Waiting for Heaven

I can't wait to see Jesus. But I will wait.

I can't wait until the times are complete and I can be with my parents again. I can't wait until I get to see my children all the time instead of sending them off to various parts of the earth.

But I will wait.

I'll wait until Jesus says so, and I look forward to my family growing even larger with maybe even grandchildren in the future. And I look forward to the amazing contributions of my children to their professional realms, as they spread their influence and find their voices.

But at moments it's hard to wait, when I listen to Endless Hallelujah by Matt Redman is one of those moments. "No more tears, No more shame, No more sin and sorrow ever known again; No more fears, No more pain, We will see You face to face, See You face to face..."

I can't wait. But I will wait, I'll wait and serve and try to do God's will daily.

I look forward to having my family all together, parents and children and future offspring. But really the blessing of heaven is Jesus, face to face. Unimaginable.

Bill Trimble reminded me of that yesterday. Bill preached part of the funeral of Carol Erickson, mother of Bill's late wife Jan. Bill said after he lost Jan he had a dream, and in that dream he was in heaven with Jan. He was so happy to see her. After greeting him, Jan got down to the important stuff as she was wont to do, and said, "Enough small talk, let's go see Jesus." Bill reminded all of us that although Carol would be glad to see Jan and her mother and other family, the real attraction of heaven is Jesus.

So I'll wait, and I hope to wait a long time, to see my children's children, to see the fruit of my labors at church, to see my children's contributions to the world, but at times I yearn for that moment, face to face.

And in the end, the waiting is a flash, washed into the eternity of the now in Jesus' presence. Yes, Matt Redman, an Endless Hallelujah.

Risk for the Earth

Some years ago I first joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with Martin Hill Farms, buying produce from Farmer Mike. That means that at the beginning of the year I pay up front to get weekly produce during the season. Farmer Mike gets the capital needed to buy seeds and supplies and I get beautiful natural heirloom fruits and vegetables.

Recently I read the book In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan where the author distills his book into seven words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. He further explains that when he says food, that is not a given in our currently processed world. Reading Pollan's book made me all the more convinced that my CSA is an important part of how our family eats.

Not long after reading Pollan's book Farmer Mike shared some of the dilemmas he has faced recently. Farming is not a profitable business. Even with our capital up front, Mike hardly can make it work. A dry summer, a wet summer, a hot summer, rain on market day, heat on market day, market day falling on Fourth of July, so many things work against the best results. Mike told us in this email that we were taking a risk. I never thought of it like that before, I never realized that I was risking my money when I paid my share up front.

Everyday people line up to buy lottery tickets, believing they're going to get a payoff. They take that risk. And rarely gain a return. Risking money on good food is not only good for the health of my family, it's good for the earth, which desperately needs the kind of healthy wholesome agriculture Farmer Mike and his colleagues practice.

Opt into a CSA. Shop at farmer's markets. Buy real food. Do your part, despite the risk. We're all in this together.

The Mind of Christ

This summer we are studying 1 Corinthians at church. I chose sermons from the book for each week, and at Bible study on Wednesday we read all the chapters that lead up to that text. A couple of weeks ago we were studying chapter 2. Right before the end it has a quote, which leaves the last phrase set apart on the page.

But we have the mind of Christ.

Just sitting out there by itself.

But we have the mind of Christ.

It smacked me between the eyes, really? We do? Do I? Not so much. That would mean my thoughts are selfless, loving, kind, gracious, forgiving, all the time.

All week that was on my mind. Another week went by, and I was driving to an appointment and a particular driver gave me a lot of trouble. First the driver cut me off in traffic. Then she was in front of me on the exit, then put on her brakes, slowed down on the highway to change to the other lane. It was both scary and maddening. I was late to the appointment too, and the reason I was late was I had lost something important at home, so it was just a frustrating day all around. When that car stopped on the highway, I just started yelling. Then I said to myself, “I’m supposed to have the mind of Christ. How do I do that?”

Then something new hit me. That sentence has a plural subject. It says WE have the mind of Christ. I’m not capable of having the mind of Christ by myself. But together, we can have the mind of Christ. That night one of my pastor friends wrote on Facebook about carrying each other’s burdens. That was the night of that bad day. I asked him to carry me for a bit. He said he’d pray for me. 

Together we can have the mind of Christ, because when one is down another can be up, and when one is struggling to do the right thing, another can remind them it’s worth it, and when one is sad and lonely, another can encourage them. It takes all of us working together to be who we need to be in Jesus.

So let's have the mind of Christ, together.

