Handsome Trig (August 29, 2021)

Have you heard of the handsome trig? 

Personally, I had not.  In fact, if you had asked me such a question, I would wonder if you were talking about some type of math equation.  “Trigonometry?  I forgot all about that years ago!”  Or perhaps I would have thought that you were maybe being cute, referring to one of your grandchildren or maybe a nephew that you like.  “You’ve seen my handsome trig haven’t you?  He’s adorable!”  Maybe you have some kind of code, some type of slang for your family of which I am not familiar.  You see your grandson, pinch his cheeks and say “What a handsome trig you are!!!”

Handsome trig?

Nope.  Never heard of it.

The other day I saw one.  A handsome trig.  There it was right in front of me as I got out of my car, and it caused me to stop for a minute.  I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at, but I wanted to see it longer.  I wanted to pause for a moment to observe.  I wanted to take note of its characteristics.  Its size.  Its shape.  Its color.  If it made noise, I wanted to hear it.  As it moved, I wanted to watch it.  I wanted to know all about it because once it left, I knew what I was going to do next…Google it.  I had to know what this thing was all about.

Let me describe it for you.  Small.  Insect.  Brightly colored, red head and thorax (that’s the middle part of the insect…in between the head and the abdomen).  Black abdomen.  Green legs that looked like a cricket or a grasshopper’s legs.

What a weird thing (at least to me).  It seemed all mixed up, but there it was.  Red head.  Black body.  Green cricket legs.  Like a kid’s coloring book who didn’t want Jiminy to look too boring.  How could such a thing be?  Aren’t crickets usually brown or black or yellowish or maybe a bit green?  Red and black and green?  All on one cricket?  Never heard of them.  Hadn’t seen such a thing.

I looked it up, and there it was.  Google said it’s called a handsome trig.

As it turns out, handsome trigs aren’t that unusual.  They aren’t that uncommon.  I wasn’t familiar with them, but apparently they are a thing.  Handsome trigs.  Otherwise known as red-headed bush crickets.  Who knew?  (Ok.  Maybe you did.  Not me.)

Maybe you’re not that into insects (I’m not really either), and maybe you would think that the name of this one should be the “ugly trig,” but seeing it reminded me of an important practice that we should develop in our life…the practice of noticing. 

Sometimes in life there will be things that are presented to us, things that God wants to reveal to us or show us, but we have to become familiar and comfortable with noticing things. 

I have walked by the bush that held the handsome trig a ton of times without ever seeing a bug like that.  It is right beside where I park my car.  Typically I don’t see these bugs there.  The other day was different.  One was there.  Now granted, it could have been there before, but this time I saw it.  I noticed it.  My eyes became aware that there was something unusual present.  I was able to see this weird bug with a red head, a black body and green legs.

It is an important practice to develop.  We need to notice things.

Take, for instance, Moses.

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

~ Exodus 3:1-2

 

If you know the story of Moses and are familiar with the story of Israel’s deliverance, you know that life is about to change for Moses in a dramatic way.  The burning bush is the time that God speaks to Moses and begins to direct Moses into how he should lead God’s people to the Promised Land.  (If you aren’t familiar with this story, pull out your Bible and start in Exodus chapter 1.  It’s good stuff.)  

BEFORE life could change for Moses,

BEFORE God would speak to Moses from that bush,

BEFORE God would use Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and to the Promised Land,

BEFORE Moses was established as a central character in the history of Israel and in Christian faith,

BEFORE all of that happened, do you know what Moses did?

He noticed.

He noticed something out of the ordinary.

“There is a bush that is burning, but it isn’t burning.”
“There is a bush that burns, but it is not burnt up.”
“There is something remarkable.”
“There is something extraordinary.”
“There is something.”

Moses noticed.

“But Pastor Chris, I would notice if a bush was burning but was not being consumed.  I would notice if something was on fire but not being burnt up.”

I pray that is true, but let me ask you…are you noticing God in your life now?  Do you see God in your day-to-day life regularly?  Do you witness God’s handiwork?  Do you marvel at God’s creation?  Can you see the fingerprints of God in what is around you?  Have you noticed?

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

~ Psalms 19:1

God has created.  God has made.  God has designed.  God has crafted.  God continues to do all of these things, and if we pay attention, if we notice, we can see that God’s creation points back to Him.  We can see that God’s handiwork points our attention back to God.  If we notice, we can see God through His work.

