you consistently kind? Who can you be kind to…today? Who can you be Jesus to? The more that we are kind, the more that we “hit it out of the ballpark!”

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Being a godly Dad is a Top Priority!

“Things which matter most must never be

at the mercy of things which matter least.” Goethe

E.M. Gray spent his life searching for the one trait all successful people share. His essay entitled, “The Common Denominator of Success” revealed successful people’s common characteristic wasn’t hard work or wise human relations, though those traits were important. The one factor that seemed to surpass all the rest was the habit of simply putting first things first. He observed, “The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don’t like to do. They don't like doing them either, necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose.”

Over the years I’ve read many books on what makes a great father. If you Google Fathers or what makes a godly one, you’ll be overwhelmed with all the advice available. While I’m at the second phase of fathering, seeking to have a godly influence on my now adult children, I’m still working on being a godly Dad. One trait that I’ve observed that I believe makes a major difference is having the right priorities.

Stephen R. Covey in his bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, wrote: “As a longtime student of this fascinating field [of life and time management], I am personally persuaded that the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities.” Setting the right priorities is vital for success in anything. It’s indispensable for spiritual success. Scripture tells us that it’s critical to put our priorities in the right order and then carefully cultivate each one with zeal and enthusiasm.

Yet, we struggle with “the tyranny of the urgent” and are easily distracted from what’s most important. For example, each week I have an 800 lb. gorilla that I must deal with – next Sunday’s sermon. You may have heard me share one of my favorite quotes on preaching by Jan Karon from her book, At Home in Mitford. She writes that preaching is “like having a baby on Sunday and finding out that you’re pregnant on Monday.” Preparing a sermon each week is similar to having a term paper due every Sunday. If I don’t prioritize, it won’t happen. And it would be a sin, failing in my calling from God and stealing from our church if I grabbed some “Saturday night special” off the Internet. It means I must make preparation a priority. It takes me between 15-20 hours each week to be adequately prepared for each Sunday. But did you like doing term papers when you were in school? Neither did I. While I love and am so thankful that God has called me into the ministry, I have to discipline myself each week and prioritize.

The same is true of anything vital. If you’re going to be successful. Prioritizing is critical. For example, you always know who makes their landscaping a priority. Their yards are weed free, flowers and landscaping are immaculate. The grass is green and looks like a carpet. But you can’t order a beautiful yard on the Internet (Trust me on this. I searched Amazon). In the same way, to be a godly father you must make it a priority to first know God the Father. God the Father is our model. For those of us who didn’t have a model in our own earthly Dad, this is such a blessing.

While there’s no shortcut to knowing God, it’s simple. You must make time with the Lord in reading His Word and prayer a top priority every day. Everything else will clamor for your attention. Spending time with your Heavenly Father each day will help make you a better husband, father, employee, neighbor, etc. It will help you be a wiser manager of your finances and time. I’m so confident this is true that I’d challenge you to try it for 30 days. You’ll find for yourself the phenomenal difference it makes.

Everyone you talk to bemoans how busy they are. Yet, being chronically overly busy isn’t God’s plan for us. You can’t do everything. It’s why priorities are vital. As you spend time at your daily “staff meeting” with your Heavenly Father, He’ll give you the wisdom to know what’s the most important for you to focus on and to base your decisions on those priorities.

It’s a well-known anecdote, yet so accurate of an instructor at a time-management seminar. He asked the group a foundational question, as he reached under the table and pulled out a wide-mouthed gallon jar and set it on the table. Next to the jar were a number of fist-sized rocks. “How many of these rocks do you think we can get inside this jar?” Participants guessed, so the instructor said, “Let's find out.” One by one he began putting as many fist-sized rocks as he could into the jar until they filled the jar. Then, he asked, “Is the jar full?” The participants looked at the jar filled with rocks and said it was. Then he reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar. The gravel filled the spaces between the big rocks. He grinned and asked again, “Is the jar full?” The group was catching on and said that the jar probably wasn’t full. He nodded and said, “You’re catching on.” Next he took out a bucket of sand and poured it in. Slowly the sand filled the gaps between the rocks and gravel. After the sand settled, the instructor again asked, “Now, is the jar full?” The audience roared, “No!” Next he poured a pitcher of water into the jar. At this point he stopped and asked the group, “What's the point of all of this?” Somebody said, “There are always gaps. If you work at it, you can always fit more into your life.” But the instructor replied, “No, the point is this: If I hadn't put in those big rocks first, I never would have gotten them in at all.”

