Where does God go when we turn out the lights?

"We seldom, if ever, allow the Holy Spirit to interrupt our plans and lead us to worship so that we might see Jesus." Max Lucado in When Christ Comes

A friend shared a thought with me the other day. He suggested that the mark of a deepening spirituality was allowing things to happen instead of making them happen. I think this is an excellent understanding for us to embrace as the people of Christ. Too often we are intent on a purpose defined and goal driven life. Even in our faith, we live with a goal: get to heaven. Now I am not saying that it is wrong to desire a place in heaven. I am not suggesting that it is somehow inappropriate to set goals or to work with purpose. It is not. But if we truly embrace the grace filled love of God that we claim as followers of Jesus, then do we need to pursue heaven? Is it not freely given as part of the grace we receive upon our confession of faith in Jesus?

Goal oriented, purpose driven faith is counter productive to a deeper spirituality. "Wait a minute, Pastor Al, what about books like Purpose Driven Ministry and Purpose Driven Life?" I believe these have value to us as we shape the way we live, and I am not suggesting that either goals or purpose are bad. Rather, I suggest that there must also be a time and place when those are set aside to further our spiritual growth - a place and time where we allow things to happen instead of striving to be in charge and to create events. If we go full throttle all the time, with our eyes fixed on the goal, then what do we do when the Spirit interrupts our plans and our purposeful path? Do we allow the Spirit to distract us so that we might encounter God in a real way, or do we begrudge the distraction from our own goals.

Do we stop and interact with the God who has overtaken us, or do we relegate his Spirit to some attic corner of our spiritual house in order to stay focused on our own goals, desires, and purposes?

As you read the gospel writers' accounts of Jesus it is difficult not to notice that Jesus goes away by himself from time to time. He goes to the quiet places to pray, we are told. And while none of these writers actually say it, it is not difficult to infer that the quiet places are where God overtakes him, where God speaks into the depths of his Spirit.

We have all heard the old saying, "Stop and smell the roses" or Lennon's admonition that "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans." We learn from a very young age to set goals and fix priorities and to focus on achieving our goals. This is defined as success. But do we understand that faith suggests that we must also take time to stop and to find the secret, quiet place so that we allow God to overtake us?

Our modern fast paced world makes it easy to put on spiritual blinders so that we can stay focused on our own goals, objectives, and plans. Lucado's statement should haunt us. Do we allow the Holy Spirit to interrupt our plans and lead us to worship, at home, at school, at work, at the stop light on Main Street or waiting in the checkout lane at the big box store, so that we might see Jesus? Do we find a quiet place where God can overtake us and the Spirit can speak to us?

One of my daughters once asked, as I was turning out the lights to the sanctuary after the Sunday service, "Where does God go when we turn out the lights?" I think the question is a good one for us to reflect on. Does God go to sleep in the darkened sanctuary until the next worship session, or does God go with us into our lives? Do we relegate him to the dark corners until next week, or do we allow him to tap us on the shoulder from time to time so that we might truly worship God with our hearts and our lives?

I pray that we will allow God to overtake us and the Spirit to distract us as we strive to live our lives each day. I pray that when we turn out the lights in the sanctuary on Sunday morning that the Lord will accompany us into the world so that we let Jesus lead us to worship in a variety of ways, every day.

Corn Nuts

When I was eleven or twelve I went on my first Boy Scout camping trip. The Patrol Leader for my patrol was a young man named Marty Dyer. Marty was about three or four years older than me and I looked up to him - not only because he was older, but because Marty, in my eyes, embodied the ideals of scouting. Part of what makes that first trip so memorable was we ended up being tent mates for that outing.

We were in our sleeping bags after 'lights out' and so, of course, we had our flashlights working overtime, talking and laughing and having fun like boys do in that situation. At one point he reached into his pack and pulled out some snacks. "Have you ever tried these?" he asked. I confessed that I never had and he ripped the bag open and we began to partake. Food of the gods! I thought. They were "Corn Nuts" and I was hooked. For the past forty plus years, I have indulged in "Corn Nuts." I am unabashedly and unashamedly a fan of this wonderful food. Yes, I realize it's probably not good for me - deep fried and loaded with salt, they are nevertheless my idea of a what a snack food should be. And I will continue my true confessions by saying that I still indulge my "Corn Nuts" habit. Especially on a long drive, at that point when you just begin to fight drowsiness - white line fever sets in, and I combat it with - you guessed it - "Corn Nuts." The crunchy texture of this deep fried delicacy is just right for popping sleepy eyes open.

Now the makers of "Corn Nuts" have attempted to expand their market by offering different flavors. They now offer, I believe, ranch flavored and salsa flavored. There may be others though I don't know, because I am a "Corn Nuts" purist - I am hooked on the original. This wonderful snack food that was introduced to me more than forty years ago by a someone I admired and felt a kinship with - he opened my eyes to something that has stayed with me ever since.

