It had been a tough week. It was one of those weeks when I dreaded getting the mail or answering the phone. It seemed like all of the news was just bad. Jan looked at me, ran her fingers through my hair and packed me off to the boat. “Somebody needs some quiet time,” she said. “Why don’t you go out to the boat and unwind?” Jan packed me some snacks and pulled my wool watch cap down around my ears.

A short time later, I dragged the dinghy down the beach and waded out into the bay. Soon the water was doing it’s magic. With each stroke of the oars, I could feel my body and, more importantly, my soul beginning to relax. The sun was setting behind Coronado: a ball of red fire. As I climbed up the side of our old wooden boat, the stars were beginning to “pop.” Sirius, the “dog star,” appeared above the Coronado bridge quickly followed by Jupiter and Orion. There was an unusual chill in the air and the heat from the oil lamps felt good. Wrapped in my sleeping bag, sipping a mug of steaming tomato soup, I started reading the Sermon on the Mount:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble,” (Jesus, Matthew 6:25-34).

Those were the words I needed to hear. Do you? Isn’t our Father wonderful?

Have you ever lied to God? People are often dishonest in prayer: “Lord, thank you for the wonderful day” but inside it doesn’t feel all that wonderful.

How can we be dishonest in prayer? It’s human nature to think some matters are too trivial to pray about. “The Creator of the Universe isn’t interested in my frustrations with the phone company.” That’s not true. God has invited us to share our whole life with Him. He is interested in our growth and that requires transparency on our part.

Likewise there are some things we’d rather not talk about. That’s true in marriage (or any relationship for that matter) and it’s true in prayer. A man came home drunk one night. He staggered into the house and his sweet wife helped him into bed. As she pulled the covers up and kissed his head she asked, “Charles, would you like me to say a prayer?”

In his drunken stupor he mumbled something she took to be a “Yes” and so she began, “Heavenly Father, please forgive my drunken husband…” The startled man opened his eyes and objected, “Don’t tell him I’m drunk! Tell him I’m sick!”

There are also times when we are angry with God but we are afraid to admit it. “Why did this have to happen to me?” Still we say our prayers and pretend everything is fine. Job had the courage (or the maturity) to ask the tough questions. He was honest with God and we call Job blessed.

The point of all this is growth. Before we can be honest with God, we must be honest with ourselves and so the discipline of prayer calls us into a totally transparent relationship with God. It calls us to be honest to God.

“The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser – in case you thought optimism was dead.”
― Robert Brault

Somewhere along the way, Christians got a reputation for being negative people. Perhaps we inherited that label from our Jewish forefathers. The rabiis studied the first five books of the Bible and identified 613 commandments that cover nearly every aspect of life. It seems that 365 of them are negative (“Thou shalt not …”) and 248 of them are positive (“Thou shalt …”).

We do it to ourselves too of course. I once knew a preacher who always seemed so angry in his sermons. I asked him why and he announced, “The Apostle Paul told Timothy to ‘reprove, rebuke, and exhort’ (2 Timothy 4:2) and so I believe two out of three sermons ought to be angry!” I’m sad to say, I think he was serious, but I don’t think that’s right. Christians ought to be the most positive people on the planet. Why we have so much to live for we even have something to die for! We’ve read the book and we know how the story ends.

I suppose I’ve always been an optimistic Christian. Along the way, I’ve collected some tidbits that reinforce that view:

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill

“What day is it?”
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh. — A. A. Milne

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

“You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.” — Charlie Chaplin

“Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.” — Albert Einstein

Life isn’t a weary cycle that repeats itself over and over and over again. Jesus plainly told us, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). So, I’m positive – I’m a Christian!

Hans the tailor had an excellent reputation so it came as no surprise that an important young executive chose Hans

to make him a custom, tailored suit. After the fittings, when the young man went to pick up the suit, he discovered

one sleeve was shorter than the other. One shoulder caved in and the other bunched out. In fact, the suit was a

grotesque disaster but the young man was rather timid and rather than protest, contorted himself into the suit and

wore the thing home on the bus.

On the ride home a man kept staring at him and finally asked, “Did Hans the tailor make that suit?”

“Why yes,” the young man replied.

“Wow. I knew Hans was a good tailor but I had no idea he could make a suit to fit someone so deformed as you!”

For years people have been trying to squeeze Christians into odd‐shaped moulds. So what do people expect Christians to be like? In one word: “Irrelevant,” but Christianity may be more relevant than they think. For example, have you ever considered the impact of faith on your health? Christianity Today reported the following findings:

• Christians live longer.
• Christians have lower incidences of heart attacks, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and hypertension.
• Christians are less likely to abuse alcohol and are far less likely to use illicit drugs.
• Prison inmates who make a religious commitment are less likely than their counterparts to return to jail.
• Marital satisfaction and overall well‐being tend to increase with regular Church attendance.
• In fact, a Redbook Magazine survey reported that married couples who were religious had a whole lot more fun in bed than those who were not.

So don’t let anyone squeeze you into a suit made by Hans and just smile politely when someone tells you your faith is

“irrelevant.”

This week our little black cat (and shipmate) Lucky passed away. She died in our arms after a long illness. Jan had been feeding her with a syringe and we gave her water through an eyedropper, but it was her time and it broke our heart.

Lucky truly was lucky. We found her twelve years ago cowering under a black car on hot, black asphalt in Phoenix, Arizona. The thermometer read “117 degrees.” The little kitten fit in the palm of my hand and was nearly gone. Only Jan’s sharp ears heard her little cry for help. We raced to a drive-thru and got a cup of ice water. Jan piped water into Lucky through a straw while I drove home wondering where I was going to bury this kitten, but Lucky was always a scrapper and made it through the night and then lived with us on our sailboat, Santa Teresa for five years before moving with us into the parsonage.