Noticing is important.  It is important that we notice.  It is a practice that I want for us to be in the habit of doing.  I want for us to be a people who notice.

Beyond noticing, do you know what else is important?

Action.

Change of course.  Change of behavior.  Maybe we need to stop what we are doing to observe, to listen, to examine, to see.

I could have glanced at the bug and thought, “huh that’s strange” and continued on my way.  By acting, by stopping, by observing, by examining, by seeing, I was able to experience more.  I was able to discover more.  I was able to have my world expanded further so that it now includes the handsome trig, the red-headed bush cricket.

I know.  That’s not really that big of a deal.  I could have functioned just fine without that particular knowledge, but what if this was a one-in-a-million, extremely rare, endangered insect?  What if catching this bug would have been the chance to restore some lost ecosystem?  What if there was more?  After we notice, action is often required.

Let’s return to Moses for our example.

So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

~ Exodus 3:3

Moses noticed.  Then Moses acted.  Moses went over to see what was happening.  He went to see.  He asked, “What’s the deal, yo?”  Moses didn’t just continue on his way, he didn’t just keep on minding the flock and not worrying about the bush.  Instead he noticed and then he acted.  Maybe it was nothing.  Maybe it was just a red-headed bush cricket, but maybe it was more.

Turns out it was more.

So much more.

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

~ Exodus 3:4

The rest, as they say, is history.  This experience at the bush began a conversation between Moses and God that set Moses down a path that forever changed the course of humankind.  

Why? 

Because Moses noticed and responded.

Don’t get me wrong.  God was the initiator of this entire endeavor.  God acted first.  God set the bush on fire without it being consumed, but then God waited.  God waited to see if Moses would notice.  God waited to see if Moses would respond.  Once Moses did those two things, God called him to a journey, a world, a purpose that Moses would have never seen or experienced.  

Can you imagine if Moses didn’t notice?

Can you imagine if Moses didn’t go over to see what was happening, if he didn’t respond?

We’d be telling the stories of some other dude, some other guy who God used to accomplish the plans that He had set.  Moses wouldn’t even be a thought in our heads.

So, friend, I ask you, are you noticing?  Are you seeing the things of God in your life?  If so, here’s the follow up question: are you then responding?  Are you acting upon what you have been seeing?

If not, would you pray this prayer:

“God, open my eyes that I may see You.  Open my ears that I might hear You.  Open my heart that I might love You.  Help me to notice You, Lord, and help me to respond.  Help me be open to You and responsive to You.”  Amen.

~ Pastor Chris

What Are You Feeding? (August 22, 2021)

A little while back I shared a devotional about feeding birds at our house.  In particular, I talked about the joy that a crow brought me whenever it was eating the bread that I had discarded outside.  (In case you never read it or if it isn’t ringing a bell, you are able to access all of the prior devotionals on either church website.  If you don’t have internet access and would like to receive that particular devotional again, let me know and I will mail you a copy.)  Anyway, in that devotional I mentioned my practice of discarding some of our food outside.  

Here’s how it works:  

• Bread that has developed some mold in spots?  Put it out by the field.  The birds will eat it.  I might get to enjoy seeing said birds in the view from our window.
• Chips that have gone stale?  Put them out by the field.  The birds will eat them.  I might get to enjoy seeing said birds in the view from our window.
• Soggy popcorn?  Put it out by the field…..you get the idea.

In general, we try not to waste a lot of food.  However, it happens.  An open bag of chips find their way into the back of the pantry.  A loaf of bread gets partially eaten and forgotten.  Some dinner rolls get hard or rubbery.  Popcorn sits out too long before it is consumed.  Sometimes there are things within our house that are past the point of enjoyment for us to eat.  I wish that weren’t the case, but that is the reality.  When that happens, instead of throwing the food into our trashcan I prefer to throw it outside to let it be enjoyed by an animal or to naturally decompose.  Typically the birds come and peck at the bread, and this gives me an opportunity to do a little bird watching out of our window.  For me, it is a win-win-win out of a less than ideal situation.  The food is out of our house and not filling up our garbage can.  Birds get to eat it.  I get to see the birds.  Everyone wins.

