Dialog

A Fish Saga

The goldfish died … again. My daughter, Charlotte, won a free goldfish at the elementary school carnival. She was so excited. The “free goldfish” wasn’t really free though. We had to purchase a fishbowl, gravel for the bottom of the fishbowl, plants, a net scoop, a weird treasure chest, and a sunken ship. The fish expired in a couple of days. We made the first of several trips to the pet store for replacement “free fish.”

At first, Charlotte seemed to understand and named each of the newcomers despite a litany of tragedies. (I never told her about the one that got away through the garbage disposal while I was changing its water.) Then the day came when I brought home one last fish. Then, I held up the clear plastic bag full of water and a shiny, new goldfish. “What do you want to name it, Charlotte?”

She looked at the poor fish and asked, “Is he a Christian?”

That seemed like a strange question, so I asked, “Why do you want to know?”

“Because it’s going to die.”

We settled on calling him “Fish.” Despite our best efforts, this was a fish that refused to die. We forgot about him when we went on vacation for a week. We came home, and his bowl was cloudy and green with sludge, but Fish was fine. Nothing could stop him. I overfed him. I underfed him. Times were tough, but the harder things were, the stronger he became. Fish was the last in our chain of aquatic pets. When he finally expired after a long life in the fishbowl, I think we had a state funeral for him.

I’ve thought about Fish many times over the years. I realized Charlotte’s innocent question, “Is he a Christian?” struck at the heart of the matter. When times get tough, Christians are at their very best – even if they are living in a fishbowl!

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2 – 4)

One day, I was driving down the street and saw a panel truck with “Maranatha Plumbing” painted on the side. “Maranatha” is an Aramaic phrase (the Jewish people in Jesus’ days spoke Aramaic, the language of the Babylonian Captivity). It probably means “Our Lord, Come!” which would be appropriate for a plumber racing to fix a bathroom emergency; however, I think the man was trying to indicate he was a Christian plumber and so answered to a higher standard.

Even the early Greek-speaking Christians used many Aramaic words such as “amen” and “Abba” (Father). Jesus himself spoke Aramaic (see Matthew 27:46 and Mark 5:41). The phrase “Maranatha” or more appropriately, “marana tha” or “maran atha” was used by the first Christians (See 1 Corinthians 16:22 and Revelation 22:20).

Because Maranatha is simply transliterated from Aramaic into Greek, it isn’t easy to know exactly how to translate it into English. It could be māran(ā’)’ aṯā’, “our Lord has come,” or māran(ā’) (’ ĕ)ṯā’, “our Lord, come!” What difference does it make?

The Didache is an early Christian church manual. It gave instructions about baptism, worship, and church practices. We have many books like that available today that provide suggested talks for weddings, funerals, and speaking at the Lord’s Table. The Didache suggests:

But let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptized into the name of the Lord, for the Lord has also spoken concerning this: “Do not give what is holy to dogs.”

And after you have had enough, give thanks as follows:

(2) We give you thanks, Holy Father,

for your holy name, which you

have caused to dwell in our hearts,

and for the knowledge and faith and immortality

which you have made known to us

through Jesus your servant;

to you be the glory forever.

(3) You, almighty Master, created all things for your name’s sake,

and gave food and drink to men to enjoy,

that they might give you thanks;

but to us, you have graciously given

spiritual food and drink,

and eternal life through your servant.

(4) Above all, we give thanks because you are mighty;

to you be the glory forever.

(5) Remember your church, Lord,

to deliver it from all evil

and to make it perfect in your love;

and gather it, the one that has been sanctified,

from the four winds into your kingdom,

which you have prepared for it;

for yours is the power and the glory forever.

(6) May grace come, and may this world pass away.

Hosanna to the God of David.

If anyone is holy, let him come;

if anyone is not, let him repent.
Maranatha! Amen.[1]

Notice how the suggested prayer ends with two Aramaic words: “Maranatha!” And “Amen.” In this case, it makes good sense to translate Maranatha as “the Lord has come!” and that’s why we can enjoy the communion.

On the other hand, Paul’s conclusion to First Corinthians and the exclamation in Revelation probably mean, “Come! Lord.”

Both translations are blessings: “The Lord has come!” (Hallelujah!) and “Come back soon!”

[1] Holmes, M. W. (1999). The Apostolic Fathers: Greek texts and English translations (Updated ed., pp. 261–263). Baker Books.

