OJT

During the last few walks with Oliver, a wonderful lad of mixed canine decent, I have been considering that putting ‘Grandfather’ on my resume has been one of the coolest things I’ve added since June of 1979. It amazes me that I’ve come into the position with a certain amount expertise that, until I began considering it more fully, has baffled me.

When I was a child I was able to observe my own four grandparents and benefit from their love of the job. Grandpa White gave my sisters and me wheelbarrow rides around the double cul-de-sac in Gardena and let us play with his wooden hardware organizer drawers as a place for us to put play money and act like we were a store. Grandma White fixed her wonderful English cuisine meals. I especially liked the way she prepared carrots. Grandma Matt (Mattingly) always made a couple of my favorite dishes when I visited at Bass Lake – lemon meringue pie and shrimp cocktail were her specialties for me. Grandpa Matt had a way of teaching me the practicalities of daily life and snuck a $5 bill into my hand for gas as I was driving away when I was able to go up on my own. My favorite memory was him sitting us down at McDougal’s for our favorite ice cream dish. It was a banana split for me.

Those four could be gruff at times and I suppose that was due to coming through the depression and other depredations of the lives they had. I never once felt they didn’t love me. I know they did, or do. I seem to still have conversations with them now and again. Most of them were great huggers even if Grandpa Matt liked to rub his stubble on our young cheeks. I suppose the good long time I had with them burned the programming into my firmware.

When I became a man and after June, 1979 I was blessed with observing Cindy’s and my parents take to the role of grandparent and man, they are hard act to follow. From the moment each of the four held Ashley in their arms the first time I knew we had an awesome foursome of grandparents for our kids. Our mothers were creative and attentive and our fathers were watchful and protective. All of them were playful at times. One thing that stands out about them is the sense of wonderment at the joy of being a grandparent was. It is as though my observations of my and Cindy’s parents reemphasized the programming that took place when I was a boy and maybe did some debugging as well.

With all that training by osmosis I still needed some more practical lessons and there is nothing better than On the Job Training (OJT). The best teachers for grandparent OJT started with Teya and Jeremiah, then Logan and Nairi, and now Becca. Grandchildren are the best teachers of grandparents and it happens in the field, on the playgrounds and on living room floors, in their highchairs and on changing tables. We get tested here and the programming gets beta-tested right then and there and we adapt.

After twelve years of experience, one great lesson I’ve learned from them is that expectations from them are going to change as they get older and their needs get more…sophisticated. Add to it that I’m just getting older and rolling around on the floor and tossing them in the air isn’t quite as graceful. I know Teya’s experience of me will be far different than Becca’s.

Those are a lot of words to get to this point and you are likely wondering, if you’re still reading, what does this have to do with a Calvary’s Thread post about my Christianity? And these days, what does it have to do with covid-19 and faith?

Let me go here with my tangent: How did twelve fishermen, tax evaders, and otherwise tier-one individuals come to be the founders of Christianity? OJT. There were no seminaries and no Bible schools to mold them into Apostles other than the rabbinic teachings they got growing up and those somehow missed who the Messiah was to the point the leaders of these schools had Jesus put to death. Only the revelation that poured from the disciples turned some of the teaching into truth for the Jews at the time.

These guys hung out with Jesus for three and half years and were taught on the run and in the field. They were instruments in Jesus’ hands for the feeding of the five thousand, were sent out by twos to minister in His name (Mark 6:6b-13, Luke 9:1-6, and Luke 10:1-24) and otherwise assisted Jesus with his ministry. On the Job Training.

Then their mentor, teacher, and the Father of their faith was killed and they scattered only to be reeled back in to have their training refreshed. Their OJT continued in Acts and when a new teacher, or rather a teacher with a different aspect of the Father, came upon them, the lessons continued. The first big evidence that they were ready to graduate into Apostleship was Peter preaching and adding three thousand to the faith. He’d never really preached before. OJT baby.

Do you want your faith to expand, your effectiveness to grow? Wade into the river and get hip deep into the work of the Kingdom to the point the Holy Spirit has to come upon you to succeed. Learn by doing, live by grace.