Good plan, right? 

I think so too, but it isn’t foolproof.  It isn’t flawless.  There are some issues.  One issue in particular is the fact that I cannot control what happens to the food once it is laid outside.  I have no real say-so in terms of what gets to enjoy our spoils.  I intend for birds to eat it, but there is no guarantee that will happen.

The other day we popped some popcorn.  It was delicious.  Salty.  Buttery.  We each ate a lot.  The problem?  We popped more than we could eat or try to give away.  Each of us ate popcorn until it was coming out of our ears and then we asked other people if they wanted some.  Still, there was popcorn left.  Popcorn that none of us could eat.  Popcorn that would get soggy and gross pretty quickly.  I knew there was only one thing to do with the leftover popcorn.

Feed it to the birds.

Outside it went.  Into the typical spot that I dump these types of things.  I was curious to see if I might get the chance to see a bird or two enjoying a nicely puffed piece of popcorn.

I didn’t.  Instead, I saw something else.

A big, fat groundhog.

Enjoying the popcorn that was meant for the birds.

Now, some of you might think “Awwww!!!!  How cute!!!!  You got to see Punxsutawney Phil!!!!  You got to witness Phil in his natural habitat.  You must have been so excited to see a groundhog instead of some old ordinary bird!”

Nope.

Not so much.

You see, I know that this particular groundhog is not Punxsutawney Phil.  No man in a top hat will be watching to see if this thing sees its shadow.  Television cameras will not descend to monitor this thing’s behaviors.  No.  Punxsutawney Phil this was not.  It was his distant cousin thrice removed (at least).  This was the far more sinister New Alexandria Ned.

Perhaps you haven’t heard of New Alexandria Ned, but let me tell you…he is a menace.  Big.  Fat.  Intimidating.  He enjoys digging holes underneath your deck.  He might gnaw on your deck posts…just for the thrill of it.  Wires underneath your car?  A favorite afternoon snack of Ned’s.  He burrows in places that you don’t want him to be, and he taunts you.  Incessantly.  “Look at this giant hole that I dug in your yard!  I hope you twist your ankle by stepping in it!  Look at the way that I’m chewing on this wood!  Look at this mess I am making!”  

He even recites pathetic poetry.

    Let me introduce myself

    I’m New Alexandria Ned

    I’m the meanest groundhog around 

    …or so it’s been said

    I’ll dig big ol’ holes

    I can move lots of dirt

    You’ll twist your ankle

    I hope you get hurt

    I’ll chew on your wood

    I’ll crawl under your car

    I might gnaw a wire

    You won’t get very far

    Sure I’m plump

    Some might call me cute

    But don’t be fooled

    I’m a mean old brute

That was him.  Ned.  The groundhog who has taken it upon himself to start to do all kinds of undesirable things around our home.  There he was.  Eating popcorn.  Popcorn that I had discarded.

I thought that I was feeding the birds.

Instead, I was feeding Ned, an animal that I do not wish to flourish (at least not around the house).  

It reminded me of a truth.

We have to be careful what we are feeding.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the two wolves, a Cherokee tale that imagines two wolves being within each of us.  (I’ll do a quick paraphrase here just so we are all on the same page.)  One wolf is good.  The other is evil.  One represents love and peace and positive elements.  The other represents hatred and war and negative elements.  In the tale, the wolves battle each other within each of us and are equally matched.  A young boy listening to his grandfather tell the story questions, “Who will win?  Which wolf will come out victorious?  Will good prevail or will evil triumph?”  The grandfather answers, “The one you feed is the one who will win.”  

 

The one you feed is the one who will win.

Now, there are a number of issues that I would take with this story on a theological level.  First, we aren’t equally divided between good and evil.  In fact, the Bible teaches “Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;  there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 53:3)  Second the battle between good and evil is not a battle of equals.  The devil and God are not on the same ground.  Not even close.  “…the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”  (1 John 4:4)  Third, we are not able to defeat evil within our life by our power, our strength, our abilities.  Victory and triumph come through Jesus.  Jesus alone.  “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 15:57)

That said, there is something to be said about what we are “feeding” in our life.  