Loneliness in the Checkout Line

Jan sent me to the store to pick up a couple of items, but when I arrived at the checkout line, it became obvious I wasn’t going anywhere quickly. Every lane was filled by people pushing over-flowing grocery carts and the lines extended back down the aisles. I took a deep breath and laughed with the two ladies pushing carts in front of me. “So, this is the express lane?” I quipped. They both took pity on me and waved me to the front of the line. I thanked them profusely and we ended up laughing with the checker. I guess it pays not to lose your temper!

All of this caused me to think about grocery shopping in the Netherlands. (Bet you didn’t see that one coming!) The Daily Star, a British paper, ran this headline: “Jumbo supermarket opens new ‘slow lane’ so lonely customers can stop for a chat.” It then explained how the “Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo has decided to move away from fast-technology checkouts by introducing ‘chat checkouts’ for customers who are not in a hurry.”

The chain store “Jumbo is a member of the National Coalition against Loneliness, which is an initiative of the Netherlands’s Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. According to government statistics, more than half of people over 75 in the country, which is 1.3 million people, say they feel lonely.”^[1] The aim of the chat checkouts, known as Kletskassa, is to help tackle loneliness in society by having real contact with customers.”

A report on loneliness in America by Harvard reports:

“The global pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness in America. Our report suggests that 36% of all Americans—including 61% of young adults and 51% of mothers with young children—feel ‘serious loneliness.’ Not surprisingly, loneliness appears to have increased substantially since the outbreak of the global pandemic.

“The report also explores the many types of loneliness, various causes of loneliness, and the potentially steep costs of loneliness, including early mortality and a wide array of serious physical and emotional problems, including depression, anxiety, heart disease, substance abuse, and domestic abuse. While Americans clearly need to adopt distancing measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the report authors argue that we also must take steps to alleviate loneliness, particularly for the populations the survey suggests are most affected.” ^[2]

We should never discount the important role fellowship plays in our assemblies. Those little chats between the pews and in the foyer are essential to our health. And, the next time you’re in the supermarket, think about walking over to the slowest lane, and make someone’s day: talk!

^[1] Simon Hamalienko, Daily Star, October 1, 2021. Downloaded from https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/jumbo-supermarket-opens-new-slow-25112892.

^[2] “Loneliness in America: How the Pandemic Has Deepened an Epidemic of Loneliness and What We Can Do About It.” Downloaded from https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/reports/loneliness-in-america

Mustard Seeds

Ruins of the Capernaum Synagogue — Capernaum Synagogue — John McKeel

The First Century synagogue was the domain of men. Women could observe either from the balcony or from behind a latticework, but men and women did not worship together. On this particular Sabbath, while Jesus was teaching, a hunchbacked old woman hobbled into the midst of men. Every eye must have been fixed on her. Some were angry. Some were curious, but one set of eyes was touched with sympathy. Jesus called to her. “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he placed his hands on her, and she stood upright pain-free for the first time in eighteen years.

It’s a beautiful story, but not everyone saw it that way. The leader of the synagogue was indignant. There are rules to be followed, traditions to be respected, and order to be observed! A woman in the assembly! An old, disabled woman, no less! He knew the Law of Moses. The fourth commandment demanded respect for the Sabbath, and that meant “No work.” This was entirely outrageous! When he could control himself no longer, he stood and barked, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath” (Luke 13:14).

I wonder if the ruler objected because she was an old woman and ugly? Would he have been so adamant if she was beautiful, rich, and young? Jesus came to her aid and defended her (Luke 13:15, 16).

Immediately following this encounter, Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches” (Luke 13:18, 19).

A single mustard seed, like the old woman, appears insignificant. But there are no unimportant people in the kingdom of God. A tiny mustard seed becomes a great bush! I wonder how the synagogue ruler would have felt if he knew what Jesus knew; that little, nameless woman was a princess in the presence of the Son of God. Next Lord’s Day, look around the assembly. Although there is no red carpet or cameras outside, we are all very important people. We are the children of God!

Be a Blessing,

John

Monument to a Boll Weevil

The Boll Weevil Monument in Enterprise, Alabama

Optimists are positive, and pessimists are – well, more reserved in their judgments. For example, pessimists believe the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” is a train. An optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds – and a pessimist is afraid the optimist is right.