Every Dad needs to ask, “What are my big rocks?” When you begin with God the Father and make Him your first priority, you’ll be amazed at the difference and how in balance the rest of your life becomes.

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Racism: You can't just pour it out

“Racism isn’t a bad habit; it’s not a mistake; it’s a sin. The answer is not sociology; it’s theology.” Tony Evans

While I appreciate Howard Schultz’s intent, I believe that he probably wasted time and money. Schultz, founder and former CEO of Starbucks, closed more than 8,000 of their U.S. stores for several hours on May 29^th, to conduct anti-bias training in a company-wide effort to deal with the fallout over the arrest of two black men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia. After the incident last month, Starbuck’s leaders apologized and met with the men. They also scheduled an afternoon of training for their 180,000 employees on May 29^th.

In the incident, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson were asked to leave after one was denied access to the bathroom and they hadn’t purchased anything. Moments later they were arrested by police after they sat down to await a business meeting. It was all recorded on a cellphone and went viral, triggering protests, boycott threats and debate over racial profiling.

Starbucks acknowledged that the arrests never should have happened and has since announced anyone can use its restrooms, even if they’re not purchasing anything. In a company-wide move to combat racism (as well as a wise PR one), they scheduled workshops to train employees in racial sensitivity. It’s estimated the shutdown cost Starbucks $12 million.

First, let me say very candidly, when it comes to racism, I have more questions than answers. This evil is so pervasive and is seemingly growing. The answers are not simple and demand a long-term commitment.

That being said, education is not the solution. Racism is not a head problem, it’s a heart problem. Even in the Church, we often buy into the myth that if we just teach people, i.e., educate them, we’ll solve a problem. Do any of us honestly believe that there’s anyone in America who doesn’t know smoking is hazardous to your health? There have been warning labels on cigarettes since 1965. “Education” has been unsuccessful in reducing smoking. Am I suggesting that we give up on educating about the evils of racism? Absolutely not. We must realize though education can’t overcome an evil heart.

Legislation and more laws is not the solution. With the deification of government, we erroneously believe we can legislate out bigotry. We can’t. The multiplicity of more laws often only increases insensitivity. They become so ubiquitous and complicated, that they’re virtually unenforceable and are ignored. It’s a bit like overmedicating an elderly person with conflicting medications. You solve an ill yet cause others. That’s frequently the outcome of over-legislation.

There is a place for legislation in combat bigotry, but it’s limited. Legislation can help. Our world would be much poorer without the heroic efforts of English politician, William Wilberforce, who poured his life into seeing the slave trade outlawed. Or, President Lincoln who ending up being assassinated for his commitment to seeing slaves freed in America.

Racism is not just a black and white problem. It was very eye-opening in Taiwan when my son, Aaron, pointed out that Malaysians, who often are caretakers of the elderly in that culture, are sometimes discriminated against because they’re immigrants, are of a different ethnic group and can be powerless. Bigotry can find its place in any heart or ethnic group. Louis Farrakhan’s hatred is as abominable as the Imperial Wizard of the KKK.

Let me suggest then some godly steps toward combatting bigotry.

I must always begin with the sinner that I know best – ME. I must look in the mirror of God’s Word at my own heart. Because I’m easily self-deluded, I must ask the Spirit to search my heart (Ps. 139:23-24) and reveal sinful bigotry that may have hidden itself…and it’s a continual process.

I must always see others as image bearers of God. Being color blind is as impossible as it is to ignore gender. Personally, I don’t think that we should be. Would anyone want to live in a world without the rich palette of color in God’s Creation? In the same way, shouldn’t we be grateful and appreciate the rich ethnic differences that God has ordained in humanity?

Our recent trip to Taiwan created a love in my own heart that my new daughter-in-law had first sown – a love for Asians generally and the Taiwanese specifically. My growing appreciation for them was cultivated in that they’re so unlike me. Biblically, how can a Christian justify discrimination toward anyone for whom Christ died? “For God so loved the world” has not changed.

The Church must re-focus its resources. Imagine firefighters coming upon a raging inferno, yet instead of attacking the hottest part of the blaze, they instead focus most of their resources on a few small brush fires? One only has to listen to the daily news to know where the greatest needs in America are. Where are the greatest problems with crime, violence, poverty and a myriad of other sociological evils? Are they in the suburbs? Small town America? No, they’re in our urban centers.

The American Church needs to re-study the book of Acts and Pauline missionary methods. Paul focused on urban areas. Personally, I’m thankful for godly leaders like Tim Keller in New York City calling the American Church to focus on urban America. I’m thankful that we at Grace are able to partner with Tom and Joanna Kubiak as they plant a church in Chicago.