In His grip,

jerry

Early Morning Foray Into the Sanctuary

I went into the Sanctuary this morning, the first time I’ve been on the church campus in a couple of weeks or so, a notable rarity for me. Such is the advantage of being a key-holder, though in days long gone by we kept a key on the ledge over the door to the Fish Bowl as the room was known. Well okay, it was a bread-knife and the doors were not the higher quality of security doors we have in place today.

The pre-dawn sky back-lit the stained-glass windows, at least the ones still in place during our refurbishing process. (give people!) Being in the place alone and in the dark is one of my favorite times there and only in part because the darkness masks the scars technology is leaving on the walls but more so because I feel God's presence. The hush was reverent as I eased my way along the empty pews, so unlike the hush that’s come over the streets and malls and parks and our beaches during our time of social distancing and hunkering down at home.

It’s easy to pray here along but difficult to focus on the greatest area of need for prayer. I’ve been wondering what the story arc is for covid-19, how its epilogue will read. I decided to ask Jesus whose likeness looked down from the round window above our altar. Alas, no answer was forthcoming. However, I’ve decided to ask it of Him each time my random reminder to pray goes off. I am surely not the answer and I’ve no brain power to bring to bear on the problem. Who is? Who will rise up and bring the answer and allow us to return to a more level and even new normal? I suspect that the answer will only come when God’s people humble ourselves in pray and heat up our passion for His Kingdom. 

Surely the answer is not to return too soon to how things were and simply power through the crisis as though the loss of even one extra person is worth the ‘boost’ to the economy so the rich can maintain robust portfolios and tout how the middle class is so better off because of it. You know the rich, those folks with concierge healthcare that can buy a covid-19 test at the drop of a hat when the folks on the front lines can’t find one to save a life? This is a folly preferred by the ignorant and greedy.

Who will rise up and provide the definition of a new normal and give guidance on how we should live and thrive? I’ll ask, and ask again and sometime someone will come forward…

Come quickly Lord.

In His grip, jerry

Battery Life

Isaiah 40:28-31 and 41:10^a – “²⁸Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. ³⁰Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; ³¹but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” And “^41:10afear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God”.

Have you ever been using a portable electronic device for something important to you? Like your smart-phone, iPad, or notebook computer for a work presentation, or an oral report for a class, or, God forbid, your Sunday sermon and your plan is to be *hip and sharp using the device for your notes instead of, gasp, paper? And the battery dies…you know, like the terrorist underling video-taping the leader’s manifesto in True Lies. “Battery Aziz…” (YouTube clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An-9zO0PlvA)

Do you think it’s a good idea to make sure you come into your critical event fully charged?

Have you ever done all the prep-work I mentioned above and finished your presentation only to look at your battery life to see it in the RED? And you say to yourself and anyone around, “God, that was lucky.” No, that was grace and a simple heartfelt “TYG (thank you God)” is in order.

It is the same way with our spiritual life and my suggestion is to plug in whenever the opportunity presents itself. Go a step further and create the occasion to top off your batteries throughout the day.

How do you recharge? What devices do you use to maintain a connection to the Holy Spirit throughout your day? However you choose to connect, do it. And find something new to try. Maybe it will work for you, maybe not, but the action of finding one will provide a connection in itself and perhaps refresh some of your old tried and true methods.

A few weeks back I downloaded a new ap to my phone, “Oh Snap”. It’s a random reminder generator that pops up with a reminder now and then throughout the day and within the hours you set for it. They can be green (low priority), yellow (medium), or red (hot and frequent). I have one reminder loaded and it is labeled “Stop, It’s Time to Pray”.

The problem with my new ap is that over the last several days it’s been crazy busy with stuff and I’ve simply scrolled by the reminder. They’ve been important things that aren’t fun. I’d rather have been writing a Calvary’s Thread post like I’m doing right now and pausing in the flow to pray.

So friends, stop and pray. Reconnect and recharge every day and frequently. Do. It. Now.

In His grip,

Jerry

*or current, cool, chic, stylish, in vogue, or whatever the latest term for this passe word is that I’ve been unable (or unwilling) to dig out.