However, I believe there are blessings in curses if we look for them. Take, for example, the monument to the boll weevil in Enterprise, Alabama. It is believed to be the only monument to an insect. In 1915, the Mexican boll weevil destroyed sixty percent of the cotton in Coffee County. Since farmers only grew one crop, the result was catastrophic! However, what began as a curse ended as a blessing because it forced the farmers to diversify with an emphasis on peanuts. Then, just two years later, Coffee County harvested more peanuts than any county in the nation.

“The citizens were so ‘grateful’ for the boll weevil that they dedicated on December 11, 1919, a public marker on the main street of Enterprise with this inscription:

In profound appreciation
Of the boll weevil
And what it has done
As the herald of prosperity.”

—Alabama Enterprise

Ronald Reagan observed, “Optimism comes less easily today, not because democracy is less vigorous, but because democracy’s enemies have refined their instruments of repression.” James, the brother of Jesus, wrote:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2 – 4).

What’s That Smell?

The other day I was rummaging through some old pictures I had taken while hiking and climbing in Colorado. My favorites were the pictures of the beautiful mountain wildflowers – Columbine, Indian Paint Brush, Mountain-Forget-Me-Nots – the list is nearly endless.

These flowers have two different kinds of smells. Bees like some because they smell sweet. As the bees flit from blossom to blossom they carry pollen between the plants, but not every flower is sweet.

“What’s that smell?” my little daughter asked. “It smells like something died!”

Just as some flowers smell sweet and attract bees, others smell like rotting meat and attract flies to carry their pollen. (Skunk weed is just one example.)

The Apostle Paul teaches that Christians smell like Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15, 16). That smell attracts some people and repels others. To some, it is the sweet smell of life and to others, Christianity smells like death. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes he sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). Christianity means life now and life to come. Nothing could be sweeter!

Try singing “Sweet, Sweet Spirit” this morning. Here is my prayer for today:

“Dear Lord, may we become the sweet scent of Christ. Help us breathe in your Spirit and live a life that spreads abroad the fragrance of your love.”

The Scratch on the Record

My grandchildren were browsing among my moving boxes looking for a treasure called “vinyl.” It seems those piles of shiny CDs I own are about as valuable as 8-track tapes, but old-fashioned black vinyl records are in fashion again. Surely Papa had a stash of records in there somewhere!

Alas, I don’t, but I remember something magical about putting one on the stereo and watching the album drop onto the turntable. Then the play arm with its needle would swing over and find track one. Analog was amazing, but it had one fatal flaw. If a record got a scratch it was doomed.

My first album was Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water. I worked hard and saved to buy it. It brought me such joy until one day my baby sister grabbed the arm and dragged it across the record. I can still hear the screech and I’m sure she still remembers my desperate cry of despair! I tried everything. I tried to ignore the scratch: “Like a bridge over – click – troubled waters – CLICK.” It was no use. The record was ruined.

Life is like that. There are scratches on everybody’s record, and there comes a point when they can’t be ignored. The record needs to be replaced. That’s what Christians call the “New Birth.”

This morning, in your devotional time, try singing “Why Did My Savior Come to Earth?” Here is my prayer for today:

“Dear Lord, You have created a beautiful world in which we marvel, but what You do best is re-create our broken lives. Thank You!”

What Are You Afraid Of?

Our dog, Sadie, hates thunder, and we are in the middle of a series of thunderstorms in Illinois. She will even abandon her greatest love – playing fetch – at the first flash and boom and run for grandma’s room to hide behind her vanity. The cat, Joey, isn’t too concerned but worries about Sadie, so we often find them both in their “hidey hole.” (Although sometimes I wonder if the cat isn’t just laughing at the dog, I like to think Joey is consoling Sadie.)

There is something visceral about booming thunder. “As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel” (1 Samuel 7:10). On the other hand, in John chapter 12, just a few days before Jesus was crucified, God spoke from heaven. Some declared it was just a natural phenomenon like thunder and nothing to pay attention to. Others suggested the sound might have been an angel speaking to Jesus, while some of the disciples indeed heard the words and heard the very voice of God.

The storm has passed. Sadie has crawled out from behind the vanity, denying she was afraid. She was just a little sleepy. The cat doesn’t believe her, but what does it matter? Life is full of phobias. Kendra Cherry posted an “A to Z” list of phobias. [1] Here are just a few from the A category:

Achluophobia: Fear of darkness

Acrophobia: Fear of heights

Aerophobia: Fear of flying

Algophobia: Fear of pain

Agoraphobia: Fear of open spaces or crowds

Aichmophobia: Fear of needles or pointed objects

Amaxophobia: Fear of riding in a car

Androphobia: Fear of men

Anthropophobia: Fear of flowers

Anthropophobia: Fear of people or society

Our fears can protect us, but in my experience, fears can often prevent us from enjoying the life God has given us. Our Christian hope helps us overcome our fears and celebrate life!