Men and Church

Recently various complaints and campaigns have attacked the attitude of the church toward men. The gist of these complaints alleges that churches emasculate men. They point to the shortage of men in churches. They also note what has been called "Jesus is My Boyfriend" songs. They encourage our churches to be more men-friendly.

As a woman pastor, I find this all rather ironic. Yes, more women attend church than men. But who "runs" most churches? Men. Every mega-church is pastored by a man, perhaps with his wife, but no current listed top growing or largest church is pastored by a woman.

And as for those "Jesus is My Boyfriend" songs, who's writing those? Men. We'd have to sit down and decide which songs fall into that category to verify that it's only men, but most top worship songs are written by men, and the ones I can think of that I would say communicate this sentiment the strongest are written by men.

One video that is bemoaning the emasculation of men in the church has a newly emasculated man (yes, literally) showing up at the bar to drink beer with his male friends. Does being a real man mean you have to drink beer in bars? What about "real" Christian men that don't drink? Does that mean they're not "real" men?

I'm all for making men, and women, feel more welcome in the church. But I'm not sure we've really properly diagnosed the problem. The women pastors I know find men to be prevalent and strong in their churches. I personally think less authoritarian leadership attracts men, they don't have to fight for control and attention.

I also am not a big fan of "Jesus is My Boyfriend" songs, because I think the church ought to be singing songs with plural pronouns, not singular.

Personally I think the solution to this "problem" does not lie in looking for culturally constructed solutions, like drinking beer in bars. A healthy church is grounded in the model of the New Testament, where whole families came to Christ. The NT church was not individualistic like most American churches, so these concerns did not even exist. If we focus on the model we find there, everyone will find a place.

Cats, Dogs, and Mothers

Mother's Day returns this Sunday. Not having my own mother or grandmothers around anymore changes this day drastically. I can't express my appreciation to them in person or via phone anymore. Most of us don't appreciate our mothers enough until we really grow up.

In fact, children are like cats or dogs. Those who are like cats don't pay much attention to their mother's existence. If she were missing they'd notice their food supply dried up. But when she walks into the room, they continue with what they were doing, or leave even.

Others are like dogs. When their mom enters the room, they immediately respond in some way. If she leaves for awhile, they are glad when she returns. In fact, they make her feel like the center of their universe.

If your mom still resides on this earth, try giving her some puppy love for Mother's Day.

Eastertide

Resurrection doesn't end on a spring Sunday. The church calendar calls the season between Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost Eastertide. For forty days until the Ascension Jesus kept showing up visiting various disciples. Then 10 days later the Holy Spirit showed up to the gathered group, and has been showing up ever since.

The power won by the resurrection and endowed on us by the Holy Spirit is for always. So the fun of Easter eggs and cantatas may be over for this year, but the best part continues, the reality of what it means for Jesus to have risen from the dead.

Victory over sin! Freedom to make the right choice! Escape from death! These are the vestiges we live in daily, when we choose to fully walk in the power of what Jesus offers.

I love spring, it's a whole lot easier to believe in resurrection. My friend noted to me last week that celebrating Easter in the southern hemisphere where fall is bringing winter would feel very different. But whatever the weather outside, new life is available because of Jesus' victory. Celebrate!

Human History Hinges Here

When I awoke on this Good Friday contemplating the significance of this day, I applied to it the phrase Human History Hinges Here.

Last Sunday we had our youth discuss what is different in the world because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The short answer is, a lot.

Even for those who don't believe in Christ, human history, as evidenced by the traditional BC and AD, changed dramatically due to the events surrounding the carpenter from Nazareth. The impact of those who followed Christ changed the trajectory of the future.

Not everyone would see these as positive changes, but history took a different turn after that fateful weekend in the tiny nation of Israel.

Contemplating that today reminds me of the impact of Jesus on the world. But I can also see it in myself. In a smaller circle that defines my life, my history is different because of Jesus.

I don't know what I'd be doing today if not for Jesus, but I wouldn't be pastoring an urban church in Cincinnati, having raised four children who are having their own impact in the world these days.

I can't really unravel my own history that has been intertwined for decades with the story of Jesus, nor can I unravel the history of humanity since that first Good Friday so long ago, but I do know that God has an amazing story line that can be traced, and I expect once graduating to an eternal perspective it will be entertaining to experience.

Meanwhile, I contemplate the significance of this day. I can only scratch the surface, but at least I find it important to pause and try. For the cross is foolishness to the world, but the power of God to those who believe. May that power be real in me today.