If we want to grow to be more like Jesus, if we want to get closer to God, if we want to follow after Christ, it makes sense that we would spend time feeding those desires, spend time doing and listening and seeking after the things of God.  It makes sense that we would “feed” that which is good and right and proper within us.  Spending more time in spiritual disciplines, in prayer, in fasting, in worship, in Bible study, in Christian fellowship, in things that “feed”, that strengthen, that encourage the things of Christ would be beneficial.  Conversely, spending time in things that “feed” the things that are not of God would be detrimental.  Time spent in gossip, in slander, in selfish ambition, in lust, in greed, in _____ would be time spent away from our Lord and detrimental to our spiritual health.  

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul says this:

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

~ Colossians 1:9-14

If we have been freed from the darkness, why do we continue to feed those desires within us that are dark?  Why would we want to continue to do those things that had enslaved us in the past?  Instead, we should seek to feed the goodness of God within us.  We should pray that we would “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way”.  

Perhaps you have been feeding your tendency to gossip.  Now is the time to turn away from that habit and walk in the light.  Perhaps you have been feeding your tendency to lust.  Now is the time to turn away from that habit and walk in the light.  Perhaps you have been feeding your selfishness, your greed, your pride.  Now is the time to turn away from those habits and walk in the light.

Friends, we need to be mindful and cautious of what we are feeding.  

We may think that some of our habits are just feeding the birds.  In reality?  We might be feeding New Alexandria Ned.  Trust me.  He gets fed enough without our help. 

 

~ Pastor Chris

The Olympics (August 8, 2021)

Have you been watching the Olympics?  

I know.  They’ve come on an odd year.  Something feels off about them being in 2021 and yet they are still called the “2020 Olympic Games.”  It does make it kind of weird to watch them.

I know.  NBC's “prime time” showing of the Olympics often plays events that are pre-recorded.  Because this is the case, there are some people who cannot keep their big yappers shut.  Details are often leaked, even by major news outlets.  The prime time viewing can seem less consequential and dramatic as you already know what happens.  Even right now I know something that will happen this evening, and I am disappointed by such knowledge.

I know.  The Olympics have historically come under criticism for a variety of reasons…for their expense, for their waste (have you ever seen the photos of old Olympic venues deteriorating?), for doping scandals, for a “win at all cost” mentality that can exist, for host nations that have a history of being cruel to their own people, for ________.

I know.  There are lots of reasons to refrain from watching.  Tired of the political nature of so many things.  Tired of the commercialization.  Tired of the scandals.  Tired of the lack of fans in auditoriums.  Tired of hearing the plug for Microsoft Teams and how they are connecting the Olympians and their families (even though this is a good thing that they can connect).  Or being just plain tired and not wanting to stay up late to watch them.  

There are lots of reasons to decide to not watch the Olympics, and I am perfectly fine with your decision if you choose not to watch them ever again.  That decision will likely not be detrimental to your spiritual health.  For me, though, for my family, we are watching, and we are watching a lot.

We’ve watched people flip and twist their bodies in ways that should be impossible during gymnastics competitions.

We’ve watched athletes hit target after target after target in shooting competitions.

We’ve witnessed people imitate Flipper with dolphin kicks that are über impressive.

We’ve seen people run 100 meters in under 10 seconds as if that is no big deal.
We’ve seen people hit shuttlecocks and ping pong balls and tennis balls and volleyballs faster and harder and better than should be humanly possible.

We’ve seen hurdles, high jumps, long jumps.

We’ve witnessed people running and biking long distances as well as short.

We’ve seen people surpass any reasonable expectation of them.

We’ve seen people make mistakes at just the wrong moment.

We’ve seen joy.

We’ve seen pain.

We’ve witnessed compassion and sportsmanship.

We’ve watched the Olympics.  

We’ve enjoyed seeing the competition.  We’ve enjoyed seeing people push themselves beyond normal limits, obtaining medals and world records and incredible achievements.  We’ve enjoyed celebrating the victories and cheering on those who have given their best efforts to their particular sport.  We’ve also enjoyed seeing the sportsmanship, the celebrations of teammates and competitors congratulating one another.  We’ve enjoyed a large part of these Olympic Games, and we plan to continue to enjoy them until this Olympic season is done.

