All posts by Pastor Curry

Pastoral thoughts

A Hilly Reminder

Driving in the mountains or hilly areas is always interesting. Often we cannot see what is ahead until we either get to the top of the hill or around the curve. It makes driving an adventure! But this hilly driving leads me to Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” The hills are wonderful, exciting, even exhilarating – but my help and strength come from the Lord who made them. As The Message translates verses 1-2, “I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.”

What a glorious truth! No matter how high the mountain, nor how steep the climb, or how swift the descent, God is guiding, leading, and protecting. What an awesome affirmation for the ups and downs of life. Whether you’re going down or going up, remember the hills. You may be at the very bottom, wondering how to ever get back to the top. Or perhaps you’re at the very top worried you might not stay there. You could be in between, not sure if your next move will propel you upwards or thrust you downwards. It might be that you are moving forward but can’t see around the next curve; you’re concerned about what lies ahead. No matter what, “The LORD will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” 

Let me take a little liberty and offer a ‘Curryean’ paraphrase: “The LORD will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going, your ups and your downs, your bends and your curves, both now and forevermore.” Whether you’re going down or going up, remember the hills. You can travel safely no matter what the road!

So let the hills and curves, the ups and downs, remind you of our faithful God who never tires, slumbers, or sleeps so He can be your constant guard and protector. “God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always.” (7-8 The Message) Wherever you are at this moment, whether you’re going down or going up, remember the hills.

 

 

Pastoral thoughts

A Moment of Sifting

It was only moments before the first funeral I ever conducted. A 38 year old father had died of cancer leaving behind a wife and four very young children. I was about to precede the casket into the sanctuary. I felt a tug on the bottom of my suit coat. I turned around and saw one of the pall bearers, a dear friend, who simply said, “We’ve been praying for you.” While it almost brought me to tears, it also energized me for the moments ahead.

So I identify with the disciples. They had gathered in an upper room to celebrate the Passover. But Jesus was making some serious, disturbing predictions. He said He was leaving them and that one of their tightly knit band would betray Him. He talked about being killed. He predicted that strong, loyal Peter would deny Him – and not once but three times. Since the disciples had come to value and trust Jesus’ words they were disturbed. Whatever Jesus meant, they knew the hours ahead would be difficult, especially if they had to go through them without Jesus.

But, as always, Jesus was sensitive to their state. So He looked at Peter and said, for all to hear, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you” (plural) “as wheat” (Luke 22:31-32). Just as Satan had to ask God for permission to attack Job, so he had to ask for permission to sift the disciples. But Jesus continued, “I have prayed for you” (singular), “Simon, that your faith may not fail.” Jesus prays for us! Satan will repeatedly try to sift us, to trip us up and get us to turn away from Jesus. Tough times test us to see if we are wheat or chaff. But, as the Heidelberg Catechism states, all things come to us not by chance but from His fatherly hand. So Jesus prays for us to remain strong. Satan not only has to ask permission, He has to overcome the prayer of Jesus!

These are strange, worrisome difficult days. Satan loves to take advantage of these times. They are moments of sifting. He figures our spirits are weak. But Jesus is praying for us. He is faithful and true and will not let us be tempted  beyond what we can handle, nor suffer beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He will grant us fresh supplies of His Spirit so mourning becomes joy and darkness turns to light. And as John reminds us the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

But also notice what Jesus adds as He speaks to Peter, “And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Always remember, as Jesus prays for us so we are to pray for others. Doing so not only helps them, it also helps us as we get out of ourselves and become part of Jesus’ healing, strengthening flow into our world. And isn’t that what we need for these moments of sifting? Jesus is already praying for us. Join me in praying for others.

 

Pastoral thoughts

Viral Faith

This is a time for faith and not fear.  To be honest I know the virus is real and will most likely eventually come to someone we know, perhaps even to you or me. But I am far more concerned with the loss of reason and the wave of fear and hysteria that threatens the fabric of our society than I am with the virus. I am concerned what our children and grand-children are learning about how to respond to difficult times and circumstances. So let this be an opportunity to focus on faith.

  • Focus on our faithful God who watches over our lives and our coming and going now and forevermore (Ps. 121).
  • Focus on the fact the Bible teaches us to be of use today. ‘Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.” Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:13-17).
  • Focus on what  the Heidelberg Catechism profoundly states:

26 Q. What do you believe when you say: “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, maker   of heaven and earth?”

