I’d rather be…

I used to have the license plate frame “I’d rather be paddling” that I got from Sports Chalet and many times it was true because I really love being on the water paddling along the river or the lake, or the back bay…anywhere. We see those “I’d rather be…” frames all over the place and why not? They’re free and we love to be doing anything but being stuck in traffic. Then one day as I was driving along to something that I had been looking forward to for quite some time it struck me that I really wouldn’t rather be paddling, I was going to do something really great. Don’t ask me what it was now because it was a long while ago and it could have been any one of many things, worshipping, playing some goofy game with a bunch of Junior High Students, seeing their Talent Show, seeing my own kids, going out with my wife…the list can go on because I’m blessed with an abundance of wonderful people in my life. The point is, I don’t want to drive around advertising my regret if I’m actually doing something I love so I took the plate off.

What got me thinking along this line was during a Saturday Victory Motorcycle Club ride a couple of weeks ago I overheard one of my riding friends say “I’d rather by riding my motorcycle and thinking about God than in church thinking about my motorcycle.” I liked hearing that and applauded it and support the sentiment now. There is no reason why we can’t think about God and worship Him while doing whatever it is we are doing and, in fact, we should do just that. Jesus is the perfect example of this, naturally. He was always about his Father’s business and did nothing that the Father didn’t show him to do. He was in perfect obedience and contact with God. When we are in church, that’s where we need to be focused and not on the game we’re going to right after, or seeking out a fellow member to lodge some complaint, or how we’d rather be on the golf course, or doing Pinterest. When we are in church we need to be present; God is. When we are riding, shooting hoops, or paddling along a lazy river we can and should be in His presence. Others will know it when we are just as they will know it when we aren’t.

A word of caution though before we give up our Sunday services to go and think about God at the matinee, or the mall, or even for a stroll at Descanso Gardens, we cannot and should not forgo the gathering of the saints. Hebrews 10: 25 says “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We need each other and the corporate times of prayer and worship if we are to hold fast to our faith. I’ve known precious few people, maybe one, who could honestly profess God’s love and yet not be even a part time churchman.

Peace

Psalm 130 – A song of ascents

How fitting that a Psalm of ascents would speak to me so clearly. My Lenten season had degraded to daily skirmishes to the point that a battle raged between my commitment for the season and my habits of escape and withdrawal that resulted in bouts of guilt ridden self loathing. All of this drove me away from the main purpose of Lent; drawing near to Christ and his suffering, embracing the sacrifice and victory that He has already won on our behalf.

Psalm 130: 1 & 2: “¹Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; ²O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”

The first act of ascending to the foot of the cross is recognizing our need for it, deep within us, until we cry to him with an intensity that rocks our soul.

Psalm 130: 3 & 4 “³If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”

Then we confess and repent in order to receive the assurance of His forgiveness with our response of worship and praise.

I really love this next part; I can relate to the watchmen. One of my favorite things about Mission Arizona is to walk about the camp, late at night and into the early morning while watching over the mission team, praying for them, crying out for God to lead us and to dwell in everything we were doing. Under the moonlight with a star-filled sky while hearing the breathing of a couple of dozen people who were out working and serving Him all with the backdrop of coyotes in the distance and even a couple of times drums from the reservation, I was often times answered in the quiet and was assured that all would be well in the camp.

Psalm 130: 5 & 6: “⁵I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. ⁶My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning.”

Psalm 130: 7 & 8: “⁷O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. ⁸He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.”

And we pray it now Lord; we put our hope in You, Your love never fails. Bring us to your redemption, from all our sins, all those things that keep us from having you always before us. We lift You up in victory, risen from the dead, sin and death vanquished. Come quickly Lord!”