During her life, Lucky fell into the ocean twice, accidentally hitched a ride out to sea on the San Diego Pilot boat, chased our other cat Phoebe from boom to boom and up the mast while we lived on board. Together they loved to watch the fireworks over the bay each night.

I don’t know that we will ever adopt another pet. It is just too painful to say good-bye. Even King David was enraged when the Prophet Nathan told him a story about a rich man abusing a poor man’s pet (1 Samuel 12). Lucky – like most pets – gave us so much more than she ever asked for.

“So do our pets go to heaven too?” I am asked. While the definitive answer to that question must remain in my famous notebook (where it awaits God’s answer after I die), I am strongly inclined to say, “Yes.” Even Solomon contemplated this question in Ecclesiastes 3:19-21. So when I think about Lucky, I take comfort in Paul’s observation:

^{Romans 8:19} For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Lucky and the rest of creation is waiting for that great day but there is a difference. Lucky might have been naughty (ask me about the mattress on my bunk), but she never sinned. Can we say the same thing?

“Charles Thomson (November 29, 1729 – August 16, 1824) was a Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress (1774–1789) throughout its existence.” – Wikipedia

 Thomson had a tragic childhood. His mother died when he was just a boy and his father took the family, five boys and a girl, from Ireland to America to begin again. Within the sight of shore, Thomson’s father died and the sea captain embezzled all of their money. Thomson closed his father’s eyes after hearing his final prayer, “God take them up.” The children were left at the mercy of the New World. Charles rose above it all and became a true American patriot. He became the leader of the Philadelphia “Sons of Liberty” and a good friend of Benjamin Franklin.

When the Continental Congress was formed, Thomson became its secretary – a post most scholars equate with a Prime Minister. For fifteen years Thomson served until the congress was finally adjourned. At its conclusion in July, 1789, Thomson retired to work on a translation of the Bible and wrote a synopsis of the four gospels published in 1815. You see Thomson was a Greek and Latin tutor for the famous Philadelphia Academy and what he is best known for today is his work on the Great Seal of the United States.

It’s on the back of a one-dollar bill. Do you see the Latin motto “Novus ordo seclorum”? It comes from the fourth Eclogue of Virgil:

Now comes the final era of the Sibyl’s song;

The great order of the ages is born afresh.

And now justice returns, honored rules return;

Now a new lineage is sent down from high heaven.

“Novus ordo seclorum” means “New Order for the Ages.” Medieval Christians believed Virgil’s poem was a prophecy of the coming of Christ and Thomson, a Latin tutor well acquainted with Virgil, believed the founding of the United States was also part of God’s plan.

It is popular today to tout the separation of church and state, but for the founding fathers there could be no separation of God and state. Think about that the next time you spend a dollar bill.

I love to hike and climb and I love all the gadgets that go with it. Once, for my birthday, my mother gave me a Swiss Army knife. You’ve seen them. It’s not only a pocket knife, but it also folds out into a spoon, a screw driver, magnifying glass, leather punch, and a host of other tools including a toothpick and tweezers!

In churches, deacons are God’s Swiss Army knife. In every congregation there is a need for men to take responsibility for a whole host of activities from keeping the books to mowing the lawn. When Paul wrote to Timothy, he could have told the young minister to appoint accountants, teachers, gardeners, watchmen, technicians, and ministers. We tend to look for jobs and then find men to fit them but God is concerned about the kind of man first:

^{1 Timothy 3:8} Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. ⁹ They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰ And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. ¹¹ Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. ¹² Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. ¹³ For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. (English Standard Version)

In other words, look for a man with the right stuff and he will make sure the right stuff gets done!

Sunday, June 8th is Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. Everyone is familiar with Christmas and most recognize Easter, but Pentecost is relatively unknown. In my mind, that is a great shame. It marks the coming of the promised Holy Spirit and the dawn of the Christian Age. Here is an excerpt from my book The Wind from the Shadows (Available from Amazon.com).

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost

2 ¹⁴ But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. ¹⁵ For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷      “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

¹⁸      even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

¹⁹      And I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

²⁰      the sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

²¹      And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Have you ever been “giddy for God”? After hiding in the upper room for nearly two weeks with doors and windows closed, on Sunday, Pentecost, at nine o’clock in the morning, the apostles along with over one hundred others, spilled out of their room and into the street praising God. It was a burst of joy so enthusiastic the neighbors thought they were drunk!

But notice the point of Peter’s message: These are the “last days” – the final age has dawned (v. 17)! All history has been pointing to this moment and we are part of it.

Second, God is pouring his Spirit out on everyone, not just a select few: men, women, young, old, slave, free. Holiness isn’t just for a tiny minority of prophets and priests. God’s Spirit is for everyone!

Third, and this is the most difficult point for us to understand, “and they shall prophesy,” (v. 18). We equate “prophesy” with “prediction” and “inspired speech,” but it is so much more than that. Turn with me to the Old Testament:

Do you remember the story of Saul, the first king of Israel?

^{1 Samuel 10:10} When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. ¹¹ And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹² And a man of the place answered, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹³ When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

Does that mean Saul suddenly began foretelling the future? No, he became “giddy for God.” Let’s look at another passage from the life of Saul. King Saul sent messengers to capture David, but:

^{1 Samuel 19:20} … when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. ²¹ When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. ²² Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” ²³ And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. ²⁴ And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

I’m not suggesting that we should lose control like Saul did, but I am saying the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives should make us happy and maybe, just sometimes, “giddy for God.” Don’t hold back. God loves you and his Spirit is with you – SMILE.

All Scriptural quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (R) (ESV (R)) Copyright 2001 by Crossway publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.