That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal           counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son.  I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and he will            turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world.  He is able to do this    because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.

            27 Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?

Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which he upholds, as    with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade,     rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity   and poverty – all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand.

            28 Q. How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?

We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will       separate us from his love.  All creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.

  • Focus on Numbers 16:46-48: “Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.” So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.” I am not implying that COVID-19 is a God-sent plague. I am saying intercessors are needed. Let’s all stand in the great gap and pray unceasingly.

Here is a message I delivered on Sunday, March 15 to those gathered for worship @ Kibbie Christian Reformed Church here in South Haven. My prayer is that it will bless and strengthen you during these unusual days.

Pastoral thoughts

If You Don’t Like the Garbage

There’s one thing that bugs me about the road by which we live – the litter that ends up in our yard. I pick up wrappers from McDonalds, bags from burger King, and boxes from Wendy’s, along with cans, bottles, and cups – and once even a bumper from a car that veered off the road and slammed into the telephone pole in our yard. I’ve wondered why people feel so free to throw their litter out of their vehicles, to dump their garbage where they don’t have to pick it up. I think the very same thing anytime I see someone throw a cigarette butt out their window. There are probably numerous reasons – but I believe the core reason is they don’t want to deal with the garbage. They love the food, the pleasure, but not the leftover garbage. To that I say, “If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

In actuality, this is a major biblical theme.

  • “When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden …. God called to the Man: “Where are you?” He said, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid.” (Genesis 3:8-10 The Message)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “Cain said to God, “My punishment is too much. I can’t take it! You’ve thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I’m a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever finds me will kill me.” (Genesis 4:13-14 The Message)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “When I refused to confess my sin my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat”. (Psalm 32:2-4 New Living Translation)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.” (Proverbs 11:29)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “Lazy hands make for poverty…Whoever maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.” (Proverbs 10:4 & 10)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “For the wages of sin is death…”(Romans 6:23)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.” (I Corinthians 10:8-10)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “You will reap exactly what you plant. If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death…” (Galatians 6:7-8 Good News Translation)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” (Matthew 5:21-22)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

So:

  • If you don’t like the sexual immorality of our day… don’t watch the movies/shows that promote them or support the advertisers who pay for them.

  • If you don’t like lung cancer, don’t smoke .If you don’t like being drunk, don’t drink. If you don’t like arguing with your spouse, don’t do the things that lead to arguments.

  • If you don’t like being in debt, don’t live off your credit card and spend what you do not have.

  • If you don’t like feeling separated from God, stop doing the things that separate you from Him.

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.” In fact, if you don’t like the garbage, change your diet. “Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.” (Isaiah 55:1-3) It all begins with your relationship with Jesus. “I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness…Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (John 10:10 &  7:37-38) Now that’s a garbage free diet!

Pastoral thoughts

Thanksgiving: An Incomplete List

Thanksgiving Day. (1) As I prepare to celebrate this festive day, I like to make a list of blessings for which I’m grateful.
To keep it short – my top three are Jesus and Salvation, a godly loving wife, and a precious family. I have much to be grateful for. Yet I recall an old story I once used to challenge others to consider what gratitude and blessing are all about – and I’m wondering if my list is incomplete. The story goes like this:

An old man (2) showed up at the back door of the house we were renting. Opening the door a few cautious inches, we saw his eyes were glassy and his furrowed face glistened with silver stubble. He clutched a wicker basket holding a few unappealing vegetables. He bade us good morning and offered his produce for sale.  We were uneasy enough that we made a quick purchase to alleviate both our pity and our fear. To our chagrin, he returned the next week, introducing himself as Mr. Roth, the man who lived in the shack down the road. As our fears subsided, we got close enough to realize it wasn’t alcohol but cataracts that “marbleized” his eyes. On subsequent visits, he would shuffle in, wearing two mismatched right shoes, and pull out a harmonica. With glazed eyes set on a future glory, he’d puff out old gospel tunes between conversations about vegetables and religion. On one visit he exclaimed, ‘The Lord is so good! I came out of my shack this morning and found a bag full of shoes and clothing on my porch.’ ‘That’s wonderful, Mr. Roth!’ we said. ‘We’re happy for you.’ ‘You know what’s even more wonderful?’ he asked. ‘Just yesterday I met some people who could use them.’