Someday there will be no racism. Every believer will be part of a gathering from every tribe, people and language standing before the throne of the Lamb (Revelation 7:9). I want to be part of getting as many there from every people group as I can. Don’t you?

Sunday, June 3, 2018

Lost on Sunday

“Not all those who wander are lost.”

J.R.R. Tolkien

The boss of a large company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the computer servers. He dialed the employees home phone number and was greeted with a child’s whispered voice on the first ring, “Hello?” Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to a youngster the boss asked, “Is your Daddy home?” “Yes” whispered the small voice. “May I talk with him?” the man asked. To the surprise of the boss, the small voice whispered, “No.” Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, “Is your Mommy there?” “Yes,” came the answer. “May I talk with her?” Again, the small voice whispered, “No.” Knowing that it was not likely that a young child would be left home alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message with the person who should be there watching over the child. “Is there anyone there besides you?” the boss asked the child. “Yes,” whispered the child, “A policeman.” Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, “May I speak with the policeman?” “No, he’s busy.” whispered the child. “Busy doing what?” asked the boss. “Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman,” came the whispered answer. Growing concerned and even worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the earpiece on the phone the boss asked, “Well, what is that noise?” “A hello-copper,” answered the whispering voice. “What is going on there?” asked the boss, now very alarmed. In an awed whispering voice, the child answered, “The search team just landed the hello-copper!” Alarmed, concerned and more than just a little frustrated the boss asked, “Why are they there?” Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle, “They’re looking for me!”

While we haven’t called in a Search & Rescue, we are looking for some of you. Summer has hit and with the nice weather, it’s very easy to be “missing in action” when it comes to worship and church attendance.

It’s easy and tempting to skip church. We can feel a bit like we got away with something…like playing hooky as a kid and not getting caught. Missing out on worshiping our awesome God and being with His family, catches up with us. While I’m thankful that we can live stream our services, it’s not like actually being at church.

A good comparison to weekly worship attendance is like going to the gym. You join. Pay for a membership. You’re determined you’re going to be there. And then life hits. We rationalize and come up with varied excuses. If we could read people’s minds on Sunday mornings, we’d see all kinds of interesting thoughts…I’m tired. It’s my only day to sleep in. I can worship God better in nature. One of the kids is sick. We have family/friends in from out of town. I’m not feeling that good. I have so much work to do. I just don’t feel like going…I’ll go next week.

Most of us wouldn’t miss work for the reasons that we miss church. That sadly says much about our spiritual values and priorities. When something is important, when it’s valuable – we find a way to make it happen.

As the gym is the natural context to pursue physical fitness, the local church is the supernatural context to pursue spiritual fitness. The church is God’s gymnasium. As a Christian, you’re running a race. If you want to run it well, you need training to help you reach and maintain peak performance. It’s in the local church you find the trainers who instruct and guide you, that you follow the training regimen God has planned out for you. It’s here that you work out alongside peers training for their own race so you can be inspired by their labor and you can motivate them in return. If you’re going to be in good shape spiritually, you must prioritize weekly church attendance.

Read your New Testament. The local church is central to God’s plan for this world. Much of what God means to teach the world, He teaches through the church; much of what He means to display to the world, He displays through the church; much of what He means to accomplish in the world, He accomplishes through the church. No ministry can outshine it, no program can replace it, no power can topple it. The local church is God’s plan and God doesn’t have a backup plan.

Did you know that nearly two-thirds of those with a gym membership never actually go? At one time their intentions were good. They determined they’d get in shape and signed on the dotted line. Yet, without conviction and habit they quickly stopped.

Many Christians are the same with church. They have their church but attend only occasionally and serve very sparingly. On its own, a gym membership can’t get you a fit body. You need to actually go to the gym to take advantage of its equipment and programs. Likewise, merely choosing a church does nothing for your soul. You must participate in the church and take advantage of what it offers. That’s why if you’re going to grow and be healthy spiritually, weekly worship must be a priority. Many desires, responsibilities, hobbies can interfere with church attendance. Rest assured, Satan doesn’t want you to come. It’s only as we make church our highest priority on a Sunday morning and, as far as possible, allow nothing to interfere, that we’re going to be there.
Joining a gym yet skipping shows. You know it the next time you climb a long flight of stairs. Skipping out on worship also shows. First, it gets easier. Then, you find your values begin to change. Your attitude and language soon accompany it. You’re shocked to discover that you’re a little more impatient, negative and self-absorbed. Church attendance gives us a bigger view of God and helps us love others. That’s what Hebrews 10:24-25 teaches. Skipping out is spiritually expensive.