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)

[1] Downloaded August 3, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/list-of-phobias-2795453

Worn Out for Good

There is something immensely satisfying about hard, physical labor. For example, when you have finished mowing the yard, you can stand in the shade, covered in sweat, drinking an ice-cold glass of tea, and see what you have accomplished. It feels good! Sadly, church work is rarely like that. Yes, it can be exhausting and turn your brains to mush, but there are few times when you can see what your lessons and sermons have accomplished. No one applauds (or even says amen anymore). You might get a handshake and a “good sermon preacher,” as people walk out the door, but you are just as likely to have Brother Curmudgeon gripe about something that rubbed him the wrong way. It can be exhausting.

Paul told the Thessalonians to “to respect those who labor among you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12). The word “labor” means “work that wears you out.” He is talking about all Christian leaders from preachers, to teachers, to elders, and deacons. We rarely think about “church work” as real work but trust me. It is! Why is that?

First, the care of souls is serious business. The consequences are not inconsequential! Eternity may hang in the balance. Leaders will give an account to God for their work! Paul told the Ephesian elders:

You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ … I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:18 – 27).

Second, the work is never done. In this same passage, Paul said, “Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”

Third, the task of ministry depends on your spiritual maturity, patience, wisdom, and often loving the unlovable. The rewards are often intangible. (Someone recently told me as a preacher, I had a great retirement plan. Unfortunately, you must die to claim it!)

That is why Paul concludes his first letter to the Thessalonians by encouraging them to

Respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work (1 Thessalonians 5:12).

The word translated “respect” by the ESV is also translated as “know” by the KJV, ASV, D-R, ERV, and the first English Bibles, Wycliffe, Tyndale, ad the Geneva Bible. How well do you know your leaders? They answer to God for your souls, shouldn’t we “show your appreciation” (GW, ISV, NASB, and NCV translations)? The GNB, RSV, and NRSV read “show your appreciation” while the GNB, RSV, and NRSV remind us to “pay proper respect” or “give recognition” (HCSB). The Contemporary English Version tells us to “be thoughtful” and The Message tells us to “honor” them.

Caring for souls is hard work – work that causes sleepless nights, exhaustion, and indescribable joy. It is the greatest work in this world – and the next!

A Matter of Perspective

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind (1 Peter 3:8 ESV).

When I was attending Abilene Christian University, we lived in a house with a gray, gravel driveway. Gravel is the most ordinary of materials. We might glance at it and never give it another thought, but to my toddler son, gravel was the stuff of magic. When he got out of the car, he squatted down, picked up a stone, and turning it over and over in his tiny hands; he was lost in wonder. Was there anything so wonderful as a little gray rock flecked with sparkles? I put down my books and sat down beside him. He laughed and held out one of his treasures. Have you looked at the world through the eyes of a child? It becomes a world full of magic.

As the Apostle Peter is closing his first letter, he encourages Christians to cultivate a way of thinking and feeling. He encourages us to change our perspectives. He lists these five virtues: “unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” The series begins and ends with how we discipline our thoughts. First, we are to think alike, and finally, we are to be humble in our thoughts.

Today, let’s focus on the first virtue: “have unity of mind.” There is more to this virtue than appears at first glance. This virtue encourages us not only to think and reason the same way but to feel the same too. Peter has chosen to begin this series with a word that only appears here in the New Testament. It is a compound word combining homos (ὁμός – think of the English word “homo-genized”) and phren, (φρήν – in English, like in Greek, the stem phren– refers to “the seat of the intellect, feelings, and will; the mind”). So when we join them together in Peter’s special word, homophron, we have the meaning “like-minded, united in spirit, harmonious.”

A quick look at the various translations reveals: “be ye all of one mind” (KJV). Many English Bibles stress the idea of Christians being in harmony with one another (NASB, LEB, NET). The Complete Jewish Bible takes it one step further: “be one in mind and feeling.” It gets to the heart of the matter.

How can we think the same thoughts? How can we feel the same way? By learning to see the world through God’s eyes instead of our own. Lost in the busyness of everyday life, I only see the world through my eyes. Peter challenges us to take up a new perspective and see the world with the same eyes: God’s eyes.