O Holy Night

O Holy Night

I was brought up short by a comment Jim made on a post I’d put up just over eight months ago, ‘Roll Back the Stone’. Brought up short is about the only way to get my attention during these days of celebration; Thanksgiving, Christmas, birth announcements, weddings, and all sorts of things I need to be doing. Somehow Jim took a post where I confess that I keep a stone across my heart mostly to keep Jesus out rather than in and followed it up with a question that stopped me in my tracks.

Jim askes when considering ‘no room at the inn’ during this Christmas season, “Do our daily lives shuffle Jesus to our barns?”

Oh my yes, regrettably so. I am the posterchild for this. I’ve been keeping an action item list over the last month or so and the category of household/family items far outweighs two important categories for me – Writing and LCPC/Spiritual Growth. I agonize over it every time I go to the list.

One of the beauties of Jim’s comment is that he provided a link to Kerrie Roberts’ performance video of her singing ‘O Holy Night’. If you don’t read any further, take a listen – I’ve included the complete lyrics below the main post. Here is the link:

'O Holy Night' by Kerrie Roberts

A wine merchant and poet named Placide Cappeau was persuaded to write a poem to commemorate the renovation of a church organ. Adolphe Adam composed the music for it and it was premiered by opera singer Emily Laurey in 1847. There are a number of variations and performances of the carol and it has long been a favorite of mine. Research on its origins and translations has done nothing to render my love for ‘O Holy Night’ any less and "Cantique de Noël" has taken rather more significance for me.

I love the hope it gives – ‘For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.’

I love and seek to obey the command – ‘Fall on your knees!’

I have loved reading the second verse and bridge, parts of the song I wasn’t aware of until now because they are not performed by Roberts nor any others I’ve listened to leading up to this post. And I now cling to the promise – ‘In all our trials born to be our friend. He knows our need, to our weaknesses no stranger’. And the command at the end of the second bridge – ‘Before Him lowly bend!’

The third verse gives us admonitions to ‘love one another. His law is love and his gospel is peace,’ and ‘in His name all oppression shall cease.’

Finally –‘Let all within us praise His holy name.’

Sing people! Let Jesus out of our barns. Fall on our knees and before Him, let us lowly bend and praise his holy name.

As Jim signed off to me, so I sign off to you, ‘joy to the world. Let every heart prepare him room.’

jerry

O Holy Night

O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees, oh, hear the angel voices

O night divine, O night, when Christ was born

O night divine, O night, O night divine

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother

And in his name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we

Let all within us praise His holy name

Christ is the Lord

Then ever, ever praise we

Noel, Noel, O night, O night divine

Noel, Noel, O night, O night divine

O night divine, O night, when Christ was born

O night divine, O night, O night divine

Blog Post Notes: You can find much of this information in the Wikipedia and a list at the bottom of notable renditions of the songs. Some of the dates don’t match other sources I read and put the writing of the lyrics and music in 1847, the same year it was debuted. The list of performers is impressive and worth a scan. Maybe you can find a favorite version of your own.

Also note that as I was finishing up the first draft of this John Denver’s version started playing from his ‘Rocky Mountain Christmas’ CD. I hadn’t listened to before and had no idea he did ‘O Holy Night’.

I Don't Understand

I Don’t Understand

I don’t understand Lord. How could this happen? We prayed and kept praying. Knocked and continued to knock. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to figure it out and can only hug my friend in her loss. Even then, how will this help us know why?

I think at times like this, when we lose someone dear to our hearts, especially our own children, that we lack the capacity to ken the reason for their passing. You could explain it in our own language, plain English for me, or any number of languages throughout the globe. I doubt I could even understand where it to come from the mouths of angels via the gift of tongues. It hurts and I doubt. This vexes me, a purported man of faith, to have no answer.

It is one thing to lose someone after a long and full life, say a parent who has aged and deteriorated, or even a spouse who has done the same. The emptiness and loss are real for this but we understand that we age and have a finite time on earth to live. We can grow to accept the loss though never really come to love the emptiness. But to lose someone in the fullness of their life struck down by random rebellious cells in their own body, someone who can bring so much to so many and ease their pains, how do we live with that?

As you now Lord, I lost a friend to a random and senseless accident well before he even touched on the potential of his life. I still don’t understand that one. You know I became bitter over it and the whole thing drove a wedge between you and me. It was only a miracle at the hands of a bunch of junior high kids praying over me that I was cured of the bitterness. I still have the question but have accepted it as the way things are.