Though that is the case, there are certainly some things that are less than enjoyable.  (Many of which have been listed above.)  There are also instances when we are sad or empathetic or feel disappointment for people.  We have seen the pain of those who trip early in a race, those who stumble, those who fall.  We’ve witnessed the agony of those who are injured or hurt and can no longer compete.  We’ve seen the frustration, the despair, the tears, the heartache.  

Throughout these Olympics, we have seen some good, some bad and everything in between.  Highs and lows.  Joy and despair.  Victory and defeat.  We have seen some remarkable accomplishments as well as some people who fell short of expectations.  A whole gambit of things have been on display, lifetime achievements, personal bests, world records, amazing feats of human ability right alongside of letdowns, agony, and personal despair.  But do you want to know the thing that stood out the most for me?  Do you want to know what keeps bouncing around in my head after watching these Games?

One statement.

Repeated by many of the athletes.

“I have worked my whole life for this.”

“I have worked my whole life for this.”

An entire life dedicated to one moment, to one Olympic Games, to one medal.  

“I have worked my whole life for this.”

For many who made a statement such as this, it seemed as if the medal around their necks symbolized that their effort, their dedication, the sacrifice was worth it.  It was as if they were saying, “I have worked my whole life for this, and look what I accomplished.  A gold.  A silver.  A bronze.  See!  It was all worth it.” 

But was it?  

Really?

I appreciate the dedication.  I appreciate the accomplishment.  I appreciate the sacrifice, especially when compared with so many who haven’t worked at anything other than being comfortable, but is that really all that there is to strive after for these athletes?  A hunk of medal and some passing fame and recognition?

Records will be broken.  Names will be forgotten.  Medals can be lost or stolen or sold to a pawn shop when times get tough.  New people will step in to compete, to entertain.  The victories will pass.  How will these folks feel in 4 years from now?  8?  12?  48?  Will it be worth it then?

“I worked my whole life for this.” 

And that’s just the victors, those who have achieved a medal, from those that the media bothered to interview.  But what about the ones who had been defeated?  What about that fourth place guy or gal who didn’t make the podium?  Or backing it up a step, what about the ones who didn’t even make the finals?  What about the ones who were eliminated in “pool play” or the early qualifiers?  Hadn’t they worked their whole lives for this as well?  Hadn’t at least some of them dedicated their lives to being the best possible athlete that they could be?  Backing it up even a step further, what about those who didn’t even make the team?  The alternates?  The backups?  Those who had been cut at trials?  Hadn’t some of these people worked their whole lives for this too?  Was it worth it to them?  Was it worth it to the one who fell before they even got started?  Was it worth it to the one who jumped the gun early and got disqualified?  Was it worth it to the one who just missed out on making the team and will have no real shot of making the team the next time around?

“I have worked my whole life for this.”

When you think about it, it’s sad really.  I know that there are other things in life that even the most dedicated of athletes do and experience, but it is still disheartening that people choose to dedicate the vast amount of their lives to one goal:  athletic success.  Sure, they might be the fastest swimmer for a while, but it won’t last.  Someone younger, faster, more gifted will eventually come along.  Sure, they might have the medal now and feel the euphoria of an Olympic victory (something that I will never taste), but that moment will be fleeting.  Even the most successful American male swimmer of these Games is only taking three weeks off before he’s back in the pool to start training once more, dedicating his life that he might reach that pinnacle once again.

“I have worked my whole life for this.”

 

This leads me to my question:

What are you working your whole life for?

Success?  Comfort?  Family?  Friends?  Has it been money?  Power?  Business prowess?  Are you working toward anything at all, or are you just drifting by, hoping to make it through another day?

Paul says this:

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

~ 1 Timothy 4:8

My hope?  That when asked that question, I would respond, “I am working my whole life for the kingdom of God.”  Whether I’m exercising or resting, whether I’m talking or being quiet, whether I’m watching the Olympics or competing in backyard badminton, my hope is that through each and every aspect of my life that I am working for the kingdom of God, that I am dedicated to the kingdom of God, that I am committed and sacrificing to the kingdom of God.  Put into action or set aside, on the playing field or in the stands, called up to the high dive or not even invited to the pool, I hope that in all of my life that I am dedicated to Jesus and to his kingdom, that I am being trained up in godliness which holds value for this life and for the life to come.

After all, Jesus says, 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

~ Matthew 6:19-20

“I have worked my whole life for this.”

What about you?

 

~ Pastor Chris