An Observation from the Moon

On the “Discovery Channel” last night, I watched an interview with Michael Collins, the third member of the Apollo 11 crew that landed the first man on the moon (the other two members, of course, being Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin). He shared many interesting reflections about that event, but one really stood out to me.

I am paraphrasing here, but Collins said, “The one thing that I really remember is how often people used the word ‘we’ when they talked to us. They did not say, ‘Wow, you Americans did it!’ Instead, they said, ‘Wow, we did it!’ There was no ‘us’ and ‘them’. The walls were gone. Everywhere we went, England, France, Spain, Mexico, people talked about what ‘we’ as human beings had accomplished. And I really enjoyed that!”

Collins went on to say that, unfortunately, the “we” attitude did not last very long. Soon, people were back to thinking about themselves, the walls went back up and life went back to “normal”.

I liked Collins’ picture of a world that was drawn together by a common event. Wouldn’t it be great if there were something today that could bring us together and give us something to live for that is bigger than ourselves?

The church is supposed to be that place.

Christ’s death is the big event that can break down the walls that separate us. In Christ, we are all equally important, valued and loved. The best part is that, in this case, we can be brought together, not just for a short time, but for all eternity.

If you are looking for a place where “we” is more important than “I”, a place of belonging, and a place of joy, have a look at God’s family.

The church is not perfect, but it is wonderful!

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27-28).

A Lesson that I am still trying to Learn

On Saturday, Estevan Motor Speedway held its Second Annual “Faster Pastor” race and I could not wait! I grew up going to stock car races and I go to the speedway here every chance I get. Carl and Blair Hanson had called me earlier in the week to tell me that I could drive their car and that was good news because I knew that their car was well built and fast. It was going to be a good day!

When it came time to race, though, there was a problem. Due to breakdowns in the previous races, there were more ministers than cars. As speedway officials ran around trying to round up enough rides, I heard something that made me stop and think.

One of the guys turned to the officials and said, “I got to drive last year and my friend here didn’t. If it comes down to us not having enough cars, I will sit out and let him drive instead”.

Now, let me make clear that this guy really enjoyed racing last year. In fact, he was probably as excited about trying it again as I was. Yet, instead of being wrapped up in what he wanted or in his own self-interest, he stepped back and said, “I am willing to sit out so that my friend can have this experience too”.

To be honest, that thought never crossed my mind. I was driving! I had a car, I was looking forward to racing, and everyone else, though I felt badly for them, was on their own. Maybe I would have given up my ride if I someone had asked me to, but I was not going to volunteer to do it.

Selflessness is not a common trait. The ability to think about the needs of others, to “put yourself in their shoes” and then to give up something for the sake of others is a learned quality. It is also a quality that I still need to learn something about.

Romans 12:10 says, “Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle” (From “The Message”).

I loved racing at the speedway. I am thankful for the generosity of Blair and Carl Hanson. I am glad that I did well.

However, I am not so sure that I really “won”. Something tells me that my friend who was willing to “play second fiddle” was the real winner.

The Real (and Only) Message

As a kid, I drank many cans of “Tang” orange flavored crystals. I loved this highly sugared, fake orange juice. Oddly enough, I hated real orange juice! I could not even stand to taste a drop of it, but I would drink “Tang” by the bucketful.
Now that I am older, that has completely reversed. Now I like real orange juice and I cannot even recall the last time I drank a glass of “Tang”.
It is sort of strange that anyone would prefer an imitation to the real thing, but it happens all the time. In fact, it happens all the time in Spiritual things. All you have to do is spend 10 minutes watching “Christian TV” or “Televangelists” to realize that.
I cannot stand most of those programs, because I constantly want to argue with what they are saying. Some of it sounds true and right, but most of it is an artificial message created to sound like the real thing. In fact, the problem is so bad that now the real message of the Bible is the one that sounds strange and odd. We have become so accustomed to the wrong message the truth is shocking.
Take, for example, the message that the shepherds heard when Christ was born. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). Notice the words: Good news, great joy, Saviour and peace. Do you think those are the words that most people associate with the Christian message these days? I doubt it! Somehow, we seem to have changed the “Good news” into “Bad news” in the minds of many.
Later in that same passage we are told that this offer of salvation and peace is “prepared in the sight of all people, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2: 31-32). For the “Gentiles” and for “Israel” means it was an offer for everyone! The “Good News” is not just for the “nice”, “good”, “righteous” or “churchy” people. This message is for everyone. Think of anyone (even yourself) and the invitation to come and find peace and salvation applies.
The real message from God in no way compares to the silliness of the messages that we often make up on his behalf.
Please do not reject faith until you have heard the real message of God.

Decision Rock

The tour guide had taken us a few hundred feet into the “Lewis and Clark Caverns” just outside Bozeman, Montana when she stopped and said, “This is what we call ‘Decision Rock’. It is called ‘Decision Rock’ because at this point you have to decide to go on with the rest of the tour, or you have to turn back. After this rock, there are no shortcuts out of the cave. If you go on from here, you are committed to going all the way to the end”.
Decision Rock made me think about our faith. At some point, each of us comes to our own “Decision Rock” where we need to decide to stop “playing church”. It is easy to go in a little way, to just stand in the entrance of faith, but at some point we all have to decide, “Am I going to go forward with God, or am I going to turn around and go back?” The reality is that we cannot stand there forever. We have to make a decision.
Jesus told the church in the city of Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold or hot. I wish you were either one way or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).
In other words, you have to make a decision. Either go forward or go back. Be either hot or cold, but know that you cannot be both.
Everyone in our tour group decided that we were going on from “Decision Rock” and we were glad that we did. Had we turned back, we would have missed the beauty of the cave ahead of us.
When you get to your “Spiritual Decision Rock” may I encourage you to decide to go forward with God? Do not turn back or you will miss the beauty that he has waiting for you, both now and in eternity.

Is that Right?

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you… you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:28 and 30) she must had been expecting something good!

Then Gabriel says, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” (ver 32). This is not exactly the news Mary would have been expecting. In fact, it is terrible news!

How was she going to explain this? In those days, an unmarried woman who was expecting a child was to be put to death! Not to mention the fact that she had to explain that this child was going to be brought by the Holy Spirit (verse 35). All of this must have left Mary thinking, “How can this be God’s plan?”

She would not, however, be the first one to ask that.

Think about Noah building his great big boat, for years and years (Genesis 6). Do you think that maybe some of his neighbours thought that he had lost his mind?

What about Abraham? He gets up one morning and announces that he is moving. When his friends ask where he is going he tells them that he does not know because God has not told him yet (Genesis 12).

Think about Moses. He comes in from shepherding his flock to tell his father in law that a burning bush told him to go to Egypt to demand that the most powerful man alive release a bunch of slaves (Numbers 3). Interesting!

Then there is Joshua. Leading the army into a new country, he comes upon a city with a very large wall. How will they get in? Will they ram it, sneak over it, or dig under it? No! Joshua says that God told him to walk around it and blow their horns! (Joshua 5)

One of the things that you will learn as you read the word of God is that, “God’s plan often does not look like it could be God’s plan”.

My point: If we are always playing it safe and doing what makes sense, I wonder if we are really following God or just ourselves.

Not every crazy idea is from God, but sometimes being faithful means taking some risks and doing the “right thing” and not just the “sensible thing”.

Just ask Mary!

“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8).