Last week, on the Sunday leading into the Thanksgiving holiday, I did something I haven’t done in years. I played my trombone and sang a solo at the church we attend. As you might imagine, it was a trip down memory lane.
As Loreen and I searched music books for something we had done before, we came across an old song called “Count Your Blessings.” The last verse, which I sang after playing the trombone, goes like this: So, amid the conflict, whether great or small – do not be discouraged, God is over all – Count your many blessings, angels will attend – help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Little did I know that angels were attending an old friend of mine at that very moment. I knew that he was ill. In fact, we would call it a “terminal” illness. However, the end came more quickly than I expected.
Lee Dice was a pastor senior to me. Together with other pastors in the state of Indiana, he asked me to initiate a new church in Indianapolis. We began the fall of 1965 with nothing more than a list of prospects. Sixteen churches supported us with prayer and gifts. Lee was the pastor of one of those churches, the church in Flora, Indiana.
Two years later, Lee left Flora to become the pastor of the Third Brethren Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The church we started in Indianapolis continued to grow. Since it was nearly ready to be self supporting, no longer needing support from the Indiana churches, I took the challenge of a new church in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Imagine my surprise and gratitude when Lee returned from Philadelphia to be the pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Indianapolis.
The story isn’t over. In 1995, Lee became the Executive Secretary of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers. Eight years later, he and the officers of the Association asked me to design a new structure that would deliver more encouragement and assistance to our members. In 2005, as that structure developed, Lee resigned from his role as Executive Secretary. I inherited some of his duties, and was later named the Ministry Director.
The crossing of our paths is not without significance. There is a personal God, and he is at work in our lives. I could not have designed and orchestrated the way Lee and I played tag with each other in our service for the Lord.
Lee reached the end of his journey only to begin another, one far more glorious. It began with Thanksgiving dinner in heaven. What a way to begin!
When I count my blessings, Lee Dice is among them.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
So Far, So Good!
One of my favorite stories is about a man who fell from a tall building. As he passed an open window about five stories up, someone inside heard him call out, “So far, so good!”
I used to tell that story when people around me were enthusiastic about their progress. Current returns are no guarantee of future results. Isn’t that something we read on stock offerings? We should pay more attention.
It was an article in USA Today that reminded me of the story, and it has been in my mind all week long. The newspaper runs a feature on religion every Monday, and last week the editor chose an atheist to write something. That was an interesting choice in itself, since it was the week Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The article was entitled, “No religion? No problem.” When I finished reading, I added one more phrase: NOT YET.
In the article, the author was delighted that a growing number of Americans no longer identify with a particular religion. The results of a recent survey seem to indicate that 20% of the population has no religious affiliation. From that finding, she assumes that only 80% believe in a supernatural being. That’s quite a leap in logic, which is somewhat akin to a leap of faith.
Actually, I imagine that many Christians could identify themselves as irreligious. I know that I do. I am a follower of Jesus, not a particular religious “brand.” In this, I identify quite well with a man named Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote most of what we know as the New Testament.
Paul encountered a lot of religion in the Greco-Roman world of the first century after Christ. One of his encounters is recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 17. He compliments the Athenians for being very religious, but warns them that religion is not sufficient. In fact, religion can actually reinforce ignorance.
“In the past,” Paul says to them, “God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
God has set a day, and all of us are falling toward it. He will not judge us on the basis of our religious affiliation, but on the basis of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The resurrection proves it.
To smug religionists and atheists alike, I have this advice from Psalm 2:
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
I used to tell that story when people around me were enthusiastic about their progress. Current returns are no guarantee of future results. Isn’t that something we read on stock offerings? We should pay more attention.
It was an article in USA Today that reminded me of the story, and it has been in my mind all week long. The newspaper runs a feature on religion every Monday, and last week the editor chose an atheist to write something. That was an interesting choice in itself, since it was the week Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The article was entitled, “No religion? No problem.” When I finished reading, I added one more phrase: NOT YET.
In the article, the author was delighted that a growing number of Americans no longer identify with a particular religion. The results of a recent survey seem to indicate that 20% of the population has no religious affiliation. From that finding, she assumes that only 80% believe in a supernatural being. That’s quite a leap in logic, which is somewhat akin to a leap of faith.
Actually, I imagine that many Christians could identify themselves as irreligious. I know that I do. I am a follower of Jesus, not a particular religious “brand.” In this, I identify quite well with a man named Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote most of what we know as the New Testament.
Paul encountered a lot of religion in the Greco-Roman world of the first century after Christ. One of his encounters is recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 17. He compliments the Athenians for being very religious, but warns them that religion is not sufficient. In fact, religion can actually reinforce ignorance.
“In the past,” Paul says to them, “God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
God has set a day, and all of us are falling toward it. He will not judge us on the basis of our religious affiliation, but on the basis of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The resurrection proves it.
To smug religionists and atheists alike, I have this advice from Psalm 2:
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Preparation Matters
In recent years, I have watched with surprise and dismay as training and experience lost value in American culture. As a minister, I noticed it first among younger Christians. They wanted to be popular musicians without musical training. They wanted to go on mission trips to foreign countries without knowing the language. They wanted to be pastors without formal education or professional validation.
Christians are part of a wider culture. Generally speaking, Americans have lost their appreciation for those who “pay their dues” through years of preparation and hard experience. Examples abound, but the most current illustration is the presidential campaign. We just elected a President who is lacking in significant political experience, and we are told that his inexperience is actually an advantage.
With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I was deeply impressed by the testimony of Chelsy Sullenberger. You may recall that “Sully” was the pilot of US Airways flight 1549. He managed to land his disabled aircraft in the Hudson River and became an instant hero. Not a single life was lost. “I was sure I could do it,” Sully said. “I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation for that particular moment.”
I wanted to shout. The culture is blind and deaf to his wisdom, but some of us know exactly what Sully is talking about. I remembered similar words from a coach many years ago. One of his student athletes confidently talked about winning the next game. “We’re gonna win, coach,” he said, “Because we have the will to win.” “That’s not good enough,” the coach replied. “You must have the will to prepare to win.”
Those who eschew preparation may find that they are unequal to the task when their big moment arrives. They would do well to consider the life of Jesus. He didn’t begin his public ministry until he was about thirty years of age. Do you suppose he prepared? When the moment came, he was ready.
Christians are part of a wider culture. Generally speaking, Americans have lost their appreciation for those who “pay their dues” through years of preparation and hard experience. Examples abound, but the most current illustration is the presidential campaign. We just elected a President who is lacking in significant political experience, and we are told that his inexperience is actually an advantage.
With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I was deeply impressed by the testimony of Chelsy Sullenberger. You may recall that “Sully” was the pilot of US Airways flight 1549. He managed to land his disabled aircraft in the Hudson River and became an instant hero. Not a single life was lost. “I was sure I could do it,” Sully said. “I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation for that particular moment.”
I wanted to shout. The culture is blind and deaf to his wisdom, but some of us know exactly what Sully is talking about. I remembered similar words from a coach many years ago. One of his student athletes confidently talked about winning the next game. “We’re gonna win, coach,” he said, “Because we have the will to win.” “That’s not good enough,” the coach replied. “You must have the will to prepare to win.”
Those who eschew preparation may find that they are unequal to the task when their big moment arrives. They would do well to consider the life of Jesus. He didn’t begin his public ministry until he was about thirty years of age. Do you suppose he prepared? When the moment came, he was ready.
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