Faith should be something like this I think. Faith, fellowship, church should by when someone you love, admire, care for, or have a kinship with introduces you to the wonderful love and grace of God that comes to us in Jesus. That first taste, and that exquisite experience of an encounter with God in Christ should open our senses to a whole new world of flavor and texture and colors. Faith is not about doctrine or dogma or even theology - these things are a reflection of our faith but they are not what's in the bag. They are like different flavors of the same snack - all of them are good and have value. But ultimately what's in the bag is Jesus, in whatever flavor we envision him. Our faith, our lives, and our churches should be the bag that once opened and shared invites others into a wonderful new experience that will not only change their lives, but stay with them for years.

Do we have a "Corn Nuts" faith? Do we have a passion for it, so that, we offer it to others with enthusiasm, inviting them to share? I am not refering to denominations, doctrines, or theology, but simply our faith - "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and my savior and Lord." Are we excited about the fellowship or community we are part of, so that, we cannot wait for others to experience it? Will we reach into the backpack of our lives and pull out our bag of faith, ripping it open for others?

The interesting thing about something as simple as "Corn Nuts" was that it in all the simplicity of the moment, it has stayed with me for my entire life. I don't know where Marty is today, but the "Corn Nuts" habit is still mine. Who introduced you to Jesus? More importantly who do you know that needs what our belief in Christ offers? Maybe it's time to ask them, "Have you ever tried this?" One warning though, it will almost certainly be habit forming.

Capture the Flag

One of my favorite activities as a young Boy Scout was a game called "Capture the Flag." Part of its attraction for me was its competitive nature, its activity level and the requirement of stealth. It was also played in the dark. The idea of the game was to divide into two teams, each having a flag. The playing area needed to be large and was divided into two sections, one for each team. Your team would place its flag somewhere in its area and put some defenders to guard it. The rest of the team, by stealth and speed, would try to sneak into the opponents territory and capture their flag and return it to your own territory, thereby declaring victory. If you got caught in the opponent's territory you were captured (by being tagged) and then you could only be freed if a teammate tagged you without getting caught. The distinguishing feature of the game was the center line that divided the two teams. There was no gray area, there was no neutral area, no rest area, you were either in your territory or you weren't.

As the health care bill has passed Congress and been signed into law by the President, I listen to the rhetoric coming from several different groups, including the two political parties and an abundance of commentators and I am reminded of my boyhood game of capture the flag. A colleague suggested to me the other day that we had lots of politicians in Washington, but very few statesmen. What he meant by that was that he felt like we had lots of people who would take up their party's ideological positions but no one who could construct a viable compromise in the heat of ideological battles. I am inclined to agree with him. There is no gray area, no neutral area, there is only one or the other with a line drawn down the middle. And those of us who are in the middle are left out. We come to elections looking for statesmen who will negotiate legislation that is good for America and what we get are party loyalists whose decisions are shaped by how well their party will fare in the next election.

As I listened to the White House summit on health care I heard repeatedly, from both parties, the statement, "We're not that far apart." Yet neither party and none of the individuals present would consider moving off of their respective side. Somehow they are worried that they might cross the center line into the opposition territory and be "captured." What I did hear was statements about "ramming a bill through" and "let's scrap this bill and start over." Neither idea was palatable to me. The line was drawn and no one is willing to cross over.

A person recently posted a comment on Facebook saying that they supported health care reform, but didn't like some of the things in the law. I agree. For seven years I have worked with various groups, state and federal government officials and representatives, and interfaith groups for health car reform, and there are some things in this law I don't like either. But we will never have a perfect bill in this country. The two extremes are not ever going to come together with anything that everyone can agree on. We continue to draw lines that divide us on global warming, the economy, jobs, and yes, even now that it is law, health care reform. We cannot continue to debate while people go without health care. We cannot continue to scrap everything and start over. This is too important

"We are a Christian nation" is a statement that I hear frequently. And if so, then I ask us to consider, what would our Lord do, what does God require of us. Micah's answer is "to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly" with our God. And even though Jesus did not agree with the Pharisees, when Nicodemus came to him, Jesus was willing to talk. I see no places in the life and ministry of Jesus where he drew lines that excluded people. I see no places in the ministry of Jesus where ideology or culture overrides the precept of love and grace. The provision of health care in our country has become a business, a for profit, in most cases, business. And while that may be either good or bad depending on your ideology, I ask us to consider how we sacrifice someone's health and health care for money. Now you may say that if someone in our country needs care they can get it. And I agree - emergency care. But why do we insist on spending untold millions of dollars to pay for emergency care much of which could have possibly been prevented if that person had access to regular and routine medical care? And I wonder how Jesus reacts when we tell someone that they must surrender their home to pay for medical bills, or that they will not longer have insurance coverage because their condition is too costly to the insurance company.

I hear Jesus proclaiming his mission in Luke (4:16-21) to be,at least in part, about healing. I hear his testimony in the 25th chapter of Matthew suggest that we are doing the work he has called us to when we provide healing for those who are sick. I hear his command to Peter and the disciples in John 20 to feed and tend his sheep and I wonder what will become of us as we continue to draw lines that separate us. It is difficult to read the New Testament, especially though the Old as well, and not hear the call to be a community in God through Jesus Christ. And I wonder what will become of our faith and our nation as we continue to draw lines that separate and divide. Government should not be a giant game of capture the flag. Government that is of by and for the people should be about finding ways to make laws that all of us can live with together - as a community.