But, from where will the miracle come for my friend? How will she understand, accept, and move along? The family needs peace, Kristy’s struggle has worn them out. A mother and father grieve. A husband and little boy are deeply saddened. Friends hang their heads and weep. Clients, people who’ve felt healing and wellness at her touch, have an empty spot in their hearts. Our community has a hole where once a bright and warm light emanated and provided comfort.

I don’t understand it and can’t give them the explanation they feel they need to come to grips with the deep longing for a better outcome of the struggle. I can only pray and hope for a miracle to find them, envelope them, and give them a purpose for continuing down the trail of life without her.

And so I do pray and hope and look for peace. Bring it Lord, quick and sure, bring peace to our hearts.

In Your grip Lord,

jerry

Surely Not I Lord

How can we be so sure it is not us?

During the Lord’s Super Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples when he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” (Matthew 26:21 NIV)

The disciples were very sad and replied one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?” (Matthew 26:22 NIV)

Jesus expanded on His prophesy saying that it would be better for the betrayer not to have been born. Judas then asked, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” (Matthew 26:25 NIV)

Look at the difference between how the eleven ask and how Judas offers the question. The eleven know Jesus is Lord while Judas still thinks him a simple Rabbi. That lack of revelation allowed Judas to betray our Lord out of greed. But, how could any of them been so sure he was not the one?

I prefer the English Standard Version translation of the question, “Is it I, Lord?” I can’t be sure enough to say ‘Surely not I.’

When things go a bit wrong or completely haywire we too often hear, “Not my fault” and then a bunch of dissemination coupled with defensive positioning and a digging in behind half-truths, outright lies, or self-deluded beliefs about one’s own actions and culpability.

What I need to do in those times is to respond with, ‘am I the one?” Then I need to react like David in Psalm 139:23-24, “²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ²⁴See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (NIV)

I will rarely resolve anything by saying that it is not my fault. We will never advance God’s Kingdom with that approach – never come close to what we see for ourselves in God, or bring our vision for the church to fruition unless we hit the deck and cry out to be searched. And the first to do this need to be the leaders. Publicly. They cannot say that it’s the congregation’s fault, it’s not the pastor’s or elder’s or director’s fault. We must lead by example and be the first to hit our knees in repentance. It is the only way or it will be us that betray the Kingdom.

When we do this it clears the way for the Holy Spirit to act because God does not despise a broken and contrite heart. (Psalm 51)

So, take five or ten minutes today and pray to be searched. Read and meditate on Psalm 139 or use Psalm 51. Then, do it again tomorrow and act on what the Holy Spirit shows you.

In His grip,

jerry

Posts Best Not Published

I need to put Positive over Negative

I’ve struggle some over the last several months to write consistently in this space. I feel like this is due in part to some topics that can carry a negative connotation or focus, or perhaps some of them really are negative. I prefer not to add to the abundance of antagonistic material found in the world. But there are things I rail against in my head and this stuff is crowding out the substance I prefer to write about; personal introspection, inspirational stories, and stories of praiseworthy people.

I’m going to take the risk of opening Pandora’s Box here and list the working titles of some of them. I hope not to offend anyone. Truth be told though, there is little risk of giving offense as so few are reading Calvary’s Thread these days. Only nine for the post earlier this week. (Alas poor me) I’ll risk the breach of etiquette in the hope that by typing out the titles I’ll exorcise the negative crap so I can get on with more uplifting material.

The short list of working titles:

> When the Schtick Fades

> Rend the Curtain – Again

> First: One-to-One

> Telephoto Lenses Don’t Make Big Pictures

> Church Metrics

> Isn't God's Word Inspiration Enough?

This is not an overpoweringly long list. However, the subject maters keep coming up and are a distraction. Others waft through my brain and I dismiss them out of hand.

I’d much rather write a letter for my To Whom It May Concern collection telling someone (and anyone who sees the letter) what great things the person has done, what wonderful deeds they’ll do in the future, how much I love them and how much they mean to me. Or perhaps I’ll write about how something I’ve heard or seen or done has brought me to my knees or met my heart. And so that’s what I’ll do and likely that’s what you’ll read next.

In His grip,

jerry