When the Lord is our treasure, when our heart has been given over to Him and filled by Him, thankfulness and gratitude should never be an end in themselves. Rather, they should lead to sharing our wealth of blessings, no matter how much or little they are. That’s where I sense some incompleteness in my list. Shouldn’t the joy of giving be somewhere near the top? Yes – it should. And once again I am challenged to see what more, and in what other ways I can give – not as a duty but joyfully because of what God has given me in His Son. Surely – what I have is something someone else can use! Surely the blessing I have received is one someone else needs.

I need to embrace again the worlds of the Apostle Paul.

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:1-9)

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

That pretty much says it all.

May my blessings and your blessings find their way into the life and heart of someone who needs them. May the heart of Christ find its way through us into their hearts. Then my list will be complete. (3)

(1) Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash

(2) Photo by Madhav Rajesh on Unsplash

(3) Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash (bless)

 

 

 

 

 

Pastoral thoughts

Tailgating the Future

One of my few pet peeves is tailgaters. Not the ‘party at a football game people’ but the ‘following my car too closely people.’ It’s dangerous, it’s unnecessary, it’s rude, it’s pointless, it’s irritating, it’s nerve-racking – and it can easily become distracting.

That’s probably why I smile at the Allstate television ad with the ‘mayhem like me’ man – the one where he’s tailgating on his way to the tailgating party. The driver ahead of him – the one being tailgated – is so distracted looking in his rearview mirror that he crashes into the car ahead of him.[i] The ad doesn’t send me to an Allstate agent. Rather it reminds me of life principle: to navigate the future, face forward.

Unfortunately it’s not always easy. We know what’s behind us, be it good or bad. But what’s ahead of us is unknown, and that is cause for some anxiety. So the past can be more comfortable. It’s easy to long for and desire to live in the past even though our guilt can haunt us, our failures can plague us, our hurts can pain us, and our successes can inflate us. But to avoid crashing in the present we need to look ahead. To navigate the future face forward. We need to learn from the past but we cannot go forward while looking backward. We must not forget the past but we cannot dwell in it; rather we build on it as we move forward into God’s future. We must live with our backs to the past and our face toward the future.

The Bible offers us two beneficial opposite examples that underscore our principle. The first example is that of the nation of Israel. As J. M. Boice wrote, “When God led the people of Israel out of Egypt toward the Promised Land, he provided everything that they needed for their journey. They had shade by day and light by night. They had water to drink and manna to eat. The time came, however, when the people ceased to look forward to the land that God was giving them and instead looked back to their life in Egypt.”[ii] They crashed in the present and lost their future – the generation that left Israel had all died by the time the nation finally entered the Promised Land.

In contrast the apostle Paul powerfully states: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) ‘Forget’ does not mean to totally wipe from memory – that’s impossible for most of us. It means to cease letting things from the past overshadow or unduly influence the present. Do not let the past become a distracting tailgater. I love the cartoon in which Lucy and Charlie Brown are talking about the ballgame.[iii] Lucy explains why she missed the ball. “I remembered all the others I’ve missed… the past got in my eyes,..” (iii)

Which way are you facing?

Think of it this way: ‘Don’t let the past tailgate you; rather tailgate the future.’ To navigate the future face forward and strain towards what is ahead. Happy tailgating!

[i] https://www.ispot.tv/ad/ozlo/allstate-tailgate

[ii] Boice, J. M. (2000). Philippians: an expositional commentary (p. 197). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

[iii]Peanuts, July 7, 1989

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pastoral thoughts

More Bite

I was being the good husband. There were tree branches and limbs that needed to be cut down and cut up. While I’m not the handiest handyman around the house, this is something I’ve done and can do. So I readied our chainsaw and got to work. Things rolled along smoothly for a while – until the chain got stuck and came off the blade. Still no problem – I’ve put the chain on before. I had to loosen everything, take the chain off completely, and then put it back on and tighten it. So I did that – and began to cut away again – except that the saw wasn’t cutting. After some looking I discovered that the teeth of the chain were facing the wrong direction; therefore they had no bite. Thus my lesson for that day: when it comes to chain saws, “If you want more bite, face forward.”  It would be nice to tell you that once I removed the chain again and put it back on everything was fine – but I kept getting it wrong and it took several efforts – and a great deal of time – to get it right. (Remember I said I wasn’t the handiest handyman!) I suppose there are some lessons there as well but I do not want to digress.

So back to the direction of the teeth. The principle, “If you want more bite, face forward,” is not limited to saws. If I want to have more bite in my witness, more bite in my testimony, more bite in confronting the darkness of our world I must face forward. I cannot turn my back or assume that “If I live right the world will notice.”  The letter to the Hebrews is both instructive and inspiring. Hebrews 12:2 states (NLT), “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”  The chapter follows the great ‘Hall of Heroes’ in chapter 11. After offering this long list of inspirational Christian witnesses, the author is ready to make his application. I think Eugene Peterson put it well in The Message: “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (Hebrews 12:1-3) “If you want more bite, face forward.”

Such living, exemplified in Hebrews 11 & 12, will take a big bite into our world.

 

 

 

 

Such living will cut down the rotten limbs, clear away the sinful brush, and make room for the good healthy branches to grow and produce richer fruit. So how is it with you?  How big is your bite? How great is your impact? Which way are you facing? Is it time to strip down, face forward, and start running – no spiritual fat or parasitic sins?  Is it time to focus your eyes on Jesus? Is it time to go over His story again? After all, “That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” “If you want more bite, face forward.”

 

 

Pastoral thoughts

Powerful Ads

Summer has faded fast. One of the things I miss most is the fresh fruit. I love and hunger for fresh fruit. And we live in an area where it is usually abundant. So abundant, in fact, that sometimes it’s hard to know where to purchase it. Which market, which stand, which store has the best fruit at the best price? That means checking a lot of ads.

Yet as I think about this, I wonder where we go to quench our hunger for a godly, fruitful life. According to the Apostle Paul the godly fruitful life is filled with “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) And note that ‘fruit’ is singular. It is not like the ‘gifts’ of the Spirit where we have some but not all. There is one large fruit that consists of all these characteristics – we do not get to pick and choose!

      

Paul was actually posting an advertisement. He said the fruit comes from the Holy Spirit. “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” In other words, the Holy Spirit offers the best fruit available.

But how do people find this fruit? Well, when thirsty for fruit, check the ads. Yet where are the ads? Advertisers know what they are doing. They tease our senses with just enough to whet our appetites and entice us to come and see, believing that once we see we will buy. Similarly shouldn’t we be the ads for the Spirit’s fruit? Jesus says we should be: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (John 15:16-17) We should be living advertisements for Jesus Christ. Others should be influenced to come to Him because of us. Our lives should be neon signs advertising the fruit and pointing to Jesus – so when people are thirsty for fruit, they’ll have ads to check. Does the fruit of the Spirit spring from your life enough to whet appetites and entice others to come and see Jesus?

May the Holy Spirit transform your life into a living advertisement that draws others to Jesus. How will He do that? “Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.” He’ll do it as you love others. When you genuinely do so the Spirit of God will fill and flow through you. Then you will have full access to all the fruitful blessings of our Father – and will be His powerful living advertisement for the fruit that’s available all year round!

 

Pastoral thoughts

When You’re Hungry for More

Barb and I were visiting our son and his family down in Texas. We decided to search for a church we could attend Sunday morning. We were hoping for something somewhat familiar and with their help we found the address of a church very near their home and checked it out on the internet. We decided to give it a try. One of our granddaughters wanted to go with us, so we agreed to pick her up Sunday morning.

Our first surprise came when we found the church building – much smaller than the website made it appear. But not to judge a book by its cover, we parked across the street in the dirt parking lot and bravely ventured forth into the church. We were quickly greeted by a couple of older women who were truly glad to see us. We soon moved into a pew row and sat down – only to look around and discover that among the maybe 30-40 in attendance our granddaughter appeared to be the only child there. The truth is, we were among the youngest there – we now knew why they were so glad to see us!  That was surprise number two.

Surprise number three – the organist began her prelude and as we sat listening the lady in front of us turned to us and whispered with pride, “Our organist is 102 years old.”  In all fairness, for 102 she did a good job. I would hope I could do that well at 102 – especially since I can’t play the organ at all now! But I digress.

Surprise number four occurred at about the same moment – our granddaughter began shivering because the church was cold (it was an unusually cold Texas day) – and the overhead fans seemed to make it worse. Since Barb’s jacket was heavier than mine she wrapped it around her – now Barb, too, was cold! After that the service moved along slowly but fairly well. Then the minister began to ‘preach.’ Surprise number four! As a preacher I tend to be fairly lenient when it comes to judging sermons – but I must say I’m still looking for his point and wondering what I was supposed to bring home. He rambled to first base then to left field then to third base then to center field then back to the dugout then to second base…well you get the point; he never made it home. By this time I was pretty empty – and hungering for some sense of the divine. Oh, Jesus was mentioned but mostly matter-of-factly.

Then surprise number five. When he finally concluded his message He went to the Table and began to serve communion. There was very little introduction or explanation, but the elements were distributed – and I was hungry no more. The bread and the cup placed Jesus before me. Then it hit me: “When you’re hungry for more, give thanks for the bread and cup.” I had fallen into the trap of wanting worship to feed me – I was accustomed to what I’m used to. I had stopped focusing on Jesus. Rather than be thankful for a place to worship and a small family of people who loved their Lord and were sincerely giving their all to Him in worship, rather than be thankful for the opportunity to sit in worship with my granddaughter, I hungered for something more. And to think I shake my head in wonder at the Israelites for clamoring for more than daily manna! I wonder how they could miss the miracle of the bread. But here I was – missing the miracle of the bread, the miracle of Jesus in our midst. “When you’re hungry for more, give thanks for the bread and cup.”

There’s a reason God fed His people manna (bread) and water in the wilderness – that’s enough to sustain life. There’s a reason Jesus said He was the bread of life and the living water – He is enough to sustain life. “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:14) “I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty.”

As I thought about it, the lesson was not just for worship – it’s for daily life. “When you’re hungry for more, give thanks for the bread and cup.” What have you been hungering for? What are you forgetting to be thankful for? Have you looked to the bread and cup? When it comes down to it, what more do you need? “When you’re hungry for more, give thanks for the bread and cup.”

Pastoral thoughts

An Apple a Day

We were in a restaurant eating lunch with our son and his family. As usual we tried to split the grandchildren up so we could be sitting next to all three of them. One of our granddaughters ended up next to my wife who, therefore, helped her order her entree. On this day our granddaughter did not want a selection from the Kids Menu; she was determined to order something from the adult selections. So that’s what she did, with grandma’s permission! A short time later the waitress brought the food to our table. After she was done our granddaughter looked down at her serving and said, with a brilliant smile, “I have an adult plate!” Whether or not she would enjoy the food didn’t matter – she felt like an adult.

I was reminded again that such simple things – like allowing a child to order as an adult – mean so much. We all crave positive encouragement; we long for anything that raises our self-esteem. And more often than not our simple, well-chosen words offered to someone else accomplish this for them. Consider Proverbs 25:11 – “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”  As Prov. 15:23 adds: “What a joy it is to find just the right word for the right occasion!”

It sounds so simple, but it is not. It takes discipline to offer the apple regularly. In fact, as Paul was teaching the Ephesian church about new life in Jesus, he mentioned the critical nature of words and speech. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (4:29) He continued by explaining that this meant that they were to “…get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Still later (5:4) he said “Nor should there be any obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” A Christian’s speech should be clean, clear, uplifting, encouraging, and enabling – especially when addressed to children. (It is especially important in this time when adults all around them and in the media are not living by that standard – but that’s another blog for another time.)

I can testify to the power of the apple. I still remember receiving so many apples as a child and youth – words and notes of encouragement. They came from Sunday School teachers, pastors, youth leaders, school teachers, parents and other family members. One of my most vivid memories is, following a speech I gave at my High School graduation, receiving a note of commendation, appreciation, and encouragement from a local judge who was in attendance. His note, along with all the other apples, prepared me to answer God’s call to ministry. Their apples have profoundly influenced my life, and the many apples I have opportunity to offer.

What were some of the apples in your life? Whose words influenced and impacted you? And to whom are you giving apples? Who has Jesus placed before you? I truly believe an apple a day is a powerful way to positively influence our children. What